2006 SUBARU OUTBACK warning light

Instruments and controls
3-5
– CONTINUED –„ Key reminder chimeThe reminder chime sounds when the
driver’s door opens and the key is in the
“LOCK” or “ACC” positions. The chime
stops when the key is removed from the
ignition switch.
„ Ignition switch lightFor easy access to the ignition switch in
the dark, the ignition switch light comes on
when any of the doors are opened. The
light remains on for a several seconds and
gradually goes out after all doors are
closed or if the key is inserted in the igni-
tion switch. Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher is used to
warn other drivers when you have to park
your vehicle under emergency conditions.
The hazard warning flasher works with the
ignition switch in any position.
To turn on the hazard warning flasher,
push the hazard warning button on the in-
strument panel. To turn off the flasher,
push the button again.
NOTE When the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work. Meters and gauges (Turbo
models) NOTE Liquid-crystal displays are used in
some of the meters and gauges in the
combination meter. Yo u will find their
indications hard to see if you wear po-
larized glasses.
„ Combination meter illumina-
tion When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the various parts of the
combination meter are illuminated in the
following sequence:
1. Meter rims, gauge rims, warning lights,
and indicator lights light up.
2. Meter needles and gauge needles light
up.
3. Meter needles and gauge needles
each show MAX position.
4. Meter needles and gauge needles
each show MIN position.
5. Dials in meters and gauges light up.
6. Regular illumination (for driving) be-
gins. 300177

Instruments and controls
3-9“LOCK” position and back to the “ON” po-
sition, the rim will again flash five times.
NOTE
You will see the “ ” sign in the fuel
gauge.
This indicates that the fuel filler door
(lid) is located on the right side of the
vehicle.
T L o w f u e l w a r n i n g l i g h t
The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly empty [Approximately
2.6 US gal (10 liters, 2.2 lmp gal)].
It only operates when the ignition switch is
in the “ON” position.
NOTE
This light does not go out unless the tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3.3 lmp gal).
„ Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine
coolant temperature when the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position. The coolant temperature will vary in ac-
cordance with the ou tside temperature
and driving conditions.
We recommend that you drive moderately
until the pointer of the temperature gauge
reaches near the middle of the range. En-
gine operation is optimum with the engine
coolant at this temperature range and high
revving operation when the engine is not
warmed up enough should be avoided.200253
Promptly put fuel in the tank when-
ever the low fuel warning light
comes on. Engine misfires as a re-
sult of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
1
300592If the pointer exceeds the normal
operating range, safely stop the ve-
hicle as soon as possible.
See the “In case of emergency” in
chapter 9.

Instruments and controls
3-13door, the fuel gauge needle will drop to the
“E” position and the dial, needle, and rim
will go off.
NOTE
You will see the “ ” sign in the fuel
gauge.
This indicates that the fuel filler door
(lid) is located on the right side of the
vehicle.
T L o w f u e l w a r n i n g l i g h t
The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly empty [Approximately
2.6 US gal (10 liters, 2.2 lmp gal)].
It only operates when the ignition switch is
in the “ON” position. NOTE This light does not go out unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3,3 lmp gal).
„ Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine
coolant temperature when the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position.
The coolant temperature will vary in ac-
cordance with the outside temperature
and driving conditions.
We recommend that you drive moderately
until the pointer of the temperature gauge reaches near the middle of the range. En-
gine operation is optimum with the engine
coolant at this temperature range and high
revving operation when the engine is not
warmed up enough should be avoided.
200253
1 300593If the pointer exceeds the normal
operating range, safely stop the ve-
hicle as soon as possible.
See the “In case of emergency” in
chapter 9.

