2003 SUBARU FORESTER height

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1
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
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Seat height adjustment (driver

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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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
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5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder
belt.
6. Place the lap belt as low as possible on your hips,
not on your waist.
Adjusting the front seat shoulder belt anchor
height
The shoulder belt anchor height should be adjusted to
the position best suited for you.
To lower the anchor height, push the release button
and slide the anchor down.
To raise the anchor height, slide the anchor up. Pull
down on the anchor to make sure that it is locked in
place.
Always adjust the anchor height so that the shoulder
belt passes over the middle of the shoulder without
touching the neck.
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6
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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4. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder
belt.
5. Place the lap belt as low as possible on your hips,
not on your waist.
Adjusting the rear seat shoulder belt anchor
height (window-side seating positions only)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be adjusted to
the position best suited for you.
To lower the anchor height, push the release button
and slide the anchor down.
To raise the anchor height, slide the anchor up. Pull
down on the anchor to make sure that it is locked in
place.
Always adjust the anchor height so that the shoulder
belt passes over the middle of the shoulder without
touching the neck.
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5
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Starting and operating
Self-leveling rear suspension (if
equipped)
The self-leveling suspension adjusts the vehicle body
position automatically to keep it level at all times irre-
spective of the number of occupants and the amount
of cargo.
The self-leveling system is incorporated in the rear
suspension shock absorber and operates only when
the vehicle is in motion.
Owing to the self-leveling suspension, the vehicle
body is adjusted to the proper position after several
drive trips, even if the rear of the vehicle is lowered by
loaded cargos or a coupled trailer.
If cargos are unloaded all at once, the vehicle height
may become higher than the normal level. This is be-
cause that the hydraulic pressure in the self-leveling
suspension was increased for leveling the body when
the cargos were loaded. In such a case, the vehicle
height will return to the origi
nal level after several driv-
ing trips.
NOTE
If the rear axle is loaded excessively, the vehicle
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Driving tips
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1) Jack
2) Bathroom scale
The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom
scale as shown in the illustration above. When weigh-
ing the tongue load, be sure to position the towing cou-
pler at the height at which it would be during actual
towing, using a jack as shown. F: Front of vehicle
The tongue load can be adjusted by proper distribution
of the load in the trailer. Never load the trailer with
more weight in the back than in the front; approximate-
ly 60 percent of the trailer load should be in the front
and approximately 40 percent in the rear. Also, distrib-
ute the load as evenly as possible on both the left and
right sides.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a
change in weight distribution while driving.
If the trailer is loaded with more weight in the
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F
60% 40% 50%
50%
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Maintenance and service
Any absorbed moisture can cause improper
clutch operation.
If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there
may be a leak. If you suspect a problem, have
the vehicle checked at your SUBARU dealer. Never use different brands of clutch fluid to-
gether. When clutch fluid is added, be careful not to
allow any dirt into the tank.
Recommended clutch fluid
FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid
Brake booster
If the brake booster does not operate as described be-
low, have it checked by your SUBARU dealer.
1. With the engine off, depress the brake pedal sever-
al times, applying the same pedal force each time. The
distance the pedal travels should not vary.
2. With the brake pedal depressed, start the engine.
The pedal should move slightly down to the floor.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop the engine
and keep the pedal depressed for 30 seconds. The
pedal height should not change.
4. Start the engine again and run for about one minute
then turn it off. Depress the brake pedal several times
to check the brake booster. Brake booster operates
properly if the pedal stroke decreases with each de-
pression.