2001 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-21
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HS1019BA
nUnfastening the seatbelt
HS0317
Push
Push the release b utton of the c enter seatb elt b uc k le (on the left-hand
sid e) to unfasten the seatb elt. NOTE When the seatback is folded down for greater luggage space, it is
necessary to disconnect the connector.
CAUTION
Do not allow the retractor to roll up the seatbelt too quickly.
Otherwise, the metal tongue plates may hit against the trim,resulting in damaged trim.

1-22
Have the seatbelt fully rolled up so that the tongue plates are
neatly stored. A hanging tongue plate can swing and hit against the trim during driving, causing damage to the trim.
HS1022BA
HS1021BA
1. Insert a key or other hard p ointed ob jec t into the slot in the c on-
nec tor (b uc kle) on the rig ht-hand sid e and p ush it in, and the c onnec -
tor (tong ue) p late will d isc onnec t from the b uc kle.
HS1024BA
HS1023BA
2. Allow the retrac tor to roll up the b elt. You should hold the web b ing
end and g uid e it b ac k into the retrac tor while it i s rolling up . Neatly
store the tong ue p lates in the rec ess in the retrac tor and then insert
the c onnec tor (tong ue) p late into the slot loc ated at the front of the
rec ess.

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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

1-24at all times. You should choose a restraint device which is appropriate for the child
’s age, height and weight.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when properlyrestrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seatingpositions. SINCE YOUR VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A PASSENGER ’S
SRS AIRBAG, DO NOT INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD
SEAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER ’S SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SE-
RIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE
CHILD’ S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
Children should be properly restrained in the rear seat at all
times. Never allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on the front
passenger’ s seat. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable
force and can injure or even kill the child.
HS1031BB
HS0229
HS0228
HS0042
Never allow a child to stand up, or to kneel on the front passenger ’s seat
or any other seat.
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms in the front passenger ’s
seat or any other seat.
Never install rearward facing child seat in the front passenger ’s seat.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-25
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WARNING
Child restraint systems and seatbelts can become hot in a ve-
hicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn a small child. Check the child restraint system before you place achild in it. Do not leave an unsecured child restraint system in your vehi-
cle. Unsecured child restraint systems can be thrown around in-
side of the vehicle in a sudden stop, turn or accident; it can strikeand injure vehicle occupants as well as result in serious injuriesor death to the child.
Infants and small c hild ren should always b e p lac ed in an infant or c hild
restraint system in the rear seat while rid ing in t he vehic le. You should use
an infant or c hild restraint system that meets Fed e ral Motor Vehic le Safety
Stand ard s or Canad a Motor Vehic le Safety Stand ard s, is c omp atib le with
your vehic le and is ap p rop riate for the c hild ’s ag e and size. All c hild re-
straint systems are d esig ned to b e sec ured in vehic le seats b y lap b elts or
the lap p ortion of a lap /should er b elt.
Child ren c ould b e end ang ered in an ac c id ent if thei r c hild restraints are
not p rop erly sec ured in the vehic le. When installin g the c hild restraint
system, c arefully follow the manufac turer ’s instruc tions.
Ac c ord ing to ac c id ent statistic s, c hild ren are safe r when p rop erly re-
strained in the rear seating p ositions than in the front seating p ositions.
These statistic s also ind ic ate that the safest p osi tion for a c hild restraint
system is the c enter of the rear seat.
All U.S. states and Canad ian p rovinc es req uire that infants and small
c hild ren b e restrained in an ap p roved c hild restrai nt system at all times
while the vehic le is moving .
Installing child restraint systems
NOTE When the child restraint system is no longer in use, remove it and
restore the ELR function of the retractor. That function is restored
by allowing the seatbelt to retract fully.

1-26
HB1080BA
Make sure that the seatb elt is sec urely loc ked into p lac e.
1. Set the c hild restraint system in the seating p os ition.
2. Run the lap and should er b elts throug h or around the c hild re-
straint system following the instruc tions p rovid ed b y its manufac turer.
If the should er b elt g oes in front of the c hild ’s fac e or nec k, p ut it b e-
hind the c hild restraint system.
3. Insert the tong ue p late into the b uc kle.
4. Take up the slac k in the lap b elt.
5. Pull out the seatb elt fully from the retrac tor to c hang e the retrac tor
over from the Emerg enc y Loc king Retrac tor(ELR) to t he Automatic
Loc king Retrac tor (ALR) func tion. Then, allow the b elt to rewind into
the retrac tor. As the b elt is rewind ing , c lic ks wil l b e heard whic h ind i-
c ate the retrac tor func tions as ALR.
6. Before having a c hild sit in the c hild restraint system, move it b ac k
and forth to c hec k if it is firmly sec ured . Sometim es a c hild restraint
c an b e more firmly sec ured b y p ushing it d own into the seat c ushion
and then tig htening the seatb elt.
7. Pull at the should er p ortion of the b elt to c onfi rm that it c annot b e
p ulled out (ALR p rop erly func tioning ).
If the c hild restraint system req uires a top strap , first remove the head
rest and then latc h the hook onto the top strap anc hor and tig hten the
top strap .

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HS0045
Top strap anchors Anchorage location
HS1030BB
Three anc hor b rac kets, i.e., ones for the rig ht, c e nter and left p osi-
tions, are alread y installed on the rear ed g e of th e roof.
To hook the top strap CAUTION
Always remove the head rest when mounting a child restraint
system with a top strap.Otherwise, it may happen that the top strap cannot be fastened
tightly.

1-28
HS1029BA
HSS001BA
1. Remove the head rest at the seat p osition where t he c hild restraint
has b een installed with the seatb elt: lift up the h ead rest while p ress-
ing the release b utton. Store the head rest in the c arg o area. Avoid
p lac ing the head rest in the p asseng er c omp artment to p revent it from
b eing thrown around in the p asseng er c omp artment in a sud d en stop
or a sharp turn.
2. Fasten the top strap hook of the c hild restraint to the ap p rop riate
anc hor b rac ket.
3. Tig hten the top strap sec urely.
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
*SRS: This stand s for sup p lemental restraint system . This name is used
b ec ause the airb ag system sup p lements the vehic le ’s seatb elts.
Vehicle with driver ’s and front passenger ’s SRS air-
bags and lap/shoulder restraints
WARNING
To obtain maximum protection in the event of an accident, the
driver and all passengers in the vehicle should always wear seat- belts when the vehicle is moving. The SRS airbag is designed
only as a supplement to the primary protection provided by the