3-14 Instruments and controls
Warning and indicator lights Several of the warning and indicator lights
come on momentarily and then go out
when the ignition switch is initially turned
to the “ON” position. This permits check-
ing the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the igni-
tion switch to the “ON” position. The fol-
lowing lights come on:
: Seatbelt warning light
(The seatbelt warning light goes out only
when the driver fastens the seatbelt.)
: Front passenger’s seatbelt warning
light
(The seatbelt warning light goes out only
when the front seat passenger fastens the
seatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light /
Malfunction indicator lamp
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: AT OIL temperature warning light
(AT vehicles) / : ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light (if equipped)
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light (if equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol OFF indicator light (if equipped)
/ : Brake system warning light
: AWD warning light (AT vehicles)
: Low tire pressure warning light (if
equipped)
: SPORT mode indicator light (AT
vehicles)
/ : Front passenger’s frontal airbag
ON indicator light
/ : Front passenger’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator light
: Low fuel warning light
: Door open warning light
: Cruise control indicator light (if equipped)
: Cruise control set indicator light (if
equipped)
If any lights fail to co me on, it indicates a
burned-out bulb or a malfunction of the
corresponding system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU dealer
for repair.
„ Seatbelt warning light
and chime Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt
warning device at the driver’s and front
passenger’s seat, as required by current
safety standards.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, this device reminds the driver
and front passenger to fasten their seat-
belts by illuminating the warning lights in
the locations indicated in the following il-
lustration and sounding a chime.

Instruments and controls
3-15
– CONTINUED –Driver’s warning light
Front passenger’s warning light
T Operation
If the driver and/or front passenger have/ has not yet fastened the seatbelt(s) when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” po-
sition, the seatbelt warning light(s) will
flash for 6 seconds, to warn that the seat-
belt(s) is/are unfast ened. If the driver’s
seatbelt is not fastened, a chime will also
sound simultaneously.
If the driver’s and/or front passenger’s
seatbelt(s) are/is st ill not fastened 6 sec-
onds later, both warning lights or the
warning light for t he unfastened seatbelt
will remain lit for 15 seconds. If the driver’s
and/or front passenge r’s seatbelt(s) are/is
still not fastened even 15 seconds later
(21 seconds after turning ON the ignition
switch), the warning lights will alternate
between flashing and steady illumination
at 15-second intervals, and the chime will
sound while the warning light(s) is/are
flashing.
Alternate flashing and steady illumination
of the warning lights and sounding of the
chime will continue until both driver and
front passenger fasten their seatbelts.
NOTE y If the driver and/or front passenger
unfasten(s) the seatb elt(s) after fasten-
ing, the seatbelt warning device oper-
ates as follows according to the vehi-
cle speed.
y At speeds lower than approximate-
ly 9 mph (15 km/h) The warning light(s ) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
flashing and steady illumination at
15-second intervals. The chime will
not sound.
y At speeds higher than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light(s ) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
flashing and steady illumination at
15-second intervals and the chime
will sound while the warning light(s)
is/are flashing.
y If you unfasten and refasten the driv-
er’s seatbelt three times within six sec-
onds after turning ON the ignition
switch, the warning operation that fol-
lows the 6-second warning after turn-
ing ON the ignition switch is canceled.
When the ignition sw itch is turned ON
next time, however, the complete se-
quence of warning operations re-
sumes.
If there is no passenger on the front pas-
senger’s seat, the se atbelt warning device
for the front passenger’s seat will be deac-
tivated. The front passenger’s occupant
detection system monitors whether or not
there is a passenger on the front passen-
ger’s seat. Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may prevent the de-
vice from functioning correctly or cause100254
100662

