2005 SUBARU FORESTER airbag

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
HI – Rapid heating
LO – Normal heating
The seat heater operates when the ignition switch is
either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
To turn on the seat heater, push the “LO” or “HI” posi-
tion on the switch, as desired, depending on the tem-
perature. Selecting the “HI” position will cause the seat
to heat up quicker.
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 vehi-
cle, be sure to turn the switch off.
y
There is a possibility that people with delicate
skin may suffer slight burns even at low tem-
peratures if he/she uses the seat heater for a
long period of time. When using the heater, al-
ways be sure to warn the persons concerned.y 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 heater
to overheat.
NOTE y Use of the seat heater for a long period of time
while the engine is not running can cause battery
discharge. y When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine,
paint thinner, or any similar materials.
HI
LO
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Rear seats
Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the
occupant sits well back and upright in the seat.
Do not put cushions or any other materials be-
tween occupants and seatbacks or seat cush-
ions. 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 injury or death.
Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than
the top of the seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in the event of a
sudden stop or accident.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
„
Head restraint adjustment
T Rear windows side seating position
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down while de-
pressing the release button on the top of the seatback.
When the seats are not occupied, lower the head re-
straint to improve rearward visibility. T
Rear center seating position
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down while press-
ing the release button on the top of the seatback.
When the rear center seating position is occupied,
place the head restraint in its highest position. When
the rear center seating position is not occupied, lower
the head restraint to improve rearward visibility.
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„Folding down the rear seatback 1. Lower the head restraints.
2. Unlock the seatback by pulling the release knob
and then fold the seatback down.
To return the seatback to its original position, raise the
seatback until it locks into place and make sure that it
is securely locked.
y
After returning the rear seatback to its origi-
nal position, make certain that the shoulder
belts are fully visible. y Never allow passengers to ride on the folded
rear seatback or in the cargo area. Doing so
may result in serious injury or death. y Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri-
ous injury during a sudden stop.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seatbelts „
Seatbelt safety tips
yAll 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.y All belts should fit snugly in order to provide
full restraint. Loose fitting belts are not as ef-
fective in preventing or reducing injury.y Each seatbelt is designed to support only
one person. Never use a single belt for two or
more persons – even children. Otherwise, in an
accident, serious injury or death could result. y Replace all seatbelt assemblies including re-
tractors and attaching hardware worn by occu-
pants of a vehicle that has been in a serious ac-
cident. The entire assembly should be replaced
even if damage is not obvious.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, we strongly
recommend that ALL children (including those
in child seats and those that have outgrown
child restraint devices) sit in the REAR seat
properly restrained at all times in a child re-
straint device or in a seatbelt, whichever is ap-
propriate for the child’s height and weight.
Secure ALL types of child restraint devices (in-
cluding 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 rear seat-
ing positions than in the front seating posi-
tions. For instructions and precautions con-
cerning the child restraint system, see the
“Child restraint systems” section in this chap-
ter.

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TInfants or small children
Use a child restraint system that is suitable for your ve-
hicle. See information on “Child restraint systems” inthis chapter. T 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 po-
sitions than in the front seating positions. Never allow
a child to stand up or kneel on the seat.
If the shoulder portion of the belt crosses the face or
neck, adjust the shoulder belt anchor height (window-
side seating positions only) and then if necessary
move the child closer to the belt buckle to help provide
a good shoulder belt fit. Care must be taken to secure-
ly place the lap belt as low as possible on the hips and
not on the child’s waist. If the shoulder portion of the
belt cannot be properly positioned, a child restraintsystem should be used. Never place the shoulder belt
under the child’s arm or behind the child’s back. T
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 the waist. „ 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 automatically during
a sudden stop, impact or if you pull the belt very quick-
ly out of the retractor.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
„
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retrac- tor (A/ELR)
Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Automatic/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (A/ELR). The Automatic/
Emergency Locking Retractor normally functions as
an Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/ELR
has an additional locking mode “Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) mode” intended to secure a child re-
straint system. When the seatbelt is once drawn out
completely and is then retracted even slightly, the re-
tractor locks the seatbelt in that position and the seat-
belt cannot be extended. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the retractor func-
tions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is retracted fully,
the ALR mode is released.
When securing a child restraint system on the rear
seats by the use of the seatbelt, the seatbelt must be
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 re-
turned to the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
mode.
For instructions on how to convert the retractor to 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 warning de-
vice 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 when the ignition switch is
turned to “ON” to remind the driver to wear the seat-
belt. If the driver’s seatbelt is not fastened, the warning
light remains on and a warning chime sounds at the
same time. The warning light stays illuminated until
the driver fastens the seatbelt but the chime stops
sounding after about six seconds. „ Fastening the seatbelt
yNever use a belt that is twisted or reversed. In
an accident, this can increase the risk or sever-
ity of injury. y 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 of
across the weaker abdomen.y Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when
the occupant sits well back and upright in the
seat. To reduce the risk of sliding under the

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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.yDo not put cushions or any other materials
between occupants and seatbacks or seat
cushions. 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 injury or death.
Never place the shoulder belt under the arm or
behind the back. If an accident occurs, this can
increase the risk or severity of injury.
Metallic parts of the seatbelt can become very
hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sun-
ny weather; they could burn an occupant. Do
not touch such hot parts until they cool.
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