2002 SUBARU IMPREZA Owners Manual

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-34
You will find marks “Child” at the bottom of the rear
seat seatbacks. These marks indicate the positions of the lower anchorages (bars).
HB1088BA
Each lower anchorage is located where the seat
cushion meets the seatback.
1. Use the “Child” marks to locate the two lower an-
chorages (bars) for the position where you want to
install the child restraint system.
2. While following the instructions supplied by the
child restraint system manufacturer, connect the
connectors of the child restraint system to the loweranchorages.
When the connectors are fastened, make sure that
the adjacent seatbelts are not caught. If your child restraint system is of a flexible attach-
ment type (which uses tether straps to connect the
child restraint system proper to the lower anchor-
ages), firmly tighten the straps after connecting theconnectors.
3. Connect the top tether hook to the tether anchor-
age and firmly tighten the tether.
For information on how to set the top tether, read the
following “
Top tether anchorages ”.
4. Before seating a child in the child restraint sys-
tem, try to move seat back and forth to verify that it
is held securely in position.
If you have any question concerning this type of
child restraint system, ask your SUBARU dealer.
WARNING
When you install a child restraint system, fol- low the manufacturer ’s instructions supplied
with it. After installing the child restraint sys-tem, check to ensure that it is held securely in
position. If it is not held tight and secure, the
danger of your child suffering personal injuryin the event of an accident may be increased.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-35
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Top tether anchorages
Anchorage location
HG1031BB
1) For left seat
2) For center seat
3) For right seat
Sedan : Three anchorages are installed on the rear
parcel shelf.HG1032BB
1) For left seat
2) For center seat
3) For right seat

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-36
Wagon: There is an anchorage for the center seat-
ing position at the rear end of the ceiling, and
anchorages for each of the two window-side seating
positions on the rear wall of the cargo area.
To hook the top tether
n Sedan
HGS035BB
F: Front of vehicle
1) Top tether hook
2) Upper anchorage
Fasten the top tether hook of the child restraint sys-
tem to the appropriate upper anchorage.
Tighten the top tether securely. n
Wagon
HGS031BA
1. Remove the headrest at the seating position
where the child restraint system has been installed with the seatbelt or lower anchorages; lift up the
headrest while pressing the release button. Store the
headrest in the cargo area. Avoid placing the head-
rest in the passenger compartment to prevent it from
being thrown around in the passenger compartment
in a sudden stop or a sharp turn.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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– CONTINUED –
HGS032BB
Center
F: Front of vehicle
1) Top tether hook
2) Upper anchorage
HGS033BB
Window-side
F: Front of vehicle
1) Top tether hook
2) Upper anchorage
2. Fasten the top tether hook of the child restraint
system to the appropriate upper anchorage.
3. Tighten the top tether securely.
CAUTION
Always remove the headrest when mounting a
child restraint system with a top tether. Other- wise, it may happen that the top tether cannot
be fastened tightly.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-38
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
*SRS: This stands for supplemental restraint system. This name is used because the airbag system sup- plements the vehicle’s seatbelts.
Vehicle with driver ’s and front pas-
senger’ s SRS airbags and lap/shoul-
der restraints
The supplemental restraint system (SRS) consists oftwo airbags (driver ’s and front passenger ’s frontal
airbags) or four airbags (driver ’s and front passen-
ger’ s frontal airbags and driver ’s and front passen-
ger’ s side airbags).
These SRS airbags are designed only as a sup-plement to the primary protection provided bythe seatbelt.
WARNING
To obtain maximum protection in the event
of an accident, the driver and all passengers in the vehicle should always wear seatbeltswhen the vehicle is moving. The SRS airbag is
designed only as a supplement to the primary protection provided by the seatbelt. It does
not do away with the need to fasten seatbelts.
In combination with the seatbelts, it offers thebest combined protection in case of a seriousaccident.Not wearing a seatbelt increases the chance of severe injury or death in a crash even when the car has the SRS airbag. For instructions and precautions concerningthe seatbelt system, see the
“Seatbelts” sec-
tions in this chapter. Do not sit or lean unnecessarily close to the
SRS airbag. Because the SRS airbag deployswith considerable speed – faster than the
blink of an eye – and force to protect in high
speed collisions, the force of an airbag can in-jure an occupant whose body is too close toSRS airbag. It is also important to wear your seatbelt to
help avoid injuries that can result when theSRS airbag contacts an occupant not in prop-er position such as one thrown forward during
pre-accident braking.Even when properly positioned, there remains
a possibility that an occupant may suffer mi- nor injury such as abrasions and bruises to
the face or arms because of the SRS airbag

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-39
– CONTINUED –
deployment force. The SRS airbags deploy with considerable
speed and force. Occupants who are out ofproper position when the SRS airbag deploys
could suffer very serious injuries. Becausethe SRS airbag needs enough space for de- ployment, the driver should always sit upright and well back in the seat as far from the steer-ing wheel as practical while still maintainingfull vehicle control and the front passengershould move the seat as far back as possibleand sit upright and well back in the seat. 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 ob-jects could interfere with its proper operationand could be propelled inside the car and
cause injury.
HG1002BA
WARNING
Put children aged 12 and under in the rear
seat properly restrained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed andforce and can injure or even kill children, es-
pecially if they are 12 years of age and underand are not restrained or improperly re- strained. Because children are lighter and
weaker than adults, their risk of being injured
from deployment is greater. For that reason, we strongly recommend thatALL children (including those in child seats
and those that have outgrown child restraint
devices) sit in the REAR seat properly re-

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-40
strained at all times in a child restraint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is appropriate forthe child’s age, height and weight.
Secure ALL types of child restraint devices
(including forward facing child seats) in the
REAR seats at all times.
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rearseating positions than in the front seatingpositions.For instructions and precautions concerningthe child restraint system, see the “Child re-
straint systems ” section in this chapter.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING
CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT SEAT. DOING SO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE
CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD TOO
CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG. Never allow a child to stand up, or to kneel
on the front passenger ’s seat, or never hold a
child on your lap or in your arms. The SRS air- bag deploys with considerable force and caninjure or even kill the child.CAUTION
When the SRS airbag deploys, some smoke
will be released. This smoke could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble. If you oryour passengers have breathing problems af-
ter SRS airbag deploys, get fresh air promptly. A deploying SRS airbag releases hot gas.
Occupants could get burnt if they come into direct contact with the hot gas.
NOTE When you sell your vehicle, we urge you to ex- plain to the buyer that it is equipped with SRS
airbags by alerting him to the applicable sectionin this owner ’s manual.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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HG1034BB
1) Airbag control module
(including impact sensors)
2) Airbag module (driver ’s side)
3) Airbag module (passenger ’s
side)
4) Front sub sensor (left hand side)
5) Front sub sensor (right hand
side)
6) Side airbag module
(driver’ s side — if equipped)
7) Side airbag module (passenger’ s side — if
equipped)
8) Side airbag sensor (driver ’s
side)
9) Side airbag sensor (passenger’ s side)
10) Airbag wiring (yellow)
11) Seatbelt pretensioner (driver ’s
side)
12) Seatbelt pretensioner
(passenger’ s side)