Land Rover Freelander Owners Handbook Lrl 18 02 50 501 Rover

							Seat Belts
51
Releasing the belt
Press the RED button on the seat belt buckle.
Front seat belt upper anchorage adjustment 
(5-door models) 
The height of the seat belt upper anchorage can 
be adjusted for comfort AND safety. Adjust the 
height of the seat belt anchorage point by 
pressing the button (arrowed in illustration) 
and sliding the anchor up or down. For safety, 
the seat belt should always be worn with the 
webbing crossing the shoulder MIDWAY 
BETWEEN THE NECK AND SHOULDER.
Ensure the anchorage has clicked into one of 
the locked positions before driving, and DO 
NOT adjust the height once the vehicle is in 
motion.Seat belt presenter (3-door models)
The rear seat access lever can be used as a seat 
belt presenter to improve accessibility of the 
front seat belts.
H2344A
H3304 
						

							Seat Belts
52
SEAT BELT PRE-TENSIONERS
The seat belt pre-tensioners activate in 
conjunction with the airbag SRS and provide 
additional protection in the event of a severe 
frontal impact on the vehicle (see ‘HOW THE 
AIRBAG SRS WORKS’, page 59). The 
pre-tensioners automatically tighten the seat 
belts fitted to the front seats. This reduces any 
slack in both the lap and diagonal portions of 
the belts, thereby reducing forward movement 
of the belt wearer in the event of a severe frontal 
collision.
The airbag SRS warning light on the instrument 
panel will alert you to any malfunction of the 
seat belt pre-tensioners.
If the pre-tensioners have been activated, the 
seat belts will still function as restraints, and 
must be worn in the event that the vehicle 
remains in a driveable condition.
NOTE: The seat belt pre-tensioners will NOT be 
activated by rear, side or minor frontal impacts.
WARNING
After the seat belt pre-tensioners have been 
activated once, they MUST BE REPLACED by a 
Land Rover Retailer. Failure to replace the 
pre-tensioners will reduce the efficiency of 
the vehicles front restraint systems.
After any frontal impact, always have the seat 
belts and pre-tensioners checked and, if 
necessary, replaced by a Land Rover 
Retailer.
In the interests of safety, it is recommended 
that removal or replacement of the front seats 
and seat belts should be carried out only by a 
Land Rover Retailer.Second row seat belt locking mechanism
The second row seat belts have a special 
locking mechanism which aids the retention of 
child seats. The procedure to install a child seat 
is as follows:
1.Install the child seat in the vehicle, attach 
the seat belt and secure the buckle in 
accordance with the manufacturers fitting 
instructions.
2.Pull on the shoulder section of the belt to 
unreel all of the remaining webbing to the 
limit of its travel. This will engage the 
automatic locking feature, which then acts 
as a ratchet, allowing the webbing to 
retract ONLY.
3.Allow the seat belt to retract onto the child 
seat (a clicking sound will confirm that 
the ratchet has engaged), while firmly 
pushing the child seat into the vehicle 
seat.
4.Ensure there is no slack in the seat belt by 
pulling upwards on the shoulder belt 
immediately above the child restraint. The 
seat belt should now be locked and the 
child seat held firmly in position.
Once the child seat is removed and all the seat 
belt webbing is allowed to retract, the seat belt 
locking mechanism reverts to normal 
operation.
NOTE: Where possible, use the seat belt 
automatic locking mechanism 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. 
						

							Seat Belts
53
Service information
WARNING
DO NOT attempt to service, repair, replace, 
modify or tamper with any part of the 
pre-tensioner and airbag SRS, or wiring in the 
vicinity of a pre-tensioner or airbag SRS 
component; this could cause the system to 
activate, resulting in personal injury.
ALWAYS contact your retailer if: 
•an airbag inflates.
•a pre-tensioner activates.
•the front or side of the vehicle is damaged, 
even if the pre-tensioner has not activated. 
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. 
WARNING
DO NOT bleach or dye the webbing and avoid 
contaminating the webbing with polish, oil or 
chemicals (see ‘Seat belts’, page 219).
Testing inertia reel belts 
1.With the seat belt fastened, give the 
webbing near the buckle a quick upward 
pull. The buckle must remain securely 
locked.
2.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.
3.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.  
						

