warning SUBARU FORESTER 2001 SF / 1.G Owners Manual

iii
–
CONTINUED –
This c hap ter informs you how to keep your SUBARU ru
nning p rop erly.
Chapter 12: Specifications
This c hap ter informs you ab out d imension and c ap ac i ties of your
SUBARU.Chapter 13: Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
This c hap ter informs you ab out Uniform tire q uality g rad ing stand ard s
and Rep orting safety d efec ts.Chapter 14: Index
This is an alp hab etic al listing of all that ’s in this manual. You c an use it to
q uic kly find something you want to read . Safety warnings
You will find a numb er of WARNINGs, CAUTIONs and NO TEs in this
manual.
These safety warning s alert you to p otential hazard s that c ould result in
injury to you or others.
Please read these safety warning s as well as all ot her p ortions of this
manual c arefully in ord er to g ain a b etter und ersta nd ing of how to use
your SUBARU vehic le safely.
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in which serious injury or deathcould result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in which injury or damage toyour vehicle, or both, could result if the caution is ignored.
NOTE A NOTE gives information or suggestions how to make better use of your vehicle.

iv

Safety symbol
HS0008
You will find a c irc le with a slash throug h it in t his manual. This symb ol
means “Do not ” , “Do not d o this ”, or “Do not let this hap p en ”, d ep end ing
up on the c ontext.
Safety precautions when driving
SEATBELT AND SRS AIRBAG
WARNING
All persons in the vehicle should fasten their seatbelts BE-
FORE the vehicle starts to move. Otherwise, the possibility of se-
rious injury becomes greater in the event of a sudden stop or ac-cident. To obtain maximum protection in the event of an accident, the
driver and all passengers in the vehicle should always wear seat-
belts when the vehicle is moving. The SRS (SupplementalRestraint System) airbag does not do away with the need to fas-ten seatbelts. In combination with the seatbelts, it offers the bestcombined protection in case of a serious accident.Not wearing a seatbelt increases the chance of severe injury ordeath in a crash even when the car has the SRS airbag. The SRS airbags deploy with considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper position when the SRS airbag

v
–
CONTINUED –
deploys could suffer very serious injuries. Because the SRS air- bag needs enough space for deployment, the driver should al-ways sit upright and well back in the seat as far from the steeringwheel as practical while still maintaining full vehicle control and
the front passenger should move the seat as far back as possibleand sit upright and well back in the seat.
Carefully read the sec tions “ Seatb elts” and “SRS airb ag ” in c hap ter 1 of
this owner ’s manual for instruc tions and p rec autions c onc ernin g the
seatb elt system and SRS airb ag system. CHILD SAFETY
WARNING
Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms while the ve-
hicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from in- jury in a collision, because the child will be caught between the
passenger and objects inside the vehicle. While riding in the vehicle, infants and small children should
always be placed in the REAR seat in an infant or child restraint
system which is appropriate for the child ’s age, height and
weight. If a child is too big for a child restraint system, the childshould sit in the REAR seat and be restrained using the seatbelts.According to accident statistics, children are safer when properlyrestrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seatingpositions. Never allow a child to stand up or kneel on the seat. Put children aged 12 and under in the REAR seat properly re-
strained at all times in a child restraint device or in a seatbelt. TheSRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force and caninjure or even kill children, especially if they are 12 years of ageand under and are not restrained or improperly restrained. Be-
cause children are lighter and weaker than adults, their risk being
injured from deployment is greater. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TOTHE CHILD BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO

viTHE SRS AIRBAG.
Always use the child safety locks whenever a child rides in the
rear seat. Serious injury could result if a child accidentallyopened the door and fell out. Refer to the “Door locks ” section in
chapter 2. Always lock the passenger ’s windows using the lock switch
when children are riding in the vehicle. Failure to follow this pro-cedure could result in injury to a child operating the power win-
dow. Refer to the “Power windows ” section in chapter 2.
Never leave unattended children in the vehicle. They could ac-
cidentally injure themselves or others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot or sunny days, temperature in a
closed vehicle could quickly become high enough to cause se-vere or possibly fatal injuries to them.
Carefully read the sec tions “Child restraint systems ” , “SRS airb ag ” and
“ Seatb elts” in c hap ter 1 of this owner ’s manual for instruc tions and p re-
c autions c onc erning the c hild restraint system, sea tb elt system and SRS
airb ag system. ENGINE EXHAUST GAS (CARBON MONOXIDE)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is danger- ous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine exhaust system to pre-
vent engine exhaust gas from entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space, such as a garage, ex-
cept for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is unavoidable, then use the ventila-tion fan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille free from snow,
leaves or other obstructions to ensure that the ventilation system
always works properly. If at any time you suspect that exhaust fumes are entering the

vii
–
CONTINUED –
vehicle, have the problem checked and corrected as soon as pos-
sible. If you must drive under these conditions, drive only with allwindows fully open.
Keep the rear gate closed while driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
DRINKING AND DRIVING WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Alcohol in the
bloodstream delays your reaction and impairs your perception,judgment and attentiveness. If you drive after drinking – even if
you drink just a little – it will increase the risk of being involved in
a serious or fatal accident, injuring or killing yourself, your pas-sengers and others. In addition, if you are injured in the accident,
alcohol may increase the severity of that injury. Please don ’t drink and drive.
Drunken d riving is one of the most freq uent c auses of ac c id ents. Sinc e
alc ohol affec ts all p eop le d ifferently, you may hav e c onsumed too muc h
alc ohol to d rive safely even if the level of alc oho l in your b lood is b elow
the leg al limit. The safest thing you c an d o is nev er d rink and d rive. How-
ever if you have no c hoic e b ut to d rive, stop d rink ing and sob er up c om-
p letely b efore g etting b ehind the wheel. DRUGS AND DRIVING
WARNING
There are some drugs (over the counter and prescription) that can delay your reaction time and impair your perception, judg-ment and attentiveness. If you drive after taking them, it may in-
crease your, your passengers ’ and other persons ’ risk of being
involved in a serious or fatal accident.
If you are taking any d rug s, c hec k with your d oc tor or p harmac ist or read

