
4-8Climate control
Automatic climate control
system (if equipped) NOTE .Operate the automatic climate con-
trol system when the engine is running. . The blower fan rotates at a low
speed when the engine coolant tem-
perature is low.
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button.. Even when cooling is not necessary,
setting the temperature much lower
than the current outlet air temperature
turns on the air conditioner compres-
sor automatically and the “A/C ”indi-
cator light on the control panel comeson.
The automatic climate control system
automatically controls outlet air tempera-
ture, fan speed, air flow distribution air-
inlet control, and air conditioner compres-
sor operation. It activates when the“ AUTO ”button is pressed, and is used to
maintain a constant, comfortable climate
within the passenger compartment.
The temperature can be set within a range
of 65 to 85 8F (18 to 32 8C). &
Control panel
1) AUTO button
2) Temperature control dial (driver ’s side)
3) Defroster button
4) Temperature control dial (passenger ’s
side)
5) Rear window defogger button (Refer to the“Rear window defogger button ”sec-
tion in chapter 3.)
6) Air conditioner button
7) Air flow mode selection button
8) Fan speed control button
9) Air inlet selection button
10) OFF button !
AUTO button
AUTO mode operation:When the “AUTO ”button is pressed, the
indicator light “AUTO ”on the display
comes on. In this state, fan speed, air
flow distribution, air-inlet control, and air
conditioner compressor operation are
automatically controlled.
Manual mode operation:
If you operate any of the buttons on the
control panel other than the “OFF ”button
and temperature control dial during auto-
matic mode operation, the indicator light“ AUTO ”on the control panel will go out.
You can then manually control the system
as desired using the button you operated.
To change the system back to the AUTO
mode, press the “AUTO ”button.

!OFF button
The Automatic Climate Control system
turns off (the air conditioner compressor
and fan turn off) when the “OFF ”button is
pressed.
When the “OFF ”button is pressed, the
outside air introduction mode (air inlet
selection OFF) is automatically selected. !
Temperature control dialDriver ’s side
Passenger ’s side
It is possible to make separate tempera-
ture settings for the driver ’ssideand
passenger ’s side. Each temperature setting is shown on the display. With the
dial set at your desired temperature, the
system automatically adjusts the tempera-
ture of air supplied from the outlets such
that the desired temperature is achieved
and maintained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise,
the system gives maximum cooling per-
formance. If the dial is turned fully clock-
wise, the system gives maximum heatingperformance. !
–
Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows, push the defros-
ter button “
”. When the “”button is
pushed, regardless whether the air condi-
tioner is operating or not, outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment, Climate control
4-9
– CONTINUED –

4-10Climate control
the air conditioner compressor turns on,
air flow is directed towards the windshield
and front door windows, and the indicator
light on the button comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, return the climate control
system to the AUTO mode by pushingthe “AUTO ”button or turn off by pushing
the “OFF ”button.
Alternatively, push the “
”button again
to return the system to the setting that was
selected before you activated the defros-
ter. ! Fan speed control button
The fan speed control button has 6
different fan speed positions.
The fan speed is shown by the display. !
A/C –Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the
climate control system is operated in the
AUTO mode, push the air conditionerbutton “A/C ”to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pushed, the air
conditioner compressor turns on and the
indicator light “A/C ”on the display comes
on. After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, set the system back to the
AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO ”
button.
NOTE
The air conditioner compressor does
not operate when the outside air tem-
perature is below 32 8F(0 8C). !
Air flow mode selection buttonSelect the desired air flow mode by
pushing the air flow mode selection
button. The selected air flow mode is
shown by the display.
(Ventilation): Ai r flows through the
instrument panel outlets.
(Bi-level): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets and the foot outlets.
(Heat): Air flows through the instrument
panel outlets, the foot outlets, and some
through the windshield defroster outlets.
(Heat-def): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets, the windshield defros-
ter outlets, and the foot outlets.

4-12Climate control
–Interior air temperature sensor: on the
side of the driver-side part of the center panel – Outside temperature sensor: behind
front grille. Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner &
Cleaning ventilator grille
Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille
free of snow, leaves, or other obstructions
to ensure efficient heating and defrosting.
Since the condenser is located in front of
the radiator, this area should be kept clean
because cooling performance is impaired
by any accumulation of insects and leaves
on the condenser. &Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to
allow outside air to circulate into the heated interior. This results in quicker
cooling by the air conditioner. Keep the
windows closed during the operation of
the air conditioner for maximum cooling
efficiency. &
Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil. & Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-son
Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper
operation each spring. Have your
SUBARU dealer perform this check. & Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather condition
Under certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.) a
small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate
any problem with the air conditioningsystem.

&Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage,
the air conditioner compressor is designed
to temporarily shut off during air condi-
tioner operation whenever the accelerator
is fully depressed such as during rapid
acceleration or when driving on a steepupgrade. & Refrigerant for your climate
control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly
refrigerant HFC134a. Therefore, the meth-
od of adding, changing or checking the
refrigerant is different from the method for
CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a
result of using the wrong refrigerant are
not covered under warranty. Air filtration system (if equipped)
If your vehicle
’s air conditioning system is
equipped with an air filtration system,
replace the filter element according to
the replacement schedule shown in the
following. This schedule should be fol-
lowed to maintain the filter ’s dust collec-
tion ability. Under extremely dusty
conditions, the filter should be replaced
more frequently. Have your filter checked
or replaced by your SUBARU dealer. For
replacement, we recommend the use of a
genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule: Every 12 months or 9,300 miles (15,000
km) whichever comes first
CAUTION
Contact your SUBARU dealer if the
following occurs, even if it is not yet
time to change the filter: – Reduction of the air flow through
the vents.
– Windshield gets easily fogged or
misted. NOTE
The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor-
mance if not properly maintained.
Climate control
4-13

8-10Driving tips
!Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster with the airflow
control button/dial in the “
”position and
the temperature control dial set for max-
imum warmth until the wiper blades are
completely thawed out. If your vehicle is
equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful
to thaw the windshield wiper blades. To
thaw out the rear wiper blade, use the rear
window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow control button/dial in “
”
and the temperature control dial set for
maximum warmth. After the windshield
gets warmed enough to melt the frozen
snow on it, wash it away using the
windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
wiper blades (winter blades) during the seasons you could have snow and sub-
zero temperatures. Blades of this type
give superior wiping performance in
snowy conditions. Be sure to use blades
that are suitable for your vehicle.
CAUTION
During high-speed driving, non-
freezing type wiper blades may not
perform as well as standard wiper
blades. If this happens, reduce the
vehicle speed.
NOTE
When the season requiring non-freez-
ing type wiper blades is over, replace
them with standard wiper blades. & Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection ”section
(chapter 10).
& Snow tires
! All models except OUTBACK or
2.5GT spec.B
WARNING
. When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make sure
you use only the same size,
construction and load range as
the original tires listed on the tire
placard. Using other sizes and
construction may affect speed-
ometer/odometer calibration and
clearance between the body and
tires. It also may be dangerous
and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.
. You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, circum-
ferences, construction, brand,
andloadrange.Mixingother
sizes, circumferences or con-
structions may result in severe
mechanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle and may
affect ride, handling, braking and
speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion. It also may be dangerous
and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.
. Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season
tires ”which are designed to provide an