2012 SUBARU FORESTER air condition

&Type C1) Temperature control dial (Refer to “Tem-
perature control ”F 4-9.)
2) Fan speed control dial (Refer to “Auto-
matic climate control system (type B and C) ”F 4-6 and “Fan speed control ”F 4-9.)
3) Airflow control dial (Refer to “Automatic
climate control system (type B and C) ”
F 4-6, “Airflow mode selection ”F 4-8 and
“ Defrosting ”F 4-10.)
4) Control switch of the defogger and deicer system (Refer to “Defogger and deicer ”
F 3-45.)
5) Air inlet selection button (Refer to “Air
inlet selection ”F 4-9.)
6) Air conditioner button (Refer to “Air
conditioner control ”F 4-9.)
NOTE
The controllable temperature range
may differ depending on the model. Climate control
4-5

4-6Climate control
Automatic climate control
system (type B and C)
When the automatic climate control mode
is selected, the outlet air temperature, the
fan speed, airflow distribution, air-inlet
control and air conditioner compressor
operation are automatically controlled.
To activate this mode, perform the follow-
ing procedure. NOTE .Operate the automatic climate con-
trol system when the engine is running. . The blower fan rotates at a low
speed when the engine coolant tem-
perature is low.. The air conditioner may not operate
in the following cases:
–When the cabin temperature is
low – When the ambient temperature
decreases to close to 32 8F(0 8C)
. For efficient defogging or dehumidi-
fying in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button. &
Type B
1) Temperature control dial (driver ’s side)
2) AUTO button
3) Temperature control dial (front passen- ger’s side)
1. Set the preferred temperature using
temperature control dial.
2. Press the “AUTO ”button. The FULL
AUTO mode is selected and the indicator light “FULL AUTO ”on the display illumi-
nates. NOTE . When the “DUAL ”button is pressed,
separate temperature settings for the driver ’s side and passenger ’s side can
be enabled (DUAL mode). To cancel the
DUAL mode, press the “DUAL ”button
again. The temperature setting for the passenger
’s side becomes the same as
the setting for the driver ’s side.
. If you operate any of the buttons on
the control panel other than the “OFF ”
button, rear window defogger button
and temperature control dials during
FULL AUTO mode operation, the indi-
cator light “FULL ”on the control panel
will turn off and the indicator light“ AUTO ”will remain illuminated. You
can then manually control the system
as desired using the button you oper-
ated. To change the system back to the
FULL AUTO mode, press the “AUTO ”
button.
3. To turn off the climate control system,
press the “OFF ”button.

NOTE .When the “
”mode or “”mode
is selected, the air conditioner com-
pressor automatically operates to more
quickly defog the windshield. At the
same time, the air inlet selection is
automatically set to the outside airmode.
In this state:
–The air conditioner indicator light
does not illuminate. – You cannot stop the air condi-
tioner compressor by pressing the
air conditioner button. – You cannot select the “recircula-
tion ”mode by pressing the air inlet
selection button.
& Temperature control
! Type A
Turn the temperature control dial over a
range from the blue side (cool) to red side
(warm) to regulate the temperature of
airflow from the air outlets. ! Type B and C
Turn the temperature control dial to set the
preferred interior temperature. With the
dial set to your preferred temperature, the
system automatically adjusts the tempera-
ture of air supplied from the outlets such that the preferred temperature is achieved
and maintained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise,
the system provides maximum cooling
performance. If the dial is turned fully
clockwise, the system provides maximum
heating performance.
NOTE
For type B, when the “DUAL ”button is
pressed, separate temperature settings
for the driver ’s side and passenger ’s
side can be enabled (DUAL mode). To
cancel the DUAL mode, press the“ DUAL ”button again. The temperature
setting for the passenger ’s side be-
comes the same as the setting for thedriver ’s side.
& Fan speed control
The fan operates only when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position. Select the
preferred fan speed by turning the fan
speed control dial (type A and C), or by
pressing the fan speed control buttons
(type B).
& Air conditioner control
The air conditioner operates only when
the engine is running.
Press the air conditioner button while the fan is in operation to turn on the air
conditioner. When the air conditioner is
on, the
“A/C ”indicator light illuminates.
To turn off the air conditioner, press the
button again.
NOTE
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, turn on the air
conditioner. However, if the ambient
temperature decreases to approxi-
mately 0 8C (32 8F), the air conditioner
compressor stops operation. & Air inlet selection
Select the air inlet by pressing the air inlet
selection button.
ON position (recirculation) : Interior air is
recirculated inside the vehicle. Press the
air inlet selection button to the ON position
for fast cooling with the air conditioner or
when driving on a dusty road. When the
ON position is selected, the “
”indicator
light illuminates.
OFF position (outside air) : Outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment.
Press the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position when the interior has cooled
to a comfortable temperature and/or the
road is no longer dusty. Climate control
4-9
– CONTINUED –

