airbag off SUBARU FORESTER 2001 SF / 1.G Owners Manual

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

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-7
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Seat heater (if equipped)
CAUTION
Use of the seat heater for long period of time while the engine
is not running can cause battery discharge. Do not put anything on the seat which insulates against heat,
such as a blanket, cushion, or similar items. This may cause theseat heater to overheat. When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine, paint thinner, or
any similar materials.
The seat heater op erates when the ig nition switc h i s either in the “ACC ”
or “ON ” p osition.
HS0034HS0285
Indicator
HI LO
Heating element
To turn on the seat heater, p ush the
“LO ” or “HI ” p osition on the switc h,
as d esired , d ep end ing on the temp erature. LO: Normal heating
HI: Rap id heating
The ind ic ator loc ated on the switc h c omes on when t he seat heater is in
op eration. When the vehic le ’s interior is warmed enoug h or b efore you
leave the vehic le, b e sure to turn the switc h off.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-29
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seatbelt. It does not do away with the need to fasten seatbelts. In
combination with the seatbelts, it offers the best combinedprotection 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.
For instructions and precautions concerning the seatbelt system,see the
“Seatbelts” sections in this chapter.
Do not sit or lean unnecessarily close to the SRS airbag. Be-
cause the SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed – faster
than the blink of an eye – and force to protect in high speed colli-
sions, the force of an airbag can injure an occupant whose bodyis too close to SRS airbag. It is also important to wear your seatbelt to help avoid injuriesthat can result when the SRS airbag contacts an occupant not inproper position such as one thrown forward during pre-accidentbraking.Even when properly positioned, there remains a possibility thatan occupant may suffer minor injury such as abrasions andbruises to the face or arms because of the SRS airbag deploy-ment force. 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. Do not place any objects over or near the SRS airbag cover or
between you and the SRS airbag. If the SRS airbag deploys,those objects could interfere with its proper operation and could
be propelled inside the car and cause injury. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear seat properly re-
strained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerablespeed and force and can injure or even kill children, especially ifthey are 12 years of age and under and are not restrained or im-

1-38n
Examples of the types of accidents in which it is possible that
the SRS frontal airbag will deploy.
The SRS frontal airb ag may b e ac tivated when the ve hic le sustains a
hard imp ac t in the und erc arriag e area from the road surfac e (suc h as
when the vehic le p lung es into a d eep d itc h, is seve rely b ump ed or
knoc ked hard ag ainst an ob stac le on the road suc h a s a c urb ).
HS1015BA
HS1014BA
n Examples of the types of accidents in which the SRS frontal
airbag is unlikely to deploy.
There are many typ es of c ollisions whic h mig ht not nec essarily req uire
SRS frontal airb ag d ep loyment. If the vehic le strik es an ob jec t, suc h
as a telep hone p ole or sig n p ole, or if it slid es u nd er a truc k’s load
b ed , or if it sustains an ob liq ue offset frontal im p ac t, the SRS frontal
airb ag may not d ep loy d ep end ing on the level of ac c id ent forc es in-
volved .

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-39
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HS0240HS0239
HS0238
The vehicle strikes a tele- phone pole or similar ob- ject.
The vehicle slides under a truck
’s load bed. The vehicle sustains anoblique offset frontal im- pact.
n
Examples of the types of accidents in which the SRS frontal
airbag will basically not deploy.
The SRS frontal airb ag is b asic ally not d esig ned to d ep loy if the
vehic le is struc k from sid e or from b ehind , or if i t rolls onto its sid e or
roof, or if it is involved in a low-sp eed frontal c ollision.
HS0243HS0242
HS0241
The vehicle is struck from behind.
The vehicle is struck fromthe side.The vehicle rolls onto itsside or roof.
In an ac c id ent where the vehic le is imp ac ted more t
han onc e, the
SRS frontal airb ag d ep loys only onc e on the first i mp ac t.
Examp le: In the c ase of a d oub le c ollision, first w ith another vehic le,
then ag ainst a c onc rete wall in immed iate suc c essio n, the SRS frontal
airb ag is ac tivated on the first imp ac t b ut not on the sec ond .

3-10Seatbelt warning light
SRS airbag system warning light
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp
Charge warning light
Oil pressure warning light
AT OIL TEMP warning light (automatic transmission vehicles)
ABS warning light (if equipped)
Brake system warning light
If any lights fail to come on, it indicates a burned-out bulb or a malfunc-
tion of the corresponding system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU dealer for repair. Seatbelt warning light and chime
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position, the seatbelt
warning light will come on and the reminder chime will sound to remind driver to fasten the seatbelt.
The seatbelt warning light remains on for about six seconds and turns off
automatically after six seconds.
The seatbelt reminder chime will turn off when the driver ’s side seatbelt is
buckled or it will turn off automatically after about six seconds. SRS airbag system warning light AIRBAG
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position, the SRS airbag
system warning light will come on for about six seconds and go out. This
shows the SRS airbag system is in normal operation.
If this light comes on while driving or remains illuminated even after a
lapse of about 6 seconds from when the ignition key has been turned on,
it may indicate that the SRS airbag system is not working properly. Con-
tact your nearest SUBARU dealer immediately.