
Ignition switch
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
“ LOCK ”while the vehicle is
being driven or towed because 
that will lock the steering wheel,
preventing steering control. And
when the engine is turned off, it
takes a much greater effort than
usual to steer.
. Before leaving the vehicle, al-
ways remove the key from the
ignition switch for safety and
never allow an unattended child
to remain in the vehicle. Failure
to follow this procedure could
result in injury to a child or
others. Children could operate
the power windows, the sunroof
or other controls or even make
the vehicle move.
CAUTION
Do not attach a large key holder or 
key case to either key. If it banged
against your knees or hands while
you were driving, it could turn the
ignition switch from the “ON ”posi- tion to the
“Acc ”or “LOCK ”posi-
tion, thereby stopping the engine.
Also, if the key is attached to a
keyholder or to a large bunch of
other keys, centrifugal force may act
on it as the vehicle moves, resulting
in unwanted turning of the ignitionswitch.
The ignition switch has four positions:
LOCK, ACC, ON and START.
NOTE . Keep the ignition switch in the
“ LOCK ”position when the engine is
not running. . Using electrical accessories for a
long time with the ignition switch in the“ ON ”or “ACC ”position can cause the
battery to go dead. .
If the ignition switch will not move
from the “LOCK ”position to the “ACC ”
position, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left and right as you turn
the ignition switch.
& LOCK
The key can only be inserted or removed
in this position. The ignition switch will lock
the steering wheel when you remove the
key. 
If turning the key is difficult, turn the 
steering wheel slightly to the right and left
as you turn the key. ! Automatic transmission vehicles
The key can be turned from “ACC ”to
“ LOCK ”only when the selector lever is in
the “P ”position. Instruments and controls
3-3
– CONTINUED –   

3-4Instruments and controls
!Manual transmission vehicles
The key can be turned from “ACC ”to
“ LOCK ”only when the key is pushed in
while turning it.
& ACC
In this position the electrical accessories 
(radio, accessory power outlet, etc.) can 
be used. & ON
This is the normal operating position after 
the engine is started. &
START
CAUTION
Do not turn the ignition switch to the “ START ”position while the engine
is running.
The engine is started in this position. The
starter cranks the engine to start it. When
the key is released (after the engine has
started), the key automatically returns to the “ON ”position.
If your registered key fails to start the 
engine, pull out the key once (the security
indicator light will blink), and then insert
the key in the ignition switch and turn it tothe “START ”position and again try to start
the engine.
NOTE 
The engine may not start in the follow- 
ing cases:
. The key grip is touching another key
or a metallic key holder.
. The key is near another key that
contains an immobilizer transponder.    

3-26Instruments and controls
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/mal- 
function indicator lamp may stop blinking
and come on steadily after several driving 
trips. You should have your vehicle 
checked by an authorized SUBARU deal-
er 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
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the 
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
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 approximately two seconds. 
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 
unnecessary to stop the vehicle, but avoid
driving up steep grades or in stop-and-gotraffic. ! Automatic transmission control 
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it
may indicate that the automatic transmis-
sion control system is not working prop-
erly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately. & Low tire pressure 
warning light (ifequipped)
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will come on for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning     

3-32Instruments and controls
& SPORT mode indicator 
light (if equipped)
This light comes on when the ignition 
switch is turned to the “ON ”position and
goes out after the engine has started.
When the selector lever is moved to the
manual gate, the SPORT mode is se-
lected and the indicator light comes on.
(Refer to the “Automatic transmission –4-
speed ”or “Automatic transmission –5-
speed ”section in chapter 7.)
& Shift-up indicator light 
(MT vehicles) (if equipped)
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the indicator light comes on
for 3 seconds, and then turns off. While
selecting the Intelligent (I) mode of SI-
DRIVE, this indicator light comes on and
informs the upshift timing to the driver for
fuel-efficient driving. &
Selector lever position indi- 
cator (AT vehicles) (if equipped)This indicator shows the position of the 
selector lever. &
Gear position indicator (AT 
vehicles) (if equipped)
When the manual mode is selected, the 
gear position indicator (which shows the
current gear selection) and the upshift/
downshift indicator light up. (Refer to the“Automatic transmission –4-speed ”or
“ Automatic transmission –5-speed ”sec-
tion in chapter 7.)     

