2007 SUBARU OUTBACK check engine

3-30Instruments and controls
&All-Wheel Drive
warning light (AT vehi- cles)
WARNING
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.
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. ! For 5-speed automatic transmis-
sion vehicles
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters fitted on its
wheels or with the air pressure exces-
sively low in any of its tires. ! For 4-speed automatic transmis-
sion vehicles
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.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters fitted on its
wheels or with the air pressure exces-
sively low in any of its tires.
& Vehicle Dynamics
Control operation indi-
cator light (if equipped)
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is ON and goes out approximately
2 seconds later.
It blinks when the skid suppression func-
tion is activated. It illuminates when only
the traction control function is operating.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably faulty under any of the following
conditions. Have your vehicle checked at
a SUBARU dealer immediately. .The light does not come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position. . The light does not go out even after a
period of approximately 2 seconds after
the ignition switch has been turned to the“ ON ”position. &
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light (if
equipped)/Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF in-
dicator light (ifequipped)
This warning light has both the function of
indicating faults in the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and the function of indicat-
ing that the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system has been deactivated.
It comes on in the event of a fault in the
system and is on when the system is notoperating.
This warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position and goes out after the engine
has started. It indicates that the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system is in normaloperation. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably inoperative under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. . The warning light does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position.

.The warning light comes on while the
vehicle is running. . If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system itself becomes
faulty, the warning light only comes on. At
this time, the ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem) remains fully operational. . The warning light comes on when the
electronic control system of the ABS/
Vehicle Dynamics Control system be-
comes faulty.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system
provides its ABS control through the
electrical circuit of the ABS system.
Accordingly, if the ABS is inoperative, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system be-
comes unable to provide ABS control. As
a result, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system also becomes inoperative, caus-
ing the warning light to come on. Though
both the Vehicle Dynamics Control and
ABS systems are inoperative in this case,
the ordinary functions of the brake system
are still available. You will be safe while
driving with this condition, but have your
vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible. NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
shown in the following, the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system may be con- sidered normal. .
The warning light comes on right
after the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.. The warning light comes on after
engine startup and goes off while the
vehicle is subsequently being driven.. The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately and
remains off. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF in-
dicator light
. It comes on when the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF switch is pressed. . It also comes on when the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system is deactivated.
NOTE . 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.. The indicator light comes on when
the engine has developed a problem
and the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
malfunction indicator lamp 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. .
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
This indicator light shows the status of the
alarm system. It also indicates operation
of the immobilizer system. !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. ! Immobilizer system
This light blinks approximately 60 seconds
after the ignition switch is turned from“ ON ”position to the “ACC ”or “LOCK ”
position 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 comeson. Instruments and controls
3-31
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Ventilator.............................................................. 4-2
Air flow selection ................................................ 4-2
Center and side ventilators .................................. 4-3
Manual climate control system (if equipped) ..................................................... 4-3
Control panel ...................................................... 4-3
Heater operation ................................................. 4-5
Air conditioner operation ..................................... 4-7
Automatic climate control system (if equipped) ..................................................... 4-8
Control panel ...................................................... 4-8
Temperature sensors .......................................... 4-11
Operating tips for heater and air conditioner ....................................................... 4-12
Cleaning ventilator grille ..................................... 4-12 Efficient cooling after parking in direct
sunlight ........................................................... 4-12
Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant circuit .............................................................. 4-12
Checking air conditioning system before summer season ............................................................ 4-12
Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and low temperature weather condition ................... 4-12
Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily loaded .............................................. 4-13
Refrigerant for your climate control system ............................................................ 4-13
Air filtration system (if equipped) ..................... 4-13
Climate control
4

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

Fuel...................................................................... 7-3
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-3
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-5
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-7
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-9
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-9
Manual transmission vehicle ................................ 7-9
Automatic transmission vehicle .......................... 7-10
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-11
Remote engine start system (dealer option) ................................................. 7-11
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-12
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-12
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-12
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-12
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-13
Service mode ..................................................... 7-13
Remote transmitter programming and programmable feature option ............................ 7-13
System maintenance .......................................... 7-14
Manual transmission –5 speeds ...................... 7-15
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-15
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-16
Manual transmission –6 speeds (2.5GT
spec.B) ............................................................. 7-17
Selecting reverse gear ........................................ 7-17
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-17
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-18 Automatic transmission
–4-speed ................... 7-18
Selector lever .................................................... 7-19
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ............ 7-20
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-21
Maximum speeds ............................................... 7-22
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-23
SPORT mode ..................................................... 7-23
Shift lock release ............................................... 7-23
Automatic transmission –5-speed ................... 7-24
Selector lever .................................................... 7-25
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ............ 7-26
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-27
Maximum speeds ............................................... 7-29
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-29
SPORT mode (Non-turbo models) ....................... 7-30
Shift lock release ............................................... 7-30
SI-DRIVE (Turbo models) .................................. 7-31
Intelligent (I) mode ............................................. 7-31
Sport (S) mode .................................................. 7-32
Sport Sharp (S#) mode. ...................................... 7-32
SI-DRIVE selector .............................................. 7-32
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-33
Power steering ................................................... 7-33
Braking ............................................................... 7-34
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-34
Brake system .................................................... 7-34
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-34
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-35
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-35
Starting and operating
7

7-4Starting and operating
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle ’s catalytic converter
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. The CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator lamp may also
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
authorized SUBARU dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty. ! 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
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty. !
Gasoline for cleaner air
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels con-
taining alcohol may cause paint
damage, which is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.
Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol
(ethyl or grain alcohol) may be used in
your vehicle, but should contain no more
than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines, which are designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains,
you should ask your service station
operators if their gasolines contain deter-
gents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-sions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in thefollowing. .
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual. . Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline.
Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture ANDif it is accompanied by
sufficient quantities of the proper cosol-
vents and corrosion inhibitors required to
prevent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT
under these conditions. . If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a different brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer. . Fuel system damage or driveability

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.. 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/malfunction indicator
lamp may come on. Refer to the“ Warning and indicator lights ”section
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
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
CAUTION
. Never add any cleaning agents to
the fuel tank. The addition of a
cleaning agent may cause da-
mage to the fuel system.
. Make sure that the cap is tigh-
tened until it clicks to prevent
fuel spillage in the event of anaccident.
. Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels
may cause paint damage, which
is not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
. Always use a genuine SUBARU
fuel filler cap. If you use the
wrong cap, it may not fit or have
proper venting, and your fuel
tank and emission control sys-
tem might be damaged. State emission testing (U.S. only)
WARNING
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle
must NEVER be performed on a
single two-wheel dynamometer. At-
tempting to do so will result in
uncontrolled vehicle movement and
may cause an accident or injuries to
persons nearby.
CAUTION
Resultant vehicle damage due to
improper testing is not covered
under the SUBARU Limited War-
ranty and is the responsibility of
the state inspection program or its
contractors or licensees.
At state inspection time, remember to
tell your inspection or service station in
advance not to place your SUBARU
AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dynam-
ometer. Otherwise, serious transmis-
sion damage will result.
Some states have started using dynam-
ometers in their state inspection programs Starting and operating
7-7
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