2010 SUBARU FORESTER overheating

2
Chapter 4: Climate control
This chapter informs you how to operate
the climate control.
Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate
your audio system.
Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate
interior equipment.
Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and
operate your SUBARU.
Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your
SUBARU in various conditions and ex-
plains some safety tips on driving.
Chapter 9: In case of emergency
This chapter informs you what to do if you
have a problem while driving, such as a
flat tire or engine overheating.
Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your
SUBARU looking good.
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need
to take your SUBARU to the dealer for
scheduled maintenance and informs you
how to keep your SUBARU running
properly.Chapter 12: Specifications
This chapter informs you about dimen-
sions and capacities of your SUBARU.
Chapter 13: Consumer information and
Reporting safety defects
This chapter informs you about Uniform
tire quality grading standards and Report-
ing safety defects.
Chapter 14: Index
This is an alphabetical listing of all that
’sin
this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
& Safety warnings
You will find a number of WARNINGs,
CAUTIONs and NOTEs in this manual.
These safety warnings alert you to poten-
tial hazards that could result in injury to
you or others.
Please read these safety warnings as well
as all other portions of this manual care-
fully in order to gain a better understand-
ing of how to use your SUBARU vehicle
safely.
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious injury or death could
result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which injury or damage to your
vehicle, or both, could result if the
caution is ignored.
NOTE
A NOTE gives information or sugges-
tions how to make better use of yourvehicle. & Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it
in this manual. This symbol means “Do
not ”, “Do not do this ”,or “Do not let this
happen ”, depending upon the context.

take several driving trips. If the light does
not turn off, take your vehicle to your
authorized SUBARU dealer immediately. !If the light is blinking
If the light is blinking while driving, an
engine misfire condition has been de-
tected which may damage the emission
control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do thefollowing. . Reduce vehicle speed.
. Avoid hard acceleration.
. Avoid steep uphill grades.
. Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.
The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and illuminate steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately. &
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 be-
haves under any of the following
conditions, the electrical system
may be malfunctioning. Contact
your SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately for an inspection. – It remains blinking in RED.
– It remains illuminated in RED
for more than 2 seconds.
– It remains blinking in RED and
BLUE alternately.
. While driving, if this indicator
light/warning light behaves under
any of the following conditions,
take the specified appropriate
measure listed below. – Blinking or illuminated in
RED:
Safely stop the vehicle as
soon as possible, and refer
to the emergency steps for the
engine overheating. After- ward, have the system
checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer. Refer to
“En-
gine overheating ”F 9-12.
– Blinking in RED and BLUE
alternately:
The electrical system may be
malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspec-tion.
This coolant temperature low indicator
light/coolant temperature high warning
light has the following three functions. . Illumination in BLUEindicates insuffi-
cient warming up of the engine. Blinking in REDindicates that the
engine is close to overheating. Illumination in REDindicates overheat-
ing condition of the engine
For the system check, this indicator light/
warning light illuminates in REDfor
approximately 2 seconds when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON ”position.
After that, this indicator light/warning light
changes to BLUEand maintains illumina-
tion in BLUE. This BLUE illuminated light
turns off when the engine is warmed up
sufficiently.
If the engine coolant temperature in- Instruments and controls
3-13
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3-14Instruments and controls
creases over the specified range, the
indicator light/warning light blinks inRED. At this time, the engine is close to
overheating.
If the engine coolant temperature in-
creases further, the indicator light/warning
light illuminates in REDcontinuously. At
this time, the engine may be overheating.
When the indicator light/warning light
blinks in REDor illuminates in RED, safely
stop the vehicle as soon as possible, and
refer to the emergency steps for the
engine overheating. Refer to “Engine
overheating ”F 9-12. Afterward, have the
system checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer.
Also, if the indicator light/warning light
often blinks in RED, the electrical system
may be malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspection.
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.
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
& AT OIL TEMP warning
light (AT models)
The AT oil temperature warning light “AT
OIL TEMP ”illuminates when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON ”position and
turns off after the engine has started.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light illuminates while driving, im-
mediately stop the vehicle in a safe place
and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off. ! Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it
may indicate that the automatic transmis-
sion control system is not working prop-
erly. Contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er for service immediately.

