2006 SUBARU TRIBECA manual transmission

Instruments and controls 3-19
– CONTINUED –
y
It also comes on when the Traction
Control system is deactivated.
NOTE y The light may stay on for a while after
the engine has been started, especially
in cold weather. This does not indicate
the existence of a problem. The light
should go out as soon as the engine
has warmed up.y The indicator light comes on when
the engine has developed a problem
and the Malfunction indicator light is
on.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably faulty under the following condi-
tion. Have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. y The light does not go out even after the
lapse of several minutes (the engine has
warmed up) after the engine has started. „
Security indicator light
The indicators are located in the center
portion of the dashboard.
This indicator light shows the status of the
alarm system. It also indicates operation
of the immobilizer system. T Alarm system
It blinks to show the driver the operational
status of the alarm system. For detailed
information, refer to the “Alarm system”
section in chapter 2. T Immobilizer system
This light blinks approximately 60 seconds
after the ignition switch is turned from
“ON” position to the “ACC” or “LOCK” po-
sition or immediately after the key is pulled
out. (Refer to the “Door locks” section in chapter 2.)
If the indicator light does not flash, it may
indicate that immobilizer system may be
faulty. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately.
In the event that an unauthorized key (for
example, an unauthorized duplicate) is
used, the security indicator light comes
on. „
SPORT mode indicator light
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and
goes out after the engine has started.
When the selector lever is moved to the
manual gate, the SPORT mode is select-
ed and the indicator light comes on. (Refer
to the “Automatic transmission” section in
chapter 7.) T Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts,
it may indicate that the automatic trans-
mission control system is not working
properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately.
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3-20 Instruments and controls
„Selector lever/Gear position
indicator
The selector lever/gear position indicator
shows the position of the selector lever.
When manual mode is selected, the gear
position indicator shows the current gear
position and the upshift/downshift indica-
tor illuminates. (Refer to the “Automatic
transmission” section in chapter 7.) „ Turn signal indicator lights
These lights show the operation of the
turn signal or lane change signal.
If the indicator lights do not blink or blink
rapidly, the turn signal bulb may be
burned out. Replace the bulb as soon as possible. Refer to the “Replacing bulbs”
section in chapter 11. „
High beam indicator
light
This light shows that the headlights are in
the high beam mode.
This indicator light also comes on when
the headlight flasher is operated. „ Cruise control indica-
tor light
The cruise control indicator light comes on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position and goes out after approxi-
mately three seconds.
This light comes on when the “CRUISE” main switch is pressed.
NOTE
If you move the cruise control lever or
press the main switch button while
turning the ignition switch “ON”, the
cruise control function is deactivatedand the “CRUISE” indicator light flash-
es. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch backto the “ACC” or “LOCK” position, and
then turn it again to the “ON” position. „
Cruise control set indica-
tor light
The cruise control set indicator light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after approximately three seconds.
This light comes on when vehicle speed
has been set. „ Headlight indicator
light
This indicator light comes on when the
light switch is turned to the “ ” posi-
tion (to turn on the parking lights) or to the
“ ” position (to turn on the headlights). „ Front fog light indicator
light
This indicator light is on while the front fog
lights are on.
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7
Starting and operating
Fuel ...................................................................... 7-2 Fuel requirements .................................................. 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap .............................................. 7-3
State emission testing (U.S. only) .................... 7-5
Preparing to drive .............................................. 7-6
Starting the engine ............................................. 7-7
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-8
Automatic transmission .................................... 7-8 Selector lever .......................................................... 7-9
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ............ 7-10
Selection of manual mode ..................................... 7-11
Maximum speeds .................................................... 7-12
Driving tips .............................................................. 7-13
SPORT mode ........................................................... 7-13
Shift lock release .................................................... 7-14
Power steering ................................................... 7-15
Braking ................................................................ 7-15 Braking tips ............................................................. 7-15
Brake system .......................................................... 7-15
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators .............. 7-16
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-16 ABS system self-check .......................................... 7-17
ABS warning light ................................................... 7-17
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system .............................................................. 7-18Steps to take if EBD system fails .......................... 7-18
Vehicle Dynamics Control system ................... 7-19 Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor .......... 7-21 Traction Control system OFF switch .................... 7-23
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ........ 7-24
Parking your vehicle .......................................... 7-25
Cruise control ..................................................... 7-27 To set cruise control .............................................. 7-27
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-28
To turn off the cruise control ................................. 7-28
To change the cruising speed ............................... 7-28
Cruise control indicator light ................................. 7-29
Cruise control set indicator light .......................... 7-30

7-8 Starting and operating
Stopping the engine
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling.
Automatic transmission
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.
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
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 accidental activation
of the “LOCK” position on the igni-
tion switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.
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 vehicle 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.
yAvoid 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.

