RAB SUBARU FORESTER 2017 SJ / 4.G Owners Manual

&Abbreviation list
You may find several abbreviations in this
manual. The meanings of the abbrevia-
tions are shown in the following list.
Abbreviation Meaning
A/C Air conditioner
ALR/ELR Automatic locking retractor/
Emergency locking retractor
ABS Anti-lock brake system
AKI Anti knock index
ALR Automatic locking retractor
AWD All-wheel drive
BSD/RCTA Blind Spot Detection/Rear
Cross Traffic Alert
CVT Continuously variable trans-
mission
DRL Daytime running light
EBD Electronic brake force distri-
bution
ELR Emergency locking retractor
GAW Gross axle weight
GAWR Gross axle weight rating
GPS Global positioning system
GVW Gross vehicle weight
GVWR Gross vehicle weight rating
INT Intermittent Abbreviation
Meaning
LATCH Lower anchors and tethers for
children
LED Light emitting diode
MIL Malfunction indicator light
MMT Methylcyclopentadienyl man-
ganese tricarbonyl
MT Manual transmission
OBD On-board diagnostics
RAB Reverse Automatic Braking
RON Research octane number
SI-DRIVE SUBARU Intelligent Drive
SRF Steering responsive fog lights
system
SRH Steering Responsive Head-
light
SRS Supplemental restraint sys-
tem
TIN Tire identification number
TPMS Tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem
Vehicle symbols
There are some of the symbols you may
see on your vehicle.
For warning and indicator lights, refer to
“
Warning and indicator lights ”F 23.
Mark Name
WARNING
CAUTION
3

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 must
always wear seatbelts when in
the vehicle. The SRS (Supple-
mental Restraint System) airbag
does not do away with the need
to fasten seatbelts. In combina-
tion with the seatbelts, it offers
the best combined protection in
case of a serious accident.
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 1-16.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ”F 1-42.
& 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.
. Place children in the REAR seat
properly restrained at all times in
a child restraint device or in a
seatbelt. The SRS airbag deploys
4

with considerable speed and
force and can injure or even kill
children, especially if they 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 FORWARD
OR REARWARD FACING CHILD
S E AT I N T H E F R O N T S E AT.
DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS IN-
JURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD
BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD
TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIR-
BAG.
. Always turn the child safety locks
to the “LOCK” position when
children sit in the rear seat.
Serious injury could result if a
child accidentally opens the door
and falls out. Refer to “Child
safety locks ”F 2-32.
. 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 2-32.
. Never leave unattended children, adults or animals in the vehicle.
They could accidentally injure
themselves or others through
inadvertent operation of the ve-
hicle. Also, on hot or sunny days,
temperature in a closed vehicle
could quickly become high en-
ough to cause severe or possibly
fatal injuries to them.
. When leaving the vehicle, close
all windows and lock all doors.
. In models with power rear gate,
when it operates, the rear gate
moves with remarkable force. It
is possible to be injured if any-
one is caught in or hit by the rear
gate so be sure to obey the
following cautions.
– Check that there are no chil-
dren around the rear gate
before operating the power
rear gate.
– Do not allow children to oper-
ate the power rear gate.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections.
. For the seatbelt system, refer to “Seat-
belts ”F 1-16. .
For the child restraint system, refer to
“Child restraint systems ”F 1-29.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ”F 1-42.
& 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
–CONTINUED –
5

When possible, you should share the
driving with others.
&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
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 vehicles equipped
with navigation system
WARNING
Do not allow the monitor to distract
your attention from driving. Also, do
not operate the controls of the
navigation system while driving.
The loss of attention to driving
could lead to an accident. If you
wish to operate the controls of the
navigation system, first take the
vehicle off the road and stop it in a
safe location.
&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 pet
shop.
& 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, refer
to“Tires and wheels” F11-23.
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 an
accident.
–CONTINUED –
7

MarkName Page
X-mode indicator light
(if equipped) 3-33
Hill descent control in-
dicator light (if
equipped)3-33
Low fuel warning light 3-22
Low tire pressure
warning light
(U.S.-spec. models)3-19
Windshield washer
fluid warning light
3-19
Sport (S) mode indi-
cator light (if equipped)3-31
Intelligent (I) mode in-
dicator light (if
equipped)3-31
Sport Sharp (S#)
mode indicator light (if
equipped)3-31
Steering responsive
fog lights warning in-
dicator/Steering re-
sponsive fog lights
OFF indicator (if
equipped)3-33
BSD/RCTA warning
indicator (if equipped)
3-33Mark Name Page
BSD/RCTA OFF indi-
cator (if equipped)
3-34
RAB warning light (if
equipped)3-34
RAB OFF indicator (if
equipped)3-34
24

