lock SUBARU FORESTER 2006 User Guide

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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cording to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions 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 posi-
tions only) and then if necessary move the
child closer to the belt buckle to help pro-
vide 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
restraint system 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 recommendations. The lap
belt should be worn securely and as low
as possible over the hips, not over the
waist.
„ Emergency Locking Retrac-
tor (ELR)The driver’s seatbelt has an Emergency
Locking Retractor (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 quickly
out of the retractor.
„Automatic/Emergency Lock-
ing Retractor (A/ELR)Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Auto-
matic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/
ELR). The Automatic/Emergency Locking
Retractor normally functions as an Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/
ELR has an additional locking mode “Au-
tomatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode” in-
tended to secure a child restraint system.
When the seatbelt is once drawn out com-
pletely and is then retracted even slightly,
the retractor locks the seatbelt in that po-
sition and the seatbelt cannot be extend-
ed. As the belt is rewinding, clicks will be
heard which indicate the retractor func-
tions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is re-
tracted 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 re-
moved, make sure that the seatbelt re-
tracts fully and the retractor returned to
the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
mode.
For instructions on how to convert the re-
tractor to the ALR mode and restore it to
the ELR mode, see the “Child restraint
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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TFront seatbelts
1. Adjust the seat position:
Driver’s seat: Adjust the seatback to the
upright position. Move the seatback as far
from the steering wheel as practical while
still maintaining full vehicle control.
Front passenger’s seat: Adjust the seat-
back to the upright position. Move the seat
as far back as possible.
2. Sit well back in the seat.
3. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the
belt out slowly. Do not let it get twisted. If
the belt stops before reaching the buckle,
return the belt slightly and pull it out more
slowly. If the belt still cannot be unlocked,
let the belt retract slightly after giving it a
strong pull, then pull it out slowly again. 4. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder belt.
6. Place the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips, not on your waist.
y
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 in-
crease, and both can result in se-
rious internal injury or death.Never place the shoulder belt under
the arm or behind the back. If an ac-
cident occurs, this can increase the
risk or severity of injury.
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Metallic parts of the seatbelt can be-
come very hot in a vehicle that has
been closed up in sunny weather;
they could burn an occupant. Do not
touch such hot parts until they cool.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
VAdjusting the front seat shoulder
belt anchor height
The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position best suited for the
driver/front passenger.
To lower the anchor height, push the re-
lease button and slide the anchor down.
To raise the anchor height, slide the an-
chor up. Pull down on the anchor to make
sure that it is locked in place.
Always adjust the anchor height so that
the shoulder belt passes over the middle
of the shoulder without touching the neck.
V Unfastening the seatbelt
Push the button on the buckle.
Before closing the door, make sure that
the belts are retracted properly to avoid
catching the belt webbing in the door. T
Rear seatbelts (except rear center
seatbelt)
1. Sit well back in the seat.
2. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the
belt out slowly. Do not let it get twisted. If
the belt stops before reaching the buckle,
return the belt slightly and pull it out more
slowly. If the belt still cannot be unlocked,
let the belt retract slightly after giving a
strong pull on it, then pull it out slowly
again.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
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When wearing the seatbelts, make
sure the shoulder portion of the
webbing does not pass over your
neck. If it does, adjust the seatbelt
anchor to a lower position. Placing
the shoulder belt over the neck may
result in neck injury during sudden
braking or in a collision.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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4. To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder belt.
5. Place the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips, not on your waist. V
Adjusting the rear seat shoulder belt
anchor height (window-side seating
positions only)
The shoulder belt anchor height should be
adjusted to the position best suited for
you.
To lower the anchor height, push the re-
lease button and slide the anchor down.
To raise the anchor height, slide the an-
chor up. Pull down on the anchor to make
sure that it is locked in place.
Always adjust the anchor height so that
the shoulder belt passes over the middle
of the shoulder without touching the neck.
V Unfastening the seatbelt
Push the button on the buckle.
Before closing the door, make sure that
the belts are retracted properly to avoid
catching the belt webbing in the door.
