2012 SUBARU OUTBACK fuel

Warning and indicator lights
Several of the warning and indicator lights
illuminate momentarily and then go out
when the ignition switch is initially turned
to the“ON ”position. This permits check-
ing the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the
ignition switch to the “ON ”position. For
the system check, the following lights
illuminate and turn off after several sec-
onds or after the engine has started:
: Seatbelt warning light (The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the driver fastens the seatbelt.)
: Front passenger ’s seatbelt warning
light
(The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the front seat passenger
fastens the seatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
ON /
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator light
/: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal- function indicator light
: Coolant temperature high warning light
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: Engine low oil level warning light
: Windshield washer fluid warning light
: AT OIL TEMP warning light(AT and CVT models)
/: ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light/Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indica-
tor light
/: Brake system warning light
: Hill Holder indicator light
: All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT andCVT models)
: Low tire pressure warning light (U.S. spec. models)
: Low fuel warning light
: Door open indicator light
: Cruise control indicator light
: Cruise control set indicator light
: Select lever/gear position indicator
If any lights fail to illuminate, it indicates a
burned-out bulb or a malfunction of the
corresponding system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU dealer
for repair. & Seatbelt warning light
and chime
Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt
warning device at the driver ’s and front
passenger ’s seat, as required by current
safety standards.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON ”
position, this device reminds the driver
and front passenger to fasten their seat-
belts by the warning lights in the locations
indicated in the following illustration and achime. Instruments and controls
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3-12Instruments and controls
indicators illuminates depending on the
status of the front passenger ’s SRS frontal
airbag determined by the SUBARU ad-
vanced frontal airbag system monitoring.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is activated, the passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator will illuminate while the OFF
indicator will remain off.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is deactivated, the passenger ’s frontal
airbag ON indicator will remain off while
the OFF indicator will illuminate.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON ”
position, if both the ON and OFF indica-
tors remain illuminated or off simulta-
neously even after the system check
period, the system is malfunctioning.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately for an inspection.
& CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction
indicator light
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
malfunction indicator light illumi-
nates while you are driving, have
your vehicle checked/repaired by
your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible. Continued vehicle opera- tion without having the emission
control system checked and re-
paired as necessary could cause
serious damage, which may not be
covered by your vehicle
’s warranty.
If this light illuminates steadily or blinks
while the engine is running, it may indicate
that there is a problem or potential
problem somewhere in the emission con-
trol system. ! If the light illuminates constantly
If the light illuminates constantly while
driving or does not turn off after the engine
starts, an emission control system mal-
function has been detected.
You should have your vehicle checked by
an authorized SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.
NOTE
This light also illuminates when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator light coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and retighten it until it
clicks. Make sure nothing is interfering
with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the
cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE warning light/malfunction indicator light
turn off immediately. It may 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 conform
to the following instructions. . Reduce vehicle speed.
. Avoid hard acceleration.
. Avoid steep uphill grades.
. Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.. Stop towing a trailer as soon as
possible.
The CHECK ENGINE warning light/mal-
function indicator light may stop blinking
and illuminate steadily after several driv-
ing trips. You should have your vehicle
checked by an authorized SUBARU deal-
er immediately.

