2016 SUBARU WRX airbag

the occupant detection system determines
whether the front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbag should be deployed or not.
The occupant detection system may not
inflate the front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbag even when the driver ’ s SRS frontal
airbag deploys. This is normal. In this
case, although the front passenger ’ s SRS
frontal airbag does not operate, the front
passenger ’ s seatbelt pretensioner oper-
ates with the driver ’ s seatbelt preten-
sioner. For details about the seatbelt
pretensioner, refer to “ Front seatbelt pre-
tensioners ” F 1-17.
CAUTIONObserve the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag
system from functioning correctly
or cause the system to fail.
. Do not apply any strong impact
to the front passenger ’ sseat
such as by kicking.
. Do not let rear passengers rest
their feet between the front seat-
back and seat cushion.
. Do not spill liquid on the front
passenger ’ s seat. If liquid is
spilled, wipe it off immediately.
. Do not remove or disassemble the front passenger ’ s seat.
. Do not install any accessory
(such as an audio amplifier) other
than a genuine SUBARU acces-
sory under the front passenger ’ s
seat.
. Do not place anything (shoes,
umbrella, etc.) under the front
passenger ’ s seat.
. Do not use the front passenger ’ s
seat with the head restraint re-
moved.
. Do not leave any articles on the
front passenger ’ s seat or the
seatbelt tongue and buckle en-
gaged when you leave your ve-
hicle.
. Do not put sharp object(s) on the
seat or pierce the seat uphols-
tery.
. Do not place a magnet near the
seatbelt buckle and the seatbelt
retractor.
. Do not use front seats with their
backward-forward position and
seatback not being locked into
place securely. If any of them are
not locked securely, adjust them
again. For adjusting procedure,
refer to “ Manual seat ” F 1-4 (models equipped with manual
seats only).
If the seatbelt buckle switch and/or front
passenger ’ s occupant detection system
have failed, the SRS airbag system
warning light will illuminate. Have the
system inspected by your SUBARU deal-
er immediately if the SRS airbag system
warning light illuminates.
If your vehicle has sustained impact, this
may affect the proper function of the
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system.
Have your vehicle inspected at your
SUBARU dealer. Do not let anyone use
the front passenger ’ s seat while you are
driving the vehicle to your SUBARU deal-
er.
NOTE The front passenger ’ s SRS side airbag
and SRS curtain airbag are not con-
trolled by the SUBARU advanced fron-
tal airbag system.
! Passenger ’ s frontal airbag ON and
OFF indicators
Refer to “ Front passenger ’ s frontal airbag
ON and OFF indicators ” F 3-16.Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
! Occupant detection system
The occupant detection system sensor is
installed under the seat upholstery and
monitors the physique and posture of the
front passenger. Using this information,
the occupant detection system determines
whether the front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbag should be deployed or not.
ON / : Front passenger ’ s frontal airbag ON
indicator
/ : Front passenger ’ s frontal airbag OFF
indicator
If the front passenger ’ s seat cushion is
wet, this may adversely affect the ability of
the system to determine deployment. If
the seat cushion is wet, the front passen-
ger should stop sitting on the front
passenger ’ s seat. Wipe off liquid from
the seat immediately, let the seat dry naturally and then check the SRS airbag
system warning light as follows.
. If the SRS airbag system warning light
illuminates, keep the seat dry until the
warning light turns off. If the SRS airbag
system warning light stays on even when
the seat has dried, do not allow anyone to
sit on the front passenger ’ s seat and have
the system checked by your SUBARU
dealer.
. If the SRS airbag system warning light
does not illuminate, check that the front
passenger ’ s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators work properly. If the indicators
do not work properly, do not allow anyone
to sit on the front passenger ’ s seat and
have the system checked by your
SUBARU dealer.
Also, if luggage or electronic devices are
placed on the front passenger ’ s seat, this
may adversely affect the ability of the
system to determine deployment. This
may prevent the front passenger ’ s frontal
airbag ON and OFF indicators from work-
ing properly. Check that the indicators
work properly.
When the OFF indicator turns off and the
ON indicator illuminates, the front passen-
ger ’ s frontal airbag may deploy during a
collision. Remove luggage and electronic
devices from the front passenger ’ s seat. CAUTIONElectrical devices, such as cell
phones, laptops, portable music
players, or electronic games, espe-
cially when connected to the acces-
sory power outlet and placed on the
front passenger ’ s seat or used by
the person sitting in the front pas-
senger ’ s seat, may affect the opera-
tion of the occupant detection sys-
tem. If the occupant detection sys-
tem warning light illuminates or
operates erratically when using an
electronic device in the vehicle, at
first try to relocate that device to
avoid it creating any interference. If
the device continues to cause inter-
ference, the use of that device in the
vehicle should be discontinued.
NOTE This device complies with Part 18 of
the FCC Rules. This device may cause
interference. If this device causes inter-
ference, consult the nearest SUBARU
dealer. Also, for maintenance of the
system, consult the nearest SUBARU
dealer. This product may cause inter-
ference to radio equipment and should
not be installed near maritime safety1-42

