airbag SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owner's Manual

1-14 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
switch), the warning lights will alternate
between flashing and steady illumination
at 15-second intervals, and the chime will
sound while the warning light(s) is/are
flashing.
Alternate flashing and steady illumination
of the warning lights and sounding of the
chime will continue until both driver and
front passenger fasten their seatbelts.
NOTE y If the driver and/or front passenger
unfasten(s) the seatbelt(s) after fasten-
ing, the seatbelt warning device oper-
ates as follows according to the vehi-
cle speed.
y At speeds lower than approximate-
ly 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light(s) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
flashing and steady illumination at
15-second intervals. The chime will
not sound.
y At speeds higher than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light(s) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
flashing and steady illumination at
15-second intervals and the chime
will sound while the warning light(s)
is/are flashing.
y It is possible to cancel the warning
operation that follows the 6-second warning after turning ON the ignition
switch by unfastening and refastening
the driver’s seatbelt. When the ignition
switch is turned ON next time, howev-
er, the complete sequence of the warn-
ing operation resumes. For further de-
tails about canceling the warning oper-
ation, please contact your SUBARU
dealer.
If there is no passenger on the front pas-
senger’s seat, the seatbelt warning device
for the front passenger’s seat will be deac-
tivated. The front passenger’s occupant
detection system monitors whether or not
there is a passenger on the front passen-
ger’s seat.
Observe the following precautions. Failure
to do so may prevent the device from func-
tioning correctly or cause the device to
fail.
y Do not install any accessory such as a
table or TV onto the seatback.
y Do not store a heavy load in the seat-
back pocket.
y Do not allow the rear seat occupant to
place his/her hands or legs on the front
passenger’s seatback, or allow him/her to
pull the seatback.
y Do not use front seats with their back-
ward-forward position and seatback not
being locked into place securely. If any of
them are not locked securely, adjust them again. For adjusting procedure, refer to
the “Manual seat” in the front seats sec-
tion in Chapter 1 in this owner’s manual.
(Models equipped with manual seats only)
If the seatbelt warning device for the front
passenger’s seat does not function cor-
rectly (e.g., it is ac tivated even when the
front passenger’s seat is empty or it is de-
activated even when the front passenger
has not fastened his/ her seatbelt), take
the following actions.
y Ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than a ch ild restraint system
and the child occupant.
y Ensure that there is no article left in the
seatback pocket.
y Ensure that the backward-forward posi-
tion and seatback of front passenger’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth. (Models
equipped with manual seats only)
If the seatbelt warning device for front
passenger’s seat still does not function
correctly after taking relevant corrective
actions described above, immediately
contact your SUBARU dealer for an in-
spection.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-15
– CONTINUED –„ Fastening the seatbelt
T Front 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.y Never use a belt that is twisted or
reversed. In an accident, this can
increase the risk or severity of in-
jury.
y Keep the lap belt as low as possi-
ble on your hips. In a collision,
this spreads the force of the lap
belt over stronger hip bones in-
stead of across the weaker abdo-
men.
y Seatbelts provide maximum re-
straint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat.
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the seatbelt in a collision, the
front seatbacks should be always
used in the uprigh t position while
the vehicle is running. If the front
seatbacks are not used in the up-
right position in a collision, 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 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 in jury 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. 100101Metallic 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 part s until they cool.

1-16 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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. V Adjusting 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 an-
chor height, push the release button and
slide the anchor down. To raise the an-
chor height, slide the anchor 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.100102
100103 100258When 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.
100105

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-17
– CONTINUED –T Rear seatbelts (except rear center
seatbelt on Station wagon)
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. 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 Unfastening the seatbelt Push the button on the buckle.
Before closing the door, make sure that
the belts are retract ed properly to avoid
catching the belt webbing in the door.
T Rear center seatbelt on Station wag-
on model
1) Center seatbelt tongue plate
2) Connector (tongue)
3) Connector (buckle)
4) Center seatbelt buckle100102 100103
1001051
2
3 4
100651

1-18 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Rear center seatbelt is stowed in the re-
cess of the ceiling.
1. Remove the connector (tongue) plate
from the slot located at the front of the re-
cess by pulling the connector (tongue)
plate rearward.Fastening the seatb elt with the web-
bing twisted can increase the risk or
severity of injury in an accident.
When fastening the belt after it is
pulled out from the retractor, espe-
cially when inserting the connec-
tor’s tongue plat e into the mating
buckle (on right-hand side), always
check that the webbing is not twist-
ed. 100108
Be sure to fasten both tongue plates
to the respective buckles. If the
seatbelt is used only as a shoulder
belt (with the co nnector’s tongue
plate not fastened to the connec-
tor’s buckle on the right-hand side),
it cannot properly restrain the wear-
er in position in an accident, possi-
bly resulting in serious injury or
death. 100109 100734

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-19
– CONTINUED –2. Pull out the seatbelt slowly from the
overhead retractor.
3. 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 befor e 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, th en pull it out slowly
again.
4. After fastening the seatbelt, make sure
that the “ ” mark on the connector
(tongue) and the “ ” mark on the buck-
le face outwards. 5. Insert the center s eatbelt 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. And place the lap belt as100735
100309 200298 100114
100310

