remove seats SUBARU OUTBACK 2000 3.G Owners Manual

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 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. 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

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-7
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CONTINUED –
NOTE If the seatback is reclined rearward to the same level as the rear seat cushion with the head restraint removed, a wide flat bed ismade available.
WARNING
Never drive your car with the seats converted in a flat bed
position. If you do so, occupants will have a greater chance of
being injured even during simple deceleration, acceleration andcornering since no firm restraint will be available for them. Before you lie on the flat bed to take a rest, read the descrip-
tion “ Parking your vehicle ” in Chapter 7 carefully and follow the
instructions.
HBS011AA
1. Slid e the front seat forward as far as p ossib le.
2. Pull off the head restraint while p ressing the re lease b utton.
3. Rec line the seatb ac k rearward up to the lowest p o sition. Remem-
b er to reinstall the head restraint whenever the se atb ac k is raised
b ac k.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-17
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CONTINUED –

Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) function
When sec uring a c hild restraint system on the p asse ng ers’ seats, the
seatb elt must b e c hang ed over to the Automatic Loc k ing Retrac tor (ALR)
mod e.
When the c hild restraint system is removed , make su re that the retrac tor
op erates as an Emerg enc y Loc king Retrac tor (ELR).
For instruc tions on how to c onvert the retrac tor to the ALR mod e and re-
store it to the ELR mod e, see the “Child restraint systems ” sec tion in this
c hap ter. Seatbelt warning light and chime
Your vehic le is eq uip p ed with a seatb elt warning d e vic e at the d river’s
seat.
This d evic e c auses the seatb elt warning lig ht on th e instrument p anel to
lig ht up for ab out six sec ond s when the ig nition sw itc h is turned to the
“ ON ” p osition to remind the d river to wear the seatb elt . If the d river’s
seatb elt is not fastened , a warning c hime sound s at the same time.
Fastening the seatbelt
WARNING
Never use a belt that is twisted or reversed. In an accident, this
can increase the risk or severity of injury. Never place the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the
back. If an accident occurs, this can increase the risk or severity
of injury. Keep the lap belt as low as possible on your hips. In a colli-
sion, this spreads the force of the lap belt over stronger hipbones instead of across the weaker abdomen. 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-

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-33
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CONTINUED –
Safety Stand ard s or Canad a Motor Vehic le Safety Sta
nd ard s, is c omp at-
ib le with your vehic le and is ap p rop riate for the c hild’s ag e and size. All
c hild restraint systems are d esig ned to b e sec ured in vehic le seats b y
lap b elts or the lap p ortion of a lap /should er b elt .
Child ren c ould b e end ang ered in an ac c id ent if thei r c hild restraints are
not p rop erly sec ured in the vehic le. When installin g the c hild restraint
system, c arefully follow the manufac turer ’s instruc tions.
Ac c ord ing to ac c id ent statistic s, c hild ren are safe r when p rop erly re-
strained in the rear seating p ositions than in the front seating p ositions.
These statistic s also ind ic ate that the safest p osi tion for a c hild restraint
system is the c enter of the rear seat.
All U.S. states and Canad ian p rovinc es req uire that infants and small
c hild ren b e restrained in an ap p roved c hild restrai nt system at all times
while the vehic le is moving .
Installing child restraint systems
NOTE When the child restraint system is no longer in use, remove it and
restore the ELR function of the retractor. That function is restored
by allowing the seatbelt to retract fully.
HB1080BA
1. Set the c hild restraint system in the seating p os ition.
2. Run the lap and should er b elt throug h or around t he c hild restraint
system following the instruc tions p rovid ed b y its m anufac turer. If the

Appearance care10-7
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CONTINUED –
Cleaning the interior
Use a vac uum c leaner to g et rid of the d ust and d ir
t. Wip e the vinyl areas
with a c lean, d amp c loth.
Seat fabric
Remove loose d irt, d ust or d eb ris with a vac uum c le aner. If the d irt is
c aked on the fab ric or hard to remove with a vac uum c leaner, use a
soft b lush then vac uum it.
Wip e the fab ric surfac e with a tig htly wrung c loth and d ry the seat
fab ric thoroug hly. If the fab ric is still d irty, wi p e using a solution of mild
soap and lukewarm water then d ry thoroug hly.
If the stain d oes not c ome out, try a c ommerc ially- availab le fab ric
c leaner. Use the c leaner on a hid d en p lac e and make sure it d oes not
affec t the fab ric ad versely. Use the c leaner ac c ord ing to its instruc -
tions. Leather seat materials
The leather used b y SUBARU is a hig h q uality natura l p rod uc t whic h
will retain its d istinc tive ap p earanc e and feel for many years with
p rop er c are.
Allowing d ust or road d irt to b uild up on the surfa c e c an c ause the
material to b ec ome b rittle and to wear p rematurely. Reg ular c leaning
with a soft, moist, natural fib er c loth should b e p erformed monthly,
taking c are not to soak the leather or allow water to p enetrate the
stitc hed seams.
A mild d eterg ent suitab le for c leaning woolen fab ri c s may b e used to
remove d iffic ult d irt sp ots, rub b ing with a soft, d ry c loth afterward s to
restore the luster. If your SUBARU is to b e p arked for a long time in
b rig ht sunlig ht, it is rec ommend ed that the seats a nd head rests b e
c overed , or the wind ows shad ed , to p revent fad ing o r shrinkag e.
Minor surfac e b lemishes or b ald p atc hes may b e trea ted with a c om-
merc ial leather sp ray lac q uer. You will d isc over th at eac h leather seat
sec tion will d evelop soft fold s or wrinkles, whic h is c harac teristic of
g enuine leather.