Land Rover Defender 02my Owners Handbook 2nd Edition Rover

							Seats
20
SeatsFRONT SEATS
WARNING
To avoid the risk of loss of control and 
personal injury, DO NOT adjust the drivers 
seat or head restraint while the vehicle is in 
motion.
Forward/backward adjustment
Lift the bar at the front of the seat to slide the 
seat forward or back. Ensure the seat is locked 
in position before driving.Seat back adjustment
Lift the lever on the side of the seat and lean 
backwards or forwards to achieve the desired 
angle, then lower the lever to lock.
WARNING
DO NOT travel with the seat backs reclined 
steeply rearwards. Optimum benefit is 
obtained from the seat belt with the seat back 
angle set to approximately 25 degrees from 
the upright (vertical).H3739
H3738 
						

							Seats
21
Seat cushion removal
WARNING
ENSURE that the seat cushion is securely in 
place before driving.
The front seat cushions can be removed to 
access the battery and secondary fuse box as 
follows:
Pull up the front of the seat base to release it 
from its retaining clips, then pull the cushion 
forward to remove.When replacing, insert the lugs at the back of 
the seat cushion into the corresponding holes 
where the seat base meets the seat back, then 
push firmly down on the front of the seat 
cushion to secure in place.
NOTE: On cars equipped with seat heaters, an 
electrical lead connects the heater unit in the 
seat cushion with the vehicle wiring harness. 
When removing the seat cushion care must be 
taken to avoid straining or damaging the lead.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
Pull the head restraint up or down until the 
cushion is level with the back of the head.
WARNING
Head restraints are designed to support the 
back of the head (NOT THE NECK), and to 
restrain rearward movement of the head in 
the event of a collision. The restraint must be 
positioned level with the head to be effective.
H3709
H3710 
						

							Seats
22
HEATED FRONT SEATS*
With the starter switch turned on, press the 
switches to operate the heating elements in 
either the drivers or front passenger seat (the 
indicator light in the switch illuminates). Press 
a second time to switch off.
The seat heaters are thermostatically controlled 
and operate intermittently to achieve and then 
maintain a predetermined temperature between 
79°F and 97°F (26° - 36°C).
NOTE: The centre front seat
* is not equipped 
with heating elements.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The seat heaters consume considerable
power from the batter y. For this reason, 
they should ONLY be operated while the 
engine is running.
H3729 
						

							Seats
23
FOLDING THE REAR SEATS
WARNING
DO NOT adjust the seats while the vehicle is 
in motion.
When re-erecting the 60/40 split rear seats
*, 
ensure that the seat stands are properly 
positioned.
When the seat is erected, the latching 
mechanism should be visually checked and 
physically tested to ensure that the latch is 
secure before driving.
Before folding the rear seats:
•Slide the front seats forward.
•Ensure that the outer rear seat belts are 
correctly stowed.
•Pass the seat belt locks through the junction 
of the backrest and the cushion and into the 
loadspace.60/40 split rear seats
*
1.Pull up the release catch (see inset).
2.Fold the backrest forward.
3.Lift and fold the seat base forward.
4.Fold away the seat stand.
H3712
1
2
3
4 
						

							Seats
24 Individually split rear seats
*
NOTE: The centre seat cannot fold until both 
outer seats have been folded.
Outer seats:
1.Release the catch (see first inset).
2.Fold the backrest forward.
3.Slide back the bolt (see second inset).
4.Lift and fold the seat base forwards.
H3740
H3741 
						

							Seats
25
Centre seat:
1.Release the catch - as stage ‘1’ for the 
outer seats.
2.Fold the backrest forward.
3.Lift and fold the seat base forwards.
When returning the backrest to the upright 
position, ensure that both the seat base and the 
backrest of all three seats are securely latched 
in place before driving.Rear compartment folding seats*
WARNING
When the seat is in use, the steel support 
must be angled as shown in the illustration 
(i.e. pointing away from the front of the seat, 
with its foot angled into the floor where the 
floor meets the side of the vehicle).
H3720
H3714 
						

							Seats
26 1.Unclip the restraining strap (see inset) and 
fold down the seat base.
2.Position the steel seat support as shown 
in illustration.
The steel supports can be folded flat against the 
underside of the seat base when not in use. The 
strap (see inset) should be used to secure the 
seat base in the folded position when not in use.
Rear compartment bench seats
*
These are fixed seats and cannot be folded. The 
seat cushions are removable (see illustration).
H3713 
						

