wheel SUBARU IMPREZA 2002 2.G Owners Manual

4
Safety precautions when driving Seatbelt and SRS airbag
WARNING
All persons in the vehicle should fasten
their seatbelts BEFORE the vehicle starts to
move. Otherwise, the possibility of serious in-jury becomes greater in the event of a suddenstop or accident. To obtain maximum protection in the event
of an accident, the driver and all passengers in the vehicle should always wear seatbelts when the vehicle is moving. The SRS (Supple-mental Restraint System) airbag does not doaway with the need to fasten seatbelts. Incombination with the seatbelts, it offers thebest combined protection in case of a serious accident. Not wearing a seatbelt increases the chanceof severe injury or death in a crash even whenthe car 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 de-ployment, the driver should always sit uprightand well back in the seat as far from the steer-ing wheel as practical while still maintainingfull vehicle control and the front passengershould move the seat as far back as possible and sit upright and well back in the seat.
Carefully read the sections “Seatbelts” and “SRS air-
bag” in chapter 1 of this owner ’s manual for instruc-
tions and precautions concerning the seatbelt sys- tem and SRS airbag system. Child safety
WARNING
Never hold a child on your lap or in your
arms while the vehicle is moving. The passen- ger cannot protect the child from injury in a
collision, because the child will be caught be-tween the passenger and objects inside thevehicle. While riding in the vehicle, infants 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

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ently, you may have consumed too much alcohol to drive safely even if the level of alcohol in your bloodis below the legal limit. The safest thing you can do
is never drink and drive. However if you have no
choice but to drive, stop drinking and sober up
completely before getting behind the wheel. Drugs and driving
WARNING
There are some drugs (over the counter and
prescription) that can delay your reaction time and impair your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness. If you drive after taking them, it
may increase your, your passengers ’ and oth-
er persons ’ risk of being involved in a serious
or fatal accident.
If you are taking any drugs, check with your doctor
or pharmacist or read the literature that accompa-
nies the medication to determine if the drug you are
taking can impair your driving ability. Do not driveafter taking any medications that can make you
drowsy or otherwise affect your ability to safely oper- ate a motor vehicle. If you have a medical condition
that requires you to take drugs, please consult with your doctor.
Never drive if you are under the influence of any illic- it mind-altering drugs. For your own health and well-
being, we urge you not to take illegal drugs in the
first place and to seek treatment if you are addictedto those drugs.
Driving when tired or sleepy
WARNING
When you are tired or sleepy, your reaction
will be delayed and your perception, judgmentand attentiveness will be impaired. If you drive
when tired or sleepy, your, your passengers ’
and other persons ’ chances of being involved
in a serious accident may increase.
Please do not continue to drive but instead find a
safe place to rest if you are tired or sleepy. On long
trips, you should make periodic rest stops to refresh
yourself before continuing on your journey. When
possible, you should share the driving with others.

8
Modification of your vehicle
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified. Modifica- tion could affect its performance, safety or
durability, and may even violate governmentalregulations. In addition, damage or perfor-
mance problems resulting from modification may not be covered under warranties.
Car phones and driving
CAUTION
A driver ’s use of a car phone can be distract-
ing and if special care is not taken, can lead to an accident. If you use a car phone while driv-ing, make an extra effort to pay attention to
the road and to traffic at all times. If you can
safely do so, it is best to pull off to the side ofthe road before using your car phone.
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 un-der these situations. It is also for their own safety
that pets should be properly restrained in your
vehicle. Restrain a pet with a special traveling har-
ness 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 so-ciety 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. Refer to the “Tires and wheels ” section in chapter 11
for detailed information.

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Warning and indicator light
Mark
NamePage
Seatbelt warning light3-9
AIRBAGSRS airbag system warn- ing light3-10
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicatorlamp3-10
Charge warning light3-11
Oil pressure warning light3-11
AT OIL temperature warn- ing light (if equipped)3-12
orABS warning light3-12
orBrake system warning light3-13
Door open warning light3-13
MarkNamePage
Front-wheel drive warning light (if equipped)3-14
Turn signal indicator lights3-14
High beam indicator light3-14
Security system indicator light (if equipped)2-12

