2009 SUBARU FORESTER air condition

WARNING
Continued operation with the air
inletselectionbuttonintheON
position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the OFF position as soon
as the outside dusty conditionclears.
& Heater operation
! Defrosting or defogging the wind-shield
To direct warm air to the windshield and
front door windows:
1. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
2. Turn the temperature control dial all the way to the right.
3. Set the fan speed control dial to the
highest speed.
If your vehicle is equipped with an air
conditioner, when the
“
”or “”position
is selected, the air conditioner compressor
automatically operates regardless of the
position of the air conditioner button to
defog the windshield quickly.
However, the air conditioner indicator light
does not illuminate at this time. NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right
and left air outlets. To stop warm air
flow from these outlets, turn the corre-
sponding thumb-wheel down. !
Heating and defrosting
To direct warm air toward the floor and the windshield:
1. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the
most comfortable level.
3. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
If your vehicle is equipped with an air
conditioner, when the “
”or “”position
is selected, the air conditioner compressor
automatically operates regardless of the
position of the air conditioner button to
defog the windshield quickly.
However, the air conditioner indicator light
does not illuminate at this time. Climate control
4-5
– CONTINUED –

When driving on a dusty road, set the air
inlet selection button to the“ON ”position.
WARNING
Continued operation with the air
inletselectionbuttonintheON
position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the OFF position as soon
as the outside dusty conditionclears.
& Air conditioner operation
! Cooling or dehumidifying
1) ON position
For cooling and dehumidification of the
passenger compartment, performing the
following steps will allow air to flow through the instrument panel outlets:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the
“
”
position.
3. Set the air conditioner button to the “ ON ”position.
4. Set the temperature control dial to the
blue side.
5. Set the fan speed control dial at the
highest speed. ! Defrosting or defogging
To direct warm air to the windshield and
front door windows:
1. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the red side.
3. Set the fan speed control dial at the
highest speed.
The air conditioner compressor automati-
cally operates when the air flow control
dial set in the
“
”or “”position to
provide better defogging performance. Climate control
4-7

4-8Climate control
Automatic climate control
system (if equipped)
Although this climate control system can
be used as a full-automatic climate control
system, it can also, if desired, be used as
a semi-automatic climate control system.
When it is used as a full-automatic climate
control system, the outlet air temperature,
fan speed, air flow distribution, air inlet
control, and air conditioner compressor
operation are all automatically controlled
to maintain a constant, comfortable tem-
perature inside the vehicle. NOTE .Operate the automatic climate con-
trol system when the engine is running. . When the engine coolant is cold, the
blower does not run.. In the “AUTO ”mode, when the air
temperature in the passenger compart-
ment is sufficiently cool, the air condi-
tioner compressor does not operate.
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button to operate the air conditioner
compressor.. Even when cooling is not necessary,
setting the temperature much lower
than the current outlet air temperature
turns on the air conditioner compres- sor automatically and the
“A/C ”indi-
cator light on the control panel illumi-nates. & Control panel
1) Temperature control dial
2) Fan speed control dial
3) Air flow control dial
4) Rear window defogger button (Refer to
the“Rear window defogger button ”sec-
tion in chapter 3.)
5) Air inlet selection button
6) Air conditioner button
& To use as full-automatic cli-
mate control system
Place the temperature control dial in the
position for your desired temperature, then set the other dials and buttons as de-
scribed in the following. The system
’s
functions will then switch to AUTO mode
and be controlled automatically. . Air flow control dial: AUTO position
. Fan speed control dial: AUTO position
& To use as semi-automatic
climate control system
Each function can be individually set to
AUTO mode independently of the others.
Any function set to AUTO mode is con-
trolled automatically. Any function not set
to AUTO mode can be manually adjusted
as desired.
The temperature can be set within a range
of 65 to 85 8F (20 to 30 8C).

4-10Climate control
: Foot outlets and windshield defroster
outlets (relatively little air from windshield
defroster outlets)
: Windshield defroster outlets and foot
outlets
: Windshield defroster outlets
NOTE
When the dial is placed in the “
”or
“” position, the air inlet selection is
automatically set to “outside air ”
mode. & 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 illuminate.
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
turn off. AUTO: Turn the fan speed control dial and
air flow control dial to the AUTO position.
The air inlet control is then adjusted
automatically in accordance with the air
temperature inside and outside the pas-
senger compartment, the intensity of sun-
light, and other factors. Pressing the air
inlet selection button cancels the “AUTO ”
mode. To return to “AUTO ”mode, turn the
fan speed control dial or air flow control
dial to a position other than the AUTO
position. Then turn to “AUTO ”mode.
SUBARU recommends using the AUTOposition.
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. &
Air conditioner button
The button positions and their functions
are as follows: ON: The air conditioner operates while the
fan is running.
Push the button to select this position. The
indicator light will illuminate. OFF: The air conditioner does not oper-
ate.
Push the button again to select this
position. The indicator light will turn off. AUTO: Turn the fan speed control dial and
air flow control dial to the AUTO position.
The air conditioner compressor operation
is then adjusted automatically in accor-
dance with the air temperature inside and
outside the passenger compartment, the
intensity of sunlight, and other factors.

Pressing the button cancels the“AUTO ”
mode. To return to “AUTO ”mode, turn the
fan speed control dial or air flow control
dial to a position other than the AUTO
position. Then turn to “AUTO ”mode.
SUBARU recommends using the AUTOposition. NOTE
The air conditioner ’s compressor does
not operate with an outside tempera-
ture of 32 8F(0 8C) or lower. &
Temperature sensors
1) Interior air temperature sensor
2) Solar sensor
The automatic climate control system
employs several sensors. These sensors
are delicate. If they are not treated properly and become damaged, the sys-
tem may not be able to control the interior
temperature correctly. To avoid damaging
the sensors, observe the following pre-cautions: –
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 the windshield
defroster grille.– Interior air temperature sensor: near
the ignition switch.– Outside temperature sensor: behind
the front grille. Climate control
4-11

4-12Climate control
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner &Cleaning ventilation grille
Always keep the front ventilation 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 sunlight
After 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 circuit
Operate 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-son
Check 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 conditions
Under 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 conditioningsystem. &
Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded
To 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 steepupgrade. & Refrigerant for your climate
control system
Your 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.

Air filtration system
Replace the filter element according to the
replacement schedule as follows. This
schedule should be followed to maintain
the filter’s dust collection ability. Under
extremely dusty conditions, the filter
should be replaced more frequently. It is
recommended that you have your filter
checked or replaced by your SUBARU
dealer. For replacement, use only a
genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule: Every 12 months or 7,500 miles (12,000
km) whichever comes first
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 ormisted.
NOTE
The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor- mance if not properly maintained.
& Replacing an air filter
1. Remove the glove box. (1) Open the glove box.(2) Remove the damper shaft from the
glove box.
(3) Pull out the glove box.
2. Remove the air filter. Climate control
4-13
– CONTINUED –

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.