warning SUBARU FORESTER 2010 SH / 3.G User Guide

&Driving when tired or sleepy
WARNING
When you are tired or sleepy, your
reaction time will be delayed and
your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness will be impaired. If you
drive when tired or sleepy, your,
your passengers ’and other per-
sons ’chances of being involved in
a serious accident may increase.
Please do not continue to drive but
instead find a safe place to rest if you
are tired or sleepy. On long trips, you
should make periodic rest stops to refresh
yourself before continuing on your journey.
When possible, you should share the
driving with others. &
Modification of your vehicleCAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified
other than with genuine SUBARU
parts and accessories. Other types
of modifications could affect its
performance, safety or durability,
and may even violate governmental
regulations. In addition, damage or
performance problems resulting
from modification may not be cov-
ered under warranties.
& Car phone/cell phone and driving
CAUTION
Do not use a car phone/cell phone
while driving; it may distract your
attention from driving and can lead
to an accident. If you use a car
phone/cell phone, pull off the road
and park in a safe place before
using your phone. In some States/
Provinces, only hands-free phones
may legally be used while driving. &
Driving with pets
Unrestrained pets can interfere with your
driving and distract your attention from
driving. In a collision or sudden stop,
unrestrained pets or cages can be thrown
around inside the vehicle and hurt you or
your passengers. Besides, the pets can
be hurt under these situations. It is also for
their own safety that pets should be
properly restrained in your vehicle. Re-
strain a pet with a special traveling
harness which can be secured to the rear
seat with a seatbelt or use a pet carrier
which can be secured to the rear seat by
routing a seatbelt through the carrier ’s
handle. Never restrain pets or pet carriers
in the front passenger ’s seat. For further
information, consult your veterinarian,
local animal protection society or petshop. 7
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8
&Tire pressures
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the spare)
at least once a month and before any long
journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are
cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust the
tire pressures to the values shown on the
tire placard. For detailed information, referto “Tires and wheels ”F 11-30.
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to anaccident. &
California proposition 65 warning
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its consti-
tuents, and certain vehicle compo-
nents contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. In addi-
tion, certain fluids in vehicles and
certain components of product wear
contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
& On-pavement and off-road driving
This vehicle is classified as a utility
vehicle. Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles. Your vehicle has a higher ground
clearance and higher center of gravity,
making it more likely to roll over than
ordinary passenger cars. It also handles
and maneuvers differently from other
passenger cars. For this reason, please
read carefully the following section and
follow the instructions and precautions in order to prevent serious injury or death
due to loss of control, rollover and other
accidents. Refer to
“On-pavement and off-
road driving ”F 8-6.

Front seats........................................................... 1-2
Manual seat ........................................................ 1-3
Power seat (driver ’s seat –if equipped) ... ............ 1-4
Head restraint adjustment .................................... 1-5
Active head restraint ........................................... 1-5
Seat heater (if equipped) .................................... 1-6
Rear seats ............................................................ 1-7
Armrest .............................................................. 1-7
Head restraint adjustment .................................... 1-8
Reclining the seatback (if equipped) .................... 1-9
Folding down the rear seatback .......................... 1-10
Seatbelts ............................................................. 1-11
Seatbelt safety tips ............................................. 1-11
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ................... 1-12
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) ............................................................ 1-12
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 1-13
Fastening the seatbelt ........................................ 1-14
Seatbelt maintenance ......................................... 1-20
Front seatbelt pretensioners ............................. 1-20
System monitors ................................................ 1-21 System servicing
............................................... 1-22
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-23
Child restraint systems ..................................... 1-23
Where to place a child restraint system .............. 1-24
Choosing a child restraint system ...................... 1-26
Installing child restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt ........................................................... 1-26
Installing a booster seat ..................................... 1-29
Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH) .............. 1-30
Top tether anchorages ....................................... 1-33
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ................................................ 1-35
Models with SRS airbags and lap/shoulder restraints for driver, front passenger, and
window-side rear passengers . .......................... 1-35
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system ........... 1-39
SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag ............. 1-50
SRS airbag system monitors .............................. 1-60
SRS airbag system servicing ... .......................... 1-60
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-61
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1

1-2Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Front seats
WARNING
. Never adjust the seat while driv-
ing to avoid the possibility of
loss of vehicle control and of
personal injury.
. Before adjusting the seat, make
sure the hands and feet of rear
seat passengers and cargo are
clear of the adjusting mechan-ism.
. 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.
. 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 airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
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, we strongly recommend
that ALL children (including those
in child seats and those that have
outgrown child restraint devices) sit
in the REAR seat properly re-
strained at all times in a child
restraint device or in a seatbelt,
whichever is appropriate for thechild
’s age, height and weight. Se-
cure ALL types of child restraint
devices (including forward facing
child seat) in the REAR seats at alltimes.
NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD FA-
CING 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 seating posi-
tions than in the front seating posi-
tions. For instructions and precau-

