Get Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags -> Seatbelts Guide for Subaru Outback SUV Fourth Generation (2010-2014)

1-14 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

extended position. When the rear center

seating position is not occupied, lower the

head restraint to improve rearward visibi-

lity.

& Armrest

To lower the armrest, pull on the armrest’s

top edge.

WARNING

To avoid serious injury, passengers

must never be allowed to sit on the

center armrest while the vehicle is in

motion.

Seatbelts

& Seatbelt safety tips

WARNING

. All persons in the vehicle should

fasten their seatb elts 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.

. Put chil dren in the rear seat

properly restrained at all times.

The SRS airba g 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. Conse-

quently, we strongly recommend

that ALL c hildren (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 THE

CHILD’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO

THE SRS AIRBAG.

According to accident statistics,

children are safer when properly

restrained in the rear seating

positions than in the front seat-

ing positions. For instructions

and precautions concerning the

child restraint system, refer to

“Child restraint systems” F1-25.

Your vehicle is equipped with a crash

sensing and diagnostic module, which will

record the use of the seatbelt by the front

passenger when any of the SRS frontal,

side and curtain airbags deploys.

! Infants or small children

Use a child restraint system that is

suitable for your vehicle. Refer to “Child

restraint systems” F1-25.

! Children

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

seating positions. Never allow a child to

stand up or kneel on the seat.

If the shoulder portion of the belt crosses

the face or neck, move the child closer to

the belt buckle to help provide a good

shoulder belt fit. Care must be taken to

securely place the lap belt as low as

possible on the hips and not on the child’s

waist. If the shoulder portion of the belt

cannot be properly positioned, a chi ld

restraint system should be used. Never

place the shoulder belt under the child’s

arm or behind the child’s back.

! Expectant mothers

Expectant mothers also need to use the

seatbelts. They should consult their doctor

for specific recommendations. The lap belt

should be worn securely and as low as

possible over the hips, not over the waist.

& Emergency Locking Retrac-

tor (ELR)

The driver’s seatbelt has an Emergency

Locking Retractor (ELR).

The emergency locking retractor allows

normal body movement but the retractor

locks automatically during a sudden stop,

impact or if you pull the belt very quickly

out of the retractor.

& Automatic/Emergency Lock-

ing Retractor (A/ELR)

Each passenger’s seatbelt has an Auto-

matic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/

ELR). The Automatic/Emergency Locking

Retractor normally functions as an Emer-

gency Locking Retractor (ELR). The A/

ELR ha s an additional locking mode,

“Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)

mode”, intended to secure a child restraint

system.

The ALR mode functions as follows.

When the seatbelt is once drawn out

completely and is then retracted even

slightly, the retractor locks the seatbelt in

that position and the seatbelt cannot be

extended. As the belt is rewinding, clicks

will be heard which indicate the retractor

functions as an ALR. When the seatbelt is

retracted fully, the ALR mode is canceled

and the ELR mode is restored.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-15

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1-16 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

When securing a child restraint system on

the rear seats by using a seatbelt, the

seatbelt must be changed over to the

Automatic Locking Retractor (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” F1-28.

When the child restraint system is re-

moved, make sure that the retractor is

restored to the Emergency Locking Re-

tractor (ELR) mode by allowing the seat-

belt to retract fully.

& Seatbelt warning light

and chime

R efer to “Seatbelt warning light and

chime” F3-13.

& 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 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:

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 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 you hear a click.

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on

the shoulder belt.

6. Place the lap belt as low as possible

on your hips, not on your waist.

! Adjusting the front seat shoulder

belt anchor height

The shoulder belt anchor height should be

adjusted to the position best suited for the

driver/front passenger. Always adjust the

anchor height so that the shoulder belt

passes over the middle of the shoulder

without touching the neck.

To raise:

Slide the anchor up.

To lower:

Push the release button and slide the

anchor down.

Pull down the anchor to make sure that it

is locked in place.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-17

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1-18 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

WARNING

When wearing the seatbelts, make

sure the shoulder portion of the

webbing does not pass over your

neck. If it does, adjust the seatbelt

anchor to a lower position. Placing

the shoulder belt over the neck may

result in neck injury during sudden

braking or in a collision.

! Unfastening the seatbelt

Push the button on the buckle.

Before closing the door, make sure that

the belts are retracted properly to avoid

catching the belt webbing in the door.

! Rear seatbelts (except rear center

seatbelt on Outback)

1. Sit well back in the seat.

2. Pick up the tongue plate and pull the

belt out slowly. Do not let it get twisted. If

the belt stops before 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 a

strong pull on it, then pull it out slowly

again.

3. Insert the tongue plate into the buckle

until you hear a click.

4. To make the lap part tight, pull up on

the shoulder belt.

5. Place the lap belt as low as possible

on your hips, not on your waist.

! Unfastening the seatbelt

Push the button on the buckle.

