2003 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
NOTE
If the front part of the vehicle is damaged in an ac-
cident to the extent that the seatbelt pretensioner
does not operate, contact your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
Precautions against vehicle modifica- tion
Do not perform any of the f ollowing modifica-
tions. Such modifications can interfere with
proper operation of the seatbelt pretensioners. Attachment of any equipment (bush bar,
winches, snow plow, skid plate, etc.) other than
SUBARU genuine accessory parts to the frontend. Modification of the suspension system or
front end structure. Installation of a tire of different size and con-
struction from the tires specified on the tire
placard attached to the driver

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
Never let a passenger hold a child on his or her
lap or in his or her arms 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 a child in your lap or arms
in the front seat exposes that child to another
serious danger. Since the SRS airbag deploys
with considerable speed and force, the child
could be injured or even killed.
Children should be properly restrained at all
times. Never allow a child to stand up, or to
kneel on any seat. Unrestrained children will be
thrownforwardduringsuddenstoporinanac-
cident and can be injured seriously.
Additionally,childrenstandinguporkneeling
on or in front of the front seat are exposed an-
other serious danger. Since the SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed and force, the
child could be injured or even killed.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat
properly restrained 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 improperly 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 fac-
ing child seats) in the REAR seats at all times.
You should choose a restraint device which is
appropriate for the child

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
come hot in a vehicle that has been closed up
in sunny weather; they could burn a small child.
Check the child restraint system before you
place a child in it. Do not leave an unsecured child restraint
system in your vehicle. Unsecured child re-
straint systems can be thrown around inside of
the vehicle in a sudden stop, turn or accident; it
can strike and injure vehicle occupants as well
as result in serious injuries or death to the
child.
Installing child restraint systems with
seatbelt
1. Set the child restraint system in the seating posi-
tion.
2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around
the child restraint system following the instructions
provided by its manufacturer. If the shoulder belt goes
in front of the child’s face or neck, put it behind the
child restraint system.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle.
4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
5. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the retractor to
change the retractor over from the Emergency Lock-
HS1073BA

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
ing Retractor (ELR) to the Automatic Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR) function. Then, allow the belt to rewind into
the retractor. As the belt is rewinding, clicks will be
heard which indicate the retractor functions as ALR.
6. Before having a child sit in the child restraint sys-
tem, move it back and forth to check if it is firmly se-
cured. Sometimes a child restraint can be more firmly
secured by pushing it down into the seat cushion and
then tightening the seatbelt.
7. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt to confirm
that it cannot be pulled out (ALR properly functioning).
If the child restraint system requires a top tether, latch
the hook onto the top tether anchor and tighten the top
tether. See the “Top tether anchorages” for additional
instructions.
8. To remove the child restraint system, press the re-
lease button on the seatbelt buckle and allow the belt
to retract completely. The belt will return to the ELR mode.
If you have any question concerning this type of child
restraint system, ask your SUBARU dealer.
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.
When you install a child restraint system, fol-
low the manufacturer

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
Installation of child restraint systems
by use of lower and tether anchorages
Some types of child restraint systems can be installed
on the rear seat of your vehicle without use of the seat-
belts. Such child restraint systems are secured to the
designated anchorages provided on the vehicle body.
Your vehicle is equipped with four lower anchorages
(bars) and three upper anchorages (tether anchorag-
es) for accommodating such child restraint systems. The lower anchorages (bars) are used for installing a
child restraint system only on the rear seat window-
side seating positions. For each window-side seating
position, two lower anchorages are provided.
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HS1076BA

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
The tether anchorages (upper anchorages) are pro-
vided for all the seating positions (middle and both
window-side ones) of the rear seat.
You will find marks “ ” at the bottom of the rear
seat seatbacks. These marks indicate the positions of
the lower anchorages (bars).
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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Each lower anchorage is located where the seat cush-
ion meets the seatback.
1. Use the “ ” marks to locate the two lower an-
chorages (bars) for the position where you want to in-
stall the child restraint system.
2. While following the instructions supplied by the
child restraint system manufacturer, connect the con-
nectors of the child restraint system to the lower an-
chorages.
When the connectors are fastened, make sure that the
adjacent seatbelts are not caught.
If your child restraint system is of a flexible attachment
type (which uses tether straps to connect the child re- straint system proper to the lower anchorages), firmly
tighten the straps after connecting the connectors.
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 system,
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.
When you install a child restraint system, fol-
low the manufacturer