2020 Subaru Impreza Owners Manual - Seatbelt pretensioners

Seatbelt pretensioners

The following seatbelts have a seatbelt pretensioner.

Driver’s seatbelt

Front passenger’s seatbelt

The seatbelt pretensioners are designed to be activated in the event of an accident involving a moderate to severe frontal and side collision and rollover accident.

Seatbelt pretensioners are not de- signed to activate in minor impacts or in rear impacts.

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 a seatbelt that has a seatbelt pretensioner does not retract or cannot be pulled out due to a malfunction or activation of the pretensioner, contact your SUBARU dealer as soon as pos- sible.

If the seatbelt retractor assembly or surrounding area has been damaged, contact your SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.

When you sell your vehicle, we urge you to inform the buyer that the vehicle is equipped with seatbelt preten- sioners. Also, notify the buyer of the contents of this section.

Driver’s seatbelt

The driver’s seatbelt has a shoulder belt pretensioner.

Front seatbelt pretensioner

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, any seatbelt that has a seatbelt pretensioner is quickly drawn back in by the retractor to take up the slack so that the belt more effectively restrains the seat occupant.

The driver’s seatbelt pretensioner includes a tension reducing device which limits the peak forces exerted by the seatbelt on the occupant in the event of a collision.

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.

For details, refer to “In cases of rollover accident, frontal collisions or side colli- sions, the following components will oper- ate simultaneously”  1-22.

The front passenger’s seatbelt has a shoulder belt and a lap belt pretensioner.

Seatbelt retractor assembly (shoulder belt pretensioner and adaptive force limiter)

Lap belt pretensioner

On the front passenger’s side, the shoulder belt pretensioner is supplemen- 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 collision force is detected. As a result, the seatbelt restrains the front seat occupant more effectively.

The front passenger’s seatbelt preten- sioner includes a tension reducing device which limits the peak forces exerted by the seatbelt on the occupant in the event of a collision.

The adaptive force limiter will select a reducing load to the suit body size of occupant as detected by the occupant detection sensor.

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.

– CONTINUED –

*: Activated

—: Not activated

*1: This does not operate if the occupant detection system deactivates airbag operation.

*2: When both the satellite safing sensor and any of the center pillar impact sensors/front door impact sensors sense an impact force.

*3: When both the satellite safing sensor and the driver’s side front door impact sensor sense an impact force.

However, when a center pillar impact sensor detects a signal faster than the front door impact sensor, or both sensors detect signals simultaneously, the seatbelt pretensioner does not activate.

*4: When both the satellite safing sensor and the front passenger’s side front door impact sensor sense an impact force.

However, when a center pillar impact sensor detects a signal faster than the front door impact sensor, or both sensors detect signals simultaneously, the seatbelt pretensioner does not activate.

System monitors

A diagnostic system continually monitors the readiness of the seatbelt pretensioner with the ignition switch in the “ON” position. The seatbelt pretensioners share the control module with the SRS airbag system. Therefore, if any malfunction occurs in a seatbelt pretensioner, the SRS airbag system warning light will illuminate. For details, refer to “SRS airbag system monitors”  1-68.

System servicing

Precautions against vehicle modification

Always consult your SUBARU dealer if you want to install any accessory parts to your vehicle.