SUBARU BAJA 2005 1.G Owner's Guide

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
To prevent the passenger from sliding under
the seatbelt in the event of a collision, alwaysput the seatback in the upright position while
the vehicle is in motion. Also, do not place ob-
jects such as cushions between the passenger
and the seatback. If you do so, the risk of slid-
ing 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 cen-
ter of the head restraint is closest to the top of the oc-
cupant’s ears.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
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the vehicle is struck from the rear.
„ Lumbar support (if equipped)
Pull the lever forward or backward.
Pulling the lever forward will increase the amount of
support for your lower back.Seat heater (if equipped)
1) Heating element
The seat heater operates when the ignition switch is
either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1) Indicator light
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 make the seat
to heat up quickly.
LO: Normal heating
HI: Rapid 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 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 they use the seat heater for a long
period of time. When using the heater, always
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.
1 LO
HI
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Rear seats
ySeatbelts provide maximum restraint when
the occupant sits well back and upright in the
seat. Do not put cushions or any other materi-
als 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. y To avoid the possibility of serious injury or
death, passengers must never be allowed to sit on the rear center console while the vehicle is
in motion. The rear seat of this vehicle is de-
signed for no more than two passengers and is
equipped with only two seatbelts. y
Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
locked. When it is securely locked, the red
marking on the lock is no longer visible. If it is
not locked, the seatback may move forward
when the vehicle is operated.
„ Rear headrest
Rear headrest are not adjustable, nor removable.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
„
Folding down the rear seat
yAfter returning the rear seat to its original po-
sition, be certain to place all of the seatbelts
and the tab attached to the seat cushion above
the seat cushion. And make certain that the
shoulder belts are fully visible. y Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
locked after returning the seatback to its origi-
nal position. When securely locked, the red
marking on the lock is no longer visible. If it is
not locked securely, the rear seatback may fold
down during driving. y Never allow passengers to ride on the folded
rear seatback. Doing so may result in serious
injury or death.y Secure skis and other lengthy items properly
to prevent them from being thrown around in-
side the vehicle and causing serious injury dur-
ing a sudden stop, a sudden steering maneuver
or a rapid acceleration.
Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than
the top of the front seatback because it could
tumble forward and injure passengers in the
event of a sudden stop or accident.
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TFolding down the seatback
Before folding down the seatback, check that
there is nothing in the seatback pocket. If there
is something in the pocket, it could be damaged
or cause damage to the seatback and rear cen-
ter console when the seatback is folded.
A) LOCK
B) UNLOCK
1) Red 1. Unlock the seatback by pulling the release knob up
and then fold the seatback down.
1
AB
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T
Folding down the seat cushion and seatback
Before folding down the seatback, check that
there is nothing in the seatback pocket. If there
is something in the pocket, it could be damaged
or cause damage to the seatback and rear cen-
ter console when the seatback is folded.
1. Move the front seat forward.
2. Store the seatbelts in the seatbelt pockets to pre-
vent them from falling below the cushion. 3. Raise the seat cushion by pulling up the tab.
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A) LOCK
B) UNLOCK
1) Red 4. Unlock the seatback by pulling the release knob up
and fold the seatback down. Confirm that the pin locat-
ed at the bottom of the seat cushion is inserted into the
slot at the top of the seatback.
Be careful not to pinch your hand or fingers
with the seat cushion or the seatback when per-
forming the fold down operation.
5. To return the rear seat to its original position, raise
the seatback and seat cushion until they lock into
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AB
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
place and make sure that they are securely locked.
Make sure that the rear seatbelt buckles are not under
the seat cushion or seatback, when returning the seat
cushion and the seatback to their original position.
Confirm that the rear seatbelts are stored in the
seatbelt pocket prior to returning the seat cush-
ion to its original position.
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-

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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 all these reasons, we
strongly recommend that ALL children (includ-
ing those in child seats and those that have out-
grown child restraint devices) sit in the 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 (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. T
Infants or small children
Use a child restraint system that is suitable for your ve-
hicle. See information on “Child restraint systems” in
this 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, 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 on the
hips and not on the child’s waist. If the shoulder portion
of the belt cannot be properly positioned, a child re-
straint system should be used. Never place the shoul-
der belt under the child’s arm or behind the child’sback.