2009 SUBARU FORESTER engine hood

Vehicle symbols
There are some of the symbols you may
see on your vehicle.Mark Name
WARNING
CAUTION
Power door lock and unlock
Passengers ’windows lock
and unlock
Fuel
Front fog lights
Hazard warning flasher
Engine hood Mark Name
Seat heater
Child restraint top tether an- chorages
Child restraint lower an- chorages
Horn
Windshield wiper deicer
Wiper intermittent
Windshield wiper and washer
Windshield wiper mist (for
single wipe)
Rear window wiper
Rear window washer
LightsMark Name
Tail lights, license plate light
and instrument panel illumi-nation
Headlights
Turn signal
Illumination brightness
Fan speed
Instrument panel outlets
Instrument panel outlets and
foot outlets
Foot outlets
Windshield defroster and foot outlets
Windshield defroster
Rear window defogger/Out-
side mirror defogger3
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10
Illustrated index &Exterior1) Engine hood (page 11-5)
2) Headlight switch (page 3-24)
3) Replacing bulbs (page 11-46)
4) Wiper switch (page 3-29)
5) Moonroof (page 2-22)
6) Roof rail (page 8-13)
7) Door locks (page 2-4)
8) Tire pressure (page 11-33)
9) Flat tires (page 9-4)
10) Tire chains (page 8-11)
11) Front fog light switch (page 3-27)
12) Tie-down hooks (page 9-12)
13) Towing hook (page 9-12)

position. &Arming the system
! To arm the system using remote transmitter
1. Close all windows and the moonroof (ifequipped).
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Open the doors and get out of the vehicle.
4. Make sure that the engine hood is locked.
5. Close all doors and the rear gate.
: Press to Arm the system.: Press to Disarm the system.
6. Briefly press the “”button (for less
than 2 seconds). All doors and the rear
gate will lock, an electronic chirp will
sound once, the turn signal lights will flash
once, and the indicator lights will start
flashing rapidly. After rapid flashing for 30
seconds (standby time), the indicator
lights will then flash slowly (twice approxi-
mately every 2 seconds), indicating that
the system has been armed for surveil-lance.
If any of the doors or the rear gate is not
fully closed, an electronic chirp sounds
five times, the turn signal lights flash five
times to alert you that the doors or the rear
gate are not properly closed. When you
close the door, the system will automati-
cally arm and doors will automatically lock. !
To arm the system using power
door locking switches
1. Close all windows.
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Open the doors and get out of the vehicle.
4. Make sure that the engine hood is locked.
5. Close the doors and the rear gate but
leave only the driver ’s door or the front
passenger ’s door open.
6. Push the front side ( “LOCK ”side) of
the power door locking switch to set the
door locks.
7. Close the door. An electronic chirp will
sound once, the turn signal lights will flash
once and the indicator lights will start Keys and doors
2-15
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2-16Keys and doors
flashing rapidly. After rapid flashing for 30
seconds (standby time), the indicator
lights will then flash slowly (twice approxi-
mately every 2 seconds), indicating that
the system has been armed for surveil-lance. NOTE . The system can be armed even if the
engine hood, the windows and/or
moonroof (if equipped) are open. Al-
ways make sure that they are fully
closed before arming the system.. The 30-second standby time can be
eliminated if you prefer. Have it per-
formed by your SUBARU dealer.. The system is in the standby mode
for a 30-second period after locking the
doors with the remote transmitter. The
security indicator light will flash at
short intervals during this period.. If any of the following actions are
done during the standby period, the
system will not switch to the surveil-
lance state.
–Doors are unlocked using the
remote transmitter. – Any door (including the rear
gate) is opened.– Ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ”position. &
Disarming the system
Briefly press the “
”button (for less than
2 seconds) on the remote transmitter. The driver ’s door will unlock, an electronic
chirp will sound twice, the turn signal
lights will flash twice. The flashing of the
security indicator light will then change
slowly (once approximately every 3 sec-
onds from twice approximately every 2
seconds), indicating that the alarm system
has been disarmed. NOTE
After disarming the alarm system,
briefly press the “
”button a second
time within 5 seconds to unlock all
other doors and the rear gate. ! Emergency disarming
If you cannot disarm the system using the
transmitter (i.e. the transmitter is lost,
broken or the transmitter battery is too
weak), you can disarm the system without
using the transmitter.
The system can be disarmed as follows. . Turn the ignition switch from the
“ LOCK ”to the “ON ”position with a
registered key.
& Valet mode
When you choose the valet mode, the
alarm system does not operate. In valet mode, the remote transmitter is used only
for locking and unlocking the doors and
rear gate and panic activation.
To enter the valet mode, change the
setting of your vehicle
’s alarm system for
deactivation mode. Refer to “Activating
and deactivating the alarm system ”in this
section. The security indicator light will
continue to flash once every 3 seconds
indicating that the system is in the valetmode.
To exit valet mode, change the setting of
your vehicle ’s alarm system for activation
mode. Refer to “Activating and deactivat-
ing the alarm system ”in this section.
& Passive arming
When passive arming mode has been
programmed by the dealer, arming of the
system is automatically accomplished
without using the remote transmitter. Note
that in this mode, DOORS MUST BE
MANUALLY LOCKED. ! To enter the passive mode
If you wish to program the passive arming
mode, have it done by your SUBARU
dealer.