!Transmission control system warn- ing
If the “AT OIL TEMP ”warning light flashes
after the engine has started, it may
indicate that the transmission control
system is not working properly. Contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer for service
immediately.
& Low tire pressure
warning light (U.S. spec. models)
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will illuminate for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will go out.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for thosetires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle
’s handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of re-
placement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your
vehicle to ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
Should the warning light illuminate stea-
dily after blinking for approximately one
minute, have the system inspected by
your nearest SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING
If this light does not illuminate
briefly after the ignition switch is
turned ON or the light illuminates
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute, you should have
your Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
If this light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep
driving straight ahead while gradu- Instruments and controls
3-15
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be applied. !Frequent operation warning
The brake system warning light flashes for
20 seconds and a chirp sound will be
heard if the parking brake switch is
operated too frequently. In this case, the
operation of the parking brake switch is
restricted to protect the electronic parking
brake system. NOTE
Wait until the warning light turns off. ! Emergency released warning
The brake system warning light flashes
when the parking brake is automatically
released in case of an emergency. & Hill Holder indicator light
WARNING
If the Hill Holder indicator light does
not illuminate even when the Hill
Holder switch is pressed to activate
the Hill Holder function, the electro-
nic parking brake system may be
malfunctioning. Immediately stop
the vehicle in a safe location and
contact your SUBARU dealer. The light illuminates when the Hill Holder
switch is pressed to activate the Hill
Holder function. For details about the Hill
Holder function,
“Hill Holder function ”F 7-
32.
& Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light illuminates
when the tank is nearly empty approxi-
mately 2.6 US gal (10.0 liters, or 2.2 Imp
gal). It only operates when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position.
NOTE
This light does not turn off unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 3.7 US
gal (14 liters, 3.1 Imp gal).
CAUTION
Promptly put fuel in the tank when-
ever the low fuel warning light
illuminates. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine. &
Door open indicator light
When any of the doors, the rear gate
(Outback) or the trunk lid (Legacy) is not
fully closed, the door open indicator light
illuminates. This function is effective even
if the ignition switch is in the “LOCK ”or
“ Acc ”position or the key is removed from
the ignition switch.
The open door is indicated by the corre-
sponding part of the door open warninglight.
Always make sure this light is not illumi-
nated before you start to drive. & Windshield washer
fluid warning light
This light illuminates when the fluid level in
the windshield washer fluid tank de-
creases to the lower limit (approximately
0.6 US qt, 0.6 liter, 0.5 Imp qt). Instruments and controls
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22 to 122 8F( 30 to 50 8C).
The indicator can give a false reading
under any of the following conditions: . When there is too much sun.
. During idling; while running at low
speeds in a traffic jam; when the engine
is restarted immediately following a shut-down. . When the actual outside temperature
falls outside the specified indicator range. ! Road surface freeze warning indi- cation
1) U.S. spec. models
2) Except U.S. spec. models
When the outside temperature drops to 37 8F(3 8C) or lower, the temperature
indication flashes to show that the road surface may be frozen.
If the outside temperature drops to 37
8F
(3 8C) or lower while the display is giving
an indication other than the outside
temperature, the display switches to the
outside temperature indication and flashes
for 5 seconds before returning to its
original indication.
If the display is already indicating an
outside temperature of 37 8F(3 8C) or lower
when the ignition switch is turned to the“ ON ”position, the indication does not
flash. NOTE
The outside temperature indication
may differ from the actual outside
temperature. The road surface freeze
warning indication should be treated
only as a guide. Be sure to check the
condition of the road surface beforedriving. &
Average fuel consumption
1) U.S. spec. models
2) Except U.S. spec. models
This indication shows the average rate of
fuel consumption since the trip meter was
last reset.
Pressing the trip knob toggles the indica-
tion between the average fuel consump-
tion corresponding to the A trip meter
indication and the average fuel consump-
tion corresponding to the B trip meterindication.
When either of the trip meter indications is
reset, the corresponding average fuel
consumption value is also reset. Instruments and controls
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3-26Instruments and controls
NOTE . The indicated values vary in accor-
dance with changes in the vehicle ’s
running conditions. Also, the indicated
values may differ slightly from the
actual values and should thus be
treated only as a guide.. When either trip meter indication is
reset, the average fuel consumption
corresponding to that trip meter indica-
tion is not shown until the vehicle has
subsequently covered a distance of 1
mile (or 1 km). & Current fuel consumption
1) U.S. spec. models
2) Except U.S. spec. models
This indication shows the rate of fuel consumption at the present moment.
& Driving range on remaining fuel
1) U.S. spec. models
2) Except U.S. spec. models
The driving range indicates the distance
that can be driven taking into account the
amount of fuel remaining in the tank and
the average rate of fuel consumption.
When the low fuel warning light illumi-
nates, the driving range indication flashes
for 5 seconds. (The display first switches
to the driving range indication if it was
originally giving some other indication.)
1) U.S. spec. models
2) Except U.S. spec. models
If the driving range is shown as “
”,
there is only a tiny amount of fuel left in the
tank. You must refuel the vehicle immedi-
ately. NOTE
The driving range on remaining fuel is
only a guide. The indicated value may
differ from the actual driving range on
remaining fuel, so you must immedi-
ately fill the tank when the low fuel
warning light illuminates.

3-30Instruments and controls
Front fog light switch
(if equipped)
The front fog lights operate under the
following conditions. .when the light switch is in the “
”
position . when the light switch is in the “AUTO ”
position and the headlights turn on auto- matically
However, the front fog lights turn off when
the headlights are switched to high beam.
To turn on the front fog lights, turn the front
fog light switch on the turn signal lever
upward to the “
”position. To turn off the
front fog lights, turn the switch back down
to the “OFF ”position.
The indicator light located on the combi-
nation meter will illuminate when the front
fog lights are on. 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.

Fuel...................................................................... 7-2
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-3
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-6
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-7
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-8
MT models .......................................................... 7-8
AT and CVT models ............................................. 7-9
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-10
Remote engine start system (dealer option) .............................................................. 7-10
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-10
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-11
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-11
Remote start confirmation transmitter feature ............................................................. 7-12
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-13
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-13
Service mode ..................................................... 7-13
Remote transmitter program ............................... 7-13
System maintenance .......................................... 7-14
Manual transmission .......................................... 7-15
Selecting reverse gear ........................................ 7-16
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-16
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-17
Automatic transmission/Continuously variable transmission ..................................... 7-17
Select lever ........................................................ 7-18 Shift lock function
............................................. 7-20
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-21
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-22
Power steering ................................................... 7-23
Braking ............................................................... 7-23
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-23
Brake system .................................................... 7-23
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-24
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-24
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-25
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-25
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-25
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions ..... ..... 7-25
Vehicle Dynamics Control system .................... 7-26
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor..... ..... 7-28
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ................ 7-28
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-29
Parking your vehicle ......................................... 7-30
Electronic parking brake .................................... 7-31
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-34
Cruise control .................................................... 7-35
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-35
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-36
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-36
To change the cruising speed .. .......................... 7-37
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-38
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 7-38
Starting and operating
7