2012 SUBARU OUTBACK warning light

the brake system warning light has
illuminated. Otherwise, the Hill
Holder function may not operate
properly and an accident may occur.
1) Parking brake switch
2) Hill Holder switch
3) Indicator light
You can activate/deactivate the Hill Holder
function by pressing the Hill Holder switch.
To activate: Press the Hill Holder switch.
To deactivate: Press the Hill Holder
switch again.
Deactivate the Hill Holder function under
the following conditions. . When towing a trailer
. When carrying a heavy load .
When you do not frequently use the
parking brake when stopping on an uphill slope NOTE . If the Hill Holder switch is pressed
for more than 30 seconds, the Hill
Holder indicator light turns off, the
brake system warning light flashes
and the system ignores any further
pressing of the switch. To activate the
switch again, turn the ignition switch tothe “LOCK ”position and restart the
engine.. When the Hill Holder function is
deactivated while the Hill Holder func-
tion has a malfunction, if you press the
Hill Holder switch, a chirp sounds. ! Hill Holder indicator light
When the Hill Holder function is activated,
the Hill Holder indicator light illuminates.
Refer to “Hill Holder indicator light ”F 3-19.
! Emergency brake
CAUTION
Use the emergency brake only in
case of an emergency. If the emer-
gency brake is excessively used,
the brake parts will wear down
faster or the brake may not work
sufficiently due to rear wheel brakeoverheating.
NOTE
While using the emergency brake, the
brake system warning light and the
indicator light on the parking brake
switch illuminate and a chirp sounds.
If the foot brake has a malfunction, you
canstopthevehiclebypressingthe
parking brake switch continuously.
While applying the emergency brake, the
brake system warning light and the in-
dicator light on the parking brake switch
illuminate and a chirp sounds. Starting and operating
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7-34Starting and operating
!Electronic parking brake system warning
CAUTION
If the brake system warning light
flashes, the electronic parking brake
system may be malfunctioning. Im-
mediately stop your vehicle in the
nearest safe location and contact
your SUBARU dealer.
If a malfunction occurs in the electronic
parking brake system, the brake system
warning light flashes. Refer to “Electronic
parking brake system warning ”F 3-18. &
Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always per-
form the following items. . Apply the parking brake.
. For MT models, put the shift lever in the
“ 1 ” (1st) for upgrade or “R ”(Reverse) for a
downgrade.. For AT and CVT models, put the select
lever in the “P ”(Park) position.
Never rely on the transmission alone to
hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel as described here. When
the vehicle is headed up the hill, the front
wheels should be turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.

Cruise control
Cruise control enables you to maintain a
constant vehicle speed without holding
your foot on the accelerator pedal and it is
operative when the vehicle speed is 25
mph (40 km/h) or more.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control under
any of the following conditions.
These may cause loss of vehiclecontrol. . driving up or down a steep grade
. driving on slippery or winding
roads
. driving in heavy traffic
. towing a trailer
NOTE . If you press the “CRUISE ”main
switch button while turning the ignition switch “ON ”, the cruise control func-
tion is deactivated and the cruise
control indicator light flashes. To re-
activate the cruise control function,
turn the ignition switch back to the“ Acc ”or “LOCK ”position, and then
turn it again to the “ON ”position.
. Make sure the “CRUISE ”main switch is turned off when the cruise
control is not in use to avoid uninten-
tionally setting of the cruise control. &
To set cruise control
1. Press the “CRUISE ”main switch
button.
The cruise control indicator light on the
combination meter will illuminate.
2. Depress the accelerator pedal until the
vehicle reaches the desired speed.
3. Press the “RES/SET ”switch to the
“ SET ”side and release it. Then release Starting and operating
7-35
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8-12Driving tips
clearance between the tire and vehicle
body.
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on yourvehicle. &Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on your
vehicle because of the lack of
clearance between the tires and
vehicle body.
NOTE
When tire chains cannot be used, use
of another type of traction device (such
as spring chains) may be acceptable if
use on your vehicle is recommended
by the device manufacturer, taking into
account tire size and road conditions.
Follow the device manufacturer ’s in-
structions, especially regarding max-
imum vehicle speed.
To help avoid damage to your vehicle,
drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle,
and do not spin your wheels. Damage
caused to your vehicle by use of a
traction device is not covered under warranty.
Make certain that any traction device
you use is an SAE class S device, and
use it on the front wheels only. Always
use the utmost care when driving with
a traction device. Overconfidence be-
cause you are using a traction device
could easily lead to a serious accident.
& Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the shift
lever/select lever back and forth between “ 1 ”/“ D ”and “R ”repeatedly. Do not race the
engine. For the best possible traction,
avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (for MT, AT and CVT).
For information on holding the transmis-
sion in 2nd position, refer to “Selection of
manual mode ”F 7-21. Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on a
folded rear seatback, in the trunk or
in the cargo area. Doing so may
result in serious injury.
WARNING
. Never stack luggage or other
cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or
accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as

!Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view
without significant blind spots. If significant
blind spots occur with the vehicle ’s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. ! Trailer lights
CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle ’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle ’s lighting system. Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-cle
’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle ’s lighting circuit to
increase its capacity and accommodate
wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper
operation of the turn signals and the brake
lights each time you hitch up. ! Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the tem-
porary spare tire is used. The tem-
porary spare tire is not designed to
sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated. Refer to “Tires ”F 12-
9 and in “GAS STATION REFERENCE ”at
the end of this manual.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer ’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured.
& Trailer towing tips
CAUTION
. Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days.
. When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. Forsafety ’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind:
! Before starting out on a trip
. Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer. . Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at Driving tips
8-25
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8-26Driving tips
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable. . Check that the tire pressures are
correct.. Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
–the trailer tongue is connected
properly to the hitch ball. – the trailer lights connector is con-
nected properly and trailer ’s brake
lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s
brake pedal is pressed, and that the trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when
the vehicle ’s turn signal lever is oper-
ated. – the safety chains are connected
properly.– all cargo in the trailer is secured
safety in position.– the side mirrors provide a good
rearward field of view without a sig-
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 and CVT
models) because the engine and trans-
mission are relatively prone to overheating
under these conditions. If the coolant
temperature high warning light and/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 addi-
tional information, refer to the followingsections.
–“If you park your vehicle in an
emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-13
–“ Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light ”F 3-13 –“
AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT and
CVT models) ”F 3-14
. For AT and CVT models, avoid using
the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat. ! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake. You should not park on
a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or “P ” (AT and CVT models) and
shut off the engine. Driving tips
8-27

9-2In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an emergency
The hazard warning flasher should be
used in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switchposition.
Turn on the hazard warning by pressing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pressing the switch again. NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Temporary spare tire
WARNING
. Never tow a trailer when the
temporary spare tire is used.
The temporary spare tire is not
designed to sustain the towing
load. Use of the temporary spare
tire when towing can result in
failure of the spare tire and/or
less stability of the vehicle and
may lead to an accident.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
illuminate steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute.
This indicates the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is un-
able to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.