2001 SUBARU FORESTER engine

Instruments and controls3-17
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High/low beam change (dimmer)
To change from low beam to high beam, push the turn signal lever
forward. When the headlights are on high beam, the high beam indi-cator light “a ” on the instrument panel is also on.
To switch back to low beam, pull the lever back to the detent position. Headlight flasher CAUTION
Do not hold the lever in the flashing position for more than just a few seconds.
To flash the headlights, pull the lever toward you and then release it.
The high beam will stay on for as long as you hold the lever. The
headlight flasher works even though the lighting switch is in the “OFF”
position.
When the headlights are on high beam, the high beam indicator light “ a ” on the instrment panel also comes on.
Daytime running light system (for CANADA models)
WARNING
The tail lights, parking lights, and side marker lights are not turned on by the daytime running light system. The light switchmust always be turned to the “a ” position when it is dark out-
side.
The low beam headlights will automatically come on at reduced
brightness when the engine has started, under the following condi-tions: The parking brake is fully released.
The automatic transmission selector lever is set at other than
the “P” position.
The light switch is in the “OFF” position.

4-12
Checking air conditioning system before summer season
Chec k the air c ond itioner unit for refrig erant leak s, hose c ond itions,
and p rop er op eration eac h sp ring . This c hec k is b es t p erformed b y
your SUBARU d ealer. Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and low tempera- ture weather condition
Und er c ertain weather c ond itions (hig h relative hum id ity, low temp era-
tures, etc .) a small amount of water vap or emission from the air outlets
may b e notic ed d uring c ooling or d ehumid ifying . Thi s c ond ition is nor-
mal and d oes not ind ic ate any p rob lem with the air c ond itioning sys-
tem. Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily loaded
To imp rove ac c eleration and g as mileag e, the air c o nd itioner c om-
p ressor is d esig ned to temp orarily shut off d uring air c ond itioner op -
eration whenever the ac c elerator is fully d ep ressed . Suc h as d uring
rap id ac c eleration or when d riving on a steep up g r ad e.
Refrigerant for your climate control system
Your air c ond itioner uses ozone friend ly refrig eran t HFC134a. There-
fore, the method of ad d ing , c hang ing or c hec king th e refrig erant is
d ifferent from the method for CFC12 (freon). Consul t your SUBARU
d ealer for servic e. Rep airs need ed as a result of using the wrong re-
frig erant are not c overed und er warranty.
Air filtration system (if equipped)
If your vehic le ’s air c ond itioning system is eq uip p ed with a op tion al air
filtration system, rep lac e the filter element ac c or d ing to the rep lac ement
sc hed ule shown b elow. This sc hed ule should b e follo wed to maintain the
filter ’s d ust c ollec tion ab ility. Und er extremely d usty c o nd itions, the filter
should b e rep lac ed more freq uently. Sinc e the filte r element is a visc ous
typ e, it is unnec essary to c lean or wash the elemen t. It is rec ommend ed
that you have your filter c hec ked or rep lac ed b y yo ur SUBARU d ealer.
For rep lac ement, use only a g enuine SUBARU air filt er kit.

Interior equipment6-9
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Accessory power socket in the luggage compartment and dual power socket (if equipped) CAUTION
Do not attempt to use a cigarette lighter in the accessory
socket or dual power socket. Do not place any foreign objects, especially metal ones such
as coins or aluminum foil, into the accessory socket or dualpower socket. That could cause a short circuit. Always put thecap on the accessory socket and dual power socket when it isnot in use. Use only electrical appliances which are designed for 12V DC
and which consume less than 120W. Overloading the accessory
socket or dual power socket can cause a short circuit. Do not usedouble adapters or more than one electrical appliance. If the plug on your electric appliance is either too loose or too
tight for the accessory socket or dual power socket, this canresult in a poor contact or cause the plug to get stuck. Only use
plugs that fit properly. Use of an electric appliance in the accessory socket or dual
power socket for a long period of time while the engine is notrunning can cause battery discharge. Before driving your vehicle, make sure that the plug and the
cord on your electrical appliance will not interfere with your shift-ing gears and operating the accelerator and brake pedals. If theydo, do not use the electrical appliance while driving.

7
Starting and operating Fuel7-2
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Fuel requirements 7-2
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Fuel filler lid and cap 7-4
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State emission testing (U.S. only) 7-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preparing to drive 7-7
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Starting the engine 7-8
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Starting the engine for a manual transmission vehicle 7-8 . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the engine for an automatic transmission vehicle 7-9 . . . . . .
Starting the engine during cold weather below –4°F ( –20 °C) 7-9 . . .
Starting a flooded engine 7-10
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Stopping the engine 7-10
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Manual transmission 7-11
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Automatic transmission 7-14
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Selector lever 7-15
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Shift lock release 7-19
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Rear viscous limited slip differential (S models) 7-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Power steering 7-21
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Braking 7-22
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Braking tips 7-22
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Brake system 7-22
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Disc brake pad wear warning indicators 7-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) 7-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking your vehicle 7-26
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Cruise control (if equipped) 7-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7-2
Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality or use of an inappropriate fuel additive may cause engine damage.
Fuel requirements Fuel Octane Rating
Your eng ine is d esig ned to use only unlead ed g asoli ne with an oc tane
rating of 87 AKI or hig her. This oc tane rating is t he averag e of the Re-
searc h Oc tane and Motor Oc tane numb ers and is c ommo nly referred
to as the Anti Knoc k Ind ex (AKI).
Using a g asoline with a lower oc tane rating c an c au se p ersistent and
heavy knoc king , whic h c an d amag e the eng ine. Do not b e c onc erned
if your vehic le sometimes knoc ks lig htly when you d rive up a hill or
when you ac c elerate. See your d ealer or a q ualified servic e tec hni-
c ian if you use a g asoline with the sp ec ified oc tan e rating and your
vehic le knoc ks heavily or p ersistently. Unleaded gasoline
The nec k of the fuel filler p ip e is d esig ned to ac c ep t only an unlead ed
g asoline filler nozzle. Und er no c irc umstanc es shou ld lead ed g aso-
line b e used b ec ause it will d amag e the emission c o ntrol system and
may imp air d riveab ility and fuel ec onomy. Gasoline for California-certified LEV
If your vehic le is a California-c ertified Low Emiss ion Vehic le (LEV) as
ind ic ated on the und erhood tune-up lab el, it is d es ig ned to op timize
eng ine and emission c ontrol system p erformanc e with g asoline that
meets California low sulfer sp ec ific ations. Your ve hic le will op erate on
g asoline meeting Fed eral sp ec ific ations.

