2003 SUBARU FORESTER airbag

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Safety precautions when driving Seatbelt and SRS airbag
All persons in the vehicle should fasten their
seatbelts BEFORE the vehicle starts to move.
Otherwise, the possibility of serious injury be-
comes greater in the event of a sudden stop or
accident. To obtain maximum protection in the event of
an accident, the driver and all passengers in the
vehicle should always wear seatbelts when the
vehicle is moving. The SRS (Supplemental Re-
straint System) airbag does not do away with
the need to fasten seatbelts. In combination
with the seatbelts, it offers the best combined
protection in case of a serious accident.
Not wearing a seatbelt increases the chance of
severe injury or death in a crash even when the
car has the SRS airbag. The SRS airbags deploy with considerable
speed and force. Occupants who are out of
proper position when the SRS airbag deploys
could suffer very serious injuries. Because the
SRS airbag needs enough space for deploy-
Outside mirror defogger
Rear window defogger
Air recirculation
Engine oil Washer
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ment, the driver should always sit upright and
well back in the seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still maintaining full ve-
hicle control and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as possible and sit
upright and well back in the seat.
Carefully read the sections “Seatbelts” and “*SRS air-
bag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)” in chap-
ter 1 of this owner’s manual for instructions and
precautions concerning the seatbelt system and SRS
airbag system. Child safety
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms
while the vehicle is moving. The passenger
cannot protect the child from injury in a colli-
sion, because the child will be caught between
the passenger and objects inside the vehicle. While riding in the vehicle, infants and small
children should always be placed in the REAR
seat in an infant or child restraint system which
is appropriate for the child

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Table of contentsSeat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Keys and doors
Instruments and controls
Climate control Audio
Interior equipment
Starting and operating
Driving tips
In case of emergency
Appearance care
Maintenance and service
Specifications
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
Index

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Instrument panel
12 3 4 5 67
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9
10
11
12
14
15
16 13
HSF024BB
1) Door locks (page 2-3)
2) Outside mirror switch (page 3-
31)
3) Light control lever (page 3-17)
4) Combination meter (page 3-5)
5) Wiper control lever (page 3-22)
6) Hazard warning flasher switch
(page 3-5)
7) Audio (page 5-2)
8) Gear shift lever (MT) (page 7-
11)/Selector lever (AT) (page 7-
14)
9) Climate control (page 4-2)
10) Cruise control (page 7-31)
11) Horn (page 3-34)
12) SRS airbag (page 1-39)
13) Tilt steering (page 3-33)
14) Fuse (page 11-50)/Coin tray
(page 6-7)
15) Hood lock release (page 11-5)
16) Power window (page 2-21)

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Warning and indicator light
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Seatbelt warning light 3-9
SRS airbag system warning light 3-10
CHECK ENGINE warning
light/Malfunction indicatorlamp 3-10
Charge warning light 3-11
Oil pressure warning light 3-11
AT OIL temperature warning
light (if equipped) 3-12
or ABS warning light 3-12
or Brake system warning light 3-13
Door open warning light 3-14
Front-wheel drive warning
light (if equipped) 3-15
Low fuel warning light 3-14
Turn signal indicator lights 3-15
High beam indicator light 3-15
Security system indicator
light (if equipped) 2-14
Cruise control indicator light
(if equipped) 3-15
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Front seats ................................................... 1-2 Fore and aft adjustment ................................. 1-3
Reclining the seatback ................................... 1-4
Seat height adjustment (driver

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Front seats

Never adjust the seat while driving to avoid
the possibility of loss of vehicle control and of
personal injury. Before adjusting the seat, make sure the
hands and feet of rear seat passengers are
clear of the adjusting mechanism. Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when
theoccupantsitswellbackanduprightinthe
seat. To reduce the risk of sliding under the
seatbelt in a collision, the front seatbacks
should be always used in the upright position
while the vehicle is running. If the front seat-
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.
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, we strongly recom-
mendthatALLchildren(includingthosein
child seats and those that have outgrown child
restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat properly
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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restrained at all times in a child restraint device
or in a seatbelt, whichever is appropriate for the
child