							Child Restraints
54
Ch ild RestraintsCHILD RESTRAINTS FOR SMALL 
CHILDREN AND BABIES
Infants and children too small for adult seat 
belts should be restrained in a child safety seat 
or restraint system appropriate to their age 
and/or size. 
Child seats and restraint systems designed for 
your vehicle will be one of two types:
•Those secured in vehicle seats by the seat 
belts.
•LATCH type child restraints employing 
anchor bars built into the rear seat frame.
All new and most older type child restraint 
systems incorporate a tether strap which can 
be attached to an anchorage point on the 
vehicle. Information about tether strap 
attachment points and the seat belt locking 
mechanism, which is used to restrain child 
seats and restraints, is shown later in this 
section. 
CAUTION: When fitting child seats and restraint 
systems, always ensure that the 
manufacturers fitting instructions are followed 
exactly. Note that crash statistics show that 
children are safer when properly restrained in 
the rear seating positions than in the front.
CHILD RESTRAINTS FOR LARGER 
CHILDREN
In a situation where a child is too large to fit into 
a child safety seat, but is still too small to safely 
fit the 3 point seat belt properly, a booster seat 
is recommended for maximum safety. Follow 
the manufacturer’s fitting instructions exactly, 
then adjust the seat belt to suit. 
WARNING
•DO NOT allow a baby or infant to be carried 
on the lap. The force of a crash can 
increase effective body weight by as much 
as 30 times, making it impossible to hold 
on to the child.
•Children typically require the use of a 
booster seat appropriate to their age and 
size, thereby enabling the seat belts to be 
properly fitted, reducing the risk of injury 
in a crash.
•Children could be endangered in a crash if 
their child restraints are not properly 
secured in the vehicle.
•DO NOT use a child seat that hooks over 
the seat back. This type of seat cannot be 
satisfactorily secured, and is unlikely to 
be safe for your child.
•Never leave a child unattended in your 
vehicle. 
						

							Child Restraints
55
Vehicles fitted with a passenger airbag
Children under 12 years should travel in the 
rear of the vehicle at all times. Crash statistics 
show that children are safer when properly 
restrained in the rear seating positions than in 
the front. 
However, if it is essential that a child travel in 
the front, set the seat fully rearward and seat 
the child in an approved, FORWARD FACING 
child seat.
The above symbol affixed to the passenger side 
facia panel of your vehicle, warns against the 
use of a REAR FACING child seat in the front 
passenger seat, when a passenger airbag is 
fitted. This type of child seat could cause 
serious injury to a child in the event of an airbag 
deployment.
Take careful note of all labels concerning child 
restraint usage, attached to your vehicle.
WARNING
EXTREME HAZARD! Under no circumstances 
should a rearward-facing child seat be 
installed in any front passenger seat position. 
Inflation of the airbag could result in serious 
injury or death to the child.Seat belt locking mechanism
All front passenger and rear seat belts have a 
special locking mechanism which aids the 
securing of child restraints. The mechanism is 
used to secure a child restraint as follows:
1.Attach the seat belt to the child restraint in 
accordance with the manufacturers 
instructions.
2.Insert the metal tongue of the seat belt into 
the lock ensuring that it engages with a 
click.
3.Pull on the shoulder section of the belt 
until it is fully extended. 
4.Allow the belt to retract. A clicking sound 
will confirm that the mechanism has 
engaged.
5.Remove all slack from the mechanism, by 
pulling upwards on the shoulder belt, 
immediately above the child restraint.
6.Evaluate the tightness of the installation by 
rocking the child seat back and forth to 
ensure it is tight and stable.
7.If the child seat needs to be tightened 
further, remove the metal tongue of the 
seat belt from the buckle and feed some of 
the shoulder belt webbing back into the 
reel (thereby shortening the belt). Then 
re-attach the metal tongue into the buckle 
(if the belt has been tightened correctly, 
this will take some effort).
8.Re-evaluate the tightness of the 
installation. If the child seat is still too 
loose, repeat the above procedure, making 
the belt incrementally shorter (and 
therefore tighter). It may be necessary to 
put your weight onto the seat (to 
compress the seat cushion) in order to 
fasten the belt. 
To deactivate the locking mechanism, unlatch 
the seat belt and allow it to fully retract. 
						

