2012 SUBARU OUTBACK brake light

15. Store the flat tire in the spare tire compartment.
Put the spacer and tighten the attaching
bolt firmly.
Also store the jack and jack handle in their
storage locations.
WARNING
Never place a tire or tire changing
tools in the passenger compartment
after changing wheels. In a sudden
stop or collision, loose equipment
could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in
the proper place. &
Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with the warning message
indicated by sending a signal from a
sensor that is installed in each wheel
when tire pressure is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven.
Also, this system may not react immedi-
ately to a sudden drop in tire pressure (for
example, a blow-out caused running over
a sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, never
brake suddenly and keep driving straight ahead while gradually redu-
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the vehicle
placard on the door pillar on thedriver
’s side. If this light still illumi-
nates while driving after adjusting
the tire pressure, a tire may have
significant damage and a fast leak
that causes the tire to lose air
rapidly. If you have a flat tire, replace
it with a spare tire as soon aspossible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
Do not inject any tire liquid or
aerosol tire sealant into the tires, In case of emergency
9-9
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9-18In case of emergency
.If the cap cannot be removed,
contact your SUBARU dealer for inspection.
. After releasing the electronic
parking brake by using the elec-
tronic parking brake release tool,
make sure that the cap is rein-
stalled to the parking brake re-
lease device. If the cap is not
reinstalled, water or dust enters
the device and the device maymalfunction.
NOTE
It may be difficult to release the elec-
tronic parking brake by using the
electronic parking brake release tool.
Have your SUBARU dealer release the
electronic parking brake if necessary.
In the event that you cannot release the
electronic parking brake by pulling the
electronic parking brake switch or by
depressing the accelerator pedal, you
can release the electronic parking brake
manually by using the electronic parking
brake release tool.
1. Shift the shift lever in the “1 ” or “R ”
position (MT models) or the select lever in the “P ”position (AT and CVT models).
2. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position. 3. Make sure that the brake system
warning light and the indicator light on
the parking brake switch have turned off.
4. Use tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
5. Take out the electronic parking brake
release tool. Refer to
“Maintenance tools ”
F 9-3.
6. Insert the electronic parking brake
release tool into the cap of the parking
brake release device.
7. Remove the cap of the parking brake
release device by turning the electronic
parking brake release tool counterclock-

wise.
8. Break the white film and insert the
electronic parking brake release tool into
the parking brake release device.
9. Turn the electronic parking brake
release tool clockwise approximately 200
to 250 rotations.
10. To confirm that the electronic parking
brake is released, shift the shift lever or
the select lever to the“N ”position, slightly
move the tire stops and have someone
push the vehicle slightly while you remain
in the driver ’s seat. If the vehicle moves,
the