
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 thevehicle. ! Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when 
the tank is nearly empty [Approximately
2.6 US gal (10 liters, 2.2 lmp gal)]. 
It only operates when the ignition switch is 
in the “ON ”position.
NOTE 
This light does not go out unless the 
tank is replenished up to an internal fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3.3 lmp gal).
CAUTION
Promptly put fuel in the tank when- 
ever the low fuel warning light
comes on. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
& Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range 
2) S# PREP indicator light
The temperature gauge shows engine 
coolant temperature when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position. The coolant temperature will vary in
accordance with the outside temperature
and driving conditions. 
We recommend that you drive moderately 
until the pointer of the temperature gauge 
reaches near the middle of the range. 
Engine operation is optimum with the
engine coolant at this temperature range
and high revving operation when the
engine is not warmed up enough should
be avoided. 
When the engine is not warmed up 
sufficiently, the S# PREP indicator light
turns on. While this indicator light is on,
the SI-DRIVE mode cannot be changed to
the Sport Sharp (S#) mode. For details
about the SI-DRIVE mode, refer to the
“SI-
DRIVE (Turbo models) ”section in chapter
7.
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal 
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. 
See the “In case of emergency ”in
chapter 9. Instruments and controls
3-7
– CONTINUED –   

3-16Instruments and controls
Warning messages Details
Door open warning 
When any of the doors, the rear gate (Station wagon) or the trunk lid 
(Sedan) is not fully closed, it is indicated by the corresponding part of the 
door light. 
Always make sure this warning message is out before you start to drive. 
The display shows the interruptive warning message for 3 seconds.
Parking brake warning 
This warning message 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. 
The display shows the interruptive warning message for 3 seconds and 
then returns to its original display. The interruptive warning message will be 
displayed again after 20 seconds.
Run mode change system warning 
This warning message indicates a mulfunction of the “SI-DRIVE mode ”
change. If this warning message is shown on the display, contact your 
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the SI-DRIVE mode system inspected. 
The display shows the interruptive warning message for 3 seconds.
Engine coolant temperature warning 
When the engine coolant temperature reaches 248 8F (120 8C), this warning
message is indicated. If this warning message is displayed, refer to the “ Engine overheating
”section in chapter 9 for details the necessary measures.
The display shows the interruptive warning message for 3 seconds.     

door, the fuel gauge needle will drop to the “E ” position and the dial, needle, and rim
will go off. 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 thevehicle. ! Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when 
the tank is nearly empty [Approximately
2.6 US gal (10 liters, 2.2 lmp gal)]. 
It only operates when the ignition switch is 
in the “ON ”position. NOTE 
This light does not go out unless the 
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3,3 lmp gal).
CAUTION
Promptly put fuel in the tank when- 
ever the low fuel warning light
comes on. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
& Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant temperature when the ignition 
switch is in the
“ON ”position.
The coolant temperature will vary in
accordance with the outside temperature
and driving conditions. 
We recommend that you drive moderately 
until the pointer of the temperature gauge
reaches near the middle of the range.
Engine operation is optimum with the
engine coolant at this temperature range
and high revving operation when the
engine is not warmed up enough should
be avoided.
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal 
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. 
See the “In case of emergency ”in
chapter 9. Instruments and controls
3-21   

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.   

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 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. ! 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. Starting and operating
7-19
– CONTINUED –  

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  

.While the engine is running, if the
CHECK ENGINE warning light/malfunc- 
tion indicator lamp comes on, the SI-
drive mode changes to the Sport (S)
mode. In this case, it is not possible to
change to the Sport Sharp (S#) mode or
Intelligent (I) mode.. If there is a possibility that the
engine could overheat because of a
temperature increase of the engine
coolant, it is not possible to change to
the Sport Sharp (S#) mode. While the
vehicle is in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
it changes to the Sport (S) mode when
the engine coolant temperature in-
creases. For 3.0-liter models, it also 
changes to the Sport (S) mode when 
the engine oil temperature increases. Rear viscous limited slip dif- 
ferential (LSD) (if equipped)
CAUTION
. Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the 
vehicle may move.
. If one rear tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely
affect the LSD.
. If a different size rear tire is
temporarily used (as in an emer-
gency), it will adversely affect the
LSD. Always replace it with a
regularsizetireassoonaspossible.
The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in
revolutions between the right and left rear
wheels that may be caused by certain
driving conditions, thereby improving driv-
ing stability on snow-covered, muddy or
other slippery roads. Power steering
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the 
fully locked position left or right for
more than five seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump.
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running. 
If you lose power steering assist because 
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort. NOTE 
Right after the engine has been started 
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is
normal. It does not indicate power
steering system trouble. Starting and operating
7-33 

the trailer and have repairs performed 
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer. !Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces- 
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically 
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge 
pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP
warning light (for AT vehicles) since the
engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi- 
nates, immediately switch off the air 
conditioner and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheating ”section in chapter 9, and
“ Warning and indicator lights ”section in
chapter 3. NOTE 
With AT vehicles, the temperature of engine coolant is less likely to rise to 
the OVERHEAT zone in the
“D ” posi-
tion than in the manual mode position. . If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, avoid using the accelerator pedal 
to stay stationary on an uphill slope
instead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission
fluid to overheat. ! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both 
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake firmly. You should not
park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you
should take the following steps: 
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down. 
2. Have someone place wheel blocks 
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels. 
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, 
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load. 
4. Apply the regular brakes and then 
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes. 
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual 
transmission) or “P ” (automatic transmis-
sion) and shut off the engine. Driving tips
8-29