2007 SUBARU TRIBECA engine

7-2 Starting and operating
Starting and operatingFuel
„Fuel requirements
The engine is designed to operate using
premium unleaded gasoline with an oc-
tane rating of 91 AKI or higher. If premium
unleaded gasoline is not available, regular
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of
87 AKI or higher may be temporarily used.
For optimum engine performance and
driveability, it is recommended that you
use premium grade unleaded gasoline. T Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane num-
bers and is commonly referred to as the
Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane rat-
ing can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle some-
times knocks lightly when you drive up a
hill or when you accelerate. See your
dealer or a qualified service technician if you use a fuel with the specified octane
rating and your vehicle knocks heavily or persistently. T
Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy. T California fuel
If your vehicle was certified to California
Emission Standards as indicated on the
underhood tune-up label, it is designed to
optimize engine and emission control sys-
tem performance with gasoline that meets
the clean burning low-sulfur California
gasoline specifications. If you live in any
other state than California, your vehicle
will operate on gasoline meeting Federal
specifications. Gasoline sold outside Cali-
fornia is permitted to have higher sulfur
levels, which may affect the performance
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 autho-
rized 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. T
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 deter-
mined that the condition is caused by the
type of fuel used, repairs may not be cov-
ered by your warranty. T Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent addi-
tives will help prevent deposits from form-
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel addi-
tive may cause engine damage.
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.

Starting and operating 7-3
– CONTINUED –
ing 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 ma-
terials called oxygenates. Use of these fu-
els can also help keep the air cleaner. Ox-
ygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE (Me-
thyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol (ethyl
or grain alcohol) may be used in your ve-
hicle, 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 oper-
ators if their gasolines contain detergents
and oxygenates and if they have been re-
formulated to reduce vehicle emissions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in the
following.y
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual. y 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 AND if it is accompanied by suffi-
cient quantities of the proper cosolvents
and corrosion inhibitors required to pre-
vent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT un-
der these conditions.y 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.y Fuel system damage or driveability
problems which result from the use of im-
proper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty. „
Fuel filler lid and cap
T Refueling
0
1. To open the fuel filler lid, pull the lid re-
lease lever. The lever is on the floor at the
left of the driver’s seat.
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700302

7-4 Starting and operating
2. Open the fuel filler lid.
1) Open
2) Close
3. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it
slowly counterclockwise.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel filler
pump automatically clicks off. Do not add
any more fuel.
5. Put the cap back on, turn it clockwise
until you hear a clicking noise. Be certain
not to catch the tether under the cap while
tightening.
6. Close the fuel filler lid completely.
If you spill any fuel on the painted surface,
rinse it off immediately. Otherwise, the
painted surface could be damaged.
NOTE y 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. y 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 may come on. Refer to
the “Warning and indicator lights” sec-
tion located in chapter 3.
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2
1
700304
y
Gasoline vapor is highly flamma-
ble. Before refueling, always first
stop the engine and make sure
that there are no lighted ciga-
rettes, open flames or electrical
sparks in the adjacent area.
yWhen opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. Fuel may be
under pressure and spray out of
the fuel filler neck especially in
hot weather, which may cause in-jury.
yNever add any cleaning agents to
the fuel tank. The addition of a
cleaning agent may cause dam-
age to the fuel system.
200253

7-6 Starting and operating
Under no circumstances should the rear
wheels be jacked off the ground, nor
should the driveshaft be disconnected for
state emission testing. The EPA has issued regulations for in-
specting the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD)
system as part of the state emissions in-
spection. The OBD system is designed to
detect engine and transmission problems
that might cause vehicle emissions to ex-
ceed allowable limits. These inspections
apply to all 1996 model year and newer
passenger cars and light trucks. Over 30
states plus the District of Columbia have
implemented the OBD system inspection. yThe inspection of the OBD system con-
sists of a visual operational check of the “ CHECK ENGINE ” warning light/malfunc-
tion indicator lamp (MIL) and an examina-
tion of the OBD system with an electronic
scan tool while the engine is running. y A vehicle passes
the OBD system in-
spection if proper the “ CHECK ENGINE”
warning light/MIL illumination is observed,
there is no stored diagnostic trouble
codes, and the OBD system readiness
monitors are complete. y A vehicle fails
the OBD inspection if the
“ CHECK ENGINE ” warning light/MIL is
not properly operating or there is one or
more diagnostic trouble codes stored in vehicle’s computer with the “
CHECK EN-
GINE ” warning light/MIL illuminated.
y A state emission inspection may reject
(not pass or fail) a vehicle if the number of
OBD system readiness monitors “ Not
Ready ” is greater than one. Under this
condition, the vehicle operator should be
instructed to drive his/her vehicle for a few
days to set the monitors and return for an
emission re-inspection. y Owners of rejected or failing vehicles
should contact their SUBARU Dealer for service.
Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks
and adjustments every day before you
start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and
lights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of
the tires. Also check tires for proper infla-
tion.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of
leaks.
4. Check that the hood and rear gate are
fully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your
passengers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and
indicator lights when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warn-
ing lights after starting the engine.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid,
washer fluid and other fluid levels
should be checked daily, weekly or at
fuel stops.

