2006 SUBARU LEGACY parking brake

Starting and operating 7-9
– CONTINUED –
onds. After checking that the parking
brake is firmly set, turn the ignition
switch to the “START” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal slightly
(approximately a quarter of the full
stroke). Release the accelerator pedal
as soon as the engine starts.
2) If this fails to start the engine, turn the
ignition switch back to the “OFF” posi-
tion and wait for at least 10 seconds.
Then fully depress the accelerator ped-
al and turn the ignition switch to the
“START” position. If the engine starts,
quickly release the accelerator pedal.
3) If this fails to start the engine, turn the
ignition switch again to the “OFF” posi-
tion. After waiting for 10 seconds or
longer, turn the ignition switch to the
“START” position without depressing
the accelerator pedal.
4) If the engine still refuses to start, con-
tact your nearest SUBARU dealer forassistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have gone out after the engine has
started. The fuel in jection system auto-
matically lowers the idle speed as the en-
gine warms up.
While the engine is warming up, make
sure that the selector lever is at the “P” or
“N” position and that the parking brake is
applied.
Stopping the engine
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling.
Manual transmission
The manual transmission is a fully syn-
chromeshed, 5-forward-speed and 1-re-
verse-speed transmission.
Do not stop the engine when the ve-
hicle is moving. This will cause loss
of power to the power steering and
the brake booster, making steering
and braking more difficult. It could
also result in a ccidental activation
of the “LOCK” position on the igni-
tion switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.Do not drive the vehicle with the
clutch disengaged (i.e., when the
clutch pedal is depressed) or with
the shift lever in the neutral posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
either of these conditions and the
risk of an accident is consequently
increased. Shift into reverse ONLY when the
vehicle has completely stopped. It
may cause damage to the transmis- sion to try shifti ng into reverse
when the vehicle is moving.

7-12 Starting and operating
NOTE yWhen the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.y Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has col-
lected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most
appropriate times for the current con-
dition of your vehicle. Optimized shift-
ing will be restored as the vehicle con-
tinues to be driven for a while. „
Selector lever
: Shift possible with brake pedal de-pressed
: 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. T P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine. In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically 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 transmission. To shift the selector lever from the “P” to
any other position, you should depress the
brake pedal fully then move the selector
lever. This prevents the vehicle from
lurching when it is started. T R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the le-
ver to the “R” position. T N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled en-
gine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the
transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neu-
tral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak- ing effect.
y
Avoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the
“R” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
y When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery.
700107

7-16 Starting and operating
mph (km/h)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
„ Driving tips
y On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill (safely and easily) by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manual
mode.y Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D” or“R” position.y Always set the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the vehi-
cle with only the transmission.y Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the
“D” position. Use the brake instead.y The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate a fault. „
SPORT mode
SPORT mode is used when power is
needed for rapid acceleration or for uphill
driving. To select this mode, move the se-
lector lever from the “D” position to the
manual gate. When selected, the SPORT mode indica-
tor light on the instrument panel will turnon.
To deselect SPORT mode, move the se-
lector lever to the “D” position or select
manual mode.
To subsequently reselect SPORT mode,
move the selector lever to the “D” position
and from there to the manual gate.
In this mode, the transmission shifts up at
higher vehicle speeds and shifts down
more responsively than in normal mode. „
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from
the “P” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the ignition switch in the “ON”
position, perform the following steps:
Position 2.5-liter non-turbo models
1 34 (55)
2 64 (103)
3 99 (160)
700112
700113

Starting and operating 7-17
– CONTINUED –
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the en-
gine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bucket.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the
edge with a flat-head screwdriver.
4. Insert the key into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector leve
r from the “P” to the
“N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start the en-
gine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately to have the system re-
paired. Automatic transmission – 5-
speed
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has
a manual mode and a SPORT mode.
700346
700347
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” po-
sition into the “D
” or “R” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle to
jump forward or backward. y Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after the vehic le is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause dam-
age to the transmission.
y Do not race the engine for more
than five seconds in any position
except the “N” or “P” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.

