2009 SUBARU FORESTER heated

&Coolant temperature
low indicator light/Cool-
ant temperature high
warning light
CAUTION
. After turning the ignition switch
to the “ON ”position, if this
indicator light/warning light re-
mains illuminated in RED for
approximately more than 2 sec-
onds, the electrical system may
be malfunctioning. Immediately
contact your SUBARU dealer for
an inspection.
. If this indicator light/warning light
illuminates in RED while driving,
safely stop the vehicle as soon
as possible, and refer to the
emergency steps for the case of
engine overheating. After that,
have the system checked by your
nearest SUBARU dealer. Refer to“ In case of emergency ”in chap-
ter 9.
This coolant temperature low indicator
light/coolant temperature high warning
light has the following two functions: . Illumination in BLUEindicates insuffi-
cient warming up of the engine .
Illumination in REDindicates overheat-
ing condition of the engine
For the system check, this indicator light/
warning light illuminates in red for approxi-
mately 2 seconds when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON ”position. After that,
this indicator light/warning light changes to
blue and maintains illumination in blue.
This blue illuminated light turns off when
the engine is warmed up sufficiently.
If the engine is overheated, this indicator
light/warning light illuminates in red im-
mediately. At this time, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible, and refer to
the emergency steps for the case of
engine overheating. Refer to “In case of
emergency ”in chapter 9. After that, have
the system checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer. NOTE
If the engine is restarted after a certain
driving condition, this indicator light/
warning light may illuminate in red.
However, this is not a malfunction if the
indicator light/warning light turns off
after a short time. &
Charge warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good
condition but the light remains on, contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. &Oil pressure warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remains on,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately. Instruments and controls
3-13
– CONTINUED –

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.

6-10Interior equipment
ance is either too loose or too
tight for the accessory power
outlet, this can result in a poor
contact or cause the plug to get
stuck. Only use plugs that fit
properly.
. Use of an electric appliance in the
accessory power outlet for a long
period of time while the engine is
not running can cause batterydischarge.
. Before driving your vehicle, make
sure that the plug and the cord
on your electrical appliance will
not interfere with your shifting
gears and operating the accel-
erator and brake pedals. If they
do, do not use the electrical
appliance while driving.
& Use with a cigarette lighter
(dealer option)
To use the accessory power outlet below
the climate controls as a cigarette lighter
socket, purchase the cigarette lighter plug,
which is an optional accessory.
A cigarette lighter plug is available from
your SUBARU dealer.
The cigarette lighter operates only when
the ignition switch is in the “ON ”or “Acc ” position.
To use the cigarette lighter, push in the
knob and wait a few moments. It will
automatically spring up when ready foruse.
WARNING
To avoid being burned, never grasp
the lighter by the end with the
heating element. Doing so could
result in injury and could also
damage the heating element.
CAUTION
. Do not hold the lighter pushed in,
because it will overheat.
. The electrical power socket lo-
cated below the climate controls
is originally designed to use a
genuine SUBARU cigarette light-
er plug. Do not use a non-genu-
ine cigarette lighter plug in the
socket. Doing so may cause a
short-circuit and overheating, re-
sulting in a fire.
. If the socket is ever used for a
plug-in accessory such as a cell
phone, that may damage the
portion of the socket ’s internal mechanism that causes a cigar-
ette lighter plug to
“pop out ”
after its lighter element is heated.
Therefore, do not place a cigar-
ette lighter plug in a socket that
has been used, even once, to
power a plug-in accessory. Doing
so may cause the plug to stick
and overheat, creating a potential
fire hazard.

4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector lever from the“P ”to the
“ N ”position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start theengine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately to have the systemrepaired. Power steering
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort. NOTE
Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is
normal. It does not indicate power
steering system trouble.
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than 5 seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump. Braking &
Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. ! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking. ! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause Starting and operating
7-21
– CONTINUED –