2003 SUBARU OUTBACK chapter 9

3
Instruments and controls3-9
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Tachometer
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the pointer of the tachometer in
the red zone. In this range, fuel injection will be cut by the enginecontrol module to protect the engine from overrevving. Theengine will resume running normally after the engine speed isreduced below the red zone.
The tachometer shows the engine speed in thousands of revolutions perminute. Outside temperature indicator (if equipped)
The outside temperature indicator shows the outside temperature in a
range from –22F to 122 F ( –30 C to 50 C).
The indicator can give a false reading under any of the following condi-tions: When there is too much sun.
During idling; while running at low speeds in a traffic jam; when the
engine is restarted immediately following a shutdown. When the actual outside temperature falls outside the specified indi-
cator range. For vehicles with an automatic climate control, outside temperature can be displayed on the climate control display panel. Refer to the“ Automatic climate control system ” in chapter 4.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge shows the approximate amount of fuel remaining in thetank.
The gauge does not return to “E” even though the ignition switch is in the
“ACC” or “LOCK” position.
The gauge may move slightly during braking, turning or acceleration dueto fuel level movement in the tank.

3-10
Temperature gauge
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
See “ In case of emergency ” in chapter 9.
HB2012BB
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant temperature when the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position.
The coolant temperature will vary in accordance with the outside temper-
ature and driving conditions.
We recommend that you drive moderately until the pointer of the temper-
ature gauge reaches near the middle of the range. Engine operation is
optimum with the engine coolant at this temperature range and high rev-
ving operation when the engine is not warmed up enough should beavoided.
Warning and indicator lights
Several of the warning and indicator lights come on momentarily and
then go out when the ignition switch is initially turned to the “ON” posi-
tion. This permits checking the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position.
The following lights come on:

3-18the ignition switch has been turned to the
“ON” position.
VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) OFF indicator light (if equipped)
This indicator light comes on when the ignition switch is turned ON
and goes out about 6 seconds after the engine has started. It comes on when the VDC system is deactivated (by operating “VDC
OFF” switch or in the standby state).
NOTE The light may stay on for a while after the engine has been
started, especially in cold weather. This does not indicate the exis- tence of a problem. The light should go out as soon as the enginehas warmed up. The “VDC OFF ” indicator light comes on when the engine has de-
veloped a problem and the CHECK ENGINE warning light is on.
The VDC system is probably faulty under any of the following conditions. Have your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. The VDC OFF indicator light does not come on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position.
The light does not go out even after several minutes have passed (the
engine has warmed up) after the engine has been started. Security system status indicator light (if equipped)
This light is found at the bottom center of the combination meter panel. On vehicles equipped with a security system, it blinks to show the driver
the operational status of the security system. For detailed information, re-fer to the “Security system ” in Chapter 2.
Shift position indicator (for AT vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the shift lever.
If the transmission has a Sport Shift mode, the position of the shift lever is
shown by another indicator during Sport Shift mode operation. For de-
tails, refer to Chapter 7, “Automatic transmission ”.

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Instruments and controls3-19
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Turn signal indicator lights
These lights show the operation of the turn signal or lane change signal.
If the indicator lights do not blink or blink rapidly, the turn signal bulb
may be burned out. Replace the bulb as soon as possible. Refer to the“ Replacing bulbs ” section in chapter 11.
High beam indicator light
This light shows that the headlights are in the high beam mode.This indicator light also comes on when the headlight flasher is operated. Clock
HB2013BA
To set the time, turn the setting knob clockwise to advance and counter-
clockwise to retard the time.

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Instruments and controls3-25
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Do not operate the wipers when the windshield or rear window
is dry. This may scratch the glass, damage the wiper blades and
cause the wiper motor to burn out. Before operating the wiper on
a dry windshield or rear window, always use the windshield
washer. In freezing weather, be sure that the wiper blades are not fro-
zen to the windshield or rear window before switching on thewipers. Attempting to operate the wiper with the blades frozen tothe window glass could cause not only the wiper blades to be
damaged but also the wiper motor to burn out. If the wiper blade
is frozen to the window glass, be sure to operate the defroster,wiper deicer (if equipped) or rear window defogger before turning
on the wiper. If the wipers stop during operation because of ice or some oth-
er obstruction on the window, the wiper motor could burn outeven if the wiper switch is turned off. If this occurs, promptly stopthe vehicle in a safe place, turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”
position and clean the window glass to allow proper wiper opera-tion. Use clean water if windshield washer fluid is unavailable. In
areas where water freezes in winter, use SUBARU Windshield
Washer Fluid or the equivalent. (See “Windshield washer fluid ”
section in chapter 11.)Also, when driving the vehicle when there are freezing tempera-tures, use non-freezing type wiper blades. Do not clean the wiper blades with gasoline or a solvent, such
as paint thinner or benzene. This will cause deterioration of thewiper blades.
NOTE The wiper operates only when the ignition switch is in the “ON”
or “ACC” position.
Clean your wiper blades and window glass periodically with a
washer solution to prevent streaking, and to remove accumulations
of road salt or road film. Keep the washer button depressed at leastfor 1 second so that washer solution will be sprinkled all over the

3-26windshield or rear window.
Grease, wax, insects or other material on the windshield or the
wiper blades results in jerky wiper operation and streaking on the
glass. If you cannot remove those streaks after operating the
washer or if the wiper operation is jerky, clean the outer surface ofthe windshield or rear window and the wiper blades using a sponge
or soft cloth with a neutral detergent or mild-abrasive cleaner. After
cleaning, rinse the window glass and wiper blades with clean water.The glass is clean if no beads form on the glass when you rinse with
water. If you cannot eliminate the streaking even after following this pro-
cedure, replace the wiper blades with new ones. Refer to the “Wiper
blade replacement ” section (chapter 11) for replacement instruc-
tions. Windshield wiper and washer switches Windshield wipers
HB2019BB
To turn the wipers on, push the wiper control lever down.
: Intermittent
LO : Low speed
HI : High speed
To turn the wipers off, return the lever to the “OFF” position.

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HB4002BA
1. Adjust the seat position. Refer to the “Front seat ” section (chapter 1).
2. Pull the tilt lock lever down.
3. Move the steering wheel to the desired level.
4. Push the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
5. Make sure that the steering wheel is securely locked by moving it upand down.
Horn
OM-H0440
To sound the horn, push the horn pad.

4-4
Manual heating and air conditioning system
Control panel
HB5004BC
1. Temperature control dial
2. Fan speed control dial
3. Air flow control dial
4. Air conditioner button
5. Air inlet selection button
6. Rear window defogger button (Refer to “Rear window defogger ” in
chapter 3.) n Temperature control dial
This dial regulates the temperature of air flow from the air outlets over
a range from the blue area (cool) to red area (warm). n Fan speed control dial
The fan operates only when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position. The fan speed control dial is used to select four fan speeds. n Air flow control dial
This dial has the following five positions:
: Air flows through the instrument panel outlets.
: Air flows through the instrument panel outlets and the footoutlets.