Wiper and washer
WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use the
windshield washer until the wind-
shield is sufficiently warmed by the
defroster.
Otherwise the washer fluid can
freeze on the windshield, blocking
your view.
CAUTION
. Do not operate the washer con-
tinuously for more than 10 sec-
onds, or when the washer fluid
tank is empty. This may cause
overheating of the washer motor.
Check the washer fluid level
frequently, such as at fuel stops.
. Do not operate the wipers when
the windshield or rear window is
dry. This may scratch the glass,
damage the wiper blades and
cause the wiper motor to burn
out. Before operating the wiper
on a dry windshield or rear
window, always use the wind-
shield washer. .
In freezing weather, be sure that
the wiper blades are not frozen to
the windshield or rear window
before switching on the wipers.
Attempting to operate the wiper
with the blades frozen to the
window glass could cause not
only the wiper blades to be
damaged but also the wiper mo-
tor to burn out. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the window
glass, be sure to operate the
defroster, windshield wiper dei-
cer (if equipped) or rear window
defogger before turning on the
wiper.
. If the wipers stop during opera-
tion because of ice or some other
obstruction on the window, the
wiper motor could burn out even
if the wiper switch is turned off. If
this occurs, promptly stop the
vehicle in a safe place, turn the
ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position and clean the window
glass to allow proper wiper op-eration.
. Use clean water if windshield
washer fluid is unavailable. In
areas where water freezes in
winter, use SUBARU Windshield
Washer Fluid or the equivalent. Refer to
“Windshield washer
fluid ”F 11-38.
Also, when driving the vehicle
when there are freezing tempera-
tures, use non-freezing type wi-
per blades.
. Do not clean the wiper blades
with gasoline or a solvent, such
as paint thinner or benzine. This
will cause deterioration of the
wiper blades.
NOTE . The wiper operates only when the
ignition switch is in the “ON ”or “Acc ”
position. . The front wiper motor is protected
against overloads by a circuit breaker.
If the motor operates continuously
under an unusually heavy load, the
circuit breaker may trip to stop the
motor temporarily. If this happens, park
your vehicle in a safe place, turn off the
wiper switch, and wait for approxi-
mately 10 minutes. The circuit breaker
will reset itself, and the wipers will
again operate normally.. Clean your wiper blades and win-
dow glass periodically with a washer
solution to prevent streaking, and to
remove accumulations of road salt or Instruments and controls
3-29
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&Use with a cigarette lighter
(dealer option)
To use the accessory power outlet 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.
. Do not use a non-genuine cigar-
ette lighter plug in the socket.
Doing so may cause a short- circuit and overheating, resulting
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. Ashtray (if equipped)
CAUTION
Do not use ashtrays as waste re-
ceptacles or leave a lighted cigarette
in an ashtray. This could cause afire.
A portable ashtray is available from your
SUBARU dealer.
When using the ashtray, open the ashtray
lid. Fully close the lid after using it to help
reduce residual smoke. NOTE
Particles of ash and tobacco will accu-
mulate around the hinges of the ash- Interior equipment
6-11
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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.
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.
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. 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 a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep
driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. &
Brake system
! Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit
brake systems. Each circuit works diag-
onally across the vehicle. If one circuit of
the brake system should fail, the other half
of the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer
to the floor than usual and you will need to
press it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop thevehicle. ! Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to push the pedal much harder
than normal and the braking distance willincrease. Starting and operating
7-21
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8-24Driving tips
nificant blind spot.
. Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel ”of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up. ! Driving with a trailer
. You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may
result in skidding or jackknifing and loss ofcontrol. . Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accel-
erations. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, always start out in first gear
and release the clutch at moderate enginerevolution. . Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.. Slow down before turning. Make a
longer than normal turning radius because
the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. In
a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. . Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large
trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down immediately but gradually. .
When passing other vehicles, consid-
erable distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by
attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn. . If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer. !
Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the coolant temperature high
warning light (for all models) and AT OIL
TEMP warning light (for AT models)
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating under
these conditions. If the coolant tempera-
ture high warning light or the AT OIL TEMP
warning light illuminates, immediately turn
off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle
in the nearest safe location. For further
instructions and additional information,
refer to the following sections.
–“If you park your vehicle in case of
an emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-12
–“ Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light ”F 3-13
–“ AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT
models) ”F 3-14
. If your vehicle has an automatic trans-

If you park your vehicle in case of anemergency ........................................................ 9-2
Temporary spare tire (if equipped) .................... 9-2
Precautions for AWD models with automatic transmission ..................................................... 9-3
Maintenance tools ............................................... 9-4
Tool bag. ............................................................. 9-4
Under the cargo area ........................................... 9-5
Flat tires ............................................................... 9-6
Changing a flat tire .............................................. 9-6
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec. models) ........................................... 9-9
Jump starting ..................................................... 9-10
How to jump start ............................................... 9-10 Engine overheating
........................................... 9-12
If steam is coming from the engine compartment ................................................... 9-12
If no steam is coming from the engine compartment ................................................... 9-12
Towing ................................................................ 9-12
Towing and tie-down hooks. ............................... 9-13
Using a flat-bed truck. ........................................ 9-15
Towing with all wheels on the ground ................. 9-16
Rear gate –if the rear gate cannot be
opened ............................................................. 9-17
Moonroof –if the moonroof cannot be
closed .............................................................. 9-17 In case of emergency
9