							Child Restraints
56
TETHER STRAP ANCHORAGES
Provision is made for the fitting of up to three 
child seats or restraint systems in the rear 
seats, of the type that require tether strap 
anchorage points.
WARNING
Child restraint anchorages are designed to 
withstand only those loads imposed by 
correctly fitted child restraints. Under no 
circumstances should they be used for adult 
rear seat belts or for harnesses for attaching 
other items or equipment to the vehicle.There are three tether strap anchorage points. 
These should be used to attach tether straps 
from child seats or restraint systems. All three 
anchorage points are fitted to the back of the 
rear seat (shown in the accompanying 
illustration).
Attaching tether straps
1.Install the child restraint securely in one of 
the rear seating positions.
2.Pass the tether strap over the back of the 
vehicle seat and beneath the underside of 
the head restraint.
3.Attach the clip on the head of the tether 
strap to the tether anchor on the back of 
the vehicle seat.
4.Tighten the tether strap according to the 
manufacturer’s instructions to remove any 
slack in the webbing.
WARNING
•Always follow the child seat or restraint 
system manufacturer’s instructions when 
fitting tether straps.
•When fitting a child seat or restraint 
system, always pass the tether strap over 
the top of the seat back and beneath the 
underside of the head restraint.
•If a child seat or restraint system is to be 
fitted to the center seating position, the 
center armrest must be in the stowed 
position (folded into the seat).
H4240 
						

							Child Restraints
57
‘LATCH’ TYPE CHILD RESTRAINTS
‘LATCH’ (Lower Anchors and Tether for 
Children)
The LATCH three-point type child restraint 
system complies with Federal Motor Vehicle 
Safety Standards and is approved for fitting in 
your vehicle.
Fitting the restraints
This type of child restraint system should only 
be fitted in the two outer seating positions of 
the second row seats. Anchor bars built into the 
rear seat frame enable LATCH type restraints 
to be securely attached to the vehicle seat in 
these positions only. The anchor bar locations 
are shown in the illustration above.
Pass the tether strap over the top of the seat 
back and beneath the underside of the head 
restraint. Attach the clip on the head of the 
tether strap to the appropriate tether anchor 
and tighten the tether strap.WARNING
If the restraint is not correctly anchored, there 
is a significant risk of injury to the child, in the 
event of a collision or emergency braking.
DO NOT attempt to fit ‘LATCH’ type restraints 
to the center seating position - the anchor 
bars are designed to hold restraints in the 
outer seating positions only.
When fitting this type of child restraint, always 
follow the instructions supplied by the 
manufacturer of the restraint.
Once the restraint is installed, test the security 
of the installation before seating the child. 
Attempt to twist the restraint from side to side, 
and to pull the restraint away from the vehicle 
seat, then check that the anchors are still 
securely in place.
H4322 
						

							Airbag SRS
58
Airbag  SRS
AIRBAG SRS
The airbag supplementary restraint 
system (SRS) provides additional 
protection for the driver and front 
seat passenger, in the event of a severe frontal 
impact on the vehicle.
WARNING
The airbag is a supplementary restraint 
system that provides ADDITIONAL protection 
in a frontal impact only - it does NOT replace 
the need to wear a seat belt. For maximum 
safety protection in all crash situations, a 
seat belt must be worn.
Provided the front seat occupants are correctly 
seated, with seat belts properly worn, the 
airbags will provide additional protection to the 
chest and facial areas in the event of the vehicle 
receiving a severe frontal impact.
NOTE: Inflation and deflation of the airbags 
takes place very quickly and will not protect 
against the effects of secondary impacts that 
may occur.The airbag(s) are located in the centre pad of 
the steering wheel and in the facia panel above 
the glovebox (see illustration).
WARNING
Do not allow a front seat passenger to 
obstruct the operation of the airbag by placing 
feet, knees or any other part of the person, or 
any other objects in contact with, or in close 
proximity to, an airbag module.
WARNING
DO NOT attach or position items to or on an 
airbag cover (steering wheel centre pad or 
facia panel), which could interfere with the 
inflation of the airbag or, if the airbag 
inflates, be propelled inside the car causing 
injury to the occupants.
H5204 
						