1-20 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
low as possible on your hips, not on your
waist.
V Unfastening the seatbelt
Push the release button of the center
seatbelt buckle (on the left-hand side) to
unfasten the seatbelt. 0
1. Insert a key or other hard pointed ob-
ject into the slot in the connector (buckle)
on the right-hand side and push it in, and
the connector (tongue) plate will discon-
nect from the buckle. 2. Allow the retractor to roll up the belt.
You should hold the webbing end and
guide it back into the retractor while it is
rolling up. Neatly store the tongue plate in
the recess on the ceiling and then insert
the connector (tongue) plate into the slot
located at the front of the recess.100116 100381
100382 200300

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-21
– CONTINUED –„ Seatbelt maintenance To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap
and lukewarm water. Never bleach or dye
the belts because this could seriously af-
fect their strength.
Inspect the seatbelts and attachments in-
cluding the webbing and all hardware pe-
riodically for cracks, cuts, gashes, tears,
damage, loose bolts or worn areas. Re-
place the seatbelts even if only minor
damage is found. Front seatbelt pretensioners
The 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.
The pretensioner sensor also serves as a
SRS frontal airbag sensor. If the sensor
detects a certain predetermined amount
of force during a frontal collision, the front
seatbelt is quickly drawn back in by the re-
tractor to take up the slack so that the belt
more effectively rest rains the front seat
occupant.
When a seatbelt pretensioner is activated,y Do not allow the retractor to roll
up the seatbelt too quickly. Other-
wise, the metal tongue plates may
hit against the trim, resulting in
damaged trim.
y Have the seatbelt fully rolled up
so that the tongue plates are neat-
ly stored. A hanging tongue plate
can swing and hit against the trim
during driving, causing damage to
the trim. 100736
y Keep the belts free of polishes,
oils, chemicals and particularly
battery acid.
y Never attempt to make modifica-
tions or changes that will prevent
the seatbelt from operating prop-
erly. 100121

1-22 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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.
NOTE y Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor frontal im-
pacts, in side or rear impacts or in roll-
over accidents.
y The driver’s seat and passenger’s
seat pretensioners and frontal 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 and 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 seatbe lt 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.
„ System monitors
SRS airbag system warning light
A diagnostic system continually monitors
the readiness of the seatbelt pretensioner
while the vehicle is being driven. The seat-
belt pretensioners share the control mod-
ule with the airbag system. Therefore, if
any malfunction occurs in a seatbelt pre-
tensioner, the SRS airbag system warning
light will illuminate. The SRS airbag sys-
tem warning light wi ll show normal systemy To obtain maximum protection,
occupants should sit in an upright
position with thei r seatbelts prop-
erly fastened. Refer to “Seatbelts”
section in this chapter.
y Do 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. y When discarding front seatbelt re-
tractor assemblies or scrapping
the entire vehicle due to collision
damage or for other reasons, con-
sult your SUBARU dealer.
200326

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-23
– CONTINUED –operation by lighting for approximately 6
seconds when the ignition switch is turned
to the “ON” position.
The following components are monitored
by the indicator:
y Front sub sensor (Right-hand side)
y Front sub sensor (Left-hand side)
y Airbag control module (including impact
sensors)
y Frontal airbag module (Driver’s side)
y Frontal airbag module (Front passen-
ger’s side)
y Side airbag sensor (Center pillar right-
hand side)
y Side airbag sensor (Center pillar left-
hand side)
y Side airbag module (Driver’s side)
y Side airbag module (Front passenger’s
side)
y Curtain airbag sensor (Rear wheel
house right-hand side)
y Curtain airbag sensor (Rear wheel
house left-hand side)
y Curtain airbag module (Right side)
y Curtain airbag module (Left side)
y Seatbelt pretensioner (Driver’s side)
y Seatbelt pretensioner (Front passen-
ger’s side)
y Seatbelt buckle switch (Driver’s side)
y Seatbelt buckle switch (Front passen-
ger’s side)
y Driver’s seat position sensor y Front passenger’s seatbelt tension sen-
sor
y Front passenger’s occupant detection
system weight sensor
y Front passenger’s occupant detection
control module
y Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicator
y All related wiring
„ System servicing
If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, there may
be a malfunction in the seatbelt pre-
tensioners and/or SRS airbag sys-
tem. Immediately take your vehicle
to your nearest SUBARU dealer to
have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, the
seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbags will operate improperly (e.g.
SRS airbags may inflate in a very mi-
nor collision or not inflate in a se-
vere collision), which may increase
the risk of injury.
y Flashing or flickering of the warn-
ing light
y No illumination of the warning
light when the ig nition switch is
first turned to the “ON” position y Continuous illumination of the
warning light
y Illumination of the warning light
while driving
y When discarding a seatbelt retrac-
tor assembly or scrapping the en-
tire vehicle damaged by a colli-
sion, consult yo ur SUBARU deal-
er.