2000 SUBARU FORESTER ESP

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deploys could suffer very serious injuries. Because the SRS air- bag needs enough space for deployment, the driver should al-ways sit upright and well back in the seat as far from the steeringwheel as practical while still maintaining full vehicle control and
the front passenger should move the seat as far back as possibleand sit upright and well back in the seat.
Carefully read the sec tions “Seat b elts ” and “SRS airb ag ” in c hap ter 2 of
this owner ’s manual for instruc tions and p rec autions c onc ernin g the seat
b elt system and SRS airb ag system. CHILD SAFETY
WARNING
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms while the ve-
hicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from in- jury in a collision, because the child will be caught between the
passenger and objects inside the vehicle. While riding in the vehicle, infants and small children should
always be placed in the REAR seat in an infant or child restraint
system which is appropriate for the child ’s age, height and
weight. If a child is too big for a child restraint system, the childshould sit in the REAR seat and be restrained using the seatbelts.According to accident statistics, children are safer when properlyrestrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seatingpositions. Never allow a child to stand up or kneel on the seat. Put children aged 12 and under in the REAR seat properly re-
strained at all times in a child restraint device or in a seat belt.The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force andcan injure or even kill children, especially if they are 12 years ofage and under and are not restrained or improperly restrained.
Because children are lighter and weaker than adults, their risk be-
ing injured from deployment is greater. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO

1-8
Keyless entry system (if equipped)
CAUTION
Do not expose the transmitter to severe shocks, such as those
experienced as a result of dropping or throwing. Do not take the transmitter apart except when replacing the
battery. Do not get the transmitter wet. If it gets wet, wipe it dry with a
cloth immediately. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not
cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept anyinterference received, including interference that may causeundesired operation.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user ’s authority to
operate the equipment.
The keyless entry system has the following func tion s.
Loc king and unloc king the d oors and rear g ate witho ut a key
Arming and d isarming the sec urity system (if your v ehic le is eq uip p ed
with an op tional sec urity system). See the next sec tion “Sec urity system
(if eq uip p ed ) ” for d etailed information.
The rec eiver insid e your vehic le ’s keyless entry system and the remote
c ontrol transmitters are d esig ned tog ether to have an averag e op erating
rang e of 25 to 50 feet (8 to 15 meters) d uring id ea l c ond itions. Althoug h
at times you may exp erienc e rang e g reater than that , there may b e oc c a-
sions when rang e is less than normal. Atmosp heric c ond itions or interfer-
enc e from other RF-emitting d evic es c an effec tively red uc e transmitter
rang e.

1-26Fuel filler door and cap
WARNING
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. Before refueling, always
first stop the engine and make sure that there are no lighted ciga- rettes, open flames or electrical sparks in the adjacent area. When opening the cap, do not remove the cap quickly. Fuel
may be under pressure and spray out of the fuel filler neck espe-
cially in hot weather, which may cause injury.
CAUTION
Never add any cleaning agents to the fuel tank. The addition of a
cleaning agent may cause damage to the fuel system.
For c hoosing the rig ht fuel for your SUBARU, refer to the “Fuel req uire-
ments ” sec tion (loc ated in c hap ter 7).
To open and close the fuel filler door
HS0022
To op en the fuel filler d oor, p ull it outward . Afte r refueling , b e sure to
c lose the fuel filler d oor c omp letely.

2-2
Front seats
WARNING
Never adjust the seat while driving to avoid the possibility of
loss of vehicle control and of personal injury. Never drive the vehicle with the head restraints removed be-
cause they are designed to reduce the risk of serious neck injury
in the event that the vehicle is struck from the rear. Before adjusting the seat, make sure the hands and feet of rear
seat passengers are clear of the adjusting mechanism. Seat belts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat. To reduce the risk of sliding un-der the seat belt in a collision, the front seatbacks should be al-ways used in the upright position while the vehicle is running. Ifthe front seatbacks are not used in the upright position in a colli-
sion, the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt slid-ing up over the abdomen will increase, and both can result in se-rious internal injury or death. Do not put cushions or any other materials between occupants
and seatbacks or seat cushions. If you do so, the risk of sliding
under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen
will increase, and both can result in serious internal injury or death. The SRS airbags deploy with considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious injuries.
Because the SRS airbag needs enough space for deployment, thedriver should always sit upright and well back in the seat as farfrom the steering wheel as practical while still maintaining full ve-hicle control and the front passenger should move the seat as farback as possible and sit upright and well back in the seat. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable
speed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially if
they are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-
properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than

