2007 SUBARU FORESTER warning light

3-10 Instruments and controls
6 seconds later, the warning light will re-
main lit for 15 seconds. If the driver’s seat-
belt is still not fastened even 15 seconds
later (21 seconds after turning ON the ig-
nition switch), the warning lights will alter-
nate between flashing and steady illumi-
nation at 15-second intervals, and the
chime will sound while the warning light is
flashing.
Alternate flashing and steady illumination
of the warning lights and sounding of the
chime will continue until the driver fastens
the seatbelt.
NOTE
y If the driver unfastens the seatbelt af-
ter fastening, the seatbelt warning de-
vice operates as follows according to
the vehicle speed. yAt speeds lower than approximate-
ly 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light will alternate be-
tween flashing and steady illumina-
tion at 15-second intervals. The
chime will not sound.y At speeds higher than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light will alternate be-
tween flashing and steady illumina-
tion at 15-second intervals and the
chime will sound while the warning
light is flashing.
y It is possible to cancel the warning operation that follows the 6-second
warning after turning ON the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is
turned ON next time, however, the
complete sequence of warning opera-
tion resumes. For further details about
canceling the warning operation,
please contact your SUBARU dealer.
„ SRS airbag system warn-
ing light
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the SRS airbag system
warning light will come on for approxi-
mately 6 seconds and go out. This shows
the SRS frontal airbag and SRS side air-
bag and seatbelt pretensioners are in nor-
mal operation.
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
yNo illumination of the warning
light when the ignition switch is
first turned to the “ON” position
yContinuous illumination of the
warning light
yIllumination of the warning light
while driving

3-12 Instruments and controls
You should have your vehicle checked by
an authorized SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.
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 nothing 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 engine 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 the engine has started.
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. T Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts,
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.

Instruments and controls 3-13
– CONTINUED –
it may indicate that the automatic trans-
mission control system is not working
properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately. „
ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion and goes out after approximately two
seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system
is working properly.
The ABS warning light comes on together
with the brake system warning light if the
EBD system becomes faulty. For further
details of the EBD system fault warning,
refer to “Brake system warning light”.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as de-
scribed in the following, the ABS sys-
tem may be considered normal. y The warning light comes on right af-
ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off. y The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it goes
out when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 8 mph (12 km/h). y The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately and remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may come
on. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will go out. „
Brake system
warning light
This light has the following three func-
tions:
If the warning light behaves as fol-
lows, the ABS system may not work
properly.
When the warning light is on, the
ABS function shuts down; however,
the conventional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally. y
The warning light does not come
on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position.
(U.S.) (Canada)
yThe warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, but it does not go
out even when the vehicle speed
exceeds approximately 8 mph (12
km/h).
y The warning light comes on dur-
ing driving.
If any of these conditions occur,
have the ABS system repaired at the
first available opportunity by your
SUBARU dealer.
y Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
yIf at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.
(U.S.) (Canada)

3-14 Instruments and controls
TParking brake warning
The light comes on with the parking brake
applied while the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position. It goes out when the park-
ing brake is fully released. T Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the “MIN” level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
switch in the “ON” position and with the
parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should
come on while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in “ON”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the “MIN” mark in the reser-
voir, do not drive the vehicle. Have the ve-
hicle towed to the nearest SUBARU deal-
er for repair. T Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also illu-
minates if a malfunction occurs in the EBD
system. In that event, it comes on together
with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are ap-
plied harder than usual and the vehicle’s
motion may therefore become somewhat
harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning 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 illuminated 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 SUB-
ARU dealer and have the system inspect-ed.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the
“MIN” mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle. In-
stead, have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair. „
Door open warning lights
The door open warning light comes on if
any door or the rear gate is not fully
closed.
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive. „ Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly empty [approximately
2.3 US gal (9.0 liters, 1.9 Imp 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 Imp gal).

Instruments and controls 3-15
– CONTINUED –
„
All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (AT vehicles)
The All-Wheel Drive warning light comes
on when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position and goes out after the en-
gine has started.
This light comes on when All-Wheel Drive
is disengaged and the drive mechanism is
switched to Front Wheel Drive for mainte-
nance or similar purposes.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters or with the
air pressure excessively low in any of its
tires. „
Shift position indicator (AT
vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the
shift lever. „ 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 y If you move the cruise control lever
or press the main switch button while
turning the ignition switch “ON”, the
cruise control function is deactivated
and the “CRUISE” indicator light flash-
es. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch back
to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position, and
then turn it again to the “ON” position. y If this indicator light and the “ ”
indicator light flash simultaneously
during driving, have the vehicle
checked by your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
Continued driving with the AWD
warning light flashing can lead to
powertrain damage. If the AWD
warning light flashes, promptly park
in a safe place then check whether
all four tires are the same diameter
and whether any of the tires has a
puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason.
300124