7-18 Starting and operating
NOTE yWhen the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.y Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has col-
lected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most
appropriate times for the current con-
dition of your vehicle. Optimized shift-
ing will be restored as the vehicle con-
tinues to be driven for a while. „
Selector lever
: Shift possible with brake pedal de-pressed
: 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. T P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine. In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically 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 transmission. To shift the selector lever from the “P” to
any other position, 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” po-
sition is selected, the engine is con-
trolled such that the engine speed
does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard. T R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the le-
ver to the “R” position. T N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled en-
gine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the
y
Avoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the
“R” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
y When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery.
700107

Starting and operating 7-19
– CONTINUED –
transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neu- tral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
NOTE (3.0-liter models only)
To protect the engine while the “N” po-
sition is selected, the engine is con-
trolled such that the engine speed
does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard.
NOTE
If the selector lever is in the “N” posi-
tion when you stop the engine for park-
ing, you may not subsequently be able
to move it to the “R” and “P” positions.
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.
T 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.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 4th, 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you re-
lease the pedal, the transmission will re-
turn to the original gear position.
To use the SPORT mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate.
To use the manual mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate
then move it toward the “+” and “–” ends. V While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to
4th or 5th gear is prevented from taking
place when the accelerator is released.
This minimizes the chance of subsequent
downshifting to a lower gear when accel-
erating again. This prevents repeated up-
shifting and downshifting resulting 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 ac-
celerate the vehicle again. V
While going down a hill
When you are descending a hill or any
other slope while braking with the
“SPORT” mode selected, the transmis-
sion may downshift to 4th or 3rd gear de-
pending on how hard you depress the
brake pedal, causing engine braking to
work. Reacceleration for a short time will
cause the transmission to upshift normal- ly.
NOTE y A 5th-to-4th automa tic downshift will
not occur at speeds above 78 mph (126
km/h) and a 4th-to-3rd automatic down-
shift will not occur at speeds above 53
mph (86 km/h). y Automatic down shifts to 4th or 3rd
may occur even when driving on a level
road depending on conditions, such as
how hard you depress the brake pedal. „ Selector lever reverse inhibit-
ing function
This function prevents accidental move-
ment of the selector lever to the “R” posi-
tion while the vehicle is moving.
The function becomes operational when
the vehicle reaches a speed of approxi-
Do not drive the vehicle with the se-
lector lever in the “N” (neutral) posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition and the risk of an ac-
cident is consequently increased.

Starting and operating 7-23
– CONTINUED –
mph (km/h)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
„ Driving tips
y On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill safely and easily by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manual
mode.y Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D” or
“R” position.y Always set the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the vehi-
cle with only the transmission.y Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the
“D” position. Use the brake instead.y The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate a fault. y
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. „ SPORT mode
SPORT mode is used when power is
needed for rapid acceleration or for uphill
driving. To select this mode, move the se-
lector lever from the “D” position to the
manual gate. When selected, the SPORT mode indica-
tor light on the instrument panel will turn
on.
To deselect SPORT
mode, move the se-
lector lever to the “D ” position or select
manual mode. To subsequently reselect
SPORT mode, move the selector lever to
the “D” position and from there to the man-
ual gate.
In this mode, the transmission shifts up at
higher vehicle speeds and shifts down
more responsively t han in normal mode.
„ Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from
the “P” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the ignition switch in the “ON”
position, perform the following steps:
Position 2.5-liter turbo
models3.0-liter models
1 35 (57) 27 (43)
2 59 (95) 61 (98)
3 94 (151) 96 (154)
700112
700113

7-24 Starting and operating
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the en-
gine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool
bucket.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the
edge with a flat-head screwdriver. 4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector leve
r from the “P” to the
“N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start the en-
gine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately to have the system re-
paired. Rear viscous limited slip dif-
ferential (LSD) (if equipped)
The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in revo-
lutions between the right and left rear
wheels that may be caused by certain
driving conditions, thereby improving driv-
ing stability on snow-covered, muddy or
other slippery roads.
700346
700347
y
Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the
vehicle may move.
y If one rear tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely af-
fect the LSD.
y If a different size rear tire is tem-
porarily used (as in an emergen-
cy), it will adversely affect the
LSD. Always replace it with a reg-
ular size tire as soon as possible.