2003 SUBARU FORESTER steering

7
–
CONTINUED –
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

18

Instrument panel
12 3 4 5 67
8
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)

1-40
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
vehicle should always wear seatbelts when 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 combina-
tion with the seatbelts, it offers the best com-
bined 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.
For instructions and precautions concerning
the 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 deploys
with considerable speed – faster than the blink
of an eye – and force to protect in high speed
collisions, the force of an airbag can injure an
occupant whose body is too close to SRS air-
bag.
It is also important to wear your seatbelt to help
avoid injuries that can result when the SRS air-
bag contacts an occupant not in proper posi-
tion such as one thrown forward during pre-
accident braking.
Even when properly positioned, there remains
a possibility that an occupant may suffer minor injury such as abrasions and bruises to the
face or arms because of the SRS airbag deploy-
ment force.
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-
ment, the driver should always sit upright and
well back in the seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while sti ll 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. 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 objects
could interfere with its proper operation and
could be propelled inside the car and cause in-
jury.

1-44
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

SRS frontal airbag
The driver’s SRS frontal airbag is stowed in the center
portion of the steering wheel. The passenger’s SRS
frontal airbag is stowed near the top of the dashboard
under an “SRS AIRBAG” mark.
In a moderate to severe frontal collision, the driver’s
and front passenger’s SRS frontal airbags deploy and
supplement the seatbelts by reducing the impact on
the driver’s and front passenger’s head and chest.
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

1-45
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
–CONTINUED –
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms.
The SRS airbag deploys with considerable
force and can injure or even kill the child.
The SRS airbag deploys 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-
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.
It is also important to wear your seatbelt to help
HS1069BAHS1084BA

1-46
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
avoid injuries that can result when the SRS air-
bag contacts an occupant not in proper posi-
tion such as one thrown toward the front of the
car during pre-accident braking.
Do not put any objects over the steering wheel
pad and dashboard. If the SRS frontal airbag
deploys, those objects could interfere with its
proper operation and could be propelled inside
the vehicle and cause injury.
Do not attach accessories to the windshield, or
fit an extra-wide mirror over the rear view mir-
ror. If the SRS airbag deploys, those objects
could become projectiles that could seriously
injure vehicle occupants.
HS1085BA
HS1086BA

1-48
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
The SRS airbag can function only when the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position.
If the sensors detect a certain predetermined amount
of force during a frontal collision, the control module
sends signals to the frontal airbag modules instructing
them to inflate the SRS frontal airbags. Then both air-
bag modules produce gas, which instantly inflates
driver’s and passenger’s SRS frontal airbags. After the
deployment, the SRS airbags immediately start to de-
flate so that the driver’s vision is not obstructed. The
time required from detecting impact to the deflation of
the SRS airbag after deployment is shorter than the
blink of an eye.
The front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag deploys to-
gether with driver’s SRS frontal airbag even when no
one occupies the front passenger’s seat.
Although it is highly unlikely that the SRS airbag would
activate in a non-accident situation, should it occur,
the SRS airbag will deflate quickly, not obscuring vi-
sion and will not interfere with the driver’s ability to
maintain control of the vehicle.
When the SRS airbag deploys, a sudden, fairly loud
inflation noise will be heard and some smoke will be
released. These occurrences are normal result of the
deployment. This smoke does not indicate a fire in the
vehicle.
Do not touch the SRS airbag system compo-
nents around the steering wheel and dash-
board with bare hands right after deployment.
Doing so can cause burns because the compo-
nents can be very hot as a result of deployment.
TheSRSfrontalairbagisdesignedtodeployinthe
event of an accident involving a moderate to severe
frontal collision. It is basically not designed to deploy
in lesser frontal impacts because the necessary pro-
tection can be achieved by the seatbelt alone. Also, it
is basically not designed to deploy in side or rear im-
pacts or in roll-over accidents because deployment of
the SRS frontal airbag would not help the occupant in
those situations. The SRS airbag is designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis.
SRS airbag deployment depends on the level of force
experienced in the passenger compartment during a
collision. That level differs from one type of collision to
another, and it may have no bearing on the visible
damage done to the vehicle itself.

1-56
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
and chest.
C) After deployment, SRS side airbag starts to deflate im- mediately.
The SRS side airbag can function only when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON” position.
The driver’s and front passenger’s SRS side airbags
deploy independently of each other since each has its
own impact sensor. Also, the SRS side airbag deploys
independently of the frontal airbags in the steering
wheel and instrument panel.
An impact sensor is incorporated into each of the ve-
hicle’s center pillars. If either sensor detects a certain
predetermined amount of force during a side impact
collision, the control module sends a signal to the side
airbag module on the impacted side of the vehicle, in-
structing it to inflate the SRS side airbag. Then the
side airbag module produces gas, which instantly in-
flates the SRS side airbag. After the deployment, the
SRS side airbag immediately starts to deflate. The
time required from detecting impact to the deflation of
the SRS side airbag after deployment is shorter than
the blink of an eye.
The SRS side airbag deploys even when no one occu-
pies the seat on the side on which an impact is ap-
plied. When the SRS side airbag deploys, a sudden, fairly
loud inflation noise will be heard and some smoke will
be released. These occurrences are normal result of
the deployment. This smoke does not indicate a fire in
the vehicle.
Do not touch the SRS side airbag system com-
ponents around the
front seatback with bare
hands right after deployment. Doing so can
cause burns because the components can be
very hot as a result of deployment.
The SRS side airbag is designed to deploy in the event
of an accident involving a moderate to severe side im-
pact collision. It is basically not designed to deploy in
lesser side impact. Also, it is basically not designed to
deploy in frontal or rear impacts because SRS side air-
bag deployment would not help the occupant in those
situations.
Each SRS side airbag is designed to function on a
one-time-only basis.
SRS side airbag deployment depends on the level of
force experienced in the passenger compartment dur-
ing a side impact collision. That level differs from one