2009 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

22
Function settings
A SUBARU dealer can change the settings of the functions shown in the following table to meet your personal requirements. Contact
the nearest SUBARU dealer for details. If your vehicle is equipped with a navigation system, the settings for some of these functions
can be changed using the monitor. For details, please refer to the Owner’s Manual supplement for the monitor.
Item Function Possible settings Default setting Page
Alarm system Alarm system Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-14 Monitoring start delay time (after closure
of doors) 0 second/30 seconds 30 seconds 2-15
Impact sensor operation (only vehicles
with shock sensors (dealer option)) Operation/Non-operation Non-operation 2-18
Passive arming Operation/Non-operation Non-operation 2-16
Dome light illumination ON/OFF OFF 2-14
Remote keyless entry sys- tem Hazard warning flasher Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-7
Audible signal Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-9
Key lock-in prevention Key lock-in prevention Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-6
Remote engine start system
(dealer option) Horn chirp confirmation ON/OFF ON 7-11
Rear window defogger Rear window defogger Operation for 15 minutes/Con- tinuous operationOperation for 15 minutes 3-31
Windshield wiper deicer (if
equipped) Windshield wiper deicer Operation for 15 minutes/Con-
tinuous operationOperation for 15 minutes 3-32
Map light/Dome light Operation in conjunction with remote keyless entry system OFF/Short/Normal/Long Normal 6-2
Battery drainage preventionfunction Battery drainage prevention function Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-5
Seatbelt warning Sounds a chime while driving Operation/Non-operation Operation 1-12

Front seats........................................................... 1-2
Manual seat ........................................................ 1-3
Power seat (driver ’s seat –if equipped) ... ............ 1-4
Head restraint adjustment .................................... 1-5
Active head restraint ........................................... 1-5
Seat heater (if equipped) .................................... 1-6
Rear seats ............................................................ 1-6
Armrest .............................................................. 1-7
Head restraint adjustment .................................... 1-7
Reclining the seatback (if equipped) .................... 1-9
Folding down the rear seatback ........................... 1-9
Seatbelts ............................................................. 1-10
Seatbelt safety tips ............................................. 1-10
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ................... 1-11
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) ............................................................ 1-11
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 1-12
Fastening the seatbelt ........................................ 1-13
Seatbelt maintenance ......................................... 1-19
Front seatbelt pretensioners ............................. 1-19
System monitors ................................................ 1-20 System servicing
............................................... 1-21
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-22
Child restraint systems ..................................... 1-22
Where to place a child restraint system .............. 1-23
Choosing a child restraint system ...................... 1-25
Installing child restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt ........................................................... 1-25
Installing a booster seat ..................................... 1-28
Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH) .............. 1-29
Top tether anchorages ....................................... 1-32
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ................................................ 1-34
Vehicle with SRS airbags and lap/shoulder restraints for driver, front passenger, and
window-side rear passengers . .......................... 1-34
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system ........... 1-38
SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag ............. 1-49
SRS airbag system monitors .............................. 1-59
SRS airbag system servicing ... .......................... 1-59
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-60
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1

1-2Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Front seats
WARNING
. Never adjust the seat while driv-
ing 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 and cargo are
clear of the adjusting mechan-ism.
. Seatbelts provide maximum re-
straint 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 seatbacks should be
always used in the upright posi-
tion while the vehicle is running.
If the front seatbacks 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 internal injury or death.
. 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 still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
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 chil-
dren are lighter and weaker than
adults, their risk of being injured
from deployment 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 re-
strained at all times in a child
restraint device or in a seatbelt,
whichever is appropriate for thechild
’s age, height and weight. Se-
cure ALL types of child restraint
devices (including forward facing
child seat) in the REAR seats at alltimes.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FA-
CING 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 seating posi-
tions than in the front seating posi-
tions. For instructions and precau-

tions concerning child restraint sys-
tems, refer to the“Child restraint
systems ”section in this chapter.
& Manual seat
! Forward and backward adjustment
Pull the lever upward and slide the seat to
the desired position. Then release the
lever and move the seat back and forth to
make sure that it is securely locked intoplace. !
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 into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position
can spring back upward with force when
the lever is pulled. While operating the
lever to return the seatback, hold the
seatback lightly so that it may be raised
back gradually.WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, always put the seatback
in the upright position while the
vehicle is in motion. Also, do not
place objects such as cushions
between the passenger 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 injury or death. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-3
– CONTINUED –

