2001 SUBARU OUTBACK fuel

Instruments and controls3-17
–
CONTINUED –
tion switc h is in the
“ON ” p osition.
NOTE This light does not go out unless the tank is replenished up to an internal fuel quantity of about 3.7 U.S. gal. (14 liters, 3.1 Imp. gal.). Front-wheel drive warning light (for AT vehicles)
This lig ht c omes on when All Wheel Drive is d iseng a g ed and the d rive
mec hanism is switc hed to Front Wheel Drive for main tenanc e or similar
p urp oses. VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) operation indicator light (if equipped)
This lig ht c omes on when the ig nition switc h is ON and g oes out ab out 2
sec ond s later.
It b links when the VDC func tion is ac tivated . It il luminates when only the
TCS (trac tion c ontrol) func tion is op erating .
The VDC system is p rob ab ly faulty und er any of the following c ond itions.
Have your vehic le c hec ked at a SUBARU d ealer immed i ately.
The lig ht d oes not c ome on when the ig nition switc h is turned to the
“ ON ” p osition.
The lig ht d oes not g o out even after a p eriod of ab out 2 sec ond s after
the ig nition switc h has b een turned to the “ON ” p osition.
VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) OFF indicator light (if equipped)
This ind ic ator lig ht c omes on when the ig nition swi tc h is turned ON
and g oes out ab out 6 sec ond s after the eng ine has s tarted .
It c omes on when the VDC and TCS (trac tion c ontrol) func tions are
d eac tivated (in the stand b y state). NOTE It may take some time before the light goes out (the engine
warms up) after the engine has been started in cold weather. This does not indicate the existence of a problem. The light should goout as soon as the engine has warmed up.

3-24Fog light switch (if equipped)
The fog lig hts op erate only when the head lig hts are
on low b eam. Push
the fog lig ht switc h to turn the fog lig hts on.
Press the switc h ag ain to turn them off.
HB2025BB
The ind ic ator lig ht loc ated on the switc h will illu minate when the fog
lig hts are on.
Wiper and washer
WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use the windshield washer until the
windshield is sufficiently warmed by the defroster.Otherwise the washer fluid can freeze on the windshield, blocking
your view.
CAUTION
Do not operate the washer continuously for more than ten se-
conds, or when the washer fluid tank is empty. This may cause
overheating of the washer motor. Check the washer fluid level fre-
quently, such as at fuel stops.

6-14Floor mat (if equipped)
CAUTION
Make sure the driver ’s floor mat is placed back in its proper loca-
tion and correctly secured on its retaining pin. If the floor mat slips forward and interferes with the movement of the pedals dur-ing driving, it could cause an accident.
HB6016BA
HB6015BA
A retaining p in is loc ated on the d rivers sid e of t he vehic le next to the
fuel filler d oor release. The floor mat is sec ured using the b uilt-in g rom-
met, b y p lac ing the g rommet over the p in and p ushin g d ownward .
Luggage cover (if equipped)
WARNING
Do not place anything on the extended cover. Putting excessive weight on the extended cover can break it and an object on the
cover could tumble forward in the event of a sudden stop or colli-
sion. This could cause serious injury.
The lug g ag e c over is p rovid ed for c overing the c arg o area and to p ro-
tec t its c ontents from d irec t sunlig ht. This c over is d etac hab le to make
room for ad d itional c arg o.

7
Starting and operating Fuel7-2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel requirements 7-2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel filler lid and cap 7-4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
State emission testing (U.S. only) 7-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preparing to drive 7-8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the engine 7-8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 –4F ( –20 C) 7-10 . . .
Starting a flooded engine 7-10
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stopping the engine 7-10
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual transmission 7-11
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission 7-14
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selector lever for automatic transmission 7-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shift lock release 7-19
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) 7-20 . . .
Power steering 7-20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Braking 7-21
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Braking tips 7-21
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake system 7-22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators 7-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) 7-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) system (if equipped) 7-25 . . . . . .
Parking your vehicle 7-31
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control (if equipped) 7-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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 2.5 Liter models
The 2.5 Liter eng ine is d esig ned to op erate using u nlead ed g asoline
with an oc tane rating of 87 AKI or hig her. 3.0 Liter models
The 3.0 Liter eng ine is d esig ned to op erate using p remium unlead ed
g asoline with an oc tane rating of 91 AKI or hig her. Reg ular unlead ed
g asoline with an oc tane rating of 87 AKI may b e use d if nec essary.
For op timum eng ine p erformanc e and d riveab ility, it is rec ommend ed
that you use p remium g rad e unlead ed g asoline. Fuel octane rating
This oc tane rating is the averag e of the Researc h O c tane and Motor
Oc tane numb ers and is c ommonly referred to as the A nti 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 fuel with the sp ec ified oc tane ra ting 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.

Starting and operating7-3
–
CONTINUED –

Gasoline for California-certified LEV
Your vehic le was c ertified to California ’s low emission vehic le (LEV)
stand ard s as ind ic ated on the und erhood tune-up lab el. It is d esig ned
to op timize eng ine and emission p erformanc e with g a soline that
meets the c lean b urning low-sulfur California g asol ine sp ec ific ations.
If you live in any other state than California, you r vehic le will op erate
on g asoline meeting Fed eral sp ec ific ations. Gasolin e sold outsid e
California is p ermitted to have hig her sulfur level s, whic h may affec t
the p erformanc e of your vehic le ’s c atalytic c onverter and may p ro-
d uc e a sulfur exhaust od or or smell. SUBARU rec omme nd s that you
try a d ifferent b rand of unlead ed g asoline having l ower sulfur to d eter-
mine if the p rob lem is fuel related b efore returnin g your vehic le to an
authorized d ealer for servic e. Gasoline for cleaner air CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels containing alcohol may cause paint damage, which is not cov-
ered under the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Your use of g asoline with d eterg ent ad d itives will help p revent d ep os-
its from forming in your eng ine and fuel system. Th is help s keep your
eng ine in tune and your emission c ontrol system wor king p rop erly,
and is a way of d oing your p art for c leaner air. If you c ontinuously use
a hig h q uality fuel with the p rop er d eterg ent and o ther ad d itives, you
should never need to ad d any fuel system c leaning a g ents to your
fuel tank.
Many g asolines are now b lend ed with materials c alle d oxyg enates.
Use of these fuels c an also help keep the air c lean er. Oxyg enated
b lend fuels, suc h as MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl et her) or ethanol
(ethyl or g rain alc ohol) may b e used in your vehic l e, b ut should c on-
tain no more than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the p rop er op eration
of your SUBARU.

7-4In ad d ition, some g asoline sup p liers are now p rod uc
ing reformulated
g asolines, whic h are d esig ned to red uc e vehic le emi ssions. SUBARU
ap p roves the use of reformulated g asoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel c ontains, you sho uld ask your servic e
station op erators if their g asolines c ontain d eterg ents and oxyg enates
and if they have b een reformulated to red uc e vehic l e emissions.
As ad d itional g uid anc e, only use fuels suited for y our vehic le as ex-
p lained b elow. Fuel should b e unlead ed and have an oc tane rating n o lower than
that sp ec ified in this manual. Methanol (methyl or wood alc ohol) is sometimes mixe d with un-
lead ed g asoline. Methanol c an b e used in your vehic le ONLY if it
d oes not exc eed 5% of the fuel mixture AND if it is ac c omp anied b y
suffic 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.

Starting and operating7-5
–
CONTINUED –
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.
HBF013DA
HB3000BB
Sedan
HB3007BA
HB3001BD
1. To op en the fuel filler lid , p ull the lid release lever up .