7
Starting and operating
Fuel ...................................................................... 7-2Fuel 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 Manual transmission vehicle ................................. 7-7
Automatic transmission vehicle ............................ 7-7
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-8
Manual transmission ......................................... 7-9 Shifting speeds ....................................................... 7-9
Driving tips .............................................................. 7-10
Automatic transmission .................................... 7-10 Selector lever for automatic transmission ........... 7-11
Shift lock release .................................................... 7-14
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) ......................................................... 7-15
Power steering ................................................... 7-15
Braking ................................................................ 7-15 Braking tips ............................................................. 7-15
Brake system .......................................................... 7-16
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 ............................................................. 7-18 Steps to take if EBD system fails .......................... 7-18
Parking your vehicle .......................................... 7-19 Parking brake .......................................................... 7-20
Parking tips ............................................................. 7-20
Hill holder (Manual transmission – if equipped) ...................................................... 7-21
Cruise control ..................................................... 7-22 To set cruise control .............................................. 7-22
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-23
To turn off the cruise control ................................. 7-23
To change the cruising speed ............................... 7-23
Self-leveling rear suspension (if equipped) ..... 7-25

7-2 Starting and operating
Sta rting an d o peratingFuel
„Fuel requirements
T Non-turbo models
The 2.5-liter non-turbo engine is designed
to operate using unleaded gasoline with
an octane rating of 87 AKI or higher. T Turbo models
The 2.5-liter turbo engine is designed to
operate using premium unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 91 AKI or higher.
If premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able, regular unleaded gasoline with an
octane rating of 87 AKI or higher may be
temporarily used. For optimum engine
performance and driveability, it is required
that you use premium grade unleaded
gasoline.
NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded gas-
oline of 91 AKI or higher for a 2.5-liter
turbo engine model. If other gasoline
(lower than 91 AKI) is used, knocking, reduced output and poor accelerator
response will result. T
Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane num-
bers and is commonly referred to as the
Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane rat-
ing can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle some-
times knocks lightly when you drive up a
hill or when you accelerate. See your
dealer or a qualified service technician if
you use a fuel with the specified octane
rating and your vehicle knocks heavily or
persistently. T Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will
damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy. T Gasoline for California-certified LEV
Your vehicle was certified to California’s
low emission vehicle (LEV) standards as
indicated on the underhood tune-up label,
it is designed to optimize engine and
emission performance with gasoline that meets the clean burning low-sulfur Califor-
nia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your vehi-
cle will operate on gasoline meeting Fed-
eral specifications. Gasoline sold outside
California is permitted to have higher sul-
fur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle’s catalytic convert-
er and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor
or smell. SUBARU recommends that you
try a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service. T
MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If
you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator lamp may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is deter-
mined that the condition is caused by the
type of fuel used, repairs may not be cov-
ered by your warranty.
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel addi-
tive may cause engine damage.

7-4 Starting and operating
1. To open the fuel filler lid, pull the lid re-
lease lever. The lever is on the floor at the
left of the driver’s seat.1) Open
2) Close 2. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it
slowly counterclockwise.
3. Stop filling the tank after the fuel filler
pump automatically stops. Do not add any
more fuel.
4. Put the cap back on, turn it clockwise
until you hear a clicking noise. Be certain
not to catch the tether under the cap while
tightening.
5. Close the fuel filler lid completely.
If you spill any fuel on the painted surface,
rinse it off immediately. Otherwise, the
painted surface could be damaged.
NOTE y
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. y If the fuel filler cap is not tightened
until it clicks or if the tether is caught
under the cap, the CHECK ENGINE
warning light may come on. Refer to
the “Warning and indicator lights” sec-
tion located in chapter 3.
(Turbo model only) Promptly put fuel in
the tank whenever the low fuel warning
light comes on. Engine misfires as a re-
sult of an empty tank could cause dam-
age to the engine.
700030
1 2
700330
y
Gasoline vapor is highly flamma-
ble. Before refueling, always first
stop the engine and make sure
that there are no lighted ciga-
rettes, open flames or electrical
sparks in the adjacent area.
yWhen opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. Fuel may be
under pressure and spray out of
the fuel filler neck especially in
hot weather, which may cause in-
jury.
300121