							Seat Belts
27
Seat BeltsSEAT BELT SAFETY
The seat belts fitted to the front and second row 
seats are intended for use by adult sized 
occupants. Each belt should be used by one 
occupant only.
Observe the following precautions:
•DO make sure ALL passengers are securely 
strapped in at all times - even for the 
shortest journeys. 
•ALWAYS adjust seat belts to eliminate any 
slack in the webbing. DO NOT slacken the 
webbing by holding the belt away from the 
body - to be fully effective, the seat belt 
must remain in full contact with the body at 
all times. 
•ALWAYS fit the lap strap as low on the hips 
as possible (never across the abdomen), 
and ensure that the diagonal belt passes 
across the shoulder without slipping off or 
pressing on the neck.
•DO NOT wear seat belts over hard, sharp or 
fragile items in clothing, such as pens, keys, 
spectacles etc.
•Always replace a seat belt assembly that has 
withstood the strain of a severe vehicle 
impact, or if the webbing shows signs of 
fraying.
•Where possible use the seat belts to secure 
large items of luggage that are to be carried 
on the seats - in the event of an accident, 
insecure items become flying missiles 
capable of causing serious injury.
•DO NOT use a seat belt that is twisted or 
obstructed in any way that could impede its 
smooth operation.•DO NOT allow front seat occupants to travel 
with the seat backs reclined steeply 
rearwards. Optimum benefit is obtained 
from the seat belt with the seat back angle 
set to approximately 25 degrees from the 
upright (vertical) position.
•DO NOT allow foreign matter (particularly 
sugary food and drink particles) to enter the 
seat belt locks - such substances can render 
the locks inoperative.
•In most countries, all occupants are 
required by law to wear a seat belt, unless 
they have been issued with a medical 
exemption certificate.
•During pregnancy, women should wear the 
lap belt across the hips below the baby, with 
the diagonal belt passing across the 
shoulder, between the breasts and to one 
side of the baby - if in doubt, consult a 
doctor.
WARNING
Ensure that all seat belts are worn correctly - 
an improperly worn seat belt increases the 
risk of death or serious injury in the event of a 
collision. 
						

							Seat Belts
28
SEAT BELTS
To minimise injury in the event of an accident, 
it is important that seat belts are worn correctly. 
Read the instructions below and the advice 
contained under the heading ‘SEAT BELT 
SAFETY’.
Fastening the inertia reel seat belts
Pull the belt over the shoulder and across the 
chest and, ensuring that the webbing is not 
twisted, insert the metal tongue plate into the 
buckle nearest the wearer - a ‘CLICK’ indicates 
that the belt is securely locked.
Seat belts are designed to bear upon the bony 
structure of the body (pelvis, chest and 
shoulders) and can only be worn safely with the 
seats in a normal upright position - DO NOT 
allow front seat occupants to travel with the 
seat steeply reclined.
NOTE: In some circumstances, perhaps due to 
the vehicle being on a slope, the automatic 
locking mechanism may engage, preventing the 
initial extension of the belt. This is not a fault - 
ease the belt free and use it.Releasing the belt
Press the RED button on the seat belt buckle.
Lap belts
To adjust, pull the slider along the belt and feed 
the webbing through the buckle until the belt is 
comfortably tight. Then, insert the metal tongue 
plate into the buckle nearest the wearer - a 
‘CLICK’ indicates that the belt is securely 
locked. When not in use, the lap belts should be 
fastened.
H3715
H3716 
						

							Seat Belts
29
CARING FOR SEAT BELTS
Regularly inspect the belt webbing for signs of 
fraying, cuts and wear; also pay particular 
attention to the condition of the fixing points 
and adjusters. 
DO NOT bleach or dye the webbing and avoid 
contaminating the webbing with polish, oil or 
chemicals (see ‘CLEANING THE INTERIOR’, 
page 122).
Testing inertia reel belts 
•With the seat belt fastened, give the 
webbing near the buckle a quick upward 
pull. The buckle must remain securely 
locked.
•With the seat belt unfastened, unreel the 
webbing to the limit of its travel. Check that 
unreeling is free from snatches and snags 
and then allow the belt to FULLY retract.
•Partially unreel the webbing, then hold the 
tongue plate and give it a quick forward pull. 
The mechanism must lock automatically 
and prevent any further unreeling.
If a seat belt should fail any of these tests, 
contact your dealer immediately.
WARNING
Always replace a seat belt that shows signs of 
webbing damage or has withstood the strain 
of a severe vehicle impact.