2000 SUBARU FORESTER length

viTHE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD
’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG. Always use the child safety locks whenever a child rides in the
rear seat. Serious injury could result if a child accidentallyopened the door and fell out. Refer to the “Door locks ” section in
chapter 1. Always lock the passenger ’s windows using the lock switch
when children are riding in the vehicle. Failure to follow this pro-cedure could result in injury to a child operating the power win-
dow. Refer to the “Power windows ” section in chapter 1.
Never leave unattended children in the vehicle. They could ac-
cidentally injure themselves or others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot or sunny days, temperature in a
closed vehicle could quickly become high enough to cause se-vere or possibly fatal injuries to them.
Carefully read the sec tions “Child restraint systems ” , “SRS airb ag ” and
“ Seat b elts ” in c hap ter 2 of this owner ’s manual for instruc tions and p re-
c autions c onc erning the c hild restraint system, sea t b elt system and SRS
airb ag system. ENGINE EXHAUST GAS (CARBON MONOXIDE)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is danger- ous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine exhaust system to pre-
vent engine exhaust gas from entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space, such as a garage, ex-
cept for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is unavoidable, then use the ventila-tion fan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille free from snow,
leaves or other obstructions to ensure that the ventilation system
always works properly.

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.

Starting and operating7-7
–
CONTINUED –
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is danger- ous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine exhaust system to pre-
vent engine exhaust gas from entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space, such as a garage, ex-
cept for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is unavoidable, then use the ventila-tion fan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille free from snow,
leaves or other obstructions to ensure that the ventilation system
always works properly. If at any time you suspect that exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem checked and corrected as soon as pos-
sible. If you must drive under these conditions, drive only with allwindows fully open. Keep the trunk lid or rear gate closed while driving to prevent
exhaust gas from entering the vehicle.
NOTE Due to the expansion and contraction of the metals used in the
manufacture of the exhaust system, you may hear a crackling soundcoming from the exhaust system for a short time after the enginehas been shut off. This sound is normal.

7-46Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on the folded rear seatback or
in the cargo area. Doing so may result in serious injury. 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. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as possible. When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it when-
ever you can to prevent it from being thrown around inside the
vehicle in sudden stop, sharp turn or accident. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These loads raise the
vehicle’ s center of gravity and make it more prone to tip over.
Secure skis and other lengthy items properly to prevent them
from shooting forward and causing serious injury during a sud-den stop. Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss of control and cause personal
injury. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. Do not place anything on the extended luggage cover. Such
items could tumble forward in the event of a sudden stop or a
collision. This could cause serious injury.
CAUTION
Do not carry spray cans, containers with flammable or corrosiveliquids or any other dangerous items inside the vehicle.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry unneeded cargo.