3-16 Instruments and controls
the device to fail.
y Do not install any accessory such as a
table or TV onto the seatback.
y Do not store a heavy load in the seat-
back pocket.
y Do not allow the rear seat occupant to
place his/her hands or legs on the front
passenger’s seatback, or allow him/her to
pull the seatback.
y Do not use front seats with their back-
ward-forward position and seatback not
being locked into place securely. If any of
them are not locked securely, adjust them
again. For adjusting procedure, refer to
the “Manual seat” in the front seats sec-
tion in chapter 1 in this owner’s manual.
(Models equipped with manual seats only)
If the seatbelt warning device for the front
passenger’s seat does not function cor-
rectly (e.g., it is activated even when the
front passenger’s seat is empty or it is de-
activated even when the front passenger
has not fastened his/her seatbelt), take
the following actions.
y Ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than a child restraint system
and its child occupant.
y Ensure that there is no article left in the
seatback pocket.
y Ensure that the backward-forward posi-
tion and seatback of front passenger’s
seat are locked into place securely by moving the seat back and forth. (Models
equipped with manual seats only)
If still the seatbelt warning device for front
passenger’s seat does not function cor-
rectly after taking re levant corrective ac-
tions described above, immediately con-
tact your SUBARU dealer for an inspec-
tion.
„ SRS airbag system
warning light When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, t he SRS airbag system
warning light will come on for approxi-
mately seven seconds and go out. This
shows the SRS frontal airbag and SRS
side airbag and SRS curtain airbag and
seatbelt pretensioners are in normal oper-
ation. If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, there may
be a malfunction in the seatbelt pre-
tensioners and/or SRS airbag sys-
tem. Immediately take your vehicle
to your nearest SUBARU dealer to
have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, the
seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbags will operate improperly (e.g.
SRS airbags may inflate in a very mi-
nor collision or not inflate in a se-
vere collision), which may increase
the risk of injury.
y Flashing or flickering of the warn-
ing light
y No illumination of the warning
light when the ignition switch is
first turned to the “ON” position
y Continuous illumination of the
warning light
y Illumination of the warning light
while driving

3-18 Instruments and controls
NOTE This light also comes on when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator lamp coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and retighten it until it
clicks. Make sure no thing is interfering
with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the
cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE
warning light turn off immediately. It may
take several driving trips. If the light does
not go out, take your vehicle to your au-
thorized SUBARU dealer immediately.
T If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an en-
gine misfire condition has been detected
which may damage the emission control
system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do the fol-
lowing.
y Reduce vehicle speed.
y Avoid hard acceleration.
y Avoid steep uphill grades.
y Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.
y Stop towing a trailer as soon as possi-
ble. The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and come on steadily after
several driving trips. You should have
your vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately.
„ Charge warning light If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does
not go out after the e ngine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good con-
dition but the light remains on, contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer immediate-
ly.
„ Oil pressure warning
light
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the 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 level 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 vehi-
cles) The AT oil temperature warning light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after approximately two seconds.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, it is un-
necessary to stop the vehicle, but avoid
driving up steep grades or in stop and go
traffic.
„ Low tire pressure warn-
ing light (if equipped) When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will come on for approximately 2Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.

Instruments and controls
3-19
– CONTINUED –seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will go out.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the prop-
er inflation pressure for those tires.) As an
added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure moni-
toring system (TPMS) that illuminates a
low tire pressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driv-
ing on a significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping
ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to main-
tain correct tire pre ssure, even if under-in- flation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.
The TPMS gives warning both when a tire
is significantly under-inflated and when
there is a problem in the TPMS. The low
tire pressure warning light operates differ-
ently according to these conditions as fol-
lows:
When a tire is significantly under-inflat-
ed: Steady illumination
When there is a problem in the TPMS:
Flashing
Should the warning light flash, have the
system inspected by your nearest
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
If this light does not come on briefly
after the ignition switch is turned
ON or the light is flashing, you
should have your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-
ble. If this light comes on while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep driv-
ing straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off
the road to a safe place. Otherwise
an accident involving serious vehi-
cle damage and serious personal in-
jury could occur.
If this light still comes on while driv-
ing after adjusting the tire pressure,
a tire may have significant damage
and a fast leak that causes the tire to
lose air rapidly. If you have a flat
tire, replace it with a spare tire as
soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the Low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash. This in-
dicates the TPMS is unable to moni-
tor all four road wheels. Contact
your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible for tire and sensor replace-
ment and/or system resetting. If the
light flashes, promptly contact a
SUBARU dealer to have the system
inspected.