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When wearing the seatbelts, make
sure the shoulder portion of the
webbing does not pass over your
neck. If it does, adjust the seatbelt
anchor to a lower position. Placing
the shoulder belt over the neck may
result in neck injury during sudden
braking or in a collision.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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plate rearward.
2. Pull out the seatbelt slowly from the
overhead retractor.1) Seatbelt comfort guide3. Pass the seatbelt through the seatbelt comfort guide located beside the head re-
straint.
4. After confirming that the webbing is not
twisted, insert the connector (tongue) at-
tached at the webbing end into the buckle
on the right-hand side until a click is heard.
If the belt stops before reaching the buck-
le, return the belt slightly and pull it out
more slowly. If the belt still cannot be un-
locked, let the belt retract slightly after giv-
ing it a strong pull, then pull it out slowly
again.
5. Insert the center seatbelt tongue plate
in the center seatbelt buckle marked
“CENTER” on the left-hand side until it
clicks.
6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on
the shoulder belt.
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1-20
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
NOTEWhen the seatbelt extender is used bya pregnant passenger, consult a doctor
to get approval in advance.
To connect the extender to the seatbelt,
insert the tongue plate into the seatbelt
buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on the
buckle-release buttons of the extender
and the seatbelt are both facing outward
as shown in the diagram. You will hear a
click when the tongue plate locks into the
buckle.
When releasing the seatbelt, press on the
buckle-release button on the extender, not
on the seatbelt. This helps to prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extend-
er itself.
Front seatbelt pretensionersThe driver’s and front passenger’s seat-
belts have a seatbelt pretensioner. The
seatbelt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in the event of an accident in-
volving a moderate to severe frontal colli-
sion.
Also, the seatbelt pretensioners are de-
signed to be activated in the event of an
accident involving a moderate to severe
side impact collision.
The pretensioner sensor also serves as
the frontal and side SRS airbag sensors. If
the sensors detect a certain predeter-
mined amount of force during a frontal col-
lision or a side impact collision, the front
seatbelt is quickly drawn back in by the re-
Failure to follow these instructions
and warnings could reduce the ef-
fectiveness of the seatbelt and re-
sult in more serious injury in the
event of a collision.y
Never use the extender when the
belt itself is long enough to permit
it to be buckled properly. If remov-
al of heavy clothing is all that is
needed to permit the seatbelt to
be buckled properly, remove the
heavy clothing and do not use the
extender.yDo not use the extender if the
buckle of the extender rests over
the abdomen.yDo not let someone else use the
extender. Use of an extender
when it is not needed could re-
duce the effectiveness of the seat-
belt and result in more serious in-
jury in the event of a collision.yUse the extender only for the front
seatbelts and only for the model
for which it was originally provid-
ed. Never use the extender for the
rear seatbelts or for a different
model.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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tractor to take up the slack so that the belt
more effectively restrains the front seat
occupant.
When a seatbelt pretensioner is activated,
an operating noise will be heard and a
small amount of smoke will be released.
These occurrences are normal and not
harmful. This smoke does not indicate a
fire in the vehicle.
Once the seatbelt pretensioner has been
activated, the seatbelt retractor remains
locked. Consequently, the seatbelt can
not be pulled out and retracted and there-
fore must be replaced.NOTEySeatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor frontal im-
pacts, in minor side impacts or in rear
impacts or in roll-over accidents.
y The driver’s seat and passenger’s
seat pretensioners and frontal SRS air-
bag operate simultaneously.
y The driver’s and passenger’s seat-
belt pretensioners and the SRS side
airbag operate simultaneously.
y Pretensioners are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. In the
event that a pretensioner is activated,
both the driver’s and front passenger’s
seatbelt retractor assemblies must be
replaced only by an authorized SUBARU dealer. When replacing seat-
belt retractor assemblies, use only
genuine SUBARU parts.
y
If either front seatbelt does not re-
tract or cannot be pulled out due to a
malfunction or activation of the preten-
sioner, contact your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
y If the front seatbelt retractor assem-
bly or surrounding area has been dam-
aged, contact your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
y When you sell your vehicle, we urge
you to explain to the buyer that it has
seatbelt pretensioners by alerting him
to the contents of this section.
y To obtain maximum protection,
the occupants should sit in an up-
right position with their seatbelts
properly fastened. Refer to the
“Seatbelts” section in this chap-
ter.
yDo not modify, remove or strike
the front seatbelt retractor assem-
blies or surrounding area. This
could result in accidental activa-
tion of the seatbelt pretensioners
or could make the system inoper-
ative, possibly resulting in seri-
ous injury. Seatbelt pretensioners
have no user-serviceable parts.