communications equipment or other
critical navigation or communication
equipment operating between 0.45-30
MHz.
! Conditions in which front passen-
ger ’ s SRS frontal airbag is not
activated
The front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag
will not be activated when any of the
following conditions are met regarding the
front passenger ’ s seat:
. The seat is empty.
. The seat is equipped with an appro-
priate child restraint system and an infant
is restrained in it. (See WARNING that
follows.)
. The front passenger ’ s occupant detec-
tion system is malfunctioning.
WARNING
NEVER INSTALL A FORWARD OR
REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT
IN THE FRONT PASSENGER ’ S SEAT
EVEN IF THE FRONT PASSEN-
GER ’ S SRS FRONTAL AIRBAG IS
DEACTIVATED. Be sure to install it
in the REAR seat in a correct
manner. Also, it is strongly recom-
mended that any forward facing
child seat or booster seat be in- stalled in the REAR seat, and that
even children who have outgrown a
child restraint system be also
seated in the REAR seat. This is
because children sitting in the front
passenger ’ s seat may be killed or
severely injured should the front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag de-
ploy. REAR seats are the safest
place for children.
CAUTIONWhen the front passenger ’ s seat is
occupied by an infant in an appro-
priate child restraint system, ob-
serve the following precautions.
Failure to do so may interfere with
the proper operation of the occu-
pant detection system, activating
the front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbag even though that seat is
occupied by the infant in the child
restraint system.
. Do not place any article (includ-
ing electronic devices) on the
seat other than the infant in the
child restraint system. . Do not place more than one
infant in the child restraint sys-
tem.
! If the front passenger ’ s frontal
airbag ON indicator illuminates
and the OFF indicator turns off
even when an infant or a small
child is in a child restraint sys-
tem (including booster seat)
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “ LOCK ” /
“ OFF ” position.
2. Remove the child restraint system
from the seat.
3. By referring to the child restraint
manufacturer ’ s recommendations as well
as the child restraint system installation
procedures in “ Child restraint systems ”
F 1-21, correctly install the child restraint
system.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ ON ”
position and make sure that the front
passenger ’ s frontal airbag ON indicator
turns off and the OFF indicator illuminates.
If still the ON indicator remains illuminated
while the OFF indicator turns off, take the
following actions.
. Ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than the child restraint system
and the child occupant.Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
. Ensure that the backward-forward po-
sition and seatback of front passenger ’ s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth.
If the ON indicator still remains illuminated
while the OFF indicator turns off after
taking relevant corrective actions de-
scribed above, relocate the child restraint
system to the rear seat and immediately
contact your SUBARU dealer for an
inspection.
NOTE When a child who has outgrown a child
restraint system or a small adult is
seated in the front passenger ’ s seat,
the SUBARU advanced frontal airbag
system may or may not activate the
front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag
depending on the occupant ’ s seating
posture. Children should always wear a
seatbelt when sitting in the seat irre-
spective of whether the airbag is
deactivated or activated. If the front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag is acti-
vated (the ON indicator remains illumi-
nated while the OFF indicator turns off),
ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than the occupant.
If the ON indicator still remains illumi-
nated while the OFF indicator turns off
despite the fact that the actions noted above have been taken, seat the child/
small adult in the rear seat and im-
mediately contact your SUBARU dealer
for an inspection. Even if the system
has passed the dealer inspection, it is
recommended that on subsequent trips
the child/small adult always take the
rear seat.
Children who have outgrown a child
restraint system should always wear the
seatbelt irrespective of whether the airbag
is deactivated or activated.
! Conditions in which front passen-
ger ’ s SRS frontal airbag is activated
The front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag
will be activated for deployment upon
impact when any of the following condi-
tions are met regarding the front passen-
ger ’ s seat.
. When the seat is occupied by an adult.
. When certain items (e.g. jug of water)
are placed on the seat.
! If the passenger ’ s frontal airbag
OFF indicator illuminates and
the ON indicator turns off even
when the front passenger ’ s seat
is occupied by an adult
This can be caused by the adult incor-
rectly sitting in the front passenger ’ s seat.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position.
2. Ask the front passenger to set the
seatback to the upright position, sit up
straight in the center of the seat cushion,
correctly fasten the seatbelt, position his/
her legs out forward, and adjust the seat to
the rearmost position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the “ ON ”
position.
If the OFF indicator remains illuminated
while the ON indicator remains off, take
the following actions.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “ LOCK ” /
“ OFF ” position.
2. Make sure that the front passenger
does not use a blanket, seat cushion, seat
cover, seat heater or massager, etc.
3. If wearing excessive layers of clothing,
the front passenger should remove any
unnecessary items before sitting in the
front passenger ’ s seat, or should sit in a
rear seat.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ ON ”
position and wait 6 seconds to allow the
system to complete self-checking. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators turn
off for 2 seconds. Now, the ON indicator
should illuminate while the OFF indicator
remains off.
If the OFF indicator still remains illumi-1-44

