seats SUBARU FORESTER 2012 SH / 3.G Owners Manual

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 .......................... 1-11
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 ........................ 1-14
Fastening the seatbelt ........................................ 1-14
Seatbelt maintenance ......................................... 1-20
Front seatbelt pretensioners ............................. 1-20
System monitors ................................................ 1-21 System servicing
............................................... 1-21
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-22
Child restraint systems ..................................... 1-22
Where to place a child restraint system .............. 1-23
Choosing a child restraint system ...................... 1-25
Installing child restraint systems with A/ELR seatbelt ........................................................... 1-25
Installing a booster seat ..................................... 1-28
Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages (LATCH) .............. 1-29
Top tether anchorages ....................................... 1-32
*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ................................................ 1-34
Models with SRS airbags and lap/shoulder restraints for driver, front passenger, and
window-side rear passengers . .......................... 1-34
SUBARU advanced frontal airbag system ........... 1-38
SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag ............. 1-48
SRS airbag system monitors .............................. 1-58
SRS airbag system servicing ... .......................... 1-59
Precautions against vehicle modification ............ 1-60
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1

1-2Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Front seats
WARNING
. Never adjust the seat while driv-
ing to avoid loss of vehicle con-
trol and 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 –

1-6Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
pants.
. No occupants, including the dri-
ver, should sit in any seat of the
vehicle until the head restraints
are placed in their proper posi-
tions in order to minimize the risk
of neck injury in the event of acrash.
& 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.

1)HI–Rapid heating
2) LO–Normal heating
3) OFF –Off
A) Left-hand side
B) Right-hand side
The seat heater operates when the igni-
tion switch is either in the “Acc ”or “ON ” position.
To turn on the seat heater, press the
“LO ”
or “HI ”position on the switch, as desired,
depending on the temperature.
Selecting the “HI ”position will cause the
seat to heat up quicker.
To turn off the seat heater, lightly press the
opposite side of the current position.
The indicator next to the switch illuminates
when the seat heater is in operation.
When the vehicle ’s interior is warmed
enough or before you leave the vehicle,
be sure to turn the switch off. 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. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-7
– CONTINUED –

1-8Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
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 serious injury, passengers
must never be allowed to sit on the
center armrest while the vehicle is inmotion. &
Head restraint adjustment
Both the rear window side seats and the
rear center seat are equipped with headrestraints.
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-pants.
. No occupants, including the dri-
ver, should sit in any seat of the
vehicle until the head restraints
are placed in their proper posi-
tions in order to minimize the risk
of neck injury in the event of acrash.

!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.
1) Head restraint
2) Release button
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.
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 l owest position.
Before sitting on the seat, raise the
head restraint to the extended posi-tion.
A) When not used (retracted position)
B) When used (extended position)
1) Head restraint
2) Release button
To raise:
Pull the head restraint up. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-9
– CONTINUED –

1-12Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
folding lever, and then fold the seatback down.
To return the seatback to its original
position, raise the seatback until it locks
into place and make sure that it is securely locked. Seatbelts &
Seatbelt safety tips
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.
. All belts should fit snugly in order
to provide full restraint. Loose
fitting belts are not as effective in
preventing or reducing injury.
. Each seatbelt is designed to
support only one person. Never
use a single belt for two or morepersons –even children. Other-
wise, in an accident, serious
injury or death could result.
. Replace all seatbelt assemblies
including retractors and attach-
ing hardware worn by occupants
of a vehicle that has been in a
serious accident. The entire as-
sembly should be replaced even
if damage is not obvious.
. 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 children 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 re-
straint devices) sit in the REAR
seat properly restrained at all
times in a child restraint device
or in a seatbelt, whichever is
appropriate for the child
’s height
and weight.
Secure ALL types of child re-
straint devices (including for-
ward facing child seats) in the
REAR seats at all times.
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.

1-14Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
When securing a child restraint system on
the rear seats using a seatbelt, the
seatbelt must be changed over to the
ALR mode. For instructions on how to
install the child restraint system using a
seatbelt, refer to “Installing child restraint
systems with A/ELR seatbelt ”F 1-25.
When the child restraint system is re-
moved, make sure that the retractor is
restored to the ELR mode by allowing the
seatbelt to retract fully.
& Seatbelt warning light
and chime
Refer to “Seatbelt warning light and
chime ”F 3-13.
& 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 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 place the shoulder belt under
the arm or behind the back. If an
accident occurs, this can increase
the risk or severity of injury.
CAUTION
Metallic parts of the seatbelt can
become very hot in a vehicle that
has been closed up in sunny weath-
er; they could burn an occupant. Do
not touch such hot parts until theycool.

1-22Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
.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 was
damaged in an accident, contact your SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
even if the seatbelt pretensioner did
not operate in that accident.
& 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 1-29).
Children could be endangered in an
accident if their child restraints are not