airbag off SUBARU FORESTER 2017 SJ / 4.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 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

&Warning and indicator lights
Mark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-14
Front passenger’s
seatbelt warning light 3-14
SRS airbag system
warning light3-15
/Front passenger
’s
frontal airbag ON indi-
cator 3-16
/Front passenger
’s
frontal airbag OFF in-
dicator 3-16
CHECK ENGINE
warning light/Malfunc-
tion indicator light3-16
Coolant temperature
low indicator light/
Coolant temperature
high warning light3-17
Charge warning light 3-18
Oil pressure warning
light
3-18
Engine low oil level
warning light3-18Mark Name Page
AT OIL TEMP warning
light (CVT models)
3-19
ABS warning light 3-21
Brake system warning
light
3-21
Door open warning
light3-23
AWD warning light
(CVT models)
3-23
Power steering warn-
ing light3-23
Hill start assist warn-
ing light/Hill start assist
OFF indicator light3-23
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Vehicle Dynamics
Control operation indi-
cator light3-24
Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator
light
3-25
Turn signal indicator
lights
3-32Mark Name Page
High beam indicator
light
3-32
High beam assist indi-
cator light (if equipped)3-32
Automatic headlight
beam leveler warning
light (if equipped)3-32
Steering Responsive
Headlight warning
light/Steering Respon-
sive Headlight OFF
indicator light (if
equipped)3-99
Front fog light indicator
light (if equipped)
3-33
Access key warning
light (if equipped)3-25
Security indicator light 3-30
Headlight indicator
light (if equipped)
3-33
Cruise control indica-
tor light3-32
Cruise control set in-
dicator light3-32
– CONTINUED –
23

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
The following seat positions can be
registered.
.Forward/backward position of the seat
. Angle of seatback
. Angle of seat cushion
. Height of seat
! Registration of seat position with
button “1 ” or “2”
1. Adjust the seat position under the
following conditions. .The parking brake is applied.
. The select lever is in the “P”posi-
tion.
2. While pressing the “SET”button, press
and hold the desired button “1”or “2”.
A chirp sounds once, and the seat position is registered.
!Registration of seat position with
each access key
1. Adjust the seat position under the
following conditions. .The parking brake is applied.
. The ignition switch is in the “LOCK”/
“OFF ”position.
. The select lever is in the “P ” posi-
tion.
2. While holding the access key and
pressing the “SET”button, press the “”
button of the access key.
A chirp sounds once, and the seat position
is registered. !
Retrieval of seat position regis-
tered with button “1 ” or “2 ”
WARNING
Be sure to press the correct button
to retrieve your registered seat
position. If the seat position is not
optimum for you, it may adversely
affect your driving and may reduce
the effectiveness of the seatbelt.
That could result in an accident
involving serious injury or death.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON”
position.
2. While the select lever is in the “P ”
position and the parking brake is applied,
press button “1”or “2”.
1-6

A chirp sounds and the seat moves to the
registered position. When the seat moves
to the registered position, a chirp will
sound.
NOTE
.If a new position is registered for the
same button, the previously registered
seat position is deleted.
. If the vehicle battery is removed, the
registered seat position is not deleted.
. When the button “1 ” or “2 ” is
pressed within 45 seconds after the
driver ’s door is opened, the registered
seat position can be retrieved even if
the ignition switch is in the “LOCK ”or
“ OFF ”position. !
Retrieval of the seat position
registered with access key
1. Hold the registered access key.
2. Unlock the driver ’s door by pressing
the “”button or gripping the door handle.
3. Open the driver ’s door.
A chirp sounds and the seat moves to the
registered position. When the seat moves
to the registered position, a chirp will
sound.
NOTE
. If the registered seat position cannot
be retrieved after performing the pre-
vious procedures, try the following
procedures.
(1) Press the “SET ”button on the
driver ’s door. (2) Press the
“
”button on the
access key or touch the door lock
sensor to lock the doors.
(3) Perform the prior procedures
again.
. If the keyless access function is
disabled, the seat position cannot be
retrieved by gripping the driver ’s door
handle. However, the seat position can
still be retrieved by pressing the “
”
button on the access key. For informa-
tion about how to enable/disable the
keyless access function, refer to “Dis-
abling keyless access function ”F 2-17.
. If a new position is registered for the
same access key, the previously regis-
tered seat position is deleted.
! Clearing the registered seat
position with access key
1. Close the driver ’s door.
2. While holding the access key and
pressing the “SET ”button, press the “
”
button on the access key.
A chirp will sound, and the registered seat
position will be cleared.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
–CONTINUED –1-7

