2005 SUBARU OUTBACK air condition

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Climate control
NOTE
In a vehicle equipped with an air conditioner, when
the dial is placed in the “ ” position or “ ”
position the air conditioner compressor automati-
cally operates to quickly defog the windshield.
However the indicator on the air conditioner but-
ton will not come on. At the same time, the air inlet
selection is automatically set to “outside air” mode.
In this state, you cannot select “recirculation”
mode by manually pressing the air inlet selection button.
Also, you cannot stop the air conditioner com-
pressor by pressing the air conditioner button.
Automatic climate control system (if
equipped)
NOTE "
Operate the automatic climate control system
when the engine is running. " The blower fan rotates at a low speed when the
engine coolant temperature is low.
For efficient defogging or dehumidifying in cold
weather, press the “A/C” button. " Even when cooling is not necessary, setting the
temperature much lower than the current outlet air
temperature turns on the air conditioner compres-
sor automatically and the “A/C” indicator light on
the control panel comes on.
The automatic climate control system automatically
controls outlet air temperature, fan speed, air flow dis-
tribution air-inlet control, and air conditioner compres-
sor operation. It activates when the “AUTO” button is
pressed, and is used to maintain a constant, comfort-
able climate within the passenger compartment.
The temperature can be set within a range of 65 to 85 °F (18 to 32 °C).

4-11
Climate control
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!Control panel
A) AUTO button
B) Temperature control dial (driver’s side)
C) Defroster button
D) Temperature control dial (passenger’s side)
E) Rear window defogger button (Refer to the “Rear win- dow defogger button” in chapter 3.)
F) Air conditioner button
G) Air flow mode selection button
H) Fan speed control button
I) Air inlet selection button
J) OFF button !
AUTO button
AUTO mode operation:
When the “AUTO” button is pressed, the indicator light
“AUTO” on the display comes on. In this state, fan
speed, air flow distribution, air-inlet control, and air
conditioner compressor operation are automatically
controlled.
Manual mode operation:
If you operate any of the buttons on the control panel
other than the “OFF” button and temperature control
dial during automatic mode operation, the indicator
light “AUTO” on the control panel will go out. You can
then manually control the system as desired using the
AB
JIHGF E CD
UB4202BBUB4204BA

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Climate control
button you operated.
To change the system back to the AUTO mode, press
the “AUTO” button. !
OFF button
The Automatic Climate Control system turns off (the
air conditioner compressor and fan turn off) when the
“OFF” button is pressed.
When the “OFF” button is pressed, the outside air in-
troduction mode (air inlet selection OFF) is automati- cally selected. !
Temperature control dial
Driver’s side
UB4204CA
UB4204DA

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Climate control
– CONTINUED –
Passenger’s side
It is possible to make separate temperature settings
for the driver’s side and passenger’s side. Each tem-
perature setting is shown on the display. With the dial
set at your desired temperature, the system automati-
cally adjusts the temperature of air supplied from the
outlets such that the desired temperature is achieved
and maintained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise, the system
gives maximum cooling performance. If the dial is
turned fully clockwise, the system gives maximum
heating performance. !
– Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield and front door
windows, push the defroster button “ ”. When the
“ ” button 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 front door windows, and the indicator light
on the button comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the windshield, re-turn the climate control system to the AUTO mode by
pushing the “AUTO” button or turn off by pushing the
“OFF” button.
Alternatively, push the “ ” button again to return
UB4205BA
UB4205CA

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Climate control
the system to the setting that was selected before you
activated the defroster. !
Fan speed control button
The fan speed control button has the 7 positions:
AUTO position and 6 different fan speed positions.
The fan speed is shown by the display.
With the fan speed control button in the AUTO posi-
tion, the fan speed changes automatically correspond-
ing the various conditions: air temperature inside and
outside of the passenger’s compartment, intensity of
the sunlight, etc. !
A/C – Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the climate control system is operated in the AUTO mode, push the air
conditioner button “A/C” to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pushed, the air conditioner com-
pressor turns on and the indicator light “A/C” on the
display comes on. After eliminating the fogging from
the windshield, set the system back to the AUTO
mode by pushing the “AUTO” button.
NOTE
The air conditioner compressor does not operate
when the outside air temperature is below 32 °F
(0 °C).
UB4206BA
UB4207BA

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Climate control
ed, a “ ” indicator light appears on the display.
(Outside air): Outside air is drawn into the pas-
senger compartment. When the climate control sys-
tem is operated in the “AUTO” mode, this position is
selected automatically. (There is one exception: When
the temperature control dial is turned fully counter-
clockwise, the recirculation mode is automatically se-
lected.) When the outside air mode is selected, a
“ ” indicator light appears on the display.
Continued operation in the “ ” position
may fog up the windows. Switch to the
“ ” position as soon as the outside dusty
condition clears.
NOTE
When driving on a dusty road or behind a vehicle
that emits unpleasant exhaust gases, set the air
inlet selection button to the “ ” position.
From time to time, return the air inlet selection but-
ton to the “ ” position to draw outside air
into the passenger compartment. !
Temperature sensors
A) Solar sensor
B) Interior air temperature sensor
The automatic climate control system employs several
sensors. These sensors are delicate. If they are treat-
ed incorrectly and become damaged, the system may
not be able to control the interior temperature correct-
ly. To avoid damaging the sensors, observe the follow-
ing precautions:
– Do not subject the sensors to impact.
– Keep water away from the sensors.
– Do not cover the sensors.
A
B
UB4210BB

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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.
Have your SUBARU dealer perform this check. !
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 accelera-
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.

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Climate control
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Air filtration system (if equipped)
If your vehicle’s air conditioning system is equipped
with an air filtration system, replace the filter element
according to the replacement schedule shown below.
This schedule should be followed to maintain the fil-
ter’s dust collection ability. Under extremely dusty con-
ditions, the filter should be replaced more frequently.
Have your filter checked or replaced by your SUBARU
dealer. For replacement, we recommend the use of a
genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule:
Every 12 months or 7,500 miles (12,000 km) whichev-
er comes first
Contact your SUBARU dealer if the following
occurs, even if it is not yet time to change the
filter:
– Reduction of the air flow through the vents.
– Windshield gets easily fogged or misted.
NOTE
The filter can influence the air conditioning, heat- ing and defroster performance if not properly
maintained.