2011 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

4-10Climate control
! AUTO button
FULL AUTO mode operation:
When the “AUTO ”button is pressed, the
indicator light “FULL AUTO ”on the display
illuminates. In this state, fan speed, airflow
distribution, air-inlet control, and air con-
ditioner compressor operation are auto-
matically controlled.
AUTO mode operation:
If you operate any of the buttons on the
control panel other than the “OFF ”button,
rear window defogger button and tem-
perature control dials during FULL AUTO
mode operation, the indicator light “FULL ”
on the control panel will turn off and the
indicator light “AUTO ”will remain illumi-
nated. You can then manually control the
system as desired using the button you operated. To change the system back to
the FULL AUTO mode, press the
“AUTO ”
button. ! OFF button
The automatic climate control system
turns off (the air conditioner compressor
and fan turn off) when the “OFF ”button is
pressed.
When the “OFF ”button is pressed, the
outside air mode (air inlet selection OFF)
is automatically selected. !
Temperature control dial
To increase the temperature setting, turn
the temperature control dial clockwise. To
decrease the temperature setting, turn the
dial counterclockwise.
Each temperature setting is shown on the
display.

!DUAL mode
It is possible to make separate tempera-
ture settings for the driver ’s side and
passenger ’s side (DUAL mode).
To activate the DUAL mode:
Press the “DUAL ”button. When the DUAL
mode is activated, the indicator light on the “DUAL ”button illuminates.
To deactivate the DUAL mode:
Press the “DUAL ”button again. When the
DUAL mode is deactivated, the indicator
light on the “DUAL ”button turns off and
the temperature setting for the frontpassenger ’s side becomes the same as
the setting for the driver ’s side. !
–
Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows, press the defros-
ter button “
”. When the “”button is
pressed, the indicator light on the button
illuminates and the following operation isperformed. . The outside air is drawn into the
passenger compartment and the airflow
is directed towards the windshield and the
front door windows. . The air conditioner compressor auto-
matically operates to quickly defog the windshield.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, return the climate control
system to the FULL AUTO mode by
pressing the “AUTO ”button or turn off by pressing the
“OFF ”button.
Alternatively, press the “
”button again
to return the system to the setting that was
selected before you activated the defros-
ter. ! Fan speed control button
The fan speed control button has 7
different fan speed positions.
The fan speed is shown by the display. Climate control
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4-12Climate control
! A/C –Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the
climate control system is operated in the
AUTO mode, press the air conditionerbutton “A/C ”to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pressed, the air
conditioner compressor turns on and the
indicator light “A/C ”on the display illumi-
nates. To turn off the air conditioner
compressor, press the “A/C ”button again.
NOTE
The air conditioner compressor does
not operate when the outside air tem-
perature is below 32 8F(0 8C). !
Airflow mode selection buttonSelect the desired airflow mode by press-
ing the airflow mode selection button. The
selected airflow mode is indicated on the
display.
Each airflow mode activates the following
air outlets.
(Ventilation): Instrument panel outlets
(Bi-level): Instrument panel outlets and
the foot outlets
(Heat): Foot outlets, both side outlets of
the instrument panel and some through
windshield defroster outlets (A small
amount of air flows to the windshield and
both side windows to prevent fogging.)
(Heat-def): Windshield defroster out- lets, foot outlets and both side outlets of
the instrument panel
NOTE
When the “
”mode is selected, the air
conditioner compressor automatically
operates to more quickly defog the
windshield. At the same time, the air
inlet selection is automatically set tothe “
”mode (outside air mode).

!Air inlet selection button
Select airflow by pressing the air inlet
selection button.
The selected air inlet setting is shown on
the control panel.
(Recirculation) : Interior air recircu-
lates inside the passenger compartment.
Use this position when quickly cooling
down the passenger compartment or to
prevent outside air from entering the
passenger compartment. When the recir-
culation mode is selected, a “
”indica-
tor light appears on the display.
(Outside air) : Outside air is drawn
into the passenger compartment. When
the climate control system is operated inthe “AUTO ”mode, this position is selected
automatically. (There is one exception:
When the temperature control dial is turned fully counterclockwise, the recircu-
lation mode is automatically selected.)
When the outside air mode is selected, a“
”
indicator light appears on the dis-
play.
WARNING
Continued operation in the “
”
position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the “
”position as soon
as the outside dusty condition clears.
NOTE
When driving on a dusty road or behind
a vehicle that emits unpleasant exhaust
gases, set the air inlet selection button
to the “
”position. From time to
time, return the air inlet selection
button to the “
”position to draw
outside air into the passenger compart- ment. &
Type B
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, airflow distribution, air inlet
control, and air conditioner compressor
operation are all automatically controlled
to maintain a constant, comfortable tem-
perature inside the vehicle. NOTE . 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. Climate control
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4-14Climate control
! Control panel
1) Temperature control dial
2) Fan speed control dial
3) Airflow control dial
4) Control switch of the defogger and deicer
system (Refer to “Defogger and deicer ”
F 3-45.)
5) Air inlet selection button
6) Air conditioner button
! To use as full-automatic climate
control system
1. Place the temperature control dial in
the position for the preferred temperature.
2. Set the airflow control dial and fan
speed control dial in the “AUTO ”position.
The system ’s functions will then switch to
AUTO mode and be controlled automati-
cally. .
Airflow 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).
! Fan speed control dial
The fan operates only with the ignition
switch in the ON position. The fan speed
control dial is used to select the AUTO
(automatic control) mode or to select the
desired fan speed. The dial ’s positions and their functions are as follows. OFF:
The fan does not operate.
AUTO: The fan speed is adjusted auto-
matically in accordance with the air
temperature inside and outside the pas-
senger compartment, the intensity of sun-
light, and other factors. SUBARU recom-
mends using the AUTO position.
Other positions: The fan speed can be
adjusted in 7 steps.
NOTE
With the fan speed control dial in the
AUTO position and the airflow control
dial in the “
”, “”,or “”position,
the fan does not operate during engine
warm-up until the engine coolant tem-
perature exceeds approximately 122 8F
(50 8C).

!Temperature control dial
This dial is used to set the desired interior
temperature. With the dial set to your
desired temperature, the system automa-
tically adjusts the temperature of air
supplied from the outlets such that the
desired temperature is achieved andmaintained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise,
the system gives maximum cooling per-
formance. If the dial is turned fully clock-
wise, the system gives maximum heatingperformance. !
Airflow control dialEach dial position activates the following
air outlets. AUTO: The airflow control is adjusted
automatically in accordance with the air
temperature inside and outside the pas-
senger compartment, the intensity of sun-
light, and other factors. SUBARU recom-
mends using the AUTO position.
(Ventilation): Instrument panel outlets
(Bi-level): Instrument panel outlets and
foot outlets
(Heat): Foot outlets, both side outlets of
the instrument panel and some through
windshield defroster outlets (A small
amount of air flows to the windshield and
both side windows to prevent fogging.)
(Heat-def): Windshield defroster out-
lets, foot outlets and both side outlets of
the instrument panel
: Windshield defroster outlets and both
side outlets of the instrument panel
For details, refer to “Airflow selection ”F 4-
2.
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 Climate control
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4-16Climate control
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
airflow 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 airflow 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
airflow 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 airflow 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. 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 Climate control
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