2003 SUBARU FORESTER light

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Reclining the seatback
Pull the reclining lever up and adjust the seatback to
the desired position. Then release the lever and make
sure the seatback is securely locked into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position can spring
back upward with force when released. When operat-
ing the reclining lever to return the seatback, hold it
lightly so that it may be raised back gradually.
To prevent the passenger from sliding under
the seatbelt in the event of a collision, always
put the seatback in the upright position while
the vehicle is in motion. Also, do not place ob-
jects such as cushions between the passenger
and the seatback. If you do so, the risk of slid-
ing 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.
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Never drive your car with the seats converted
in a flat bed position. If you do so, occupants
will have a greater chance of being injured even
during simple deceleration, acceleration and
cornering since no firm restraint will be avail-
able for them. Before you lie on the flat bed to take a rest,
read the description “Parking your vehicle” in
Chapter 7 carefully and follow the instructions.
Active head restraint The front seats of your vehicle are equipped with ac-
tive head restraints. They automatically tilt forward
slightly in the event the vehicle is struck from the rear,
decreasing the amount of rearward head movement
and thus reducing the risk of whiplash. For maximum
effectiveness the head restraint should be adjust so
that the center of the head restraint is closest to the top
of the occupant’s ears.
Each active head restraint is effective only
when its height is properly adjusted and the
user sits in the correct position on the seat. Each active head restraint is designed to
work only once. If your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision, have an authorized SUBARU
dealer inspect the active head restraints. The active head restraints may not operate in
the event the vehicle experiences only a slight
impact in the rear. The active head restraints may be damaged if
they are pushed hard from behind or subjected
to shock. As a result, they may not function if
the vehicle suffers a rear impact
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the ignition switch is
either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
To turn on the seat heater, push the “LO” or “HI” posi-
tion on the switch, as desired, depending on the tem-
perature. Selecting the “HI” position will cause the seat
to heat up quicker.
1)
HI— Rapid heating
2) LO – Normal heating
The indicator located on the switch comes on when
the seat heater is in operation. When the vehicle’s in-
terior is warmed enough or before you leave the vehi-
cle, be sure to turn the switch off.
There is a possibility that people with delicate
skin may suffer slight burns even at low tem-
peratures if he/she uses the seat heater for a
long period of time. When using the heater, al-
ways be sure to warn the persons concerned.
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2
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force and can injure or even kill children, espe-
cially if they are 12 years of age and under and
are not restrained or improperly restrained. Be-
cause children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deploy-
ment is greater. For that reason, we strongly
recommend that ALL children (including those
in child seats and those that have outgrown
child restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat
properly restrained at all times in a child re-
straint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is ap-
propriate for the child

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Expectant mothers
Expectant mothers also need to use the seatbelts.
They should consult their doctor for specific recom-
mendations. The lap belt should be worn securely and
as low as possible over the hips, not over the waist. Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
The driver’s seatbelt has an Emergency Locking Re-
tractor (ELR).
The emergency locking retractor allows normal body
movement but the retractor locks automatically during
a sudden stop, impact or if you pull the belt very quick-
ly out of the retractor.
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retrac-
tor (A/ELR)
Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Automatic/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (A/ELR). The Automatic/
Emergency Locking Retractor normally functions as
an Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/ELR
has an additional locking mode “Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) mode” intended to secure a child re-
straint system. When the seatbelt is once drawn out
completely and is then retracted even slightly, the re-
tractor locks the seatbelt in that position and the seat-
belt cannot be extended. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the retractor func-
tions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is retracted fully,
the ALR mode is released.
When securing a child restraint system on the rear
seats by the use of the seatbelt, the seatbelt must be
changed over to the Automatic Locking Retractor
(ALR) mode.
When the child restraint system is removed, make
sure that the seatbelt retracts fully and the retractor re-
turned to the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode.
For instructions on how to convert the retractor to the
ALR mode and restore it to the ELR mode, see the
“Child restraint systems” section in this chapter.
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Seatbelt warning light and chime
Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt warning de-
vice at the driver’s seat, as required by current safety
standards.
This device causes the seatbelt warning light on the
instrument panel to light up for about six seconds
when the ignition switch is turned to “ON” to remind the
driver to wear the seatbelt. If the driver’s seatbelt is not
fastened, a warning chime sounds at the same time. Fastening the seatbelt
Never use a belt that is twisted or reversed. In
an accident, this can increase the risk or sever-
ity of injury. Keep the lap belt as low as possible on your
hips. In a collision, this spreads the force of the
lap belt over stronger hip bones instead of
across the weaker abdomen. Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when
the occupant sits well back and upright in the
seat. To reduce the risk of sliding under the
seatbelt in a collision, the front seatbacks
should be always used in the upright position
whilethevehicleisrunning.Ifthefrontseat- backs are not used in the upright position in a
collision, 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 in-
ternal 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.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
When wearing the seatbelts, make sure the
shoulder portion of the webbing does not pass
over your neck. If it does, adjust the seatbelt an-
chor to a lower position. Placing the shoulder
belt over the neck may result in neck injury dur-
ing sudden braking or in a collision.
Unfastening the seatbelt
Push the button on the buckle.
Before closing the door, make sure that the belts are
retracted properly to avoid catching the belt webbing in the door.
Rear seatbelts (except rear center seatbelt)
1. Sit well back in the seat.
2. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the belt out slowly.
Do not let it get twisted. If the belt stops before reach-
ing the buckle, return the belt slightly and pull it out
more slowly. If the belt still cannot be unlocked, let the
belt retract slightly after giving a strong pull on it, then
pull it out slowly again.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you
hear a click.
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3. After confirming that the webbing is not twisted, in-
sert the connector (tongue) attached at the webbing
endintothebuckleontheright-handsideuntilaclick
is heard.
If the belt stops before reaching the buckle, return the
belt slightly and pull it out more slowly. If the belt still
cannot be unlocked, let the belt retract slightly after
giving it a strong pull, then pull it out slowly again. 4. Insert the center seatbelt tongue plate in the center
seatbelt buckle marked “CENTER” on the left-hand
side until it clicks.
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