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Ask the Mechanic: How do I properly adjust my head restraint?

Please tell me how you make sure your head restraint is correctly adjusted so it provides the best protection in the event of a crash.

Anthony.

Hello Anthony, head restraints are safety features attached to or designed with each seat. They help to restrict rear ward movement of an adult passenger’s head relative to their body in case of an accident. This helps to reduce or prevent whiplash neck injuries.

As a driver or passenger, you should always adjust your head restraint correctly by observing the following:

The top of the head restraint should be as high as the top of your head.

The head restraint should be positioned as close as possible to the back of your head.

A correctly adjusted head restraint helps to limit whiplash neck injury by reducing the distance between the neck and the head restraint and stopping your neck from bending backwards. Head restraints that are too far away from the neck or too low pause a safety risk of severe neck injuries during a collision accident or emergency braking.

Newer vehicle supplementary restraint systems are designed with automatic self-deploying head restraint sections, which help to protect you from the above neck injuries. Mercedes calls such technology ‘Head pro” while VW and Seat call them “Active Head Restraints”.

Where can I get a good Subaru timing belt kit?

Hello Paul, at what point can I consider changing the timing belt for my Forester 2009, 2.0 engine? My current mileage is 121,000km. Where would you recommend I get a genuine timing belt kit in Kampala?

Martin.

Hello Martin, for your 2009 Forester with a 2.0 litre engine, Subaru recommends replacing the timing belt at around 100,000 kilometres. Since your Subaru has covered 121,000 kilometres, you ought to replace it as soon as possible. It is important to use a genuine timing belt kit (timing belt, timing belt tensioner and roller bearings).

In Kampala, you can contact the local Subaru dealership Kampala Motors or reputable independent parts shops that specialise in Subaru vehicles. The best parts outlet is the one that will use your car details to identify the correct parts and sell genuine branded Subaru parts to you.

A counterfeit or poor quality engine timing belt kit can prematurely fail and cause severe or costly engine damage.

Send sms: mycar (space) your comments and questions to 6933 or email them to: [email protected]