SUBARU OUTBACK 2005 4.G Service Manual

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the ignition switch is
either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
Each seat heater has four levels of adjustment. To use
the heater in the right hand seat, turn the “R” adjust-
ment knob forward until the “ ” mark reaches the
desired position. To activate the heater in the left hand
seat, turn the “L” adjustment knob forward until the
“ ” mark reaches the desired position. Each heater
warms the seat most quickly with the “ ” mark on
the adjustment knob in the furthest-forward position.
An indicator light on the adjustment knob for each seat
heater comes on when that seat heater is activated.
When the vehicle’s interior is warmed enough or be-
fore you leave the vehicle, be sure to turn the switch
off.
"
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. " 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 " Use of the seat heater for a long period of time
while the engine is not running can cause battery
discharge." When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine,
paint thinner, or any similar materials.
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Rear seats
Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the
occupant sits well back and upright in the seat.
Do not put cushions or any other materials be-
tween occupants and seatbacks or seat cush-
ions. 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.
Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than
the top of the seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in the event of a
sudden stop or accident.
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
!
Folding down the rear seat – Station wagon
"After 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. " Never allow passengers to ride on the folded
rear seatback or in the cargo area. Doing so
may result in serious injury or death. " 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. Unlock the seatback by pushing the release button
and then fold the seatback down.
To return the seatback to its original position, raise the
seatback until it locks into place and make sure that it
is securely locked. !
Head restraint adjustment
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.
! Rear windows side seating position
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down while press-
ing 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.
When the seats are not occupied, lower the head re-
straints to improve rearward visibility.
The head restraint is not intended to be used at
the lowest position. Before sitting on the seat,
raise the head restraint to the first or second
click position depending on your sitting height.
! Rear center seating position
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down while press-
ing the release button on the top of the seatback.
When the rear center seating position is occupied,
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
place the head restraint in its highest position. When
the rear center seating position is not occupied, lower
the head restraint to improve rearward visibility.Armrest (if equipped)
Sedan
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Station wagon
To lower the armrest, pull on the top edge of the arm- rest.
To avoid the possibility of serious injury, pas-
sengers must never be allowed to sit on the
center armrest while the vehicle is in motion. !
Loading long objects (Sedan)
Folding down the armrest and opening the seatback
panel affords a loading space for long objects.
To open the seatback panel, pull the panel down while
pressing the release tab down." Secure long objects properly to prevent them
from shooting forward and causing serious in-
jury during a sudden stop or sharp cornering.
Tie long objects down with a rope or something
equivalent. " Avoid loading objects longer than 6.6 ft (2 m)
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
and heavier than 55 lbs (25 kg). Such objects
can interfere with the driver’s proper operation
of the vehicle, possibly causing an accident
and serious injury.
Seatbelts !
Seatbelt safety tips
"All 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." All belts should fit snugly in order to provide
full restraint. Loose fitting belts are not as ef-
fective in preventing or reducing injury." 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. " 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." 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. Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and di-
agnostic module, which will record the use of the seat-
belt(s) by the driver and/or front passenger when any
of the SRS frontal, side and curtain airbags deploys. !
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. ! 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’s back.

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!
Expectant mothers
Expectant mothers also need to use the seatbelts.
They should consult their doctor for specific recom-
mendations. The lap belt should be worn securely and
as low as possible over the hips, not over the waist. ! Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)
The driver’s seatbelt has an Emergency Locking Re-
tractor (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 quick-
ly out of the retractor. !
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retrac- tor (A/ELR)
Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Automatic/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (A/ELR). The Automatic/
Emergency Locking Retractor normally functions as
an Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/ELR
has an additional locking mode “Automatic Locking
Retractor (ALR) mode” intended to secure a child re-
straint system. When the seatbelt is once drawn out
completely and is then retracted even slightly, the re-
tractor locks the seatbelt in that position and the seat-
belt cannot be extended. As the belt is rewinding,
clicks will be heard which indicate the retractor func-
tions as ALR. When the seatbelt is retracted fully, ALR
mode is released.
When securing a child restraint system on the passen-
gers’ seats, the seatbelt must be changed over to the
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode.
When the child restraint system is removed, make
sure that the retractor is restored to the Emergency
Locking Retractor (ELR) function by allowing the seat-
belt to retract fully.
For instructions on how to convert the retractor to the
ALR mode and restore it to the ELR mode, see the “Child restraint systems” section in this chapter.
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!Seatbelt warning light and chime
Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt warning de-
vice at the driver’s and front passenger’s seat.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON” position,
this device reminds the driver and front passenger to
fasten their seatbelts by illuminating the warning lights
in the locations indicated below and sounding a chime.
Driver: Instrument panel Front passenger: Between map lights !
Operation
If the driver and/or front passenger have/has not yet
fastened the seatbelt(s) when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position, the seatbelt warning
light(s) will flash for 6 seconds, to warn that the seat-
belt(s) is/are unfastened. If the driver’s seatbelt is not
fastened, a chime will also sound simultaneously.
If the driver’s and/or front passenger’s seatbelt(s) are/
is still not fastened 6 seconds later, both warning lights
or the warning light for the unfastened seatbelt will re-
main lit for 15 seconds. If the driver’s and/or front pas-
senger’s seatbelt(s) are/is still not fastened even 15
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