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-14
can result in serious internal injury or death. 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.
HG1010BA
CAUTION
Metallic parts of the seatbelt can become very hot in a vehicle that has been closed up in sunny weather; they could burn an occupant.Do not touch such hot parts until they cool.
Front seatbelts
1. Adjust the seat position:
Driver’ s seat: Adjust the seatback to the upright
position. Move the seatback as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still maintaining full vehicle
control.Front passenger ’s seat: Adjust the seatback to the
upright position. Move the seat as far back as pos-sible.
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 be-
fore reaching the buckle, return the belt slightly and
pull it out more slowly. If the belt still cannot be
unlocked, let the belt retract slightly after giving it a
strong pull, then pull it out slowly again.
4. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle until youhear a click.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-39
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deployment force. The SRS airbags deploy with considerable
speed and force. Occupants who are out ofproper position when the SRS airbag deploys
could suffer very serious injuries. Becausethe SRS airbag needs enough space for de- ployment, the driver should always sit upright and well back in the seat as far from the steer-ing wheel as practical while still maintainingfull vehicle control and the front passengershould move the seat as far back as possibleand sit upright and well back in the seat. Do not place any objects over or near the
SRS airbag cover or between you and the SRS airbag. If the SRS airbag deploys, those ob-jects could interfere with its proper operationand could be propelled inside the car and
cause injury.
HG1002BA
WARNING
Put children aged 12 and under in the rear
seat properly restrained at all times. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed andforce and can injure or even kill children, es-
pecially if they are 12 years of age and underand 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 thatALL children (including those in child seats
and those that have outgrown child restraint
devices) sit in the REAR seat properly re-

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-43
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HG1013BA
WARNING
The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and force. Occupants who are out of proper position when the SRS airbag deploys
could suffer very serious injuries. Becausethe SRS airbag needs enough space for de-ployment, the driver should always sit uprightand well back in the seat as far from the steer-ing wheel as practical while still maintaining full vehicle control and the front passenger should move the seat as far back as possibleand sit upright and well back in the seat. It is also important to wear your seatbelt to
help avoid injuries that can result when the SRS airbag contacts an occupant not in prop-er position such as one thrown toward thefront of the car during pre-accident braking.HG1001BA
The driver
’s SRS frontal airbag is stowed in the cen-
ter portion of the steering wheel. The passenger ’s
SRS frontal airbag is stowed near the top of the
dashboard under an “SRS AIRBAG ” mark.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-44
WARNING
Do not put any objects over the steering wheel pad and dashboard. If the SRS frontal
airbag deploys, those objects could interferewith its proper operation and could be pro-
pelled inside the vehicle and cause injury.
HS0244
WARNING
Do not attach accessories to the windshield, or fit an extra-wide mirror over the rear view
mirror. If the SRS airbag deploys, those ob-jects could become projectiles that could seri- ously injure vehicle occupants.
HS0245
In a moderate to severe frontal collision, the driver’s
and front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbags deploy
and supplement the seatbelts by reducing the im- pact on the driver ’s and front passenger ’s head and
chest.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-47
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When the SRS airbag deploys, a sudden, fairly loud
inflation noise will be heard and some smoke will be
released. These occurrences are normal result of
the deployment. This smoke does not indicate a firein the vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS airbag system compo-
nents around the steering wheel and dash-board with bare hands right after deployment.
Doing so can cause burns because the com-ponents can be very hot as a result of deploy- ment.
The SRS frontal airbag is designed to deploy in the
event of an accident involving a moderate to severe
frontal collision. It is basically not designed to
deploy in lesser frontal impacts because the neces-
sary protection can be achieved by the seatbelt
alone. Also, it is basically not designed to deploy in
side or rear impacts or in roll-over accidents be-
cause deployment of the SRS frontal airbag wouldnot help the occupant in those situations. The SRS
airbag is designed to function on a one-time-only basis.
SRS airbag deployment depends on the level of force experienced in the passenger compartment
during a collision. That level differs from one type of
collision to another, and it may have no bearing onthe visible damage done to the vehicle itself.
n When will the SRS frontal airbag most likelydeploy?
HG1017BA
A head-on collision against a thick concrete wall at a
vehicle speed of 12 to 19 mph (20 to 30 km/h) acti-
vates the SRS frontal airbag. The SRS frontal airbag
will also be activated when the vehicle is exposed to
a frontal impact similar in fashion and magnitude tothe above-mentioned collision.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-54
deploys between the occupant and the door panel
and supplements the seatbelt by reducing the im-pact on the occupant’s chest.
Operation
The SRS side airbag can function only when the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position.
The driver ’s and front passenger ’s SRS side airbags
deploy independently of each other since each has
its own impact sensor. Also, the SRS side airbag de-
ploys independently of the frontal airbags in the steering wheel and instrument panel.
An impact sensor is incorporated into each of the
vehicle’ s center pillars. If either sensor detects a
certain predetermined amount of force during a side
impact collision, the control module sends a signal to the side airbag module on the impacted side of the vehicle, instructing it to inflate the SRS side air-
bag. Then the side airbag module produces gas,which instantly inflates the SRS side airbag. After
the deployment, the SRS side airbag immediately
starts to deflate. The time required from detecting
impact to deflating of the SRS side airbag after de-
ployment is shorter than the blink of an eye.