2-8
Rear seats
WARNING
Never drive the vehicle with the head rests removed because
they are designed to reduce the risk of serious neck injury in the
event that the vehicle is struck from the rear. Seat belts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat. To reduce the risk of sliding un-der the seat belt in a collision, the seatbacks should be alwaysused in the upright position while the vehicle is running. If the
seatbacks are not used in the upright position in a collision, therisk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding upover the abdomen will increase, and both can result in serious in-ternal injury or death.
Especially when the occupant of the rear seat is a child, be sureto position the seatback upright. Children are more likely to slideunder the lap belt than adults if the seatback is reclined in a colli-sion. Do not put cushions or any other materials between occupants
and seatbacks or seat cushions. If you do so, the risk of slidingunder the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomenwill increase, and both can result in serious internal injury ordeath. Never allow passengers to ride on the folded rear seatback or
in the cargo area. Doing so may result in serious injury or death. Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble forward and injure passengersin the event of a sudden stop or accident. Secure skis and other lengthy items properly to prevent them
from shooting forward and causing serious injury during a sud-den stop a sudden steering or a rapid acceleration.

2-12Seatbelts
Seatbelt safety tips
WARNING
All persons in the vehicle should fasten their seatbelts BE-
FORE the vehicle starts to move. Otherwise, the possibility of se-
rious injury becomes greater in the event of a sudden stop or ac-cident. All belts should fit snugly in order to provide full restraint.
Loose fitting belts are not as effective in preventing or reducing
injury. Each seatbelt is designed to support only one person. Never
use a single belt for two or more persons — even children. Other-
wise, in an accident, serious injury or death could result. Replace all seatbelt assemblies including retractors and at-
taching hardware worn by occupants of a vehicle that has been ina serious accident. The entire assembly should be replaced evenif damage is not obvious. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerablespeed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially ifthey are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater. Forthat reason, we strongly recommend that ALL children (includingthose in child seats and those that have outgrown child restraint
devices) sit in the REAR seat properly restrained at all times in achild restraint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is appropriate forthe child ’s height and weight.
Secure ALL types of child restraint devices (including forwardfacing child seats) in the REAR seats at all times.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TOTHE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.

2-20
Seatbelt maintenance
CAUTION
Keep the belts free of polishes, oils, chemicals and particularly
battery acid. Never attempt to make modifications or changes that will pre-
vent the seatbelt from operating properly.
To c lean the seatb elts, use a mild soap and lukewar m water. Never
b leac h or d ye the b elts b ec ause this c ould seriousl y affec t their streng th.
Insp ec t the seatb elts and attac hments inc lud ing the web b ing and all
hard ware p eriod ic ally for c rac ks, c uts, g ashes, tea rs, d amag e, loose
b olts or worn areas. Rep lac e the seatb elts even if only minor d amag e is
found .
Child restraint systems
WARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her lap while the
vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision, because the child will be caught between the
passenger and objects inside the vehicle. Additionally, holding achild in your lap or arms in the front seat exposes that child to
another serious danger. Since the SRS airbag deploys with con-
siderable speed and force, the child could be injured or evenkilled. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerablespeed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially ifthey are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater.For that reason, be sure to secure ALL types of child restraint
devices (including forward facing child seats) in the REAR seats

2-28
Do not place any objects over or near the SRS airbag cover or
between you and the SRS airbag. If the SRS airbag deploys, those objects could interfere with its proper operation and could
be propelled inside the car and cause injury. The SRS airbags deploy with considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious injuries. Because the SRS air-bag needs enough space for deployment, the driver should al-ways sit upright and well back in the seat as far from the steeringwheel as practical while still maintaining full vehicle control and
the front passenger should move the seat as far back as possibleand sit upright and well back in the seat.
HS0233
Adjust the seatback to upright position. Sit well back and upright.
Move the seat as far from the steering wheel as practical.HB0290
Adjust the seatback to upright position. Sit well back and upright.
Move the seat as far back as possible.
WARNING
Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially ifthey are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deployment is greater.
For that reason, we strongly recommend that ALL children (in-cluding those in child seats and those that have outgrown child
restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat properly restrained at alltimes in a child restraint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is ap-