!Head restraint angle adjustment
The angle of the head restraint can be
adjusted in several steps. While maintain-
ing a suitable driving posture, adjust the
head restraint to a position where the back
of your head is as close to the head
restraint as possible.
To tilt:
Tilt the head restraint by hand to the
preferred position. A click will be audible
when the head restraint is locked.
To return:
Tilt the head restraint once as far forward
as it can go. The head restraint will
automatically return to the fully upright
position. Then, adjust the head restraint
again to the preferred angle.
Seat heater (if equipped)
CAUTION
.People with delicate skin may
suffer slight burns even at low
temperatures if they use the seat
heater for a long period of time.
When using the heater, always be
sure to warn the persons con-
cerned.
. 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.
. When the seat is warmed enough
or before you leave the vehicle,
be sure to turn off the seat heater.
NOTE
Use of the seat heater for a long period
of time while the engine is not running
can cause battery discharge.
& Front seat heater (if
equipped)
The seat heater operates when the igni-
tion switch is either in the “ACC”or “ON ”
position.
Front seat heater switch
1) HIGH –Rapid heating
2) LOW –Normal heating
3) Off
A) Left-hand side
B) Right-hand side
To turn on the seat heater, push the “LOW ”
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seat heater
–CONTINUED –1-9

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seat heater
or“HIGH ”position on the switch, as
desired, depending on the temperature.
Selecting the “HIGH”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 located on the switch illumi-
nates when the seat heater is in operation.& Rear seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON”position.
Rear seat heater switch
1) HIGH mode indicator
2) LOW mode indicator
A) Left-hand side
B) Right-hand side
Press the rear seat heater switch to turn
on the rear seat heater. Then select the
“HIGH ”or “LOW ”mode, as desired,
depending on the temperature. Each time
youpresstheswitch,themodewill
change as follows.
When LOW mode is selected, the LOW mode indicator on the rear seat heater
switch illuminates. When HIGH mode is
selected, both the LOW and HIGH mode
indicators illuminate. When the OFF mode
is selected, all the indicators turn off.
Selecting
“HIGH”mode will cause the seat
to heat up quicker.
NOTE
Only the front seat heater switches
retainthepreviousswitchposition
even if the engine has restarted. The
rear seat switch will reset.
1-10

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
1) Securing hook
WARNING
When the seatback is returned to its
original position, observe the follow-ing precautions. Failure to do so
may lead to serious injury or an
accident because the operation effi-
ciency of the seatbelt is inhibited.
.
Be careful to prevent the seatbelt
from running off the belt guide.
. The seatbelt should not be
caught in the seatback and it
should be fully visible.
. The seatbelt should not pass
behind the securing hook for
the seatback.
CAUTION
. Do not hang luggage etc. on the
securing hook. The possibility
exists that the seatback may not
be able to be fixed firmly in place.
This could lead to unexpected
accidents.
. While driving, if something hits
the release latch, it is possible
that the seatback will fold down.
Be careful that no luggage etc.
hits the latch.
1. Lower the head restraint of the rear
center seating position.
Release knob
Release latch on both sides of the cargo
area (if equipped)
2. Unlock the seatback by pulling the lock
release knob or release latch (if equipped)
and then fold the seatback down.
1-14