&Selector lever and gear posi- 
tion indicator (AT vehicles) (if equipped)
This indicator shows the position of the 
selector lever. 
When the manual mode is selected, the 
gear position indicator (which shows the
current gear selection) and the upshift/
downshift indicator light up. (Refer to the“Automatic transmission –4-speed ”or
“ Automatic transmission –5-speed ”sec-
tion in chapter 7.)
& 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 
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
flashes. 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. &
Cruise control set in- 
dicator light
The cruise control set indicator light 
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position and goes out
after approximately three seconds. 
This light comes on when vehicle speed 
has been set. & Headlight indicator light
This indicator light comes on when the 
light switch is turned to the “
”position
(to turn on the parking lights) or to the “
” position (to turn on the headlights).
& Front fog light indicator light
This indicator light is on while the front fog 
lights are on. Instruments and controls
3-33      

3-46Instruments and controls
vehicle speed (longer when the vehicle 
speed is low; shorter when the vehicle
speed is high). 
When you subsequently move the selec- 
tor lever of the automatic transmission tothe“R ”position, the rear wiper will switch
to continuous operation. When you move
the selector lever from the “R ”position to
some other position, the rear wiper will
return to intermittent operation. ! Washer
To wash the rear window while the rear 
wiper is operating, turn the knob on the
end of the wiper control lever upward tothe “
”position. The washer fluid sprays
until you release the knob. 
To wash the rear window when the rear 
wiper is not in use, turn the knob on the
end of the wiper control lever downward tothe “
”position. The washer fluid sprays
and the wiper operates until you release 
the knob. Windshield wiper deicer (if equipped)
The windshield wiper deicer operates only 
when the ignition switch is in the
“ON ”
position. 
Before turning on the windshield wiper 
deicer, remove any snow from the wind-
shield. To turn on the windshield wiper
deicer, push the button. The indicator light
located on the button lights up while the
windshield wiper deicer is operating. 
The windshield wiper deicer will automa- 
tically shut off after approximately 15
minutes. If the windshield wiper blades 
have been deiced completely before that 
time, push the button to turn it off. It also
turns off when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ACC ”or “LOCK ”position. If deicing
is not complete, you have to push the
button to turn the deicer on again. 
Your SUBARU dealer can set your wind- 
shield wiper deicer for continuous opera-
tion. Contact your SUBARU dealer fordetails. 
Once the windshield wiper deicer has 
been set for continuous operation, press-
ing the button results in continuous opera-
tion. The windshield wiper deicer
automatically stops operating if any one
of the following conditions occurs during
continuous operation. . The outside temperature becomes
41 8F(5 8C) or higher.
. The vehicle speed remains at 9 mph
(15 km/h) or lower for 15 minutes.. The battery voltage decreases below
the permissible level.  

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 

7-10Starting and operating
If the engine does not start, try the following.
(1) Turn the ignition switch to the“OFF ”position and wait for at least
10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly set, turn the
ignition switch to the “START ”position
while depressing the accelerator pedal
slightly (approximately a quarter of the
full stroke). Release the accelerator
pedal as soon as the engine starts. 
(2) If this fails to start the engine, turn 
the ignition switch back to the “OFF ”
position and wait for at least 10
seconds. Then fully depress the accel-
erator pedal and turn the ignition 
switch to the “START ”position. If the
engine starts, quickly release the 
accelerator pedal. 
(3) If this fails to start the engine, turn 
the ignition switch again to the “OFF ”
position. After waiting for 10 seconds
or longer, turn the ignition switch to the“ START ”position without depressing
the accelerator pedal. 
(4) If the engine still refuses to start, 
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
for assistance. 6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have gone off after the engine has
started. The fuel injection system auto-
matically lowers the idle speed as the
engine warms up.
& Automatic transmission ve- hicle
CAUTION
If you restart the engine while the 
vehicle is moving, shift the selector
lever into the “N ” position. Do not
attempt to place the selector lever of
a moving vehicle into the “P ” posi-
tion.
1. Apply the parking brake. 
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac- cessories. 
3. Shift the selector lever to the “P ”or “N ”
position (preferably “P ” position). The
starter will only operate when the select 
lever is at the “P ”or “N ”position.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON ”
position and check the operation of the
warning and indicator lights. Refer to the“ Warning and indicator lights ”section
(chapter 3). 
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START ”
position without depressing the accelera- tor pedal. Release the key immediately 
after the engine has started. 
If the engine does not start, try the following.
(1) Turn the ignition switch to the“OFF ”position and wait for at least
10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly set, turn the
ignition switch to the “START ”position
while depressing the accelerator pedal
slightly (approximately a quarter of the
full stroke). Release the accelerator
pedal as soon as the engine starts. 
(2) If this fails to start the engine, turn 
the ignition switch back to the “OFF ”
position and wait for at least 10 
seconds. Then fully depress the accel- 
erator pedal and turn the ignition
switch to the “START ”position. If the
engine starts, quickly release the
accelerator pedal. 
(3) If this fails to start the engine, turn 
the ignition switch again to the “OFF ”
position. After waiting for 10 seconds
or longer, turn the ignition switch to the“ START ”position without depressing
the accelerator pedal. 
(4) If the engine still refuses to start, 
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
for assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have gone out after the engine has