For required servicing of front
seatbelt retractors equipped with
seatbelt pretensioners, see your
nearest SUBARU dealer.yWhen discarding front seatbelt re-
tractor assemblies or scrapping
the entire vehicle due to collision
damage or for other reasons, con-
sult your SUBARU dealer.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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„Where to place a child re-
straint systemThe following are SUBARU’s recommen-
dations on where to place a child restraint
system in your vehicle. A: Front passenger’s seat
You should not install a child restraint sys-
tem (including a booster seat) due to the
hazard to children posed by the passen-
ger’s airbag.
B: Rear seat, window-side seating po-
sitions
Recommended positions for all types of
child restraint systems.
In these positions, Automatic/Emergency
Locking Retractor (A/ELR) seatbelts and
lower anchorages (bars) are provided for
installing a child restraint system.
Some types of child restraints might not
be able to be secured firmly due to projec-
tion of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has abottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.
C: Rear seat, center seating position
Installing a child restraint system is not
recommended, although the A/ELR seat-
belt and an upper anchorage (tether an-
chorage) are provided in this position.
Some types of child restraints might not
be able to be secured firmly due to projec-
tion of the seat cushion.
In this seating position, you should use
only a child restraint system that has a
bottom base that fits snugly against the
contours of the seat cushion and can be
securely retained using the seatbelt.Children should be properly re-
strained at all times. Never allow a
child to stand up, or to kneel on any
seat. Unrestrained children will be
thrown forward during sudden stop
or in an accident and can be injured
seriously.Additionally, children standing up
or kneeling on or in front of the front
seat are exposed another serious
danger. Since the SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed and
force, the child could be injured or
even killed.
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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.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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„Installing child restraint sys-
tems with A/ELR seatbelt
T Installing a rearward facing child re-
straint
1. Place the child restraint system in the
rear seating position.
2. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the child restraint system follow- ing the instructions provided by its manu-
facturer.
3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle
until you hear a click.
4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
5. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the re-
tractor to change the retractor over from
the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
function. Then, allow the belt to rewind
into the retractor. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the re-
tractor functions as ALR.
y
Child restraint systems and seat-
belts can become hot in a vehicle
that has been closed up in sunny
weather; they could burn a small
child. Check the child restraint
system before you place a child in
it.
y Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint system in your vehicle.
Unsecured child restraint sys-
tems can be thrown around inside
of the vehicle in a sudden stop,
turn or accident; they can strike
and injure vehicle occupants as
well as result in serious injuries or
death to the child.
When you install a child restraint
system, follow the manufacturer’s
instructions supplied with it. After
installing the child restraint system,
check to ensure that it is held se-
curely in position. If it is not held
tight and secure, the danger of your
child suffering personal injury in the
event of an accident may be in-
creased.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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4. Take up the slack in the lap belt.
5. Pull out the seatbelt fully from the re-
tractor to change the retractor over from
the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
to the Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
function. Then, allow the belt to rewind
into the retractor. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the re-
tractor functions as ALR. 6. Before having a child sit in the child re-
straint system, move it back and forth and
right and left to check if it is firmly secured.
Sometimes a child restraint can be more
firmly secured by pushing it down into the
seat cushion and then tightening the seat-
belt.
7. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt
to confirm that it cannot be pulled out (ALR
properly functioning).8. If the child restraint system requires a
top tether, latch the hook onto the top teth-
er anchor and tighten the top tether. See
the “Top tether anchorages” for additional
instructions.
9. To remove the child restraint system,
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