tions concerning child restraint sys-
tems, refer to“Child restraint sys-
tems ”F 1-23.
& Manual seat
! Forward and backward adjustment
Pull the lever upward and slide the seat to
the desired position. Then release the
lever and move the seat back and forth to
make sure that it is securely locked intoplace. !
Reclining the seatback
Pull the reclining lever up and adjust the
seatback to the desired position. Then
release the lever and make sure the
seatback is securely locked into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position
can spring back upward with force when
the lever is pulled. While operating the
lever to return the seatback, hold the
seatback lightly so that it may be raised
back gradually.WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, always put the seatback
in the upright position while the
vehicle is in motion. Also, do not
place objects such as cushions
between the passenger and the
seatback. 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. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-3
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WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, always put the seatback
in the upright position while the
vehicle is in motion. Also, do not
place objects such as cushions
between the passenger and the
seatback. 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.
& Head restraint adjustment
1) Head restraint
2) Release button To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down
while pressing the release button on the
top of the seatback. .
To remove the head restraint
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint. . To install the head restraint
Install the head restraint into the holes that
are located on the top of seatback until itlocks.
The head restraint should be adjusted so
that the center of the head restraint is
closest to the top of the occupant ’s ears.
WARNING
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 the vehicle is struck from the
rear. Therefore, when you remove
the head restraints, you must re-
install all of the head restraints to
protect vehicle occupants. &
Active head restraint
The front seats of your vehicle are
equipped with active head restraints. They
automatically tilt forward slightly in the
event the vehicle is struck from the rear,
decreasing the amount of rearward head
movement and thus reducing the risk of
whiplash. For maximum effectiveness, the
head restraint should be adjusted so that
the center of the head restraint is closest
to the top of the occupant ’s ears.
CAUTION
. Each active head restraint is
effective only when its height is
properly adjusted and driver/pas-
senger sits in the correct posi-
tion on the seat. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-5
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Rear seats
WARNING
Seatbelts provide maximum re-
straint when the occupant sits well
back and upright in the seat. 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 ordeath.
WARNING
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. &
ArmrestTo lower the armrest, pull on the top edge
of the armrest.
WARNING
To avoid the possibility of serious
injury, passengers must never be
allowed to sit on the center armrest
while the vehicle is in motion. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-7
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1-8Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
&Head restraint adjustment
WARNING
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 the vehicle is struck from the
rear.
! Rear windows side seating position
CAUTION
The head restraint is not intended to
be used at the lowest position.
Before sitting on the seat, raise the
head restraint to an appropriate
position depending on your sittingheight.A) When not used (retracted position)
B) When used (click position)
To raise the head restraint, pull it up.
To lower it, push the head restraint down
while pressing the release button on the
top of the seatback. The head restraint should be adjusted so
that the center of the head restraint is
closest to the top of the occupant
’s ears.
When the seats are not occupied, lower
the head restraints to improve rearward
visibility. ! Rear center seating position
CAUTION
The head restraint is not intended to
be used at the lowest position.
Before sitting on the seat, raise the
head restraint to an appropriate
position depending on your sittingheight.
A) When not used (retracted position)
B) When used (click position)

To raise the head restraint, pull it up while
pressing the release button on the top of
the seatback.
To lower it, push the head restraint down
while pressing the release button.
When the rear-center seating position is
occupied, raise the head restraint to an
appropriate position depending on your
sitting height. When the rear center seat-
ing position is not occupied, lower the
head restraint to improve rearward visibi-
lity.&
Reclining the seatback (if equipped)
WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, always put the seatback
in the upright position while the
vehicle is in motion. Also, do not
place objects such as cushions
between the passenger and the
seatback. 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.
CAUTION
If the vehicle is equipped with a
cargo area cover, observe the fol-
lowing precautions. . Be careful not to pinch your hand
between the headrest and the
cargo area cover when you re-
cline the rear seat.
. Move the front cover of the cargo
area cover backward so that the
cover is not damaged by the
reclined seatback. Refer to “Car-
go area cover (dealer option) ”
F 6-13.
Push the switch and adjust the seatback
to the desired position. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-9
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1-10Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Then release the switch and make sure
the seatback is securely locked into place. &Folding down the rear seat- back
WARNING
. When you fold down the seat-
back, confirm that there are no
passengers or objects on the
rear seat. Not doing so creates
a risk of injury or property da-
mage if the seatback suddenly
folds down.
. For models equipped with the
rear seat center table, when fold-
ing down the rear seatback, re-
turn the rear seat center table to
its original position. If the rear
seat center table is not returned
to its original position, the rear
seat center table could break and
bodily injury could occur.
. 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 all objects and especially
long items properly to prevent
them from being thrown around
inside the vehicle and causing serious injury during a sudden
stop, a sudden steering maneu-
ver or a rapid acceleration.
. When you return the seatback to
the original position, shake the
seatback slightly to confirm that
it is securely fixed in place. If the
seatback is not securely fixed in
place, the seatback may sud-
denly fold down because of sud-
den braking or objects may move
out from the cargo area, which
could cause serious injury ordeath.
. After returning the rear seatback
to its original position, 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.
CAUTION
For models with the reclining func-
tion, the rear seatback may auto-
matically and forcefully fold down
because of its internal spring. Place
your hand on the seatback to lower
it more gradually.
Release knob