viii
the literature that ac c omp anies the med ic ation to d
etermine if the d rug
you are taking c an imp air your d riving ab ility. Do not d rive after taking
any med ic ations that c an make you d rowsy or otherwi se affec t your ab il-
ity to safely op erate a motor vehic le. If you have a med ic al c ond ition that
req uires you to take d rug s, p lease c onsult with you r d oc tor.
Never d rive if you are und er the influenc e of any i llic it mind -altering
d rug s. For your own health and well-b eing , we urg e you not to take ille-
g al d rug s in the first p lac e and to seek treatment if you are ad d ic ted to
those d rug s. DRIVING WHEN TIRED OR SLEEPY
WARNING
When you are tired or sleepy, your reaction will be delayed and your perception, judgment and attentiveness will be impaired. If
you drive when tired or sleepy, your, your passengers ’ and other
persons’ chances of being involved in a serious accident may in-
crease.
Please d o not c ontinue to d rive b ut instead find a safe p lac e to rest if you
are tired or sleep y. On long trip s, you should make p eriod ic rest stop s to
refresh yourself b efore c ontinuing on your journey. When p ossib le, you
should share the d riving with others. CAR PHONES AND DRIVING
CAUTION
A driver ’s use of a car phone can be distracting and if special
care is not taken, can lead to an accident. If you use a car phone while driving, make an extra effort to pay attention to the road
and to traffic at all times. If you can safely do so, it is best to pulloff to the side of the road before using your car phone.

ix
–
CONTINUED –
MODIFICATION OF YOUR VEHICLE
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified. Modification could affect its
performance, safety or durability, and may even violate govern-mental regulations. In addition, damage or performance problemsresulting from modification may not be covered under warranties.
DRIVING WITH PETS
Unrestrained p ets c an interfere with your d riving a nd d istrac t your atten-
tion from d riving . In a c ollision or sud d en stop , u nrestrained p ets or
c ag es c an b e thrown around insid e the vehic le and h urt you or your p as-
seng ers. Besid es, the p ets c an b e hurt und er these situations. It is also
for their own safety that p ets should b e p rop erly r estrained in your
vehic le. Restrain a p et with a sp ec ial traveling ha rness whic h c an b e se-
c ured to the rear seat with a seatb elt or use a p et c arrier whic h c an b e
sec ured to the rear seat b y routing a seatb elt thro ug h the c arrier’s han-
d le. Never restrain p ets or p et c arriers in the fro nt p asseng er’s seat. For
further information, c onsult your veterinarian, loc al animal p rotec tion so-
c iety or p et shop .
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or emit chemicals known to the State ofCalifornia to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductiveharm.

1
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags Front seats1-2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat heater (if equipped) 1-7
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear seats 1-8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelts 1-10
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt safety tips 1-10
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt warning light and chime 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fastening the seatbelt 1-13
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt maintenance 1-23
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint systems 1-23
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Top strap anchors 1-27
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) 1-28 . . . . . . . .
Vehicle with driver ’s and front passenger ’s SRS airbags and
lap/shoulder restraints 1-28
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS frontal airbag 1-33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS side airbag (if equipped) 1-40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag system monitors 1-47
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag system servicing 1-48
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precautions against vehicle modification 1-49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1-2
Front seats
WARNING
Never adjust the seat while driving to avoid the possibility of
loss of vehicle control and of personal injury. Never drive the vehicle with the head restraints removed be-
cause they are designed to reduce the risk of serious neck injury
in the event that the vehicle is struck from the rear. Before adjusting the seat, make sure the hands and feet of rear
seat passengers are clear of the adjusting mechanism. Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat. To reduce the risk of sliding un-der the seatbelt in a collision, the front seatbacks should be al-ways used in the upright position while the vehicle is running. Ifthe front seatbacks are not used in the upright position in a colli-
sion, the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of the lap belt slid-ing up over the abdomen will increase, and both can result in se-rious internal injury or death. 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 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 deployment, thedriver should always sit upright and well back in the seat as farfrom the steering wheel as practical while still maintaining full ve-hicle control and the front passenger should move the seat as farback as possible and sit upright and well back in the seat. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained 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 im-
properly restrained. Because children are lighter and weaker than

1-8
Rear seats
WARNING
Never drive the vehicle with the head rest removed because
they are designed to reduce the risk of serious neck injury in the
event that the vehicle is struck from the rear. Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat. Do not put cushions or anyother materials between occupants and seatbacks or seat cush-ions. If you do so, the risk of sliding under the lap belt and of thelap belt sliding up over the abdomen will increase, and both canresult in serious internal injury or death. Never allow passengers to ride on the folded rear seatback or
in the cargo area. Doing so may result in serious injury or death. Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble forward and injure passengersin the event of a sudden stop or accident. Secure skis and other lengthy items properly to prevent them
from shooting forward and causing serious injury during a sud-den stop a sudden steering or a rapid acceleration.
HS0248
Sit well back and upright.