3-16Instruments and controls
&CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator lamp
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE light comes
on while you are driving, have your
vehicle checked/repaired by your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-
ble. Continued vehicle operation
without having the emission control
system checked and repaired as
necessary could cause serious da-
mage, which may not be covered by
your vehicle ’s warranty.
If this light comes on steadily or blinks
while the engine is running, it may indicate
that there is a problem or potential
problem somewhere in the emission con-
trol system. ! If the light comes on steadily:
If the light comes on steadily while driving
or does not go out after the engine starts,
an emission control system malfunction
has been detected.
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
authorized SUBARU dealer immediately. !
If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an
engine misfire condition has been de-
tected which may damage the emission
control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do thefollowing. . Reduce vehicle speed.
. Avoid hard acceleration.
. Avoid steep uphill grades.
. Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.. Stop towing a trailer as soon as
possible. 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
condition but the light remains on, contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. &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,
3-18Instruments and controls
.The warning light does not come
on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position.
. The warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned tothe “ON ”position, but it does not
go out even when the vehicle
speed exceeds approximately 8
mph (12 km/h).
. 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.
With a vehicle equipped with an EBD
system, 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
described in the following, the ABS
system may be considered normal. . The warning light comes on right
after the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.. 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)..
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
WARNING
. 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, we recom-
mend that you have the brakes
inspected by a SUBARU dealer
immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re- pair.
This light has the following three functions: ! Parking 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
parking brake is fully released. ! 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
reservoir, do not drive the vehicle. Have
the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU
dealer for repair. ! Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also
illuminates 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
applied harder than usual and the vehi-cle’s motion may therefore become some-
what 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, apply the
parking brake and 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
SUBARU dealer and have the systeminspected.
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.
& Door open warning light
The door open warning light comes on if
any door or the rear gate is not fullyclosed.
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive. &All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (AWD AT vehicles –if equipped)
The All-Wheel Drive warning light comes
on when the ignition switch is turned to the“ON ”position and goes out after the
engine has started.
This light comes on when All-Wheel Drive
is disengaged and the drive mechanism is
switched to Front Wheel Drive for main-
tenance or similar purposes (Non-turbo vehicles). It flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires
of differing diameters fitted on the wheels
or with an excessively low air pressure in
any of the tires.
CAUTION
Continuing to drive with the AWD
warning light flashing can damage
the powertrain. If the AWD warning
light starts to flash, promptly park in
a safe place and check whether the
tires have differing diameters and
whether any of the tires has an
excessively low inflation pressure.
& Intercooler water spray
warning light (WRX-STI)
This light comes on when the water level
in the intercooler water spray tank falls to
the lower limit (approximately 0.4 US qt,
0.4 liter, 0.4 Imp qt). Instruments and controls
3-19
– CONTINUED –
&High/low beam change (dim- mer)
To change from low beam to high beam,
push the turn signal lever forward. When
the headlights are on high beam, the high
beam indicator light “
”on the instru-
ment panel is also on.
To switch back to low beam, pull the lever
back to the detent position. &
Headlight flasher
To flash the headlights, pull the lever
toward you and then release it. The high
beam will stay on for as long as you hold
the lever. The headlight flasher works
even though the light switch is in the“OFF ”position.
When the headlights are on high beam,
the high beam indicator light “
”on the
instrument panel also comes on.
CAUTION
Do not hold the lever in the flashing
position for more than just a fewseconds. &
Daytime running light system
! WRX-STI
The low beam headlights, side marker
lights, tail lights, parking lights, and license
plate lights will automatically come on
when the engine has started, under the
following conditions: . The parking brake is fully released.
. The light switch is in the “OFF ”or “
”
position. . The automatic transmission selector
lever is set at other than the “P ”position.
WARNING
The light switch must always be
turned to the “
”position when it
is dark outside.
! Except WRX-STI
The low beam headlights will automati-
cally come on at reduced brightness when
the engine has started, under the followingconditions: . The parking brake is fully released.
. The light switch is in the “OFF ”or “
”
position. . The automatic transmission selector
lever is set at other than the “P ”position.
Instruments and controls
3-23
– CONTINUED –
3-28Instruments and controls
! Wiper intermittent time control
When the wiper switch is in the “”
position, turn the dial to adjust the operat-
ing interval of the wiper.
