Ac System SUBARU FORESTER 2010 SH / 3.G User Guide

1-12Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. For instructions
and precautions concerning the
child restraint system, refer to“Child restraint systems ”F 1-23.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seatbelt by the front
passenger when any of the SRS frontal
and side airbags deploy. ! Infants or small children
Use a child restraint system that is
suitable for your vehicle. Refer to “Child
restraint systems ”F 1-23.
! 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 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
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 thechild
’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.
! 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“ Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
mode ”intended to secure a child restraint
system. When the seatbelt is once drawn
out completely and is then retracted even
slightly, the retractor locks the seatbelt in
that position and the seatbelt cannot be
extended. As the belt is rewinding, clicks
will be heard which indicate the retractor
functions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is
retracted 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
retracts fully and the retractor returned to
the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) mode.
For instructions on how to convert the
retractor to the ALR mode and restore it to
the ELR mode, refer to“Installing child
restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt ”
F 1-26.
& Seatbelt warning light
and chime
Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt
warning device at the driver ’s and front
passenger ’s seat, as required by current
safety standards.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON ”
position, this device reminds the driver
and front passenger to fasten their seat-
belts by illuminating the warning lights in
the locations indicated in the following
illustration and sounding a chime.
Driver ’s warning light
Front passenger ’s warning light
! 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
seatbelt(s) is/are unfastened. If the dri-ver ’s seatbelt is not fastened, a chime will
also sound simultaneously. NOTE . If the driver ’s and/or front passen-
ger ’s seatbelt(s) are/is still not fastened
6 seconds later, the seatbelt warning
device operates as follows according
to the vehicle speed.
–At speeds lower than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light(s) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
steady illumination and flashing at
15-second intervals. The chime will
not sound. – 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.
If there is no passenger on the frontpassenger ’s seat, the seatbelt warning
device for the front passenger ’s seat will
be deactivated. The front passenger ’s
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-13
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1-14Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
occupant detection system monitors
whether or not there is a passenger on
the front passenger ’s seat.
Observe the following precautions. Failure
to do so may prevent the device from
functioning correctly or cause the device
to fail. . Do not install any accessory such as a
table or TV onto the seatback.. Do not store a heavy load in the
seatback pocket.. 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. . 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 the adjustment procedure of
the manual seats, refer to “Manual seat ”
F 1-3.
If the seatbelt warning device for the frontpassenger ’s seat does not function cor-
rectly (e.g., it is activated even when the
front passenger ’s seat is empty or it is
deactivated even when the front passen-
ger has not fastened his/her seatbelt),
take the following actions. . Ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than a child restraint system and the child occupant, although we
strongly recommended that all children
sit in the rear seat properly restrained. .
Ensure that there is no article left in the
seatback pocket.. Ensure that the backward-forward po-
sition and seatback of front passenger ’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth.
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 aninspection.
& 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.
. 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 hip bones
instead of across the weakerabdomen. .
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 upright posi-
tion while the vehicle is running.
If the front seatbacks are not
used in the upright 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.
. Do not put cushions or any other
materials betwe en 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 ordeath.

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 therefore
must be replaced. NOTE .Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor frontal or
side impacts or in rear impacts. . The driver ’s seat and passenger ’s
seat pretensioners and frontal, side or
curtain SRS airbags operate simulta-
neously.. 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. .
If either front seatbelt does not
retract or cannot be pulled out due to
a malfunction or activation of the
pretensioner, contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible.. If the front seatbelt retractor assem-
bly or surrounding area has been
damaged, contact your SUBARU dealer
as soon as possible.. 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.
WARNING
. To obtain maximum protection,
the occupants should sit in an
upright position with their seat-
belts properly fastened. Refer to“ Seatbelts ”F 1-11.
. Do not modify, remove or strike
the front seatbelt retractor as-
semblies or surrounding area.