4-10Climate control
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. Defrosting
Select the desired
“
”mode or “”mode
to defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows by performing the
following procedures.
For types A and C: Turn the airflow control
dial and select the “
”mode or “”
mode.
For type B: Press the airflow mode
selection button to select the “
”mode
or press the defroster button to select the “
” mode.
NOTE . When the “
”mode or “”mode
is selected, the air conditioner com-
pressor automatically operates to more
quickly defog the windshield. (The air
conditioner indicator light does not
illuminate in this case.) At the same
time, the air inlet selection is automa-
tically set to the outside air mode. For
details, refer to “Airflow mode selec-
tion ”F 4-8.
. For type B, if the defroster button is
pressed while the “
”mode is se-
lected, it will return to the previous
mode before selecting the “
”mode. 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 the air con-
ditioning system checked by your
SUBARU dealer. & 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 conditioning system.
& 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
pedal is fully depressed such as during
rapid acceleration or when driving on a
steep upgrade. & 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 airflow through
the vents.
– Windshield gets easily fogged ormisted.
NOTE
The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor- Climate control
4-11
– CONTINUED –

that is used, the screen on the cell
phone may remain illuminated while
the ignition switch is in the“ON ”
position. If this occurs, turn the illumi-
nation off by adjusting the cell phonesettings. . Depending on the setting of the cell
phone, the dial lock function may be
activated after making a call. Deacti-
vate the automatic dial lock function of
the cell phone before using the Hands-
free system. . Depending on the type of cell phone
that is used, operation and the sound
volume may be different from those of
cell phones currently used. . When the ignition switch is turned to
the “LOCK ”position during a call, the
call may be disconnected or continued
on the cell phone depending on the
type of cell phone that is used. Note
that operation of the cell phone may be
necessary if the call is continued on the
cell phone. . Do not speak at the same time as the
other party during a call. If you and the
party speak at the same time, it may be
difficult for the other party to hear your
voice and vice versa. This is normal. . The receiver sound volume should
be set as low as possible. Otherwise,
the party you are calling may notice an undesirable echo sound. .
Speak clearly and loudly.
. Your voice may be difficult to be
heard by the party under the following conditions.
–Driving on a rough road.
– Driving at a high speed.
– Driving with a window open.
– When air from the ventilator
blows directly towards the micro-phone. – When the sound coming from the
ventilator is loud.– When the cell phone is too close
to the microphone.
. The sound quality may degrade due
to the influence of the cell phone that is
connected to the system or the circum-
stances of the Bluetooth network. . When another Bluetooth
®device is
simultaneously connected, noise may
be heard in the voice coming from the
hands-free phone. ! Corresponding profiles for the cell phone
. HFP (Hands Free Profile): Ver. 1.0
. OPP (Object Push Profile): Ver. 1.1 &
Certification for the Hands-
free system
CAUTION
FCC WARNING
Changes or modifications not ex-
pressly approved by the party re-
sponsible for compliance could void
the user ’s authority to operate the
equipment.
NOTE
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules and RSS-Gen of IC
Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this de-
vice may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesiredoperation. NOTE
This equipment has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protec-
tion against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment Audio
5-43
– 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 engine is designed to operate using
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of 87 AKI (90 RON) or higher .
! Turbo models
The engine is designed to operate usingpremium unleaded gasoline with an
octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON) or
higher . If premium unleaded gasoline is
not available, regular unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 87 AKI (90 RON)
or higher may be temporarily used. For
optimum engine performance and drive-
ability, it is required that you use premium
grade unleaded gasoline. NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded
gasoline of 91 AKI (95 RON) or higher
for turbo engine models. If other gaso- line (lower than 91 AKI (95 RON)) is
used, knocking, reduced output and
poor acceleration 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.
It is normal if your vehicle sometimes
knocks lightly when you drive up a hill or
when you accelerate, but contact your
SUBARU dealer if your vehicle knocks
heavily or persistently even though you
are using a fuel with the specified octanerating. ! 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. Gasoline
sold outside California is permitted to
have higher sulfur levels. It can be used
but it may affect the performance 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 hav-
ing lower sulfur to determine if the problem
is fuel related before returning your
vehicle to an authorized SUBARU 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 light may turn on. If this
happens, contact an 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.

!Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.
Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol
(ethyl or grain alcohol) blended fuel may
be used in your vehicle, but should
contain no more than 15% MTBE or 10%
ethanol for the proper operation of yourSUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines,
which are designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains,
you should ask your service station
operators if their gasolines contain deter- gents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-sions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in the
following description. .
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual. . Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline.
Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture ANDif it is accompanied by
sufficient quantities of the proper cosol-
vents and corrosion inhibitors required to
prevent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT
under these conditions. . If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a different brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer. . Fuel system damage or driveability
problems which result from the use of
improper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of the vehicle. Because
fuel may damage the paint, be sure
to wipe off any spilled fuel quickly.
Paint damage caused by spilled fuel
is not covered under the SUBARU
Limited Warranty.
& Fuel filler lid and cap
! Refueling
Only one person should be involved in
refueling. Do not allow others to approach
the area of the vehicle near the fuel filler
pipe while refueling is in progress.
Be sure to observe any other precautions
that are posted at the service station.
Starting and operating 7-3
– CONTINUED –