2004 SUBARU LEGACY check engine

3-16
Instruments and controls
It blinks when the skid suppression function is activat-
ed. It illuminates when only the traction control func-
tion is operating.
The VDC system is probably faulty under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer immediately. y
The light does not come on when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position. y The light does not go out even after a period of
about 2 seconds after the ignition switch has been
turned to the “ON” position. „ VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control)
OFF indicator light (if equipped)
y This indicator light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned ON and goes out about 6 seconds af-
ter the engine has started. y It comes on when the VDC system is deactivated
(by operating “VDC OFF” switch or in the standby state).
NOTE y The light may stay on for a while after the engine
has been started, especially in cold weather. This
does not indicate the existence of a problem. The
light should go out as soon as the engine has warmed up.y
The “VDC OFF” indicator light comes on when
the engine has developed 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. y The VDC OFF indicator light does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position. y The light does not go out even after several minutes
have passed (the engine has warmed up) after the en-
gine has been started. „ Security system status indicator
light (if equipped)
This light is found at the bottom center of the combina-
tion 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, refer to the “Security
system (if equipped)” in Chapter 2.

4-14
Climate control
T
OUT.TEMP switch
To check the outside air temperature, push the
“OUT.TEMP” switch. The outside air temperature will
be displayed for five seconds, and then the display au-
tomatically changes back to the inside air tempera- ture.
The display changes over from the inside air tempera-
ture to the outside air temperature as its normal indi-
cation if you keep the switch pressed for more than 2seconds.
NOTE y The outside air temperature display shows the
outside air temperature in a range from –22 to
131 °F (–30 to 55 °C).
y You can check the outside air temperature even
when the Automatic Climate Control is off. (The ig-
nition switch should be in the “ON” position.) y In the following cases, the display can indicate a
higher temperature than the actual outside air
temperature: – In direct sunlight
– When the vehicle is parked for a long period of
time with the engine kept running.
– During stop and go driving
T – Defroster switch
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield and side win- dow, 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 control panel comes on.
Even with the defroster switch pushed, you can turn
the air conditioner ON/OFF and select interior air recir-
culation or outside air introduction as desired.
After eliminating the fogging from the windshield, set
the air conditioner back in the AUTO mode by pushing
the “AUTO” switch or turn off by pushing the “OFF”
switch or “ ” switch.

4-20
Climate control
„
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 condition
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.

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) ............... 7-7
Preparing to drive ......................................... 7-9
Starting the engine ....................................... 7-10 Starting the engine for a manual transmission vehicle ...................................... 7-10
Starting the engine for an automatic transmission vehicle ...................................... 7-10
Starting the engine during cold weather
below –4 °F (–20 °C) ......................................... 7-11
Starting a flooded engine ................................. 7-11
Stopping the engine ..................................... 7-12
Manual transmission .................................... 7-12 Shifting speeds ................................................. 7-13
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-14
Automatic transmission (L, L-S, OUTBACK) .................................... 7-15Selector lever .................................................... 7-16
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-20
Automatic transmission (with SPORTSHIFT mode – 2.5GT, 2.5GTLO) .. 7-21Selector lever .................................................... 7-22
Selection of SPORTSHIFT mode (manual mode) ................................................ 7-25
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-28
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .............................................. 7-29 Power steering .............................................. 7-30
Braking ........................................................... 7-30
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-30
Brake system .................................................... 7-31
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ........ 7-31
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ..................... 7-32 ABS system self-check .................................... 7-32
ABS warning light ............................................. 7-33
VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) system (if equipped) ............................................... 7-34VDC system monitor ........................................ 7-36
VDC OFF switch ................................................ 7-38
Parking your vehicle ..................................... 7-40
Cruise control (if equipped) ......................... 7-42 To set cruise control ........................................ 7-43
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ....... 7-44
To turn off the cruise control ........................... 7-44
To change the cruising speed ......................... 7-45

7-3
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or smell.
SUBARU recommends that you try a different brand of
unleaded gasoline having lower sulfur to determine if
the problem is fuel related before returning your vehi-
cle to an authorized dealer for service. The CHECK
ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp may
also turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
SUBARU dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that
the condition is caused by the type of fuel used, re-
pairs may not be covered by your warranty. TMMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-enhancing additive
called MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tri-
carbonyl). If you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and the CHECK
ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on. If this happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty. T Gasoline for cleaner air
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of
the vehicle. Fuels containing alcohol may cause paint damage, which is not covered un-
der the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Your use of gasoline with detergent additives will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system. This helps keep your engine in tune and your
emission control system working properly, and is a
way of doing your part for cleaner air. If you continu-
ously use a high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never need to add any
fuel system cleaning agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called
oxygenates. Use of these fuels can also help keep the
air cleaner. Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol (ethyl or grain
alcohol) may be used in your vehicle, but should con-
tain no more than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now produc-
ing reformulated gasolines, which are designed to re-
duce vehicle emissions. SUBARU approves the use of reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains, you should
ask your service station operators if their gasolines
contain detergents and oxygenates and if they have

