2005 SUBARU OUTBACK brake light

7-17
Starting and operating
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!Selector lever
: Shift possible with brake pedal depressed
: Shift possible with brake pedal not depressed
The selector lever has four positions, “P”, “R”, “N”, “D”
and also has manual gate for using “SPORT” mode or
manual mode. ! 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 ve-
hicle with only the transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to any other po-
sition, you should depress the brake pedal fully then
move the selector lever. This prevents the vehicle
from lurching when it is started. !
R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, stop the vehicle
completely then move the lever to the “R” position. ! N (Neutral)
This 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 on the slightest incline un-
less the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine braking effect.
NOTE
If the selector lever is in the “N” position when you
stop the engine for parking, you may not subse-
quently be able to move it to the “R” and “P” posi-tions. If this happens, turn the ignition switch to
the “ON” position. You will then be able to move
UB7522BA

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Starting and operating
When selected, the SPORT mode indicator light on
the instrument panel will turn on.
To deselect SPORT mode, move the selector lever to
the “D” position or select manual mode.
To subsequently reselect SPORT mode, move the se-
lector lever to the “D” position and from there to the
manual gate.
In this mode, the transmission shifts up at higher vehi-
cle speeds and shifts down more responsively than in
normal mode.
!
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from the “P” posi-
tion with the brake pedal depressed and the ignition
switch in the “ON” position, perform the followingsteps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bucket.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the edge with a flat-
head screwdriver.
UB7507CA
UB7200BA

7-27
Starting and operating
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fully, then shift into the “P” position. Do not hold the ve-
hicle with only the transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to any other po-
sition, you should depress the brake pedal fully then
move the selector lever. This prevents the vehicle
from lurching when it is started.
NOTE (3.0-liter models only)
To protect the engine while the “P” position is se-
lected, the engine is controlled such that the en-
gine speed does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard. !R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, stop the vehicle
completely then move the lever to the “R” position. ! N (Neutral)
This 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 on the slightest incline un-
less the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine braking effect.
NOTE (3.0-liter models only)
To protect the engine while the “N” position is se-
lected, the engine is controlled such that the en-
gine speed does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard.
NOTE
If the selector lever is in the “N” position when you
stop the engine for parking, you may not subse-
quently be able to move it to the “R” and “P” posi-tions. If this happens, turn the ignition switch to
the “ON” position. You will then be able to move
the selector lever to the “P” position.
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.
! D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable
gear from 1st to 5th according to the vehicle speed
and the acceleration you require.

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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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Starting and operating
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The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which
may occur during sudden braking or braking on slip-
pery road surfaces. This helps prevent the loss of
steering control and directional stability caused by
wheel lock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a
chattering noise or feel a slight vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal when the ABS operates.
The ABS system will not operate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). !ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and hear the operating sound of ABS from the engine com-
partment just after the vehicle is started. This is
caused by an automatic functional test of the ABS sys-
tem being carried out and does not indicate any abnor-
mal condition. !
ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after
about two seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
If the warning light behaves as follows, the ABS
system may not be working properly.
When the warning light is on, the ABS function
shuts down; however, the conventional brake
system continues to operate normally.
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Starting and operating
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Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system
The EBD system maximizes the effectiveness of the
brakes by allowing the rear brakes to supply a greater
proportion of the braking force. It functions by adjust-
ing the distribution of braking force to the rear wheels
in accordance with the vehicle’s loading condition and
speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the ABS system
and uses some of the ABS system’s components to
perform its function of optimizing the distribution of
braking force. If any of the ABS components used by
the EBD function fails, the EBD system also stops
working.
When the EBD system is operating, you may hear a
chattering noise or feel a slight vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunc- tion. !
Steps to take if EBD system fails
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system, the system
stops working and the brake system warning light and
ABS warning light come on simultaneously.
The EBD system may be faulty if the brake system
warning light and ABS warning light illuminate simulta-
neously during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conventional braking
system will still function. However, the rear wheels will
be more prone to locking when the brakes are applied
harder than usual and the vehicle’s motion may there-
fore become somewhat harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS warning
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Starting and operating
light illuminate simultaneously, take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both warning lights go
out, the EBD system may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again and stay illu-
minated after the engine has been restarted, shut
down the engine again, apply the parking brake, and
check the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “MIN” mark,
the EBD system may be faulty. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the system inspect-
ed.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “MIN” mark, DO
NOT drive the vehicle. Instead, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
"
Driving with the brake system warning light
on is dangerous. This indicates your brake sys-
tem may not be working properly. If the light re-
mains on, have the brakes inspected by a SUB-
ARU dealer immediately. " If at all in doubt about whether the brakes are operating properly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the nearest SUBA-
RU dealer for repair.

7-44
Starting and operating
spinning of the driving wheels on slippery road surfac-
es, thereby helping to maintain traction and directional
control. Activation of this function is shown by steady
illumination of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light. "
Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed to help
maintain directional stability by suppressing the
wheels’ tendency to slide sideways during steering op-
erations. Activation of this function is shown by flash-
ing of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indica-
tor light.
NOTE " Slight twitching of the brake pedal may be felt
when the Vehicle Dynamics Control system oper-
ates; a small degree of vehicle or steering wheel
shaking may also be noticed in this situation.
These are normal characteristics of Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation and are no cause for
alarm. " When driving off immediately after starting the
engine, a short-lived operation noise may be no-
ticed coming from the engine compartment. This
noise is generated as a result of a check being per-
formed on the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
and is normal. "
Depending on the timing of activation of the
brakes, certain situations may occur just after
driving off where the brake pedal seems to exhibit
a jolting motion. This too is a consequence of the
Vehicle Dynamics Control operational check and
is normal. " In the circumstances listed below, the vehicle
may be more unstable than it feels to the driver.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control System may there-
fore operate. Such operation does not indicate a
system fault. "on gravel-covered or rutted roads
" on unfinished roads
" when the vehicle is towing a trailer
" when the vehicle is fitted with snow tires or
winter tires
" Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem will cause operation of the steering wheel to
feel slightly different compared to that for normal
conditions." Even if the vehicle is equipped with a Vehicle
Dynamics Control system, it is important that win-
ter tires be used when driving on snow-covered or
icy roads. (All four wheels should be fitted with
tires of the same size and brand). Furthermore, if
snow chains are to be used, they should be fitted
on the front wheels. When a vehicle is fitted with