2003 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 81
2003 Subaru Forester Manual
Page 81 highlights
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags and chest. C) After deployment, SRS side airbag starts to deflate immediately. 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 deploys 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 airbag. 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 the deflation of the SRS side airbag after deployment is shorter than the blink of an eye. The SRS side airbag deploys even when no one occupies the seat on the side on which an impact is applied. When the SRS side 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 fire in the vehicle. Do not touch the SRS side airbag system components around the front seatback with bare hands right after deployment. Doing so can cause burns because the components can be very hot as a result of deployment. The SRS side airbag is designed to deploy in the event of an accident involving a moderate to severe side impact collision. It is basically not designed to deploy in lesser side impact. Also, it is basically not designed to deploy in frontal or rear impacts because SRS side airbag deployment would not help the occupant in those situations. Each SRS side airbag is designed to function on a one-time-only basis. SRS side airbag deployment depends on the level of force experienced in the passenger compartment during a side impact collision. That level differs from one 1-56