7-7
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
yYou will see the “FUEL DOOR ” sign in the
combination meter. This indicates that the fuel fill-
er door (lid) is located on the right side of the ve-
hicle. y 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.
y Never add any cleaning agents to the fuel
tank. The addition of a cleaning agent may
cause damage to the fuel system. y Make sure that the cap is tightened until it
clicks to prevent fuel spillage in the event of an
accident. y Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of
the vehicle. Fuels may cause paint damage,
which is not covered under the SUBARU Limit-
ed Warranty. y Always use a genuine SUBARU fuel filler cap.
If you use the wrong cap, it may not fit or have
proper venting, and your fuel tank and emis-
sion control system might be damaged.
State emission testing (U.S. only)
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle must
NEVER be performed on a single two-wheel dy-
namometer. Attempting to do so will result in
uncontrolled vehicle movement and may cause
an accident or injuries to persons nearby.
Resultant vehicle damage due to improper test-
ing is not covered under the SUBARU Limited
Warranty and is the responsibility of the state
inspection program or its contractors or licens-
ees.
At state inspection time, remember to tell your in-
spection or service station in advance not to place
your SUBARU AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dyna-
mometer. Otherwise, serious transmission dam-
age will result.
Some states have started using dynamometers in
their state inspection programs in order to meet their

7-8
Starting and operating
obligation under federal law to implement stricter vehi-
cle emission standards to reduce air pollution from
cars. A dynamometer is a treadmill or roller-like testing
device that allows your car’s wheels to turn while the
car remains in one place. Depending on the severity of
a state’s air pollution problems, the states must adopt
either a “basic” or “enhanced” vehicle emission in-
spection test. Normally, a portion of the basic emission
test consists of an emission inspector inserting an an-
alyzer probe into the exhaust pipe of an idling vehicle
for a short period of time. States with more severe air
pollution problems are required to adopt an enhanced
vehicle emission test. This test simulates actual driv-
ing conditions on a dynamometer and permits more
accurate measurement of tailpipe emitted pollution
than the basic emission test.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
states using two-wheel dynamometers in their emis-
sion testing programs have
EXEMPTED SUBARU
AWD vehicles from the portion of the testing program
that involves a two-wheel dynamometer.
There are some states that use four-wheel dynamom-
eters in their testing programs. When properly used,
that equipment will not damage an AWD SUBARU ve-
hicle.
Under no circumstances should the rear wheels be jacked off the ground, nor should the driveshaft be dis-
connected for state emission testing.
The EPA has issued regulations for inspecting the On-
Board Diagnostic (OBD) system as part of the state
emissions inspection. The OBD system is designed to
detect engine and transmission problems that might
cause vehicle emissions to exceed allowable limits.
These inspections apply to all 1996 model year and
newer passenger cars and light trucks. Several states
plus the District of Columbia have opted to start the
OBD system inspection prior to the required EPA reg-
ulation effective date of January 1, 2002. Other states
will add OBD system inspection in 2002. y
The inspection of the OBD system consists of a vi-
sual operational check of the “ CHECK ENGINE” warn-
ing light/malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and an ex-
amination of the OBD system with an electronic scan
tool while the engine is running. y A vehicle passes
the OBD system inspection if
proper the “ CHECK ENGINE ” warning light/MIL illumi-
nation is observed, there is no stored diagnostic trou-
ble codes, and the OBD system readiness monitors
are complete. y A vehicle fails
the OBD inspection if the “ CHECK
ENGINE ” warning light/MIL is not properly operating
or there is one or more diagnostic trouble codes stored

7-9
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
in vehicle’s computer with the “ CHECK ENGINE”
warning light/MIL illuminated. y A state emission inspection may reject (not pass or
fail) a vehicle if the number of OBD system readinessmonitors “ Not Ready ” is greater than three. Under this
condition, the vehicle operator should be instructed to
drive his/her vehicle for a few days to set the monitors
and return for an emission re-inspection. y Owners of rejected or failing vehicles should contact
their SUBARU Dealer for service.Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks and adjust-
ments every day before you start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and lights are
clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of the tires.
Also check tires for proper inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk and rear gate are fully
closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mir-rors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your passengers
have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and indicator
lights when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” po- sition.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warning lights af-
ter starting the engine.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer flu-
id and other fluid levels should be checked daily,
weekly or at fuel stops.