2008 SUBARU OUTBACK light

Remote engine start system
(dealer option)
WARNING
. Do not remote start a vehicle in
an enclosed environment (e.g.
closed garage). Prolonged opera-
tion of a motor vehicle in an
enclosed environment can cause
a harmful build-up of Carbon
Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is
harmful to your health. Exposure
to high levels of Carbon Monox-
ide can cause headaches, dizzi-
ness or in extreme cases uncon-
sciousness and/or death.
. Before performing any servicing
of the vehicle, temporarily place
the remote engine start system in
service mode to prevent the
system from unexpectedly start-
ing the engine.
& Starting your vehicle
The remote control start system is acti-
vated by pressing the “
”button twice
within 3 seconds on your remote control
transmitter. The system will check certain
pre-conditions before starting, and if all
safety parameters are correct, the engine
will start within 5 seconds. While the
vehicle is operating via remote engine
start, the vehicle ’s power window features
will be disabled. Also, the system has a
timer and will shut down after 15 minutes if
you do not operate the vehicle. Press and
hold the “
”button for 2 seconds again to
turn the vehicle off. If the vehicle ’s starter
cranks but does not start or starts and
stalls, the remote engine start system will
power off then attempt to start the vehicle an additional four times. If the vehicle fails
to start after the additional attempts, the
remote engine start system will abort and
return to a non activated state.
& Remote start safety features
For safety and security reasons, the
system will fail to start and beep the horn
twice or shut down the engine during
remote start operation if any of the
following occur: . The brake pedal is pressed before the
vehicle ignition switch is turned “on ”
. The key was already in the ignition
switch. The engine hood is opened
. The vehicle ’s engine idle speed has
reached a level over 3,000 RPM. The alarm is triggered by opening a
door or the rear gate. NOTE . The security indicator light on the
dashboard will stop flashing while
under remote engine start operation,
but the vehicle is still protected.. If the vehicle is entered during
remote engine star t operation, the
system will not record entry in the
alarm history. Starting and operating
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7-12Starting and operating
& Entering the vehicle while it
is running via remote start
1. Unlock the vehicle doors using the
keyless entry system. If the vehicle ’s
doors are unlocked manually using the
key, the vehicle ’s alarm system will trigger
and the remote engine start system will
turn off. Inserting the key into the ignition
switch and turning it to the “ON ”position or
pressing the unlock button “
”on the
remote keyless entry transmitter will dis-
arm the alarm system. Refer to the “Alarm
system ”section in chapter 2.
2. Enter the vehicle. Do not press the
brake pedal.
3. Insert the key into the ignition switch
and turn to the “ON ”position. If the ignition
switch is accidentally turned to the“ START ”position, the system ’s “starter
anti-grind ”feature will prevent the starter
from re-cranking.
4. Press the brake pedal. The remote
starter disengages, the vehicle ’s power
window features are re-enabled and the
vehicle will operate normally.
& Entering the vehicle follow-
ing remote engine start shut-down
An alarm trigger may occur if the vehicle is
opened by the remote keyless entry transmitter within a few seconds immedi-
ately following remote engine start shut-down.
& Pre-heating or pre-cooling
the interior of the vehicle
Before exiting the vehicle, set the tem-
perature controls to the desired setting
and operation. After the system starts the
vehicle, the heater or air-conditioning will
activate and heat or cool the interior to
your setting. & Service mode
In service mode, the remote start function
is temporarily disabled to prevent the
system from unexpectedly starting the
engine while being serviced. ! To engage the service mode
Turn the ignition switch to the “ON ”
position, depress and hold the brake pedal
then, press and release the “
”button on
the remote control transmitter three times.
The system will pause for 1 second and
then flash the parking lights and honk the
horn three times indicating that the system
is in service mode. When attempting to
activate the remote start system while in
service mode, the parking lights will flash
and the horn will honk two times and will
not start. !
To disengage the service mode
Turntheignitionswitchtothe “ON ”
position, depress and hold the brake
pedal, then press and release the “
”
button on the remote control transmitter
three times. The system will pause for 1
second and flash the parking lights 1 time
indicating that the system has exited
service mode.
NOTE
When taking your vehicle in for service,
it is recommended that you inform the
service personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with a remote control startsystem. & Remote transmitter program-
ming and programmable fea-
ture option
New transmitters can be programmed to
the engine starter system in the event that
remote transmitters are lost, stolen or
damaged. The remote engine start system
also has one programmable feature that
can be adjusted for user preference.
The remote engine starter system can be
programmed to either make an audible
horn chirp upon remote start activation or
not. Remote transmitter programming and
feature programming can be adjusted
using the following procedure.

