2003 SUBARU OUTBACK brake

7-20mph (km/h)
Vehicle
typeBrighton LOUTBACK
PositiontypeBrighton, L2.5 liter3.0 liter
135 (56)31 (50)35 (57)
264 (103)62 (100)69 (111)
3100 (161)102 (164)111 (178)
NOTE In order to prevent over-revving during deceleration of the
vehicle, the transmission will remain in the current gear if thespeed of the vehicle is in excess of the Maximum AllowableSpeed for the gear to which the selector lever has been moved. Driving tips
Always apply the foot or parking brake when the vehicle is
stopped in the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position.
Always set the parking brake when parking your vehicle. Do not
hold the vehicle with only the transmission. Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary position on an uphill grade
by using the “D”, “3”, “2”, or “1” position. Use the brake instead.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock when the vehicle rapidly
accelerates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This phenomenondoes not indicate a fault.
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from the “P” position with the brake
pedal depressed and the ignition switch in the “ON” position, perform
the following steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the edge with the regular screwdriver.

7
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HB7020BA
HB7010CA
4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the selector lever from the“P” to the “N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole. Depress the brake pedal and
start the engine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU dealer immediately to have the
system repaired.
Automatic transmission (with SPORTSHIFT mode – 2.5GT, 2.5GTLO)
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into the “D”, “3”, “2”,
“1” or “R” position while depressing the accelerator pedal. This
may cause the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped. Shifting while the vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission. Do not race the engine for more than five seconds in any posi-
tion except the “N” or “P” position when the brake is set or when

7-22wheel blocks are used. This may cause the automatic transmis- sion fluid to overheat.
Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving positions into
the “R” position or vice versa until the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may cause damage to the transmission.
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled with 4-forward
speeds and 1-reverse speed. Also, it has a SPORTSHIFT mode.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is reconnected or ATF (au- tomatic transmission fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the auto-matic transmission operation is somewhat unusual.This results from erasure or invalidation of data which the on-boardcomputer has collected and stored in memory to allow the transmis-sion to shift at the most appropriate times for the current conditionof your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored as the vehiclecontinues to be driven for a while. Selector lever
HB7025BAHB7026BB
When the brake pedal depressed, shift while pressing the button in.
Shift while pressing the button in.
Shift without pressing the button.

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The selector lever has seven positions,
“P”, “R”, “N”, “D”, “3”, “2” and
“1” , and also has a manual gate for using “SPORTSHIFT” mode.
The release button must be pushed to select the “P”, “R”, or “2” posi-
tions.
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 vehicle with only the transmis-
sion. A shift interlock function is employed in the automatic transmission
system to ensure safe starting of the vehicle.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to any other position, you have
to depress the brake pedal fully then push the release button on the selector lever 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, the release button pushed in, and the ignition
switch in the ON position, refer to the “Shift lock release ” section in
chapter 3. R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, first stop the vehicle completely
then move the lever to the “R” position while pushing the release but-
ton. N (Neutral)
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever in the “N” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no effect in this condition and the risk of an accident is consequently increased.

7-24This 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 onthe slightest incline unless the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine braking effect.
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 acceler- ator 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.
To use the SPORTSHIFT mode, move the lever from this position intothe manual gate. n While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to 4th gear is prevented from
taking place when the accelerator is released. This minimizes the
chance of subsequent downshifting to a lower gear when accelerat-
ing again. This prevents repeated upshifting and downshifting result-ing in a smoother operation of the vehicle. NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal is pressed to accelerate the vehicleagain. n While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake pedal will cause
the transmission to downshift to 3rd gear, thus applying engine brake-
ing. Reacceleration for a short time will cause the transmission to up-
shift normally. NOTE In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a downhill grade

7-28
Maximum speeds
WARNING
When down shifting a gear, ensure that the vehicle is not travel- ling at a speed exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speed for thegear which is about to be selected. Failure to observe this pre-caution can lead to engine over-revving and this in turn canresult in engine damage.In addition, sudden application of engine braking caused bydownshifting when the vehicle is travelling on a slippery surfacecan lead to wheel locking; as a consequence, control of the
vehicle may be lost and the risk of an accident increased.
The following tables show the maximum speeds that are possible with
each different gear. The tachometer ’s (if so equipped) needle will
enter the red area if these speeds are exceeded.
When down shifting, it is important to confirm that the current vehicle speed is not in excess of the Maximum Allowable Speed of the gearwhich is about to be selected.
Exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speeds will result in over-revving
of the engine. In addition a powerful engine brake will engage and
control of the vehicle may be lost.
mph (km/h)
Vehicle type
Position2.5GT
129 (47)
258 (93)
396 (154)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
NOTE In order to prevent over-revving during acceleration of the
vehicle, the transmission will automatically shift to the next high-
er gear if the Maximum Allowable Speed for the current gear is

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reached.
Similarly, in order to prevent over-revving during deceleration
of the vehicle, the transmission will remain in the current gear ifthe speed of the vehicle is in excess of the Maximum AllowableSpeed for the gear to which the selector lever has been moved. Driving tips
Always apply the foot or parking brake when the vehicle is
stopped in the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” , or “R” position.
Always set the parking brake when parking your vehicle. Do not
hold the vehicle with only the transmission. Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary position on an uphill grade
by using the “D”, “3”, “2” or “1” position. Use the brake instead.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock when the vehicle rapidly
accelerates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This phenomenondoes not indicate a fault.
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from the “P” position with the brake
pedal depressed and the ignition switch in the “ON” position, perform
the following steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the edge with the regular screwdriver.
HB7030BA
HB7029BA

7-304. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver, push down the button and move the
selector lever from the
“P” to the “N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole. Depress the brake pedal and
start the engine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU dealer immediately to have the
system repaired.
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped)
CAUTION
Never start the engine while a tire on one side is jacked up, as
the vehicle may move. If one rear tire is spinning in mud, avoid continued spinning at
high speed as this could adversely affect the LSD. If a different size rear tire is temporarily used (as in an emer-
gency), it will adversely affect the LSD. Always replace it with aregular size tire as soon as possible.
The LSD provides optimum distribution of power according to the differ-
ence in revolutions between the right and left rear wheels that may be
caused by certain driving conditions, thereby improving driving stability
on snow-covered, muddy or other slippery roads.