rear seat belt SUBARU FORESTER 2011 SH / 3.G Owners Manual

Safety precautions when driving &Seatbelt and SRS airbag
WARNING
. All persons in the vehicle should
fasten their seatbelts BEFORE
the vehicle starts to move. Other-
wise, the possibility of serious
injury becomes greater in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-dent.
. 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 (Supplemental Restraint
System) airbag does not do away
with the need to fasten seatbelts.
In combination with the seat-
belts, it offers the best combined
protection in case of a seriousaccident.
Not wearing a seatbelt increases
the chance of severe injury or
death in a crash even when the
vehicle has the SRS airbag. .
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.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections. . For the seatbelt system, refer to “Seat-
belts ”F 1-12.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ”F 1-33. &
Child safety
WARNING
. Never hold a child on your lap or
in your 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 passen-
ger and objects inside the vehi-cle.
. While riding in the vehicle, in-
fants and small children should
always be placed in the REAR
seat in an infant or child restraint
system which is appropriate for
the child ’s age, height and
weight. 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 seat-
ing positions. Never allow a child
to stand up or kneel on the seat.
. Put children aged 12 and under in
the REAR seat properly re-
strained at all times in a child
restraint device or in a seatbelt. 5
– CONTINUED –

6
The SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force
and can injure or even kill chil-
dren, especially if they are 12
years of age and under and are
not restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD
FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THECHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.
. Always turn the child safety locks
to the “LOCK ”position when
children sit on the rear seat.
Serious injury could result if a
child accidentally opens the door
and falls out. Refer to “Child
safety locks ”F 2-20.
. Always lock the passenger ’s win-
dows using the lock switch when
children are riding in the vehicle.
Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child
operating the power window. Re-
fer to “Windows ”F 2-20. .
Never leave unattended children
in the vehicle. They could acci-
dentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, temperature
in a closed vehicle could quickly
become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries
to them.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections. . For the seatbelt system, refer to “Seat-
belts ”F 1-12.
. For the child restraint system, refer to
“ Child restraint systems ”F 1-22.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ”F 1-33.
& Engine exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
. Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
. Always properly maintain the en- gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
. If at any time you suspect that
exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.

8
&Modification of your vehicle
CAUTION
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
WARNING
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. &
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.

14 &Interior
! Passenger compartment area
1) Lower anchorages for child restraint
system (page 1-29)
2) Seatbelt (page 1-12)
3) Parking brake lever (page 7-29)
4) Front seat (page 1-2)
5) Rear seat (page 1-7)

22
Function settings
A SUBARU dealer can change the settings of the functions shown in the following table to meet your personal requirements. Contact
the nearest SUBARU dealer for details. If your vehicle is equipped with the genuine SUBARU navigation system, the settings for some
of these functions can be changed using the navigation monitor. For details, please refer to the Owner’s Manual supplement for the
navigation system.
Item Function Possible settings Default setting Page
Alarm system Alarm system Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-15 Monitoring start delay time (after closure
of doors) 0 second/30 seconds 30 seconds 2-17
Impact sensor operation (only models
with shock sensors [dealer option]) Operation/Non-operation Non-operation 2-19
Passive arming Operation/Non-operation Non-operation 2-18
Dome light/map lights illumination ON/OFF OFF 2-15
Remote keyless entry sys- tem Hazard warning flasher Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-7
Audible signal Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-10
Key lock-in prevention Key lock-in prevention Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-7
Remote engine start system
(dealer option) Horn chirp confirmation ON/OFF ON 7-11
Defogger and deicer system
for models with the automatic
climate control system Rear window defogger, outside mirror
defogger and windshield wiper deicer
Operation for 15 minutes/
Continuous operationOperation for 15 minutes 3-45
Map light/Dome light Operation of map light/dome light OFF delay timer OFF/Short/Normal/Long Long 6-2/
6-3
Battery drainage prevention function Battery drainage prevention function* Operation/Non-operation Operation 2-5
Seatbelt warning Sounds a chime while driving Operation/Non-operation Operation 3-13
*: The setting can only be changed at a SUBARU dealer.

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 ........................................... 1-6
Seat heater (if equipped) .................................... 1-6
Rear seats ............................................................ 1-7
Armrest .............................................................. 1-8
Head restraint adjustment .................................... 1-8
Reclining the seatback (if equipped) ................... 1-10
Folding down the rear seatback .......................... 1-10
Seatbelts ............................................................. 1-12
Seatbelt safety tips ............................................. 1-12
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ................... 1-13
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) ............................................................ 1-13
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 1-13
Fastening the seatbelt ........................................ 1-13
Seatbelt maintenance ......................................... 1-19
Front seatbelt pretensioners ............................. 1-20
System monitors ................................................ 1-21 System servicing
............................................... 1-21
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-21
Child restraint systems ..................................... 1-22
Where to place a child restraint system .............. 1-23
Choosing a child restraint system ...................... 1-24
Installing child restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt ........................................................... 1-24
Installing a booster seat ..................................... 1-27
Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH) .............. 1-29
Top tether anchorages ....................................... 1-31
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ................................................ 1-33
Models with SRS airbags and lap/shoulder restraints for driver, front passenger, and
window-side rear passengers . .......................... 1-33
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system ........... 1-37
SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag ............. 1-47
SRS airbag system monitors .............................. 1-57
SRS airbag system servicing ... .......................... 1-58
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-59
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.
. After adjusting the seat, push it
slightly to make sure it is se-
curely locked. If the seat is not
securely locked, it may move or
the seatbelt may not operate
properly.
. Do not put objects under the front
seats. They may interfere with
front seat locking and cause anaccident.
. 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 1-22. &
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. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-3
– CONTINUED –

justment of the seat, you cannot adjust
the seat cushion angle or seat cushion height.
2) Seat cushion angle control switch
To adjust the seat cushion angle, pull up
or push down the front end of the control switch.
3) Seatback angle (reclining) controlswitch
To adjust the angle of the seatback,
move the control switch.
4) Seat height control switch
To adjust the seat height, pull up or push
down the rear end of the control switch.
5) Lumbar support control switch
To increase lumbar support, push the
front side of the switch. To decrease
lumbar support, push the rear side of the switch.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 Both the driver
’s seat and the front
passenger ’s seat are equipped with head
restraints.
The head restraint should be adjusted so
that the center of the head restraint is
closest to the top of the occupant ’s ears.
To raise:
Pull the head restraint up.
To lower:
Push the head restraint down while
pressing the release button on the top of
the seatback.
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that
are located on the top of the seatback until
the head restraint locks.
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 reinstall all head re-
straints to protect vehicle occu- Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-5
– CONTINUED –

1-6Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
pants.
. All occupants, including the dri-
ver, should not operate a vehicle
or sit in a vehicle ’s seat until the
head restraints are placed in their
proper positions in order to mini-
mize the risk of neck injury in the
event of a crash.
& 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.
. If your vehicle is involved in a
rear-end collision, have an
authorized SUBARU dealer in-
spect the active head restraints.
. The active head restraints may
not operate in the event the
vehicle experiences only a slight
impact in the rear.
. The active head restraints may be
damaged if they are pushed hard
from behind or subjected to
shock. As a result, they may not
function if the vehicle suffers a
rear impact. Seat heater (if equipped)CAUTION
. There is a possibility that people
with delicate skin may suffer
slight burns even at low tempera-
tures 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 insulates 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.