Front seatbelt pretensioners
The driver’s and front passenger ’s seat-
belts have a seatbelt pretensioner. The
seatbelt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in the event of an accident
involving moderate to severe frontal and
side collisions and rollover accidents.
& Seatbelt with shoulder belt
pretensioner
NOTE
This section is applicable to the dri-
ver ’s side seatbelt.
The pretensioner sensor also serves as
follows.
. SRS frontal airbag sensor .
Side impact sensor
. Front door impact sensor
. Rollover sensor
If the sensor detects a certain predeter-
mined amount of force during frontal or
side collisions or rollover accidents, the
front seatbelt is quickly drawn back in by
the retractor to take up the slack so that
the belt more effectively restrains the
driver.
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 cannot
be pulled out and retracted and therefore
must be replaced.
NOTE
. Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor impacts or
in rear impacts.
. In cases of rollover accidents, as the
curtain airbags deploy, the driver ’s side
seatbelt pretensioner and front passen-
ger ’s side shoulder belt pretensioner are activated simultaneously.
.
In cases of frontal collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
– Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger
– SRS frontal airbag for driver
– SRS frontal airbag for front pas-
senger*
– SRS side airbags (both sides) (if
an offset frontal collision occurs)
– SRS curtain airbags (both sides)
(if an offset frontal collision occurs)
*: This does not operate if the occupant
detection system deactivates airbag op-
eration. For details, refer to “Front
passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag ”F 1-51
.
. In cases of side collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–SRS curtain airbag (impacted
side)
– SRS side airbag (impacted side)
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and any of the center pillar
impact sensors/front door impact
sensors sense an impact force)
– Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and the driver ’s side front door
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
–CONTINUED –1-25

ted by a lap belt pretensioner, which is
located at the base of the center pillar.
Like the shoulder belt pretensioner, the lap
belt pretensioner instantaneously pulls in
the belt to eliminate slack if a certain level
of frontal or side collision force or a
rollover accident is detected. As a result,
the seatbelt restrains the front seat occu-
pant more effectively.
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 pretensioner re-
mains locked. Consequently, the seatbelt
cannot be pulled out and retracted and
therefore must be replaced.
NOTE
.Seatbelt pretensioners are not de-
signed to activate in minor impacts or
in rear impacts.
. In cases of rollover accidents, the
lap belt pretensioner does not activate;
however, as the curtain airbags deploy,
the driver ’s side seatbelt pretensioner
and front passenger ’s side shoulder
belt pretensioner are activated simulta- neously.
.
In cases of frontal collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
– Seatbelt pretensioners for front
passenger
– SRS frontal airbag for driver
– SRS frontal airbag for front pas-
senger*
– SRS side airbags (both sides) (if
an offset frontal collision occurs)
– SRS curtain airbags (both sides)
(if an offset frontal collision occurs)
*: This does not operate if the occupant
detection system deactivates airbag op-
eration. For details, refer to “Front
passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag ”F 1-51
.
. In cases of side collisions, the
following components will operate si-
multaneously.
–SRS curtain airbag (impacted
side)
– SRS side airbag (impacted side)
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and any of the center pillar
impact sensors/front door impact
sensors sense an impact force)
– Seatbelt pretensioner for driver
(when both the satellite safing sen-
sor and the driver ’s side front door impact sensor sense an impact
force)
However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,
or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
–
Seatbelt pretensioner for front
passenger (shoulder belt preten-
sioner only) (when both the satellite
safing sensor and the front passen-
ger ’s side front door impact sensor
sense an impact force)
However, when a center pillar im-
pact sensor detects a signal faster
than the front door impact sensor,
or both sensors detect signals
simultaneously, the seatbelt preten-
sioner does not activate.
. 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 should
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
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners
–CONTINUED –1-27

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Child restraint systems
6. [If your child restraint system is of a
flexible attachment type (which uses
tether belts to connect the child restraint
system properly to the lower anchorages)]
While pushing the child restraint into the
seat cushion, pull both left and right lower
tether belts up to secure the child restraint
system firmly by taking up the slack in the
belt.
7. Latch the top tether hook onto the
tether anchorage that is located behind
the rear seat and tighten the top tether
firmly. For additional instructions, refer to
“Top tether anchorages”F 1-40.8. Before seating a child in the child
restraint system, try to move it back and
forth and right and left to verify that it is
held securely in position.
9. To remove the child restraint system,
follow the reverse procedures of installa-
tion.
If you have any question concerning this
type of child restraint system, ask your
SUBARU dealer.
& Top tether anchorages
Your vehicle is equipped with three top
tether anchorages so that a child restraint
system having a top tether can be
installed in the rear seat. When installing
a child restraint system using top tether,
proceed as follows, while observing the
instructions by the child restraint system
manufacturer.
Since a top tether can provide additional
stability by offering another connection
between a child restraint system and the
vehicle, we recommend that you use a top
tether whenever one is required or avail-
able.
1-40