7-2Starting and operating
Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause engine damage.
& Fuel requirements
! Non-turbo models
The 2.5-liter non-turbo engine is designed
to operate using unleaded gasoline with
an octane rating of 87 AKI or higher. ! Turbo models
The 2.5-liter turbo engine is designed to
operate using premium unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 91 AKI or higher. If
premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able, regular unleaded gasoline with an
octane rating of 87 AKI or higher may be
temporarily used. For optimum engine
performance and driveability, it is required
that you use premium grade unleadedgasoline. NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded
gasoline of 91 AKI or higher for turbo
engine models. If other gasoline (lower than 91 AKI) is used, knocking, re-
duced output and poor accelerator
response will result. !
Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane
numbers and is commonly referred to as
the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane
rating can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes 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. ! 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. ! Gasoline for California-certified LEV
If your vehicle was certified to California ’s
low emission vehicle (LEV) standards as
indicated on the underhood tune-up label, it is designed to optimize engine and
emission performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance 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. ! 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
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty.

trouble codes, and the OBD system
readiness monitors are complete. .A vehicle
fails the OBD inspection if the
“ CHECK ENGINE ”warning light/MIL is
not properly operating or there are one or
more diagnostic trouble codes stored in
the vehicle ’s computer with the “CHECK
ENGINE ”warning light/MIL illuminated.
. 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. . 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 properinflation.
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 the engineCAUTION
Do not operate the starter motor
continuously for more than 10 sec-
onds. If the engine fails to start after
operating the starter for 5 to 10
seconds, wait for 10 seconds or
more before trying again.
& Manual transmission vehicle
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac- cessories.
3. Press the clutch pedal to the floor and
shift the shift lever into neutral. Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor while starting theengine.
The starter motor will only operate when
the clutch pedal is pressed fully to the
floor.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON ”
position and check the operation of the
warning and indicator lights. Refer to the“ Warning and indicator lights ”section in
chapter 3.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START ”
position without depressing the accelera-
tor pedal. Release the key immediately Starting and operating
7-7
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7-10Starting and operating
&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 conditions 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 start operation, the
system will not record entry in the
alarm history. &
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

Make sure that the cables are not near
any moving parts and that the cable
clamps are not in contact with any othermetal.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the
booster battery and run it at moderate
speed. Then start the engine of the vehicle
that has the discharged battery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect
the cables in exactly the reverse order.Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. & If steam is coming from the
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down. & If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compartment.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature
has dropped, turn off the engine.
If the coolant temperature high warning
light illuminates, turn off the engine.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reservetank.
If the coolant level is below the
“LOW ”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL ”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it. In case of emergency
9-11