3-16 Instruments and controls
The ABS warning light comes on together with the brake system warning light if the
EBD system becomes faulty. For further
details of the EBD system fault warning,
refer to “Brake system warning light”.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as de-
scribed in the following, the ABS sys-
tem may be considered normal. yThe warning light comes on right af-
ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off. y The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it goes
out when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 8 mph (12 km/h). y The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately
and remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jumpstarted, the ABS warning light may come
on. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will go out. „
Brake system
warning light
This light has the following three func-
tions: TParking brake warning
The light comes on with the parking brake
applied while the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position. It goes out when the park-
ing brake is fully released. T Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the “MIN” level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
switch in the “ON” position and with the parking brake fully released. If the brake system warning light should
come on while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in “ON”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the “MIN” mark in the reser-
voir, do not drive the vehicle. Have the ve-
hicle towed to the nearest SUBARU deal-
er for repair. T
Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also illu-
minates if a malfunction occurs in the EBD
system. In that event, it comes on together
with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be faulty if the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously during driv-
ing.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are ap-
plied harder than usual and the vehicle’s
motion may therefore become somewhat
harder to control. If the brake system warning light and ABS
y Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
yIf at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.
(U.S.) (Canada)
7-8 Starting and operating
Stopping the engine
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling.
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has
a manual mode and a SPORT mode.
NOTE yWhen the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up. y 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 col-
lected and stored in memory to allow
Do not stop the engine when the ve-
hicle is moving. This will cause loss
of power to the power steering and
the brake booster, making steering
and braking more difficult. It could
also result in accidental activation
of the “LOCK” position on the igni-
tion switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” po-
sition into the “D” or “R” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle to
jump forward or backward. y Shift into the “P” or “R” position
only after the vehicle is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause dam-
age to the transmission.
y 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.
yAvoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the
“R” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
y When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery.
7-18 Starting and operating
voltage such as when the engine is jump started, the ABS warning light may come
on. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will go out. Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) system
The EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle’s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS system and uses some of the ABS
system’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak- ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD function fails, the EBD
system also stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. „
Steps to take if EBD system
fails
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light come on simultaneously.
The EBD system may be faulty if the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously during driv-
ing.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are ap-
plied harder than usual and the vehicle’s
motion may therefore become somewhat
harder to control. If the brake system warning light and ABS
700315
Driving tips 8-7
– CONTINUED –
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. y
Secure all cargo carried inside the vehi-
cle and make certain that it is not piled
higher than the seatbacks. During sudden
stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could be
thrown around in the vehicle and cause in-
jury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof.
Those loads raise the vehicle’s center of
gravity and make it more prone to tip over. y If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelera-
tor pedal slightly and move the selector le-
ver back and forth between “D” and “R” re-
peatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the
wheels when trying to free the vehicle. y When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. y Never equip your vehicle with tires larg-
er than those specified in this manual. y Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. y Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle un-
der hard-driving conditions such as rough roads or off roads will necessitate more
frequent replacement of engine oil, brake
fluid and transmission oil than that speci-
fied in the maintenance schedule de-
scribed in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible for warranty coverage.
Winter driving „
Operation during cold weath- er
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as tire chains, a window scraper, a bag of
sand, flares, a small shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold tem-
peratures reduce battery capacity. The
battery must be in good condition to pro-
vide enough power for cold winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and vis-
cosity for cold weather. Heavy summer oil
will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by
800201
9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an emergency ........ 9-2
Spare tire ............................................................. 9-2 Removing the spare tire ......................................... 9-3
Re-storage of spare tire ......................................... 9-5
Temporary spare tire .......................................... 9-6
Flat tires .............................................................. 9-7 Changing a flat tire ................................................. 9-7
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ............ 9-10
Jump starting ...................................................... 9-11 How to jump start ................................................... 9-12
Engine overheating ............................................ 9-14 If steam is coming from the engine compartment ......................................................... 9-14
If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment ......................................................... 9-14
Towing ................................................................. 9-15 Towing and tie-down hooks .................................. 9-15
Using a flat-bed truck ............................................. 9-17
Towing with all wheels on the ground .................. 9-18
Rear gate – if the rear gate cannot be unlocked .......................................................... 9-18
Maintenance tools .............................................. 9-19 Jack and jack handle .............................................. 9-19
In case of emergency 9-11
– CONTINUED –
Jump starting
If the low tire pressure warning light
comes on while driving, never brake
suddenly and keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing
speed. Then slowly pull off the road
to a safe place. Otherwise an acci-
dent involving serious vehicle dam-
age and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the vehicle
placard on the door pillar on the
driver’s side. If this light still comes
on while driving after adjusting the
tire pressure, a tire may have signif-
icant damage and a fast leak that
causes the tire to lose air rapidly. If
you have a flat tire, replace it with a
spare tire as soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash. This in-
dicates the TPMS is unable to moni-
tor all four road wheels. Contact
your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible for tire and sensor replace-
ment and/or system resetting.