Starting and operating 7-9
– CONTINUED –
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
: With the brake pedal depressed, shift while pressing the button in.
: Shift while pressing the button in.
: Shift without pressing the button.
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 onlythe transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to
any other position, you have to depress
the brake pedal fully then push the release
button on the selector lever when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON” position. This
prevents the vehicle from lurching when it
is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the
“P” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed, the release button pushed in,
and the ignition switch in the ON position,
refer to the “Shift lock release” section in
this chapter.
NOTE
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 while pushing the
release button. 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.
NOTE y To protect the engine while the “N”
position 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.y If the selector lever is in the “N” po-
sition when you stop the engine for
parking, you may not subsequently 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.
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7-10 Starting and operating
TD (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 automatic 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 downshifts 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-
mately 6 mph (10 km/h). Once operation-
al, it prevents the selector lever from being
moved from the “N” position to the “R” po-
sition. When the vehicle speed drops be-
low 6 mph (10 km/h), the function is can-
celed. The selector lever can then be
moved to the “R” and “P” positions.
When the ignition switch has been turned
to the “OFF” position, movement of the se-
lector lever from the “N” position to the “R”
position is possible for a limited time peri-
od and then becomes impossible. Also,
the selector lever cannot be moved to the
“R” position when it has been placed in the
“P” position and then placed again in the
“N” position. When movement of the se-
lector lever from the “N” position to the “R”
position has become impossible, turn the
ignition switch back to the “ON” position
then move the selector lever to the “P” po-
sition. Pressing the selector lever release
button also makes it possible to move the
selector lever to the “P” position at this
time.
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.

7-12 Starting and operating
Gearshifts can be performed using the se-
lector lever.
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly
pushing the selector lever toward the “+”
end of the manual gate.
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly pull-
ing the selector lever toward the “–” end of
the manual gate.
NOTE
Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when usingthe manual mode. yWhen the temperature of the engine
oil is higher than normal, warning
beeps are emitted and the shift posi-
tion indicator shows “–”. If these warn-
ings are issued, deselect the manual
mode to protect the engine from dam- age. y
The transmission does not automati-
cally shift up in the manual mode. Per-
form gearshifts in accordance with
road conditions so that the tachometer
needle does not enter the red zone. If
the engine speed reaches a predeter-
mined level, a fuel-cut function will op-
erate. Shift up if this happens. Also, the
transmission may automatically shift
up to protect the engine. y If you attempt to shift down when the
engine speed is too high, i.e., when a
downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible. y If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond. y You can perform a skip-shift (for ex-
ample, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the selector lever twice in rapid suc-
cession. y The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stops
moving. y If the temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid becomes too high,
the “AT OIL TEMP” warning light will
come on and upshifts to 5th gear will
not be possible. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and let the en-
gine idle until the warning light goes off.
„ Maximum speeds
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ- ent gear.
When down shifting, it is important to con-
firm that the current vehicle speed is not in
excess of the Maximum Allowable Speed
700309
When down shifting, ensure that the
vehicle is not travelling at a speed
exceeding the Maximum Allowable
Speed for the gear which is about to
be selected. Failure to observe this
precaution can lead to engine over-
revving and this in turn can result in
engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine braking caused by down
shifting when the vehicle is travel-
ling on a slippery surface can lead to
wheel locking; as a consequence,
control of the vehicle may be lost
and the risk of an accident in-
creased.

Starting and operating 7-13
– CONTINUED –
of the gear which is about to be selected.
Never exceed posted speed limits.
NOTE y In order to prevent over-revving dur-
ing acceleration of the vehicle, the
transmission will automatically shift to
the next highest gear if the Maximum
Allowable Speed for the current gear is
exceeded.y Similarly, in order to prevent over-
revving during deceleration of the vehi-
cle, the transmission will remain in the
current gear if the speed of the vehicle
is in excess of the Maximum Allowable
Speed for the gear to which the selec-
tor lever has been moved. „ 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
problem. y A slight reduction in output torque may
occur 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.
Position mph (km/h)
1 25 (40)
2 59 (95)
3 95 (153)
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700311