2009 SUBARU OUTBACK engine

7-24Starting and operating
&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.
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. Automatic transmission
–5-
speed
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has a
manual mode and SI-DRIVE mode.
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ”
position into the “D ” or “R ” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle
to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
. Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is comple-
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
. Do not race the engine for more
than 5 seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
. Avoid shifting from one of the

forward driving positions into the “R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
NOTE . When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, the automatic transmis-
sion will upshift to higher engine
speeds than when the coolant tempera-
ture is sufficiently high in order to
shorten the warm-up time and improve
driveability. The gearshift timing will
automatically shift to the normal timing
after the engine has warmed up.. Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
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 notdepressed
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 L models only)
To protect the engine while the “P ”
position is selected, the engine is
controlled such that the engine speed
may 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 Starting and operating
7-25
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7-26Starting and operating
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 (3.0 L models only)
To protect the engine while the “N ”
position is selected, the engine is
controlled such that the engine speed
may 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.
Youwillthenbeabletomovethe
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 5th 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 4th, 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you
release the pedal, the transmission will
return to the original gear position.
To use the manual mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate. ! While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to
4th or 5th gear is prevented from taking
place when the accelerator is released.
This minimizes the chance of subsequent
downshifting to a lower gear when accel-
erating again. This prevents repeated
upshifting and downshifting resulting in a
smoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd
or 1st gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal is pressed to accel-
erate the vehicle again. !
While going down a hill
When you are descending a hill or any
other slope while braking with the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode selected, the transmis-
sion may downshift to 4th or 3rd gear
depending on how hard you depress the
brake pedal, causing engine braking to
work. Reacceleration for a short time will
cause the transmission to upshift normally. NOTE . A 5th-to-4th automatic downshift will
not occur at speeds above 78 mph (126
km/h) and a 4th-to-3rd automatic down-
shift will not occur at speeds above 53
mph (86 km/h).. Automatic downshifts to 4th or 3rd
may occur even when driving on a level
road depending on conditions, such as
how hard you depress the brake pedal. & Selector lever reverse inhi-
biting function
This function prevents accidental move-
ment of the selector lever to the “R ”
position while the vehicle is moving.
The function becomes operational when
the vehicle reaches a speed of approxi-
mately 6 mph (10 km/h). Once opera-

Also, if you subsequently ease off the
accelerator pedal and then accelerate
again, the transmission will automatically
switch back from manual mode to normalmode.
CAUTION
Do not place or hang anything on
the paddle shift levers. Doing so
may result in accidential gear shift-ing.
NOTE
Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode. . If you attempt to shift down when
the engine speed is too high, i.e., when
a downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible.. 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 or a paddle switch
twice in rapid succession.. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stops moving..
If the temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid becomes too high,the “AT OIL TEMP ”warning light will
illuminate. 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. Legacy
mph (km/h)
Position 2.5 L turbo
models 3.0 L models
1 25 (40) 27 (43)
2 53 (85) 51 (82)
3 85 (137) 84 (135)
OUTBACK mph (km/h)
Position 2.5 L turbo
models 3.0 L models
1 25 (40) 28 (44)
2 53 (85) 52 (84)
3 86 (138) 87 (139)
Never exceed posted speed limits. & 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 Starting and operating
7-29
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7-30Starting and operating
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. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 2.5 L turbo or
3.0 L engine before the engine warms up.
& Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move fromthe “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.
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.

SI-DRIVE (turbo and 3.0 L models)
SI-DRIVE (Subaru Intelligent Drive) works
to maximize engine performance, control
and efficiency.
This system consists of three modes:
Intelligent (I), Sport (S), and Sport Sharp
(S#). By adjusting the SI-DRIVE selector,
the character of the power unit changes.
The multi-information display located in
the tachometer provides the driver with
the ability to monitor both vehicle perfor-
mance and the current SI-DRIVE mode.
To change the multi-information display,
refer to the“Multi-information display
(vehicle with SI-DRIVE) ”in chapter 3. &
Intelligent (I) mode
For smooth, efficient performance driv-ing
The Intelligent (I) mode provides well-
balanced performance with greater fuel
efficiency and smooth driveability without
stress. Power delivery is moderate during
acceleration for maximum fuel efficiency.
This is ideal for around-town driving and
situations that do not require full power
output. It provides better control in difficult
driving conditions, such as slippery roads
or loose surfaces, due to gentler throttleresponse.
When Intelligent (I) mode is selected in
vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, a shift-up indicator “
”in the
tachometer will blink to signal the best
time to shift gears for maximum fuel
efficiency. Starting and operating
7-31
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7-32Starting and operating
& Sport (S) mode
For all-around performance driving
The Sport (S) mode provides the engine
power desired by those who want to make
the driving experience their own personaladventure.
The linear acceleration characteristic of
this versatile mode is ideal for normal
driving use. &
Sport Sharp (S#) mode
For maximum performance drivingFor sports-minded drivers, the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode offers an exhilarating
level of engine performance and control.
The throttle becomes more responsive
regardless of the engine speed. Delivering
maximum driving enjoyment, this mode is
ideal for tackling twisting roads and for
merging or overtaking other vehicles on
the freeway with confidence. &
SI-DRIVE selector
When you rotate the SI-DRIVE selector to
the left, the current SI-DRIVE mode
changes to Sport (S) mode. When you
rotate it to the right, the mode changes to
Sport Sharp (S#) mode, and when you
push it, the mode changes to Intelligent (I)
mode. After performing this operation, the
switch returns to its original location.
NOTE . While the engine is cool, the S#
PREP indicator light of the temperature
gauge illuminates. In this case, you
cannot change to Sport Sharp (S#)mode.. Thenexttimeyouturnonthe
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode, the SI-
DRIVE mode changes to the Sport (S)

mode. .The next time you turn on the
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport (S) mode or Intelligent (I)
mode, the SI-DRIVE mode will stay in
the same mode as when the engine
was turned off.. While the engine is running, if the
CHECK ENGINE warning light/malfunc-
tion indicator lamp illuminates, the SI-
DRIVE mode changes to the Sport (S)
mode. In this case, it is not possible to
change to the Sport Sharp (S#) mode or
Intelligent (I) mode.. If there is a possibility that the
engine could overheat because of a
temperature increase of the engine
coolant, it is not possible to change to
the Sport Sharp (S#) mode. While the
vehicle is in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
it changes to the Sport (S) mode when
the engine coolant temperature in-
creases. For 3.0 L models, it also
changes to the Sport (S) mode when
the engine oil temperature increases. &
SI-DRIVE Sport Sharp (S#) switch
While driving in the Sport (S) mode or
Intelligent (I) mode, when you push the
steering wheel switch, it changes to the
Sport Sharp (S#) mode.
NOTE
While driving in Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
when you push the switch, it changes
to the former mode before Sport Sharp
(S#) mode. Rear viscous limited slip dif-
ferential (LSD) (if equipped)
CAUTION
. Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the
vehicle may move.
. If one rear tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely
affect the LSD.
. If a different size rear tire is
temporarily used (as in an emer-
gency), it will adversely affect the
LSD. Always replace it with a
regular size tire as soon aspossible.
The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in
revolutions between the right and left rear
wheels that may be caused by certain
driving conditions, thereby improving driv-
ing stability on snow-covered, muddy or
other slippery roads. Starting and operating
7-33