This could result in accidental
activation of the seatbelt preten-
sioners or could make the sys-
tem inoperative, possibly result-
ing in serious injury. Seatbelt
pretensioners have no user-ser-
viceable parts. For required ser-
vicing of front seatbelt retractors equipped with seatbelt preten-
sioners, see your nearest
SUBARU dealer.
. When discarding front seatbelt
retractor assemblies or scrap-
ping the entire vehicle due to
collision damage or for other
reasons, consult your SUBARU
dealer.
& 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
seatbelt pretensioners share the control
module with the SRS airbag system.
Therefore, if any malfunction occurs in a Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-21
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1-22Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
seatbelt pretensioner, the SRS airbag
system warning light will illuminate. The
SRS airbag system warning light will show
normal system operation by lighting for
approximately 6 seconds when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON ”position.
The following components are monitored
by the indicator: . Front sub sensor (right-hand side)
. Front sub sensor (left-hand side)
. Airbag control module (including im-
pact and rollover sensors). Frontal airbag module (driver ’s side)
. Frontal airbag module (front passen-
ger ’s side)
. Side airbag sensor (center pillar right-
hand side). Side airbag sensor (center pillar left-
hand side). Side airbag module (driver ’s side)
. Side airbag module (front passenger ’s
side). Curtain airbag sensor (rear wheel
house right-hand side). Curtain airbag sensor (rear wheel
house left-hand side). Curtain airbag module (right side)
. Curtain airbag module (left side)
. Satellite safing sensor (under the rear
center seat) .
Seatbelt pretensioner (driver ’s side)
. Seatbelt pretensioner (front passen-
ger ’s side)
. Seatbelt buckle switch (front passen-
ger ’s side)
. Front passenger ’s seatbelt tension
sensor. Front passenger ’s occupant detection
system weight sensor. Front passenger ’s occupant detection
control module. Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicator. All related wiring
WARNING
If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, there may
be a malfunction in the seatbelt
pretensioners and/or SRS airbag
system. Immediately take your vehi-
cle to your nearest SUBARU dealer
to have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, the
seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbag will not operate properly in
the event of a collision, which may
increase the risk of injury. . Flashing or flickering of the warn-
ing light .
No illumination of the warning
light when the ignition switch is
first turned to the “ON ”position
. Continuous illumination of the
warning light
. Illumination of the warning light
while driving
& System servicing
WARNING
. When discarding a seatbelt re-
tractor assembly or scrapping
the entire vehicle damaged by a
collision, consult your SUBARU
dealer.

.Tampering with or disconnecting
the system ’s wiring could result
in accidental activation of the
seatbelt pretensioner and/or
SRS airbag or could make the
system inoperative, which may
result in serious injury. Do not
use electrical test equipment on
any circuit related to the seatbelt
pretensioner and SRS airbag
systems. For required servicing
of the seatbelt pretensioner, con-
sult your nearest SUBARU deal-
er.
CAUTION
The front sub sensors are located
on both the right and left sides at the
front of the vehicle, and the SRS
airbag control module including the
impact sensors is located under the
center console. If you need service
or repair in those areas or near the
front seatbelt retractors, have the
work performed by your authorized
SUBARU dealer.
NOTE
If the front part of the vehicle is
damaged in an accident to the extent that the seatbelt pretensioner does not
operate, contact your SUBARU dealer
as soon as possible.
& Precautions against vehicle modification
Always consult your SUBARU dealer if
you want to install any accessory parts to
your vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the following
modifications. Such modifications
can interfere with proper operation
of the seatbelt pretensioners. . Attachment of any equipment
(bush bar, winches, snow plow,
skid plate, etc.) other than genu-
ine SUBARU accessory parts to
the front end.
. Modification of the suspension
system or front end structure.