1. Open the driver’s door (the driver ’s
door must remain opened throughout the
entire process).
2. Insert the key into the vehicle ’s ignition
switch and turn to the “ON ”position.
3. Locate the small black programming
button behind the fuse box cover, on the
driver ’s side left under the dashboard
panel.
4. Press and hold the black programming
button for 10 to 15 seconds. The horn will
honk and the parking lights will flash three
times to indicate that the system has
entered programming mode. At this point
you can perform either action (Step 5 or
Step 6).
5. To program a remote transmitter:
press and release the “
”button on each
transmitter. The horn will honk and the
parking lights will flash one time to indicate
a successful transmitter learn each time
the “
”button is pressed. You can
program up to eight transmitters.
6. To toggle the Horn Confirmation chirps
ON/OFF: press and release the brake to
toggle the feature. The horn will chirp and
the parking lights will flash one time to
indicate Confirmation Horn Chirps are“ OFF ”. The horn will honk and the parking
lights will flash 2 times to indicate Con-
firmation Horn Chirps are “ON ”. Pressing
the brake pedal repeatedly will toggle the feature ON or OFF each time.
7. To exit the remote transmitter and
feature programming mode, turn the igni-
tion switch to the
“LOCK ”position, remove
the key from the ignition switch and test
operation of the remote transmitter(s) and
horn confirmation feature.
& System maintenance
! Changing the remote control bat-teries
The two 3-volt lithium batteries (model
CR-1220) supplied in your remote control
should last approximately three years,
depending on usage. When the batteries
begin to weaken, you will notice a
decrease in range (distance from the
vehicle that your remote control operates).
Follow the instructions below to change
the remote control batteries.
1. Carefully pry the remote control halves
apart using a small flathead screwdriver. Starting and operating
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7-16Starting and operating
cause clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to
labor. .On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as
necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking
effect. Remember, if you “ride ”(over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly. . 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 amalfunction. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 2.5-liter turbo
engine before the engine warms up. Manual transmission
–6
speeds (2.5GT spec.B)
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
clutch disengaged (i.e., when the
clutch pedal is depressed) or with
the shift lever in the neutral position.
Engine braking has no effect in
either of these conditions and the
risk of an accident is consequentlyincreased.
The manual transmission is a fully syn-
chromeshed, 6-forward-speed and 1-re-
verse-speed transmission.
The shift pattern is shown on the shift lever knob. &
Selecting reverse gear
CAUTION
Shift into reverse ONLY when the
vehicle has completely stopped. It
may cause damage to the transmis-
sion to try shifting into reverse when
the vehicle is moving.
1) Slider
You must raise the slider and hold it in that
position before you can move the shift
lever to the “R ”position.
To change gears, fully depress the clutch
pedal, move the shift lever, and gradually

!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.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
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.
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 4th 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 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return 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.
Starting and operating
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7-22Starting and operating
.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. mph (km/h)
Position 2.5-liter non-turbo models
1 30 (48)
2 63 (101) 3 99 (160)
Never exceed posted speed limits. NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during
deceleration of the vehicle, the trans-
mission will remain in the current gear
if the speed of the vehicle is in excess
of the Maximum Allowable Speed for
the gear to which the selector lever has
been moved. & 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 afault.
& SPORT mode
SPORT mode is used when power is
needed for rapid acceleration or for uphill
driving. To select this mode, move the
selector lever from the “D ”position to the
manual gate.
When selected, the SPORT mode indica-
tor light on the instrument panel will turnon.
To deselect SPORT mode, move the
selector lever to the “D ”position or select
manual mode.
To subsequently reselect SPORT mode,
move the selector lever to the “D ”position
and from there to the manual gate.
In this mode, the transmission shifts up at
higher vehicle speeds and shifts down
more responsively than in normal mode. & Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from
the “P ” position with the brake pedal
depressed and the ignition switch in the“ ON ”position, perform the following steps: To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bucket.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the
edge with a flat-head screwdriver.
Starting and operating
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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 a manual gate for
using the 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
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