2003 SUBARU FORESTER air condition

4-10
Climate control

Defrosting or defogging
To direct warm air to the windshield and front door win-
dows:
1. Set the air flow control dial to the “ ” position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the red side.
3. Set the fan speed control dial at the highest speed.
The air conditioner compressor automatically oper-
ates when the air flow control dial set in the “ ” or
“ ” position to provide better defogging perfor-
mance.
However, the air conditioner indicator light does not
come on at this time. Automatic climate control system (if
equipped)
NOTE
Operate the automatic climate control system
when the engine is running. When the engine coolant is cold, the blower
does not run. In the “AUTO” mode, when the air temperature
in the passenger compartment is sufficiently cool,
the air conditioner compressor does not operate.
For efficient defogging or dehumidifying in cold
weather, press the “A/C” switch on. Even when cooling is not necessary, setting the
temperature much lower than the current outlet air
temperature turns on the air conditioner compres-
sor automatically and the “A/C” indicator light on
the control panel comes on.
The automatic climate control system automatically
controls outlet air temperature, fan speed, air flow dis-
tribution air-inlet control, and air conditioner compres-
sor operation. It activates when the “AUTO” switch is
pressed, and is used in conjunction with the Temper-
ature control dial to maintain a constant, comfortable
climate within the passenger compartment.
The temperature can be set within a range of 65 –
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4-11
Climate control
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85°F(18–32 °C).
NOTE
The temperature is shown in units of Fahrenheit
for the US model and in Centigrade for the Canadi-
an model. Control panel
1) Temperature control dial
2) AUTO switch
3) Fan speed control dial
4) Air conditioner switch
5) Air flow control dial
6) Defroster switch
7) Rear window defogger switch (Refer to the “Rear win- dow defogger switch” in chapter 3.)
8) Air inlet selection switch
9) OFF/BRIGHT switch
AUTO switch
AUTO mode operation:
When the “AUTO” switch is pressed, the indicator light
on the switch illuminates, indicating that the Automatic
Climate Control system is operating in the automatic
mode. In the automatic mode, the system maintains
the desired cabin air temperature (this is set using the
temperature control dial) by automatically controlling
the fan speed, air flow mode, air inlet selection, and air
conditioner compressor operation.
123456
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HS4023BA

4-12
Climate control
Manual mode operation:
If you operate any of the switches and dials on the
control panel other than the “OFF” switch and temper-
ature control dial during automatic mode operation,
the indicator light on the “AUTO” switch goes out. You
can then manually control the system as desired using
the switch or dial you operated.
To change the system back to the AUTO mode, press
the “AUTO” switch.
OFF switch
The Automatic Climate Control system turns off (the
air conditioner compressor and fan turn off) when the
“OFF” switch is pressed.
When the “OFF” switch is pressed, the outside air in-
troduction mode (air inlet selection OFF) is automati-
cally selected.
NOTE
Display illumination dimness cancellation (BRIGHT):
Setting the light switch to the “ ” or “ ”
position causes the illumination on the display
panel to dim. When traveling with the lights on in
gloomy daylight or in twilight, press the OFF
switch for 1 second or longer if you feel it is too
hard to identify the illumination clearly. The bright-
ness comes back to normal. If you wish to dim the illumination again, hold
down the OFF switch again or if you can safely do
so, turn the light switch OFF and then place it in
the “ ” or “ ” position.
Temperature control dial
This dial is used to set the desired interior tempera-
ture. With the dial is set your desired temperature, the
system automatically adjusts the temperature of air
supplied from the outlets such that the desired temper-
ature is achieved and maintained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise, the system
gives maximum cooling performance. If the dial is
turned fully clockwise, the system gives maximum
heating performance.

