2007 SUBARU OUTBACK ECO mode

to the“OFF ”position, movement of the
selector lever from the “N ”position to the
“ R ” position is possible for a limited time
period 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 selector lever from the “N ”position
to the “R ” position has become impossi-
ble, turn the ignition switch back to the“ ON ”position then move the selector lever
to the “P ” position. Pressing the selector
lever release button also makes it possible
to move the selector lever to the “P ”
position at this time. ! Selector lever release button
If you inadvertently have turned the igni- tion switch to the
“OFF ”position with the
selector lever in the “N ”position, proceed
as follows. By referring to the “Shift lock
release ”section in this chapter, remove
the shift lock release cover. Then, with the
screwdriver inserted into the hole, move
the selector lever to the “P ”position. If the
selector lever reverse inhibiting function
fails, have the vehicle inspected by the
nearest SUBARU dealer.
& Selection of manual mode
With the vehicle either moving or station-
ary, move the selector lever from the “D ”
position to the manual gate then move it tothe “+ ” end or “ ” end of the manual gate
to select manual mode.
1) Upshift indicator
2) Downshift indicator
3) Gear position indicator
When the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator and upshift indica-
tor and/or downshift indicator in the
tachometer come on. The gear position
indicator shows the currently selected
gear in the 1st-to-4th-gear range. The
upshift and downshift indicators show
when a gearshift is possible. When the
upshift indicator “
”is on, upshifting is
possible. When the downshift indicator “
” is on, downshifting is possible. When
both indicators are on, upshifting and
downshifting are both possible. When the
vehicle stops (for example, at traffic
signals), the downshift indicator goes off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the Starting and operating
7-21
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7-22Starting and operating
selector lever.
Using the selector 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
pulling the selector lever toward the “ ”
end of the manual gate. NOTE
Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode. . 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. .
If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond.. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the selector lever twice in rapid suc-cession.. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stopsmoving.. If the temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid becomes too high,the “AT OIL TEMP ”warning light will
come on and upshifts to 4th gear will
not be possible. Immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and let the
engine idle until the warning light goes off. &
Maximum speeds
WARNING
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.
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
When down shifting, it is important to
confirm that the current vehicle speed is
not in excess of the Maximum Allowable
Speed of the gear which is about to beselected.

7-24Starting and operating
4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector lever from the “P ”to the
“ N ”position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start theengine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately to have the systemrepaired. Automatic transmission
–5-
speed
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has a
manual mode.
For turbo models, it also has an SI-DRIVE mode.
For non-turbo models, it also has a
SPORT mode.WARNING
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ”
position into the “D ” or “R ” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle
to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
. Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is comple-
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
. 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.
. Avoid shifting from one of the
forward driving positions into the“ R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
NOTE . When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle ’s auto-
matic transmission will up-shift at
higher engine speeds than when the
coolant temperature is sufficiently high
in order to shorten the warm-up time
and improve driveability. The gearshift
timing will automatically shift to the
normal timing after the engine has
warmed up.. 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
collected and stored in memory to
allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while. &Selector lever
: Shift possible with brake pedal de-
pressed
: Shift possible with brake pedal not
depressed
The selector lever has four positions, “P ”,
“ R ”, “N, “D ”and also has manual gate for using
“SPORT ”mode (Non-turbo models)
or manual mode. ! 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 only
the transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P ” to
any other position, you should depress the
brake pedal fully then move the selector
lever. This prevents the vehicle from
lurching when it is started.
NOTE (3.0-liter models only)
To protect the engine while the “P ”
position is selected, the engine is
controlled such that the engine speed
does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard. ! R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N ”to “R ” position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the
lever to the “R ”position. !
N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalledengine.
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.
Avoidcoastingwiththetransmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
NOTE (3.0-liter models only)
To protect the engine while the “N ”
position is selected, the engine is
controlled such that the engine speed
does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard. NOTE
If the selector lever is in the “N ”
position when you stop the engine for
parking, you may not subsequently be
able to move it to the “R ” and “P ”
positions. 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.
Starting and operating
7-25
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7-26Starting and operating
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
selector lever in the “N ” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no
effect in this condition and the risk
of an accident is consequently in-creased.
! D (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
release the pedal, the transmission will
return to the original gear position.
Turbo models
To use the manual mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate.
Non-turbo models
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.
! 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
upshifting 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 accel-
erate the vehicle again. ! While going down a hill
When you are descending a hill or any
other slope while braking with the “Sport
Sharp ”mode (Turbo models) or “SPORT ”
mode (Non-turbo models) selected, the
transmission may downshift to 4th or 3rd
gear depending on how hard you depress
the brake pedal, causing engine braking to
work. Reacceleration for a short time will
cause the transmission to upshift normally.
NOTE . 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)..
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 inhi-
biting function
This function prevents accidental move-
ment of the selector lever to the “R ”
position while the vehicle is moving.
The function becomes operational when
the vehicle reaches a speed of approxi-
mately 6 mph (10 km/h). Once opera-
tional, it prevents the selector lever from
being moved from the “N ”position to the
“ R ” position. When the vehicle speed
drops below 6 mph (10 km/h), the function
is canceled. 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
selector lever from the “N ”position to the
“ R ” position is possible for a limited time
period 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 selector lever from the “N ”position

