2004 SUBARU LEGACY Owners Manual

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
tion.
Some types of child restraints might not be able to be
secured firmly due to projection of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use only a child re-
straint system that has a bottom base that fits snugly
against the contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
y
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, espe-
cially if they are 12 years of age and under and
are not restrained or improperly restrained. Be-
cause children are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured from deploy-
ment 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’s age, height and
weight. According to accident statistics, chil-
dren are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seating
positions.
SINCE YOUR VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A
PASSENGER’S SRS AIRBAG, DO NOT IN-
STALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SAFETY
SEAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER’S SEAT.
DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH
TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD’S
HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
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„Choosing a child restraint system
Choose a child restraint system that is appropriate for
the child’s age and size (weight and height) in order to
provide the child with proper protection. The child re-
straint system should meet all applicable requirements
of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for United
States or Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for
Canada. It can be identified by locking for the label on
the child restraint system or the manufacture’s state-
ment of compliance in the document attached to the
system. Also it is important for you to make sure that
the child restraint system is compatible with the vehi-
cle in which it will be used. „
Installing child restraint systems with
A/ELR seatbelt
yChild restraint systems and seatbelts can be-
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. y 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.
When you install a child restraint system, fol-
low the manufacturer’s instructions supplied
with it. After installing the child restraint sys-
tem, check to ensure that it is held securely in
position. If it is not held tight and secure, the
danger of your child suffering personal injury in
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
the event of an accident may be increased.
T Installing a rearward facing child restraint
1. Place the child restraint system in the rear seating
position.
2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around
the child restraint system following the instructions
provided by its manufacturer.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you
hear a click. 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-
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.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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6. Push and pull the child restraint system forward
and from side to side to check if it is firmly secured.
Sometimes a child restraint can be more firmly se-
cured 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). 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 ELRmode.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER’S SEAT.
DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH
TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD’S
HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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 retracting
the seatbelt fully. T
Installing forward facing child restraint
1. Place 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.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you
hear a click. 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-
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.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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6. Before having a child sit in the child restraint sys-
tem, move it back and forth and right and left to check
if it is firmly secured. 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).
8. If the child restraint system requires a top tether,
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
latch the hook onto the top tether anchor and tighten
the top tether. See the “Top tether anchorages” for ad-
ditional instructions.
9. 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.
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.
„
Installing a booster seat
yChild restraint systems and seatbelts can be-
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. y 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.
When you install a child restraint system, fol-
low the manufacturer’s instructions supplied
with it. After installing the child restraint sys-
tem, check to ensure that it is held securely in
position. If it is not held tight and secure, the
danger of your child suffering personal injury in
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
– CONTINUED –
the event of an accident may be increased.
1. Place the booster seat in the rear seating position
and sit the child on it. The child should sit well back on
the booster seat.
2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around
the booster seat and the child following the instruc-
tions provided by its manufacturer.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until you
hear a click. Take care not to twist the seatbelt.
Make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the
center of child’s shoulder and that the lap belt is posi-
tioned as low as possible on the child’s hips. 4. To remove the booster seat, press the release but-
ton on the seatbelt buckle and allow the belt to retract.
y
Never use a belt that is twisted or reversed. In
an accident, this can increase the risk or sever-
ity of injury to the child. y Never place the shoulder belt under the
child’s arm or behind the child’s back. If an ac-
cident occurs, this can increase the risk or se-
verity of injury to the child.y The seatbelt should fit snugly in order to pro-
vide full restraint. Loose fitting belts are not as
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