2008 SUBARU TRIBECA Owners Manual

!
–Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows, push the defros-
ter button “
”. When the “
”button is
pushed, outside air is drawn into the
passenger compartment, air flow is direc-
ted towards the windshield and front door
windows, and the indicator light on the
button comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, return the climate control
system to the AUTO mode by pushing
the “AUTO ”button or turn off by pushing
the “OFF ”button.
Alternatively, push the “
”button again
to return the system to the setting that was
selected before you activated the defros-
ter. !
Fan speed control dial
The fan speed control dial has 7 positions:
AUTO position and 6 different fan speed
positions.
The fan speed is shown on the center of
the dial.
With the fan speed control dial in the
AUTO position, the fan speed changes
automatically corresponding the various
conditions: air temperature inside and
outside of the passenger ’s compartment,
intensity of the sunlight, etc. !
A/C –Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the
climate control system is operated in the
AUTO mode, push the air conditioner
button to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pushed, the air
conditioner compressor turns on and the
indicator light on the button comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, set the system back to the
AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO ”
button.NOTEThe air conditioner compressor does
not operate when the outside air tem-
perature is below 32 8F(0 8C).
Climate control
4-7
– CONTINUED –
ProCarManuals.com

4-8
Climate control
!Air flow mode selection buttonSelect the desired air flow mode by
pushing the air flow mode selection
button. The selected air flow mode is
shown on the center of the dial.
(Ventilation): Air flows through the
instrument panel outlets.(Bi-level): Air flows through the
instrument panel outlets and the foot
outlets.(Heat): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets, the foot outlets, and
some through the windshield defroster
outlets.(Heat-def): Air flows through the
instrument panel outlets, the windshield
defroster outlets, and the foot outlets. !
Air inlet selection button
ON position (Recirculation): Interior air
is recirculated inside the vehicle. Push the
air inlet selection button to the ON position
for fast cooling with the air conditioner or
when driving on a dusty road. The
indicator light will come on.
OFF position (Outside Air): Outside air
is drawn into the passenger compartment.
Push the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position when the interior has cooled
to a comfortable temperature and the road
is no longer dusty. The indicator light will
go off.
WARNING
Continued operation in the ON posi-
tion may fog up the windows. Switch
to the OFF position as soon as the outside dusty condition clears.
NOTEWhen driving on a dusty road or behind
a vehicle that emits unpleasant exhaust
gases, set the air inlet selection button
to the ON position.
From time to time, return the air inlet
selection button to the OFF position to
draw outside air into the passenger
compartment.&
Rear air conditioner (if
equipped)The rear air conditioner blows cool air out
of the rear ventilators while the “A/C”
button on the control panel is in the “ON”
ProCarManuals.com

position. The fan speed of the rear air
conditioner can be adjusted using the rear
air conditioner dial behind the center
console. The fan speed can be adjusted
in four steps by turning the dial. Turn the
dial to the“OFF ”position to stop the fan.NOTE. When the “A/C ”button is in the
“ OFF ”position and when the “A/C ”
indicator is not illuminated during
AUTO mode operation, the air condi-
tioner compressor does not operate,
meaning that the system merely blows
uncooled air out of the ventilators.
. The outlet air temperature of the rear
air conditioner cannot be adjusted.
. The rear air conditioner cannot be
used as a heater.
& Temperature sensors1) Interior air temperature sensor
2) Solar sensorThe automatic climate control system
employs several sensors. These sensors
are delicate. If they are treated incorrectly
and become damaged, the system may
not be able to control the interior tempera-
ture correctly. To avoid damaging the
sensors, observe the following precau-
tions:
– Do not subject the sensors to impact.
– Keep water away from the sensors.
– Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are located as follows:
– Solar sensor: beside windshield
defroster grille –
Interior air temperature sensor: on the
side of the driver-side part of the center
panel
– Outside temperature sensor: behind
front grille
Climate control
4-9
ProCarManuals.com

4-10
Climate control
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner&Cleaning ventilator grilleAlways keep the front ventilator inlet grille
free of snow, leaves, or other obstructions
to ensure efficient heating and defrosting.
Since the condenser is located in front of
the radiator, this area should be kept clean
because cooling performance is impaired
by any accumulation of insects and leaves
on the condenser.&Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlightAfter parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to
allow outside air to circulate into the heated interior. This results in quicker
cooling by the air conditioner. Keep the
windows closed during the operation of
the air conditioner for maximum cooling
efficiency.
&
Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuitOperate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil.&Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-
sonCheck the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper
operation each spring. Have your
SUBARU dealer perform this check.&Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather conditionsUnder certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.) a
small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate
any problem with the air conditioning
system.
&Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loadedTo improve acceleration and gas mileage,
the air conditioner compressor is designed
to temporarily shut off during air condi-
tioner operation whenever the accelerator
is fully depressed such as during rapid
acceleration or when driving on a steep
upgrade.&Refrigerant for your climate
control systemYour air conditioner uses ozone friendly
refrigerant HFC134a. Therefore, the meth-
od of adding, changing or checking the
refrigerant is different from the method for
CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a
result of using the wrong refrigerant are
not covered under warranty.
ProCarManuals.com

Air filtration systemReplace the filter element according to the
replacement schedule shown in the fol-
lowing. This schedule should be followed
to maintain the filter’s dust collection
ability. Under extremely dusty conditions,
the filter should be replaced more fre-
quently. It is recommended that you have
your filter checked or replaced by your
SUBARU dealer. For replacement, we
recommend the use of a genuine
SUBARU air filter kit.Replacement schedule:
Every 15 months or 15,000 miles (24,000
km) whichever comes first
& Replacing the air filter1. Remove the instrument panel side
cover.NOTEThe instrument panel side cover is held
in place with four pins.
2. Unhook the strap.3. Remove the glove box by detaching
the one clip on the side.
Climate control
4-11
–CONTINUED –
ProCarManuals.com

4-12
Climate control
4. Remove the air filter cover by detach-
ing the five clips.5. Unhook the air filter and draw it out.
6. Replace the air filter with a new one.
7. Install the air filter cover.
8. Install the glove box.9. Attach the strap to the hook.
10. Secure the glove box with the one clip.
11. Install the instrument panel side cover.12. Label installation
Attach the caution label to the driver’s
door.
ProCarManuals.com

CAUTION
Contact your SUBARU dealer if the
following occurs, even if it is not yet
time to change the filter:
–Reduction of the air flow through
the vents.
– Windshield gets easily fogged or
misted.NOTEThe filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor-
mance if not properly maintained.
Climate control
4-13
ProCarManuals.com

————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————
ProCarManuals.com