4-13
Climate control
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— Defroster switch
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield and side win-
dows, push the defroster switch “ ”. When the
“ ” switch is pushed, regardless whether the air
conditioner is operating or not, outside air is drawn into
the passenger compartment, the air conditioner com-
pressor turns on, air flow is directed towards the wind-
shield and side windows, and the indicator light on the
switch comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the windshield, re-
turn the climate control system to the AUTO mode by
pushing the “AUTO” switch or turn off by pushing the
“OFF” switch.
Alternatively, push the “ ” switch again to return the system to the setting that was selected before you
activated the defroster.
Fan speed control dial
The fan operates only when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position. Select any of the four fan speeds by
turning the fan speed control dial. The selected fan
speed is indicated by illumination of the corresponding
indicator light around the dial.
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4-14
Climate control

A/C — Air conditioner switch
If the windshield starts to fog when the climate control
system is operated in the AUTO mode, push the air
conditioner switch “A/C” to defog and dehumidify.
When this switch is pushed, the air conditioner com-
pressor turns on and the indicator light comes on. Af-
ter eliminating the fogging from the windshield, set the
system back to the AUTO mode by pushing the “AU-
TO” switch.
NOTE
The air conditioner compressor does not operate
when the outside air temperature is below 32 °F
(0 °C).
Air flow control dial
Select the desired air flow mode by turning the air flow
control dial. The selected air flow mode is indicated by
illumination of the corresponding indicator light around
the dial. (Ventilation): Air flows through the instrument panel
outlets.
(Bi-level): Air flows through the instrument panel
outlets and the foot outlets.
(Heat): Air flows through the foot outlets and some
through the windshield defroster outlets.
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4-15
Climate control
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(Heat-def): Air flows through the windshield de-
froster outlets and foot outlets. Air inlet selection switch
Select air flow by pushing the air inlet selection switch “” .
ON (Recirculation): Interior air recirculates inside the
passenger compartment. Use this position when
quickly cooling down the passenger compartment or
to prevent outside air from entering the passenger
compartment. The indicator light comes on when the
“Recirculation” mode is selected.
OFF (Outside air): Outside air is drawn into the pas-
senger compartment. When the climate control sys- tem is operated in the “AUTO” mode, this position is
selected automatically. The indicator light goes off
when the “Outside air” mode is selected.
Continued operation in the ON position may fog
up the windows. Switch to the OFF position as
soon as the outside dusty condition clears.
Temperature sensors
1) Interior air temperature sensor
2) Solar sensor
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4-17
Climate control
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Efficient cooling after parking in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with the windows
open for a few minutes to allow outside air to circulate
into the heated interior. This results in quicker cooling
by the air conditioner. Keep the windows closed during
the operation of the air conditioner for maximum cool-
ing efficiency. Lubrication oil circulation in the refrig-
erant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at a low en-
gine speed (at idle or low driving speeds) a few min-
utes each month during the off-season to circulate its
oil. Checking air conditioning system be-
fore summer season
Check the air conditioner unit for refrigerant leaks,
hose conditions, and proper operation each spring.
This check is best performed by your SUBARU dealer.
Cooling and dehumidifying in high hu-
midity and low temperature weather
conditions
Under certain weather conditions (high relative humid-
ity, low temperatures, etc.) a small amount of water
vapor emission from the air outlets may be noticed.
This condition is normal and does not indicate any
problem with the air conditioning system. Air conditioner compressor shut-off
when engine is heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage, the air con-
ditioner compressor is designed to temporarily shut off
during air conditioner operation whenever the acceler-
ator is fully depressed such as during rapid accerela-
tion or when driving on a steep upgrade. Refrigerant for your climate control
system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly refrigerant
HFC134a. Therefore, the method of adding, changing
or checking the refrigerant is different from the method
for CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU dealer for
service. Repairs needed as a result of using the wrong
refrigerant are not covered under warranty.

4-18
Climate control
Air filtration system (if equipped)
If your vehicle’s air conditioning system is equipped
with an air filtration system, replace the filter element
according to the replacement schedule shown below.
This schedule should be followed to maintain the fil-
ter’s dust collection ability. Under extremely dusty con-
ditions, the filter should be replaced more frequently. It
is recommended that you have your filter checked or
replaced by your SUBARU dealer. For replacement,
use only a genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule:
Every 12 months or 7,500 miles (12,000 km) whichev-
er comes first
Replacing an air filter
0
1. Remove the glove box.
1) Open the glove box.
2) Remove the nine screws securing the glove box.
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