The operating interval can be adjusted in
four steps.
Two click stop positions of the dial may
help you to aim at your desired interval. !
Mist (for a single wipe)For a single wipe of the wipers, pull the
lever toward you. The wipers operate until
you release the lever. !Washer
To wash the windshield, push the washer
button at the end of the wiper control lever.
The washer fluid sprays until you release
the washer button. The wipers operate
while you push the button. &Rear window wiper and
washer switch –Wagon
: Washer (accompanied by wiper operation)
ON: Normal
OFF: Park
: Washer
! Rear wiper
The rear wiper offers intermittent opera-
tion only.
To turn the rear wiper on, turn the knob on
the end of the wiper control lever to the“ ON ”position.
3-32Instruments and controls
Mirrors
Always check that the inside and outside
mirrors are properly adjusted before you
start driving. &Inside mirror
The inside mirror has a day and night
position. Pull the tab at the bottom of the
mirror toward you for the night position.
Push it away for the day position. The
night position reduces glare from head-lights. !
Auto-dimming mirror/compass (ifequipped)
1) Left button
2) Auto dimming indicator
3) Photosensor
4) Right button
The auto-dimming mirror has an anti-glare
feature which automatically reduces glare
coming from headlights of vehicles behind
you. It also contains a built-in compass. . By pressing and releasing the left
button, the automatic dimming function is
toggled on or off. When the automatic
dimming function is on, the auto dimming
indicator light (green) located to the right
of the button will illuminate. . By pressing and releasing the right
button, the compass display is toggled on
or off. When the compass is on, an illuminated compass reading will appear
in the lower part of the mirror.
Even with the mirror in anti-glare mode,
the mirror surface turns bright if the
transmission is shifted into reverse. This
is to ensure good rearward visibility duringreversing. !
Photosensors
The mirror has a photosensor attached on
both the front and back sides. If the glare
from the headlights of vehicles behind you
strikes the mirror, these sensors detect it
and make the reflection surface of the
mirror dimmer to help prevent you from
being blinded. For this reason, use care
not to cover the sensors with stickers, or
other similar items. Periodically wipe the
sensors clean using a piece of dry soft
&Heater operation
! Defrosting or defogging the wind- shield
To direct warm air to the windshield and
front door windows:
1. Set the air inlet selection lever to the “
”position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Turn the temperature control dial all
the way to the right.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
highest speed.
If your vehicle is equipped with an air
conditioner, when the “
”or “”position
is selected, the air conditioner compressor
automatically operates regardless of the position of the air conditioner button to
defog the windshield quickly.
However, the air conditioner indicator light
does not come on at this time.
NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right
and left air outlets. To stop warm air
flow from these outlets, turn the corre-
sponding knob clockwise. ! Heating and defrosting
To direct warm air toward the floor and the windshield:
1. Set the air inlet selection lever to the “
”position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the most comfortable level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
If your vehicle is equipped with an air
conditioner, when the
“
”or “”position
is selected, the air conditioner compressor
automatically operates regardless of the
position of the air conditioner button to
defog the windshield quickly.
However, the air conditioner indicator light
does not come on at this time.
NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right
and left air outlets. To stop warm air
flow from these outlets, turn the corre-
sponding knob clockwise. Climate control
4-5
– CONTINUED –
4-6Climate control
! Heating
To direct warm air toward the floor:
1. Set the air inlet selection lever to the “
”position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
most comfortable level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right
and left air outlets. To stop warm air
flow from these outlets, turn the corre-
sponding knob clockwise. !
Bi-level heating
This setting allows you to direct air of
different temperatures from the instrument
panel and foot outlets. The air from the
foot outlets is slightly warmer than from
the instrument panel outlets.
1. Set the air inlet selection lever to the “
”position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
desired temperature level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
Setting the temperature control dial fully
turned to the red area or blue area
decreases the temperature difference
between the air from the instrument panel outlets and the air from the foot outlets. !
Ventilation
To force outside air through the instrument
panel outlets:
1. Set the air inlet selection lever to the “
”position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial all the
way left.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
When driving on a dusty road, set the air
inlet selection lever to the “
”position.