nated while the ON indicator remains off,
ask the occupant to move to the rear seat
and immediately contact your SUBARU
dealer for an inspection.
! How to contact the vehicle manu-
facturer concerning modifications
for persons with disabilities that
may affect the advanced airbag
system
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, rear seat, seatbelts, front bumper,
front side frame, radiator panel, instrument
panel, combination meter, steering wheel,
steering column, tire, suspension or floor
panel can affect the operation of the
SUBARU advanced airbag system. If
you have any questions, you may contact
the following SUBARU distributors.
of Columbia>
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer Dealer Services Department
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)
Subaru Hawaii
2850 Pukoloa Street, Suite 202,
Honolulu, HI 96819-4467
808-839-2273

Shen ’ s Corporation dba Prestige Automo-
bile
491, East Marine Corps Drive, Route 1
Dededo, Guam 96921-6225
671-633-2698

Trebol Motors
P.O. Box 11204, San Juan, Puerto Rico
00910
787-793-2828

Subaru Canada, Inc.
Consumer Support Department
560 Suffork Court, Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4J7
1-800-894-4212
There are currently no SUBARU distribu-
tors in any other U.S. territories. If you are
in such an area, please contact the
SUBARU distributor or dealer from which
you bought your vehicle. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
! Operation
A) Driver ’ s side
B) Passenger ’ s side
1) SRS AIRBAGs deploy as soon as a collision occurs.
2) After deployment, SRS AIRBAGs start to deflate immediately so that the driver ’ s vision is not
obstructed. The SRS airbags can function only when
the ignition switch is in the “ ON ” position.
The SUBARU advanced frontal airbag
system is designed to determine the
activation or deactivation condition of the
front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag
depending on the characteristic of item
(s) or person on the front passenger ’ s seat
monitored by the front passenger ’ s occu-
pant detection system sensor. For this
reason, only the driver ’ s SRS frontal
airbag may deploy in the event of a
collision, but this does not mean failure
of the system.
If the front sub sensors and the impact
sensors in the airbag control module
detect a predetermined amount of force
during a frontal collision, the control
module sends signals to the airbag
module(s) (only driver ’ s module or both
driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s modules)
instructing the module(s) to inflate the
SRS frontal airbag(s). On driver ’ s side, the
SRS knee airbag also inflates with the
SRS frontal airbag.1-46

The driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s SRS
frontal airbags use dual stage inflators.
The two inflators of each airbag are
triggered either sequentially or simulta-
neously, depending on the severity of
impact, in the case of the driver ’ s SRS
frontal airbag and depending on the
severity of impact and the characteristic
of item(s) or person on the seat in the case
of the front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbag.
After deployment, the SRS airbag imme-
diately starts to deflate 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 short-
er than the blink of an eye.
Both when only the driver ’ s SRS frontal
airbag deploys and the driver ’ s and front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbags deploy,
the driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s seatbelt
pretensioners operate at the same time.
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 vision
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 a normal result of the
deployment. This smoke does not indicate
a fire in the vehicle.
CAUTIONDo not touch the SRS airbag system
components around the steering
wheel and dashboard with bare
hands right after deployment. Doing
so can cause burns because the
components can be very hot as a
result of deployment.
The driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag and front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbag are de-
signed to deploy in the event of an
accident involving a moderate to severe
frontal collision. They are not designed to
deploy in most lesser frontal impacts
because the necessary protection can be
achieved by the seatbelt alone. Also, they
are not designed to deploy in most side or
rear impacts or in most roll-over accidents
because deployment of only the driver ’ s
SRS frontal airbag or both driver ’ s and
front passenger ’ s SRS frontal airbags
would not help the occupant in those
situations. The driver ’ s and front passen-
ger ’ s SRS frontal airbags are designed to
function on a one-time-only basis. SRS airbag deployment depends on the
level of force experienced in the passen-
ger 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.
! Example of accident in which the
driver ’ s/driver ’ s and front pas-
senger ’ s SRS frontal airbag(s)
will most likely deploy
A head-on collision against a thick con-
crete wall at a vehicle speed of 12 to 19
mph (20 to 30 km/h) or higher activates
only the driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag or both
driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbags. The airbag(s) will also be acti-
vated when the vehicle is exposed to a
frontal impact similar in fashion andSeat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
– CONTINUED –1-47

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
magnitude to the collision described
above. ! Examples of the types of acci-
dents in which it is possible that
the driver ’ s/driver ’ s and front
passenger ’ s SRS frontal
airbag(s) will deploy Only the driver ’ s SRS frontal airbag or
both driver ’ s and front passenger ’ s SRS
frontal airbags may be activated when the
vehicle sustains a hard impact in the
undercarriage area from the road surface
(such as when the vehicle plunges into a
deep ditch, is severely impacted or
knocked hard against an obstacle on the
road such as a curb).1-48