1-4Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
! Seat cushion height adjustment (driver ’s seat)
1) When the lever is pushed down, the seat
is lowered.
2) When the lever is pulled up, the seat rises.
The height of the seat can be adjusted by
moving the seat cushion adjustment lever
up and down. &
Power seat (driver ’s seat –if
equipped)
1) Seat position forward/backward con-
trol switch
To adjust the seat forward or backward,
move the control switch forward or
backward. During forward/backward ad- justment of the seat, you cannot adjust
the seat cushion angle or seat cushion height.
2) Seat cushion angle control switch
To adjust the seat cushion angle, pull up
or push down the front end of the control switch.
3) Seatback angle (r eclining) control
switch
To adjust the angle of the seatback,
move the control switch.
4) Seat height control switch
To adjust the seat height, pull up or push
down the rear end of the control switch.
5) Lumbar support control switch
To increase lower back support, push the
front side of the switch. To decrease
lower back support, push the rear side of
the switch.

WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, always put the seatback
in the upright position while the
vehicle is in motion. Also, do not
place objects such as cushions
between the passenger 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 injury or death.
& Head restraint adjustment
To raise the head restraint, pull it up. To lower it, push the head restraint down
while pressing the release button on the
top of the seatback.
The head restraint should be adjusted so
that the center of the head restraint is
closest to the top of the occupant
’s ears.
WARNING
Never drive the vehicle with the
head restraints removed because
they are designed to reduce the risk
of serious neck injury in the event
that the vehicle is struck from the
rear.
& Active head restraint
The front seats of your vehicle are equipped with active 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 adjusted so that
the center of the head restraint is closest
to the top of the occupant
’s ears.
CAUTION
. Each active head restraint is
effective only when its height is
properly adjusted and driver/pas-
senger sits in the correct posi-
tion on the seat.
. If your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision, have an
authorized SUBARU dealer in-
spect 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. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-5

1-6Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
Each front seat is equipped with a seat
heater.
The seat heater operates when the igni-
tion switch is either in the “Acc ”or “ON ”
position.
Each seat heater has four levels of
adjustment. To use the heater in the
right-hand seat, turn the “R ” adjustment
dial forward until the “
”mark reaches the
desired position. To activate the heater in
the left-hand seat, turn the “L ” adjustment
dial forward until the “
”mark reaches the
desired position. Each heater warms the
seat most quickly with the “
”mark on the
adjustment dial in the furthest-forward
position. An indicator light next to the adjustment dial for each seat heater
illuminates when that seat heater isactivated.
When the vehicle
’s interior is warmed
enough or before you leave the vehicle,
be sure to turn the switch off.
CAUTION
. There is a possibility that people
with delicate skin may suffer
slight burns even at low tempera-
tures if they use 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 insulates against heat,
such as a blanket, cushion, or
similar items. This may cause the
seat heater to overheat.
NOTE
Use of the seat heater for a long period
of time while the engine is not running
can cause battery discharge. Rear seats
WARNING
Seatbelts provide maximum re-
straint when the occupant sits well
back and upright in the seat. Do 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 ordeath.

WARNING
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. &
ArmrestTo lower the armrest, pull on the top edge
of the armrest.
WARNING
To avoid the possibility of serious
injury, passengers must never be
allowed to sit on the center armrest
while the vehicle is in motion. &
Head restraint adjustment
WARNING
Never drive the vehicle with the
head restraints removed because
they are designed to reduce the risk
of serious neck injury in the event
that the vehicle is struck from the
rear.
! Rear windows side seating position
CAUTION
The head restraint is not intended to
be used at the lowest position.
Before sitting on the seat, raise the
head restraint to an appropriate
position depending on your sittingheight. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-7
– CONTINUED –