. Installation of a tire of different
size and construction from the
tires specified on the vehicle
placard attached to the driver ’s
door pillar or specified for indivi-
dual vehicle models in this Own-er ’s Manual. Child restraint systems
Infants and small children should always
be placed in an infant or child restraint
system in the rear seat while riding in the
vehicle. You should use an infant or child
restraint system that meets Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards or Canada
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, is com-
patible with your vehicle and is appro-
priate for the child
’s age and size. All child
restraint systems are designed to be
secured in vehicle seats by lap belts or
the lap belt portion of a lap/shoulder belt
(except those described in “Installation of
child restraint systems by use of lower and
tether anchorages (LATCH) ”F 1-30).
Children could be endangered in an
accident if their child restraints are not Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-23
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1-24Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
properly secured in the vehicle. When
installing the child restraint system, care-
fully follow the manufacturer ’s instructions.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating positions.
All U.S. states and Canadian provinces
require that infants and small children be
restrained in an approved child restraint
system at all times while the vehicle ismoving.
WARNING
Never let a passenger hold a child
on his or her lap or in his or her
arms while the vehicle is moving.
The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision,
because the child will be caught
between the passenger and objects
inside the vehicle.
Additionally, holding a child in your
lap or arms in the front seat exposes
that child to another serious danger.
Since the SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force, the
child could be injured or even killed.
WARNING
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.
& Where to place a child re-
straint system
The 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
system (including a booster seat) due to
the hazard to children posed by thepassenger ’s airbag.
B: Rear seat, window-side seatingpositions
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 projection
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.
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
anchorage) are provided in this position.
Some types of child restraints might not be
able to be secured firmly due to projection
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.
If it is unavoidable to install a child
restraint system in the rear seat
’s center
seating position, lower the center head
restraint to the lowest position and install
the child restraint system by correctly
passing the rear center seatbelt through
the belt guide.
WARNING
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.
For that reason, be sure to secure
ALL types of child restraint devices
(including forward facing child
seats) in the REAR seats at all times.
You should choose a restraint de-
vice which is appropriate for thechild ’s age, height and weight. Ac- cording to accident statistics, chil-
dren are safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seating posi-
tions than in the front seating posi-tions.
WARNING
SINCE YOUR VEHICLE IS
EQUIPPED WITH A PASSENGER ’S
SRS AIRBAG, NEVER INSTALL A
REARWARD FACING CHILD
SAFETY SEAT IN THE FRONT PAS-SENGER ’S SEAT. DOING SO RISKS
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THE
CHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-25
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1-26Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
&Choosing a child restraint system
Choose a child restraint system that is
appropriate for the child ’s age and size
(weight and height) in order to provide the
child with proper protection. The child
restraint system should meet all applic-
able requirements of Federal Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Standards for the United States
or of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards for Canada. It can be identified by
looking for the label on the child restraint
system or the manufacturer ’s statement of
compliance in the document attached to
the system.
Also it is important for you to make sure
that the child restraint system is compa-
tible with the vehicle in which it will beused. &
Installing child restraint sys-
tems with A/ELR seatbelt
WARNING
. 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.
. Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint system in your vehicle.
Unsecured child restraint sys-
tems can be thrown around in-
side of the vehicle in a sudden
stop, turn or accident; they can
strike and injure vehicle occu-
pants as well as result in serious
injuries or death to the child.
CAUTION
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
securely 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.
! Installing a rearward facing childrestraint
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
following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer.
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
retractor 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
retractor functions as ALR.6. Push and pull the child restraint
system forward and from side to side 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 seatbelt.
7. Pull at the shoulder portion of the belt
to confirm that it cannot be pulled out (ALR
properly functioning).8. To remove the child restraint system,
press the release button on the seatbelt
buckle and allow the belt to retract
completely. The belt will return to the
ELR mode.
WARNING
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FA-
CING CHILD SEAT IN THE FRONT
PASSENGER ’SSEAT.DOINGSO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH
TO THE CHILD BY PLACING THECHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO THE
SRS AIRBAG. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-27
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