Do not inject any tire liquid or aero-
sol tire sealant into the tires, as this
may cause a malfunction of the tire
pressure sensors.
If the light flashes, promptly contact
a SUBARU dealer to have the sys-
tem inspected.
yBattery fluid is SULFURIC ACID.
Do not let it come in contact with
the eyes, skin, clothing or the ve- hicle.
If battery fluid gets on you, thor-
oughly flush the exposed area
with water immediately. Get medi-
cal help if the fluid has entered
your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally
swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water, and
obtain immediate medical help.
Keep everyone including children
away from the battery.
yThe gas generated by a battery ex-
plodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or
light a match while jump starting.
yNever attempt jump starting if the
discharged battery is frozen. It
could cause the battery to burst or
explode.
9-12 In case of emergency
When your vehicle does not start due to a
run down (discharged) battery, the vehicle
may be jump started by connecting your
battery to another battery (called the
booster battery) with jumper cables. „How to jump start
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 volts and the negative terminal is ground- ed.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehi-
cle, do not let the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and ac-
cessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in
the sequence illustrated.
y
Whenever working on or around a
battery, always wear suitable eye
protectors, and remove metal ob-
jects such as rings, bands or oth-
er metal jewelry.
yBe sure the jumper cables and
clamps on them do not have loose
or missing insulation.
Do not jump start unless cables in
suitable condition are available.
yA running engine can be danger-
ous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away from
the cooling fan, belts and any oth-
er moving engine parts. Remov-
ing rings, watches and ties is ad-
visable.
yJump starting is dangerous if it is
done incorrectly. If you are unsure
about the proper procedure for
jump starting, consult a compe-
tent mechanic.
14-2 Index
A
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................................... 7-16 Warning light ....................................................... 3-15, 7-17
Accessories .................................................................... 11-38
Accessory power outlet ...................................................... 6-8
Active head restraint ........................................................... 1-5
Air cleaner element ........................................................ 11-13
Air filtration system ........................................................... 4-11
Air flow ............................................................................... 4-2
Alarm system .................................................................... 2-14
All-Wheel Drive warning light ........................................... 3-17
Aluminum wheels ........................................................... 11-29
Antenna system ................................................................. 5-2
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) .......................................... 7-16
Arming the system ............................................................ 2-15
Armrest ............................................................................. 1-11
AT OIL TEMPerature warning light .................................. 3-13
Audio control buttons ....................................................... 5-22
Audio set ............................................................................ 5-3
Auto-dimming mirror/compass ......................................... 3-34
Automatic climate control system ....................................... 4-5
Automatic transmission ...................................................... 7-8 Capacities .................................................................... 12-3
Fluid ........................................................................... 11-15
Manual mode ............................................................... 7-11
Selector lever ................................................................. 7-9
Shift lock release ......................................................... 7-14
Temperature warning light (AT OIL TEMP) ................. 3-13
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) ........... 1-16 B
Battery ............................................................................ 11-35 Jump starting ............................................................... 9-11
Replacement (Remote keyless entry system) ............. 2-10
Brake
Booster ...................................................................... 11-21
Fluid ........................................................................... 11-20
Pad and lining ............................................................ 11-22
Pedal .......................................................................... 11-21
Brake pedal
Free play .................................................................... 11-21
Reserve distance ....................................................... 11-21
Brake system .................................................................... 7-15
Warning light ................................................................ 3-16
Braking ............................................................................. 7-15 Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ................ 11-22
Tips .............................................................................. 7-15
Bulb Chart ............................................................................ 12-8
Replacing ................................................................... 11-39
C
Capacities ......................................................................... 12-3
Cargo area Light ............................................................................... 6-2
Tie-down hooks ........................................................... 6-12
Catalytic converter .............................................................. 8-3
Center Console .......................................................................... 6-5
Ventilators ...................................................................... 4-4
Changing
Flat tire ........................................................................... 9-7
Oil and oil filter ............................................................. 11-7
Charge warning light ......................................................... 3-13