Starting and operating 7-7
Starting the engine
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces- sories.
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” po-
sition and check the operation of the warn-
ing 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 af- ter the engine has started.
If the engine does not start, try the follow-
ing.
1) Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF”
position and wait for at least 10 sec-
onds. After checking that the parking
brake is firmly set, turn the ignition
switch to the “START” position while de-
pressing 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” posi-
tion and wait for at least 10 seconds.
Then fully depress the accelerator ped-
al 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” posi-
tion. 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, con-
tact your nearest SUBARU dealer for
assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have gone out after the engine has
started. The fuel injection system auto-
matically lowers the idle speed as the en- gine warms up.
While the engine is warming up, make
sure that the selector lever is at the “P” or
“N” position and that the parking brake is
applied.
y
Do not operate the starter motor
continuously for more than ten
seconds. If the engine fails to start
after operating the starter for five
to ten seconds, wait for ten sec-
onds or more before trying again.
y If you restart the engine while the
vehicle is moving, shift the selec-
tor lever into the “N” position. Do
not attempt to place the selector
lever of a moving vehicle into the “P” position.

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.

Starting and operating 7-9
– CONTINUED –
the transmission to shift at the most
appropriate times for the current con-
dition of your vehicle. Optimized shift-
ing will be restored as the vehicle con-
tinues to be driven for a while. „
Selector lever
: With the brake pedal depressed, shift while pressing the button in.
: Shift while pressing the button in.
: Shift without pressing the button.
The selector lever has four positions, “P”,
“R”, “N”, “D” and also has manual gate for
using “SPORT” mode or manual mode. T 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 onlythe transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to
any other position, you have to depress
the brake pedal fully then push the release
button on the selector lever when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON” position. This
prevents the vehicle from lurching when it
is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the
“P” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed, the release button pushed in,
and the ignition switch in the ON position,
refer to the “Shift lock release” section in
this chapter.
NOTE
To protect the engine while the “P” po-
sition is selected, the engine is con-
trolled such that the engine speed
does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard. T
R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle. To shift from the “N” to “R” position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the le-
ver to the “R” position while pushing the
release button. T
N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled en-
gine.
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.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neu-tral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
NOTE y To protect the engine while the “N”
position is selected, the engine is con-
trolled such that the engine speed
does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard.y If the selector lever is in the “N” po-
sition when you stop the engine for
parking, you may not subsequently be
able to move it to the “R” and “P” posi-
tions. 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.
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7-10 Starting and operating
TD (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 re-
lease the pedal, the transmission will re-
turn to the original gear position.
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. V 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 up-
shifting 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 ac-
celerate the vehicle again. V
While going down a hill
When you are descending a hill or any
other slope while braking with the “SPORT” mode selected, the transmis-
sion may downshift to 4th or 3rd gear de-
pending on how hard you depress the
brake pedal, causing engine braking to
work. Reacceleration for a short time will
cause the transmission to upshift normal- ly.
NOTE y 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).y 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 inhibit-
ing function
This function prevents accidental move-
ment of the selector lever to the “R” posi-
tion while the vehicle is moving.
The function becomes operational when
the vehicle reaches a speed of approxi-
mately 6 mph (10 km/h). Once operation-
al, it prevents the selector lever from being
moved from the “N” position to the “R” po-
sition. When the vehicle speed drops be-
low 6 mph (10 km/h), the function is can-
celed. 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 se-
lector lever from the “N” position to the “R”
position is possible for a limited time peri-
od 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 se-
lector lever from the “N” position to the “R”
position has become impossible, turn the
ignition switch back to the “ON” position
then move the selector lever to the “P” po-
sition. Pressing the selector lever release
button also makes it possible to move the
selector lever to the “P” position at this
time.
Do not drive the vehicle with the se-
lector lever in the “N” (neutral) posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition and the risk of an ac-
cident is consequently increased.