							Airbag SRS
59
WARNING
To ensure correct deployment of the airbags, 
it is essential that obstructions are not 
allowed to intervene between an airbag and 
the occupant. The following are examples of 
the type of obstructions that could either, 
impede correct operation of the airbags, or 
jeopardise personal safety in the event of an 
airbag deployment:
•Accessories attached to or obscuring an 
airbag cover.
•Items of hand luggage, or other objects 
placed on an airbag cover.
•Feet, knees or any other part of the 
anatomy in contact with, or in close 
proximity to, an airbag cover.
Seating positions
In order to provide optimum protection in the 
event of a severe frontal impact, it is necessary 
for the airbags to deploy with considerable 
speed.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of accidental Injury from 
inflating airbags, seat belts should be 
correctly worn at all times. In addition, both 
driver and front seat passenger should adjust 
their seat to provide the maximum practical 
distance from the airbags. 
The National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administartion (NHTSA) recommends a 
minimum distance of 10 inches (25 cm) 
between the occupants chest and the drivers 
airbag module.
HOW THE AIRBAG SRS WORKS
In the event of a severe frontal impact, the 
airbag control unit monitors the rate of 
deceleration induced by the collision, to 
determine whether the airbags should be 
deployed.
Operation of the airbag SRS is dependent 
entirely on the rate at which the vehicles 
passenger compartment changes speed as a 
result of a collision. The circumstances 
affecting different collisions (vehicle speed, 
angle of impact, type and size of object hit, for 
example), vary considerably and will affect the 
rate of deceleration accordingly.
WARNING
The airbag SRS is not designed to operate as 
a result of rear collisions, minor frontal or 
side impacts or roll-over accidents; nor will it 
operate as a result of heavy braking or driving 
over bumps and potholes.
It follows, therefore, that significant superficial 
damage can occur without the airbags 
deploying or, conversely, that a relatively small 
amount of structural damage may cause the 
airbags to be deployed.
NOTE: Airbags will only deploy when they are 
required to supplement the restraining force of 
the seat belts.
In the case of a severe frontal collision, both 
front airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners will 
be deployed. 
						

							Airbag SRS
60
Airbag inflation is virtually instantaneous and 
occurs with considerable force, accompanied 
by a loud noise. The inflated bag, together with 
the seat belt restraint system, limit the 
movement of a front seat occupant, thereby 
reducing the risk of injury to the head and upper 
torso.
WARNING
An inflating airbag can cause facial abrasions 
and other injuries. Minimise the risk of injury 
by ensuring that front seat occupants are 
wearing their seat belts and are seated 
correctly, with the seat as far back as is 
practical.
When an airbag inflates, a fine powder is 
released. This is not an indication of a 
malfunction. The powder may cause irritation 
to the skin and should be thoroughly flushed 
from the eyes and any cuts or abrasions on the 
skin.
After inflation, some airbag components are 
hot - DO NOT touch until they have cooled.
After inflation the airbags deflate immediately. 
This provides a gradual cushioning effect for 
the occupant and also ensures that the drivers 
forward vision is not impaired.
WARNING
Both front seating positions are equipped with 
knee bolsters to provide protection to 
occupant’s knees in the event of an impact. 
DO NOT modify the bolsters, or mount after 
market equipment on, or behind them.
Airbag SRS warning light
A warning light mounted on the 
instrument panel will alert you to 
any malfunction of the airbag SRS. 
The light illuminates as a bulb and system 
check when the ignition switch is turned to 
position II and will extinguish after 
approximately five seconds.The airbag SRS 
should always be checked by a dealer if any of 
the following symptoms occurs:
•The warning light fails to illuminate when 
the ignition switch is turned to position II.
•The warning light fails to extinguish within 
approximately five seconds after the ignition 
switch is turned to position II.
•The warning light illuminates after the 
engine is started, or while the vehicle is 
being driven.
H5206