2003 SUBARU IMPREZA light

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Warning and indicator light
Mark
NamePage
Seatbelt warning light3-10
AIRBAGSRS airbag system warn- ing light3-11
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicatorlamp3-11
Charge warning light3-12
Oil pressure warning light3-12
AT OIL temperature warn- ing light (if equipped)3-13
orABS warning light3-13
orBrake system warning light3-14
Door open warning light3-14
MarkNamePage
Front-wheel drive warning light (if equipped)3-15
Turn signal indicator lights3-15
High beam indicator light3-15
Security system indicator light (if equipped)2-14

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1-1
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Front seats 1-2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fore and aft adjustment 1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reclining the seatback 1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat cushion height adjustment
(driver’ s seat) 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraint adjustment 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat heater (if equipped) 1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear seats 1-8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Armrest (if equipped) 1-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Headrest adjustment – Wagon 1-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Folding down the rear seat – Wagon 1-11 . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelts 1-12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt safety tips 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) 1-14 . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) 1-14
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt warning light and chime 1-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fastening the seatbelt 1-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt maintenance 1-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front seatbelt pretensioners 1-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
System monitors 1-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
System servicing 1-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precautions against vehicle modification 1-30 . . . . .
Child restraint systems 1-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing child restraint systems with seatbelt 1-34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages 1-36 . . . . . . . . . Top tether anchorages 1-39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag
(Supplemental Restraint System airbag) 1-42 .
Vehicle with driver ’s and front passenger ’s
SRS airbags and lap/shoulder restraints 1-42 . . . .
SRS frontal airbag 1-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS side airbag (if equipped) 1-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag system monitors 1-63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag system servicing 1-64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precautions against vehicle modification 1-66 . . . . .
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-2
Front seats
WARNING
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 areclear of the adjusting mechanism. 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 seatbacksshould 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 abdo-men will increase, and both can result in seri-ous internal injury or death.
WARNING
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-
mend that ALL children (including those in
child seats and those that have outgrown child

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-4
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 intoplace.
The seatback placed in a reclined position can
spring back upward with force when released.
When operating the reclining lever to return the seat- back, hold it lightly so that it may be raised back
gradually.WARNING
To prevent the passenger from sliding under the seatbelt in the event of a collision, alwaysput the seatback in the upright position whilethe vehicle is in motion. Also, do not place
objects such as cushions between the pas- senger and the seatback. 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 injuryor death.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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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 ve-
hicle, be sure to turn the switch off.
CAUTION
There is a possibility that people with deli-
cate skin may suffer slight burns even at low
temperatures if he/she uses the seat heater for a long period of time. When using the
heater, always be sure to warn the persons concerned.
Do not put anything on the seat which insu-
lates against heat, such as a blanket, cushion,or similar items. This may cause the seat heat-er to overheat.
NOTE Use of the seat heater for a long period of time
while the engine is not running can cause battery discharge. When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine,
paint thinner, or any similar materials.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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pecially if they are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or improperly re-strained. Because children are lighter and
weaker than adults, their risk of being injured
from deployment is greater. For that reason,we strongly recommend that ALL children (in- cluding those in child seats and those that
have outgrown child restraint devices) sit inthe REAR seat properly restrained at all times
in a child restraint device or in a seatbelt,whichever is appropriate for the child ’s height
and weight. Secure ALL types of child restraint devices
(including forward facing child seats) in the
REAR seats at all times.
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 ’S HEAD TOO
CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rearseating positions than in the front seating
positions. For instructions and precautions
concerning the child restraint system, see the “ Child restraint systems ” section in this chap-
ter.
Infants or small children
Use a child restraint system that is suitable for your
vehicle. See information on “Child restraint systems ”
in this chapter.
Children
If a child is too big for a child restraint system, the
child should sit in the rear seat and be restrained
using the seatbelts. According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seating posi-tions. Never allow a child to stand up or kneel on theseat.
If the shoulder portion of the belt crosses the face or
neck, adjust the shoulder belt anchor height (win- dow-side seating positions only) and then if neces-
sary move the child closer to the belt buckle to help
provide a good shoulder belt fit. Care must be taken
to securely place the lap belt as low as possible onthe hips and not on the child ’s waist. If the shoulder
portion of the belt cannot be properly positioned, a
child restraint system should be used. Never placethe shoulder belt under the child ’s arm or behind the
child’ s back.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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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 thewaist. 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 automaticallyduring a sudden stop, impact or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR)
Each passenger ’s seatbelt has an Automatic/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (A/ELR). The Automatic/
Emergency Locking Retractor normally functions asan Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/ELR
has an additional locking mode “Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) mode ” intended to secure a child
restraint system. When the seatbelt is once drawn
out completely and is then retracted even slightly,
the retractor locks the seatbelt in that position and
the seatbelt cannot be extended. As the belt is re-
winding, clicks will be heard which indicate the re-
tractor functions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is re-
tracted fully, the ALR mode is released.
When securing a child restraint system on the rear seats by the use of the seatbelt, the seatbelt mustbe 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
returned to the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)mode.
For instructions on how to convert the retractor to

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the ALR mode and restore it to the ELR mode, see the “Child restraint systems ” section in this chapter.
Seatbelt warning light and chime
Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt warningdevice 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 thesame time. Fastening the seatbelt
WARNING
Never use a belt that is twisted or reversed.
In an accident, this can increase the risk or
severity 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 ofacross 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 seatbacksshould 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 abdo-men will increase, and both can result in seri-ous internal 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 slidingunder the lap belt and of the lap belt slidingup over the abdomen will increase, and bothcan result in serious internal injury or death.