2005 SUBARU LEGACY engine overheat

1-10
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the ignition switch is
either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
Each seat heater has four levels of adjustment. To use
the heater in the right hand seat, turn the “R” adjust-
ment knob forward until the “ ” mark reaches the
desired position. To activate the heater in the left hand
seat, turn the “L” adjustment knob forward until the
“ ” mark reaches the desired position. Each heater
warms the seat most quickly with the “ ” mark on
the adjustment knob in the furthest-forward position.
An indicator light on the adjustment knob for each seat
heater comes on when that seat heater is activated.
When the vehicle’s interior is warmed enough or be-
fore you leave the vehicle, be sure to turn the switch
off.
"
There is a possibility that people with delicate
skin may suffer slight burns even at low tem-
peratures if they use the seat heater for a long
period of time. When using the heater, always
be sure to warn the persons concerned. " Do not put anything on the seat which insu-
lates against heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
or similar items. This may cause the seat heater
to overheat.
NOTE " Use of the seat heater for a long period of time
while the engine is not running can cause battery
discharge." When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine,
paint thinner, or any similar materials.
UB1208BA

3-27
Instruments and controls
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lubricating system is not working properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does not go out
after the engine starts, stop the engine at the first safe
opportunity and check the engine oil level. If the oil lev-
el is low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is at the
proper level but the light remains on, contact your
nearest SUBARU dealer immediately. !AT OIL TEMPerature warning
light (AT vehicles)
The AT oil temperature warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and
goes out after about two seconds.
If this light comes on when the engine is running, it
may indicate that the automatic transmission fluid tem-
perature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, it is unnecessary to
stop the vehicle, but avoid driving up steep grades or
in stop and go traffic. ! Automatic transmission control system warn- ing
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it may indi-cate that the automatic transmission control system is
not working properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately. !
Low tire pressure warning light (if
equipped)
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position,
the low tire pressure warning light will come on for
about 2 seconds to check that the tire pressure moni-
toring system (TPMS) is functioning properly. If there
is no problem and all tires are properly inflated, the
light will go out.
When the tire pressure monitoring system warning
light is lit, one or more of your tires is significantly un-
der-inflated. You should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure as indicated on the vehicle’s tire information plac- ard.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-in-
flation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping
ability. Each tire, including the spare, should be
checked monthly when cold and set to the recom-
mended inflation pressure as specified in the vehicle
placard and owner’s manual.
If this light does not come on briefly after the ig-
nition switch is turned ON or the light is flash-

6-18
Interior equipment
To use the cigarette lighter, push in the knob and wait
a few moments. It will automatically spring up when
ready for use.
To avoid being burned, never grasp the lighter
by the end with the heating element. Doing so
could result in injury and could also damage
the heating element.
Do not hold the lighter pushed in, because it
will overheat.
! Using as an accessory power outlet
Electrical power (12V DC) from the battery is available
at the socket when the ignition switch is either in the
“ACC” or “ON” position.
If you use the socket as an accessory power outlet,
take the following precautions.
When the socket is not in use, always put the cap on
the socket to prevent any foreign object from enteringit.
" Use only in-car use electrical appliances
which are designed for 12V DC and which con-
sume less than 120W. Overloading the socket
can cause a short circuit. Do not use double
adapters or more than one electrical appliance. " If the plug on your electric appliance is either
too loose or too tight for the socket, this can re-
sult in a poor contact or cause the plug to get
stuck. Only use plugs that fit properly. " Use of an electric appliance in the socket for
a long period of time while the engine is not
running can cause battery discharge. " Before driving your vehicle, make sure that
the plug and the cord on your electrical appli-
ance will not interfere with your shifting gears
and operating the accelerator and brake pedals.
If they do, do not use the electrical appliance
while driving.
If the socket has been used for electrical appliances,
damage may have been done to the internal mecha-
nism that causes a cigarette lighter to “pop out” after
its element has been heated. For that reason, a ciga-
rette lighter, even if it is a genuine part, should not be

7-15
Starting and operating
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Turbo models
mph (km/h)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
! 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 prop-erly.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock when the
vehicle rapidly accelerates or rapidly pulls away from
a standstill. This phenomenon does not indicate a
fault.
A slight reduction in output torque may occur in the
models with a 3.0-liter or 2.5-liter turbo engine before
the engine warms up.
Gear Except
OUTBACKOUTBACK
1st 32 (52) 32 (52)
2nd 54 (88) 54 (88)
3rd 80 (129) 78 (127)

7-16
Starting and operating
Automatic transmission – 4 speed
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
and provides 4 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed.
Also, it has a manual mode and a SPORT mode.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D” or “R” position while depressing the ac-
celerator 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 when wheels are
used blocks. This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat." 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.
NOTE
Immediately after ATF (automatic transmission
fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic
transmission operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data which the
on-board computer has collected and stored inmemory 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.

7-25
Starting and operating
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4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the selec-
tor 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 im-
mediately to have the system repaired.
Automatic transmission – 5 speed
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
and provides 5 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed.
Also, it has a manual mode and a SPORT mode.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D” or “R” position while depressing the ac-
celerator 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 when wheels are
used blocks. This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat." Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
UB7201BA

7-37
Starting and operating
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Braking !Braking tips
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This can cause dangerous overheating
of the brakes and needless wear on the brake
pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result, brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehi-
cle at a safe speed while lightly depressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. ! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addition
to foot braking. When descending a grade, if only the
foot brake is used, the brakes may start working im-
properly because of brake fluid overheating, caused
by overheated brake pads. To help prevent this, shift
into a lower gear to get stronger engine braking. !
Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a tire
is punctured. This could cause a loss of control of the
vehicle. Keep driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place. ! Brake system
! Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has a dual circuit brake system. Each cir-
cuit works diagonally across the vehicle. If one circuit
of the brake system should fail, the other half of the
system still works. If one circuit fails, the brake pedal
will go down much closer to the floor than usual and
you will need to press it down much harder. And a
much longer distance will be needed to stop the vehi- cle. ! Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold vacuum to
assist braking force. Do not turn off the engine while
driving because that will turn off the brake booster, re-
sulting in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even when the brake
booster completely stops functioning. If this happens,
however, you will have to push the pedal much harder

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Driving tips
!
Driving on grades
" Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift
into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to
utilize the engine braking effect and prevent overheat-
ing of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden
downshifts." When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating." When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature gauge pointer (for all vehicles)
and AT OIL TEMP warning light (for AT vehicles) since
the engine and transmission are relatively prone to
overheating under these conditions. If the water tem-
perature gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT
zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates,
immediately switch off the air conditioner and stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheating” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and
indicator lights” section in chapter 3.
NOTE
With AT vehicles, the temperature of engine cool-
ant is less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT zone in
the “D” position than in the manual mode position. " If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid
using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to over-
heat. !
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and trailer
when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. You
should not park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the
vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the
regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the park-
ing brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmission)
or “P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the en-
gine.