2003 SUBARU FORESTER lock

6-5
Interior equipment
–CONTINUED –
Glove box
1) Lock
2) Unlock
To open the glove box, pull the handle. To close it,
push the lid firmly upward.
To lock the glove box, insert the key and turn it clock- wise.
Center console
To open the lid, pull up the lock release.
If the console lid is fully opened when a large cup is put
in the rear passenger’s cup holder, the lid may hit the
cup and beverage may be spilled.
1 2
HS6030BBHS6031BA

7-1
7
Starting and operating
Fuel ............................................................... 7-2 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 ...................................... 7-9 Manual transmission vehicle ......................... 7-9
Automatic transmission vehicle .................... 7-9
Starting the engine during cold weather below –4°F (–20 °C) .................................................... 7-10
Starting a flooded engine ............................... 7-10
Stopping the engine .................................... 7-11
Manual transmission ................................... 7-11 Shifting speeds ............................................... 7-12
Driving tips ...................................................... 7-13
Automatic transmission .............................. 7-14 Selector lever for automatic transmission ... 7-15
Shift lock release ............................................ 7-18
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD)
(if equipped) ................................................. 7-20
Power steering ............................................. 7-20
Braking ......................................................... 7-21 Braking tips ..................................................... 7-21
Brake system ................................................... 7-21
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ...... 7-22
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ................... 7-22 ABS system self-check .................................. 7-23
ABS warning light ........................................... 7-23 Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
system (if equipped) .................................... 7-25
Steps to take if EBD system fails .................. 7-25
Parking your vehicle .................................... 7-27 Parking brake .................................................. 7-27
Parking tips ..................................................... 7-27
Hill holder (for manual transmission — if equipped) .................................................. 7-29
Cruise control (if equipped) ........................ 7-31 To set cruise control ...................................... 7-31
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ..... 7-32
To turn off the cruise control ......................... 7-32
To change the cruising speed ....................... 7-32
Self-leveling rear suspension (if equipped) 7-34

7-5
Starting and operating
–CONTINUED –
1) Open
2) Close
2. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it slowly coun-
terclockwise.
Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. Before
refueling, always first stop the engine and make
sure that there are no lighted cigarettes, 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 especially in hot
weather, which may cause injury.
3. Stop filling the tank after the fuel filler pump auto-
matically stops. Do not add any more fuel.
4. Put the cap back on, turn it clockwise until you hear
a clicking noise. Be certain not to catch the tether un-
der the cap while tightening.
5. Close the fuel filler lid completely.
If you spill any fuel on the painted surface, rinse it off
immediately. Otherwise, the painted surface could be
damaged.
NOTE
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 may come on. Refer to the
“Warning and indicator lights” section located in
chapter 3.
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.
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HS7007BB

7-11
Starting and operating
–CONTINUED –
Stopping the engine
The ignition switch should be turned off only when the
engine is idling.
Do not stop the engine when the vehicle is mov-
ing. This will cause loss of power to the power
steering and the brake booster, making steer-
ing and braking more difficult. It could also re-
sult in accidental activation of the “LOCK”
position on the ignition switch, causing the
steering wheel to lock.
Manual transmission
The manual transmission is a fully synchromeshed 5-
forward and 1-reverse speed transmission.
The shift pattern is shown on the shift lever knob.
When shifting from 5th gear to reverse gear, first re-
turn the shift lever to the neutral position then shift into
reverse gear.
To change gears, fully depress the clutch pedal, move
the shift lever, and gradually let up on the clutch pedal.
If it is difficult to shift into gear, put the transmission in
neutral, release the clutch pedal momentarily, and
then try again.
135
24R
N
135
24R
HS7008BA

7-13
Starting and operating
–CONTINUED –
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the ve-
hicle is not traveling at a speed exceeding the
Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear which
is about to be selected. Failure to observe this
precaution can lead to engine over-revving and
this in turn can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of engine
brakes when the vehicle is travelling on a slip-
pery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost
and the risk of an accident increased.
Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal
and do not use the clutch to hold your vehicle at a
standstill on an upgrade. Either of those actions may
cause clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the shift lever.
This may cause wear on the transmission compo- nents.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle speed due to
slow traffic, turning corners, or driving up steep hills,
downshift to a lower gear before the engine starts to labor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the transmission to
4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as necessary; this helps to main-
tain a safe speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking effect. Re-
member, if you “ride” (over use) the brakes while de-
scending a hill, they may overheat and not work
properly.

7-14
Starting and operating
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is recon-
nected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is re-
placed, you may feel that the automatic
transmission operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected and stored in
memory to allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current condition
of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored
as the vehicle continues to be driven for a while.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.

Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting
while the vehicle is moving may cause damage
to the transmission.
Do not race the engine for more than five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or the tires are on
blocks. This may cause the automatic transmis-
sionfluidtooverheat. Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such
shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.

7-15
Starting and operating
–CONTINUED –
Selector lever for automatic transmis- sion
: With the brake pedal depressed, move the leveralong the gate.
: Move the lever along the gate.
The selector lever has seven positions. P(Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and starting the
engine.
In this position, the transmission is mechanically
locked to prevent the vehicle from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the parking brake
fully, then shift into the “P” position. Do not hold the ve-
hicle with only the transmission.
P
R
N
D
3
2
1
HS7009AA
HS7010BA

7-16
Starting and operating
A shift interlock function is employed in the automatic
transmission system to ensure safe starting of the ve-
hicle.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to the any other
position, you have to depress the brake pedal fully
when the ignition switch is in the “ON” position. This
prevents the vehicle from lurching when it is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “P” position
with the brake pedal depressed, refer to the “Shift lock
release” section in this chapter.
R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, first stop the vehi-
cle completely then move the lever to the “R” position. N(Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled engine.
In this position the wheels and transmission are not
locked. In this position, the transmission is neutral; the
vehicle will roll freely, even on the slightest incline un-
less the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever
in the “N” (neutral) pos ition. Engine braking has no effect in this condition and the risk of an
accident is consequently increased.
D(Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable
gear from 1st to 4th according to the vehicle speed
and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this position,
press the accelerator pedal fully to the floor and hold
that position. The transmission will automatically
downshift to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to the original
gear position. While climbing a grade
When driving up hill, undesired upshift to 4th gear is
prevented from taking place when the accelerator
pedal is released. This minimizes the chances of sub-
sequent downshifting to a lower gear when accelerat-
ing again. This prevents repeated upshifting and
downshifting resulting in a smoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st