to the“R ” position has become impossi-
ble, turn the ignition switch back to the “ ON ”position then move the selector lever
to the “P ” position. Pressing the selector
lever release button also makes it possible
to move the selector lever to the “P ”
position at this time. ! Selector lever release button
If you inadvertently have turned the igni-
tion switch to the “OFF ”position with the
selector lever in the “N ”position, proceed
as follows. By referring to the “Shift lock
release ”section in this chapter, remove
the shift lock release cover. Then, with the
screwdriver inserted into the hole, move
the selector lever to the “P ”position. If the
selector lever reverse inhibiting function
fails, have the vehicle inspected by the nearest SUBARU dealer.
& Selection of manual mode
Turbo models
Non-turbo models For turbo models
, with the vehicle either
moving or stationary, move the selector
lever from the “D ”position to the manual
gate to select the manual mode.
For non-turbo models , with the vehicle
either moving or stationary, move the
selector lever from the “D ”position to the
manual gate then move it to the “+ ” end or
“ ” end of the manual gate to select the
manual mode.
1) Upshift indicator
2) Downshift indicator
3) Gear position indicator
When the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator and upshift indica-
tor and/or downshift indicator in the
tachometer come on. The gear position
indicator shows the currently selected
gear in the 1st-to-5th-gear range. The Starting and operating
7-27
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the selector lever or a steering-wheel
switch twice in rapid succession..The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stopsmoving.. 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. If the light comes on
while driving, it is unnecessary to stop
the vehicle, but avoid driving up steep
grades or in stop-and-go traffic. &
Maximum speeds
WARNING
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.
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
When down shifting, it is important to
confirm that the current vehicle speed is
not in excess of the Maximum Allowable
Speed of the gear which is about to beselected. mph (km/h)
Position 2.5-liter turbo
models 3.0-liter mod-
els
1 26 (42) 27 (43)
2 50 (81) 61 (98)
3 87 (140) 96 (154)
Never exceed posted speed limits. & Driving tips
. 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 manualmode. . Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”or
“ R ”position.
. Always set the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the
vehicle with only the transmission. . Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the “ D ”position. Use the brake instead.
. 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 fault. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 3.0-liter or 2.5- Starting and operating
7-29
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7-32Starting and operating
& Sport (S) mode
For all-around performance driving
The Sport (S) mode provides the engine
power desired by those who want to make
the driving experience their own personaladventure.
The linear acceleration characteristic of
this versatile mode is ideal for driving on
freeways and suburban streets or for
climbing mountain roads. &
Sport Sharp (S#) mode
For maximum performance drivingFor sports-minded drivers, the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode offers an exhilarating
level of engine performance and control.
The throttle becomes more responsive
regardless of the engine speed. Delivering
maximum driving enjoyment, this mode is
ideal for tackling twisting roads and for
merging or overtaking other vehicles on
the freeway with confidence. & SI-DRIVE selector
When you rotate the SI-DRIVE selector to
the left, it changes to Sport (S) mode, and
when you rotate it to the right, it changes
to Sport Sharp (S#) mode, and when you
push it, it changes to Intelligent (I) mode. After performing this operation, the switch
returns to its original location.NOTE .
While the engine is cool, the S#
PREP indicator light of the temperature
gauge comes on. In this case, you
cannot change to Sport Sharp (S#)mode. . Thenexttimeyouturnonthe
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode, the SI-
DRIVE mode changes to the Sport (S)mode.. Thenexttimeyouturnonthe
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport (S) mode or Intelligent (I)
mode, the SI-DRIVE mode will stay in
the same mode as when the engine
was turned off.