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
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 an
accident.
. 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
Place children in the rear seat
properly restrained at all times. The
SRS airbag deploys with consider-
able speed and force and can injure
or even kill children, especially if
they are not restrained or impro-
perly restrained. Because children
are lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater. For that rea-
son, 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,
1-2

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
reclined seatback. Refer to“Car-
go area cover ”F 6-14.
Pull the strap and adjust the seatback to
the desired position.
Then release the strap and make sure the
seatback is securely locked into place.
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 more
persons –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.
. Place children in the rear seat properly restrained at all times.
The SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force
and can injure or even kill chil-
dren, especially if they are not
restrained or improperly re-
strained. 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 FORWARD
OR REARWARD FACING CHILD
SEAT IN THE FRONT SEAT.
DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS IN-
JURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD
BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD
TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIR-
BAG.
1-16

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
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 is
moving.
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.
1-30

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 the
passenger ’s airbag.
B: Rear seat, window-side seating
positions
Recommended positions for all types of
child restraint systems.
In these positions, the following equip-
ment is provided for installing a child
restraint system.
. Automatic Locking Retractor/Emer-
gency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) seat-
belts
. Lower anchorages (bars)
. Upper anchorages (tether anchorages)
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
The ALR/ELR seatbelt and an upper
anchorage (tether anchorage) are pro-
vided 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.
When you install a child restraint system in
the rear seat
’s center seating position,
raise the center head restraint.
Lower anchorages (bars) for window-side
seating positions may be used for a seat
in the center seating position if a child
restraint system manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions permit and specify using anchors as
far apart as those in this vehicle.
If a child restraint system is not correctly
fixed in place (for example, if a child
restraint system can be moved more than
1 inch (2.5 cm) from side to side), you
should install the child restraint system in
a rear seat, window-side seating position.
WARNING
. Even with advanced airbags, chil-
dren can be seriously injured by
the airbag. Place children in the
rear seat properly restrained at
all times. The SRS airbag de-
ploys with considerable speed and force and can injure or even
kill children, especially if they are
not restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
For that reason, be sure to se-
cure ALL types of child restraint
devices (including forward facing
child seats) in the REAR seats at
all times. You should choose a
restraint device which is appro-
priate for the child
’s age, height
and weight. According to acci-
dent statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the
front seating positions.
. Do not use lower anchorages
(bars) for a seat in the center
seating position unless a child
restraint system manufacturer ’s
instructions permit and specify
using anchors spaced as far
apart as those in this vehicle.
. Do not connect two or more
lower hooks onto the same an-
chorage (bar).
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
–CONTINUED –1-31

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
*SRS airbag (Supplemental
Restraint System airbag)
*SRS: This stands for supplemental re-
straint system. This name is used be-
cause the airbag system supplements the
vehicle’s seatbelts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a supple-
mental restraint system in addition to a
lap/shoulder belt at each front seating
position and each rear window-side seat-
ing positions. The supplemental restraint
system (SRS) consists of seven airbags.
The configurations are as follows.
. Driver ’s and front passenger ’s frontal
airbags
. Driver ’s and front passenger ’s side
airbags
. Curtain airbags (for driver, front pas-
senger, and window-side rear passen-
gers)
. Knee airbag for driver
These SRS airbags are designed only
as a supplement to the primary protec-
tion provided by the seatbelt.
The system also controls front seatbelt
pretensioners. For operation instructions
and precautions concerning the seatbelt
pretensioner, refer to “Front seatbelt pre-
tensioners ”F 1-25.
& General precautions regard-
ing SRS airbag system
WARNING
. To obtain maximum protection in
the event of an accident, the
driver and all passengers must
always wear seatbelts when in
the vehicle. The SRS airbag is
designed only to be a supple-
ment to the primary protection
provided by the seatbelt. It does
not eliminate the need to fasten
seatbelts. In combination with
the seatbelts, it offers the best
combined protection in case of a
serious accident.
Not wearing a seatbelt increases
the chance of severe injury or
death in a crash even when the
vehicle has the SRS airbag.
For instructions and precautions
concerning the seatbelt system,
refer to “Seatbelts ”F 1-16.
. The SRS side airbag and SRS
curtain airbag are designed only
to be a supplement to the primary
protection provided by the seat-
belt. They do not eliminate the
need to fasten seatbelts. It is also
important to wear your seatbelt to help avoid injuries that can
result when an occupant is not
seated in a proper upright posi-
tion.
WARNING
.
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
1-42