steering 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

&Instrument panel1) Outside mirror switch (page 3-115)
2) Seat position memory switch (page 1-5)
3) Steering Responsive Headlight OFF
switch (models with Steering Respon-
sive Headlight) (page 3-99)/Steering re-
sponsive fog light off switch (if equipped)
(page 3-103)
4) Illumination brightness control (page 3-101)
5) BSD/RCTA OFF switch (page 7-58)
6) Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch (models without power rear gate)
(page 7-41)/Memory switch (models with
power rear gate) (page 2-42)
7) Combination meter (page 3-9)
8) Information display (page 3-34)/Multi function display (page 3-44)
9) Hazard warning flasher switch (models with multi function display) (page 3-8)
10) Hazard warning flasher switch (models without multi function display) (page 3-8)
11) Multi function display control switch (page 3-44)
12) Audio (page 5-1)
13) Climate control (page 4-1)
14) Power rear gate switch (page 2-39)
15) Fuse box (page 11-37)
16) Hood lock release (page 11-7)
17) Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch (models with power rear gate)
(page 7-41)
16

&Steering wheel1) Audio control switches (page 5-62)
2) Talk switch for voice command system
(page 5-80)
3) Cruise control (page 7-53)
4) Shift paddle (page 7-27)
5) Tilt/telescopic lock lever (page 3-118)
6) Hands-free phone switches (page 5-72)
7) Multi information display control switches (page 3-39)
8) SRS airbag (page 1-42)
9) Horn (page 3-118)
10) Heated steering wheel switch (page 3-119)
11) SI-DRIVE switches (page 7-34)
–CONTINUED –
17

&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

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

1) Head restraint
2) Release button
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. Press and hold
the release button to lower the head
restraint.When the rear-center seating position is
occupied, raise the head restraint to the
extended position. When the rear center
seating position is not occupied, lower the
head restraint to improve rearward visibi-
lity.
&
Folding down the rear seat-
back
WARNING
. When you fold down the seat-
back, check 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.
. 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
its 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 in the event of
sudden braking, or objects may
move out from the cargo area,
which could cause serious injury
or death.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
–CONTINUED –1-13

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
the ELR mode, refer to“Installing child
restraint systems with ALR/ELR seatbelt ”
F 1-32.
&Seatbelt warning light
and chime
Refer to “Seatbelt warning light and
chime ”F 3-14.
& 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 weaker
abdomen.
. 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 or
death.
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 they
cool.
! Front seatbelts
1. Adjust the seat position according to
the following procedure.
Driver ’s seat: Adjust the seatback to the
upright position. Move the seat as far from
the steering wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control.
Front passenger ’s seat: Adjust the seat-
back to the upright position. Move the seat
as far back as possible.
2. Sit well back in the seat.
3. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the
belt out slowly. Do not let it get twisted.
.If the belt stops before reaching the
1-18

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