Subaru Forester Manuals 2018 Forester Owner's Manual | Page 57

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seatbelt pretensioners . Have the seatbelt fully rolled up so that the tongue plates are neatly stored. A hanging tongue plate can swing and hit against the trim during driving, causing damage to the trim. Front seatbelt pretensioners & Seatbelt maintenance 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. To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap and lukewarm water. Never bleach or dye the belts because this could seriously affect their strength. & Seatbelt with shoulder belt pretensioner NOTE Inspect the seatbelts and attachments including the webbing and all hardware periodically for cracks, cuts, gashes, tears, damage, loose bolts or worn areas. Replace the seatbelts even if only minor damage is found. This section is applicable to the dri- ver’s side seatbelt. . 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. 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. 1-25 NOTE The pretensioner sensor also serves as follows. . SRS frontal airbag sensor . 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 – CONTINUED –