Before closing the door, make sure that

the belts are retracted properly to avoid

catching the belt webbing in the door.

! Rear center seatbelt on Outback

1) Center seatbelt tongue plate

2) Connector (tongue)

3) Connector (buckle)

4) Center seatbelt buckle

WARNING

Fastening the seatbelt with the web-

bing twisted can increase the risk or

severity of injury in an accident.

When fastening the belt after it is

pulled out from the retractor, espe-

cially when inserting the connec-

tor’s tongue plate into the mating

buckle (on right-hand side), always

check that the webbing is not

twisted.

WARNING

Be sure to fasten both tongue plates

to the respective buck les. If the

seatbelt is used only as a shoulder

belt (with the connector’s tongue

plate not fastened to the connec-

tor’s buckle on the right-hand side),

it cannot properly restrain the wear-

er in position in an accident, possi-

bly resulting in serious inju ry or

death.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-19

– CONTINUED –

1-20 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Rear center seatbelt is st owed in the

recess of the ceiling.

1. Retrieve the connector (tongue) plate

from the slot in the recess by pulling the

connector (tongue) plate.

2. Pull out the seatbelt slowly from the

retractor.

3. After confirming that the webbing is not

twisted, insert the connector (tongue)

attached at the webbing end into the

buckle on the right-hand side until a click

is heard. If the belt stops before 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. After fastening the seatbelt, make sure

that the “

” mark on the connector

(tongue) and the “

” mark on the buckle

face outwards.

5. Insert the center seatbelt tongue plate

into the center seatbelt buckle marked

“CENTER” on the left-hand side until it

clicks.

6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on

the shoulder belt. And place the lap belt as

low as possible on your hips, not on your

waist.

! Unfastening the seatbelt

Push the release button of the center

seatbelt buckle (on the left-hand side) to

unfasten the seatbelt.

1. Insert a key or other hard pointed

object into the slot in the connector

(buckle) on the right-hand side and push

it in, and the connector (tongue) plate will

disconnect from the buckle.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-21

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1-22 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

2. Allow the retractor to roll up the belt.

You should hold the webbing end and

guide it back into the retractor while it is

rolling up. Neatly store the tongue plate in

the recess and then insert the connector

(tongue) plate into the slot.

CAUTION

. Do not allow the retractor to roll

up the seatbelt too quickly.

Otherwise, the metal tongue

plates may hit against the trim,

resulting in damaged trim.

. Have the seatbelt fully rolled up

so that th e tongue plates are

neatly stored. A hanging tongue

plate can swing and hit against

the trim during driving, causing

damage to the trim.

& Seatbelt maintenance

To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap

and lukewarm water. Never bleach or dye

the belts because this could seriously

affect their strength.

Inspect the se atbelts and attachments

including the webbing and all hardware

periodica lly for cracks, cuts, gash es,

tears, damage, loose bolts or worn areas.

Replace the seatbelts even if only minor

damage is found.

CAUTION

. Keep the belts free of polishes,

oils, chemicals and particularly

battery acid.

. Never attempt to make modifica-

tions or changes that will prevent

the seatbelt from operating prop-

erly.

Front seatbelt pretensioners

1) Seatbelt retractor assembly (shoulder

belt pretensioner)

2) Lap belt pretensioner

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 acci dent

involving a moderate to severe frontal

collision.

The shoulder belt pretensioner is supple-

mented 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 collision force is detected. As a

result, the belt restrains the driver more

effectively.

The pretensioner sensor also serves as a

SRS frontal airbag sensor. If the sensor

detects a certain predetermined amount of

force during a frontal collision, the front

seatbelt is quickly drawn back in by the

retractor to take up the slack so that the

belt more effectively restrains the front

seat occupant.

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 activat e in minor frontal

impacts, in side or rear impacts or in

roll-over accidents.

. The driver’s and passenger’s seat-

belt pretensioners and frontal airbag

operate simultaneously.

. 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 must be

replaced and only by an authorized

SUBARU dealer. When replacing seat-

belt retractor assemblies, use only

genuine SUBARU parts.

. If either front seatbelt do es not

retract or cannot be pulled out due to

a malfunction or activation of the

pretensioner, con tact you r SUBARU

dealer as soon as possible.

. If the front seatbelt assembly or

surrounding area has been damaged,

contact your SUBARU dealer as soon

as possible.

. When you sell your vehicle, we urge

you to explain to the buyer that it has

seatbelt pretensioners by alerting the

buyer to the contents of this section.

WARNING

. To obtain maximum protection,

occupants should sit in an up-

right position with their seatbelts

properly fastened. Refer to “Seat-

belts” F1-14.

. Do not modify, remove or strike

the front seatbelt assemblies or

surrounding area. This could

result in accidental activation of

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-23

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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags -> Seatbelts for Your Subaru Outback SUV Fourth Generation (2010-2014)

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