7-4suffic ient q uantities of the p rop er c osolvents and
c orrosion inhib itors
req uired to p revent d amag e to the fuel system. Do n ot use fuel c on-
taining methanol EXCEPT und er these c ond itions.
If und esirab le d riveab ility p rob lems are exp erienc e d and you sus-
p ec t they may b e fuel related , try a d ifferent b ran d of g asoline b efore
seeking servic e at your SUBARU d ealer. Fuel system d amag e or d riveab ility p rob lems whic h r esult from the
use of imp rop er fuel are not c overed und er the SUBA RU Limited War-
ranty.
Fuel filler lid and cap Refueling
WARNING
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. Before refueling, always
first stop the engine and make sure that there are no lighted ciga- rettes, open flames or electrical sparks in the adjacent area. When opening the cap, do not remove the cap quickly. Fuel
may be under pressure and spray out of the fuel filler neck espe-
cially in hot weather, which may cause injury.
CAUTION
Never add any cleaning agents to the fuel tank. The addition of
a cleaning agent may cause damage to the fuel system. Make sure that the cap is tightened until it clicks to prevent
fuel spillage in the event of an accident. Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of the vehicle.
Fuels may cause paint damage, which is not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty. Always use a genuine SUBARU fuel filler cap. If you use the
wrong cap, it may not fit or have proper venting, and your fueltank and emission control system might be damaged.

7-6NOTE If the fuel filler cap is not tightened until it clicks or if the tether is caught under the cap, the CHECK ENGINE warning light maycome on. Refer to the
“Warning and indicator lights ” section
located in chapter 3.
State emission testing (U.S. only)
WARNING
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle must NEVER be performed
on a single two-wheel dynamometer. Attempting to do so willresult in uncontrolled vehicle movement and may cause an acci-
dent or injuries to persons nearby.
CAUTION
Resultant vehicle damage due to improper testing is not covered
under the SUBARU Limited Warranty and is the responsibility ofthe state inspection program or its contractors or licensees.
At state inspection time, remember to tell your inspection or service
station in advance not to place your Subaru AWD vehicle on a two-
wheel dynamometer. Otherwise, serious transmission damage willresult.
Some states have started using d ynamometers in thei r state insp ec tion
p rog rams in ord er to meet their ob lig ation und er fe d eral law to imp lement
stric ter vehic le emission stand ard s to red uc e air p ollution from c ars. A
d ynamometer is a tread mill or roller-like testing d evic e that allows your
c ar ’s wheels to turn while the c ar remains in one p lac e . Dep end ing on
the severity of a state ’s air p ollution p rob lems, the states must ad op t
either a “b asic ” or “enhanc ed ” vehic le emission insp ec tion test. Nor-
mally, a p ortion of the b asic emission test c onsist s of an emission
insp ec tor inserting an analyzer p rob e into the exha ust p ip e of an id ling
vehic le for a short p eriod of time. States with mor e severe air p ollution
p rob lems are req uired to ad op t an enhanc ed vehic le emission test. This

Starting and operating7-7
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test simulates ac tual d riving c ond itions on a d ynam
ometer and p ermits
more ac c urate measurement of tailp ip e emitted p ollu tion than the b asic
emission test.
The U.S. Environmental Protec tion Ag enc y (EPA) and states using two-
wheel d ynamometers in their emission testing p rog ra ms have
EXEMPTED Sub aru AWD vehic les from the p ortion of the testin g p ro-
g ram that involves a two-wheel d ynamometer.
There are some states that use four-wheel d ynamomet ers in their testing
p rog rams. When p rop erly used , that eq uip ment will n ot d amag e an AWD
Sub aru vehic le.
Und er no c irc umstanc es should the rear wheels b e ja c ked off the
g round , nor should the d riveshaft b e d isc onnec ted f or state emission
testing .
Preparing to drive
You should p erform the following c hec ks and ad justm ents every d ay b e-
fore you start d riving .
1. Chec k that all wind ows, mirrors, and lig hts are c lean and unob -
struc ted .
2. Chec k the ap p earanc e and c ond ition of the tires. Also c hec k tires for
p rop er inflation.
3. Look und er the vehic le for any sig n of leaks.
4. Chec k that the hood , trunk and rear g ate are full y c losed .
5. Chec k the ad justment of the seat.
6. Chec k the ad justment of the insid e and outsid e mi rrors.
7. Fasten your seatb elt. Chec k that your p asseng ers have fastened their
seatb elts.
8. Chec k the op eration of the warning and ind ic ator lig hts when the ig ni-
tion switc h is turned to the “ON ” p osition.
9. Chec k the g aug es, ind ic ator and warning lig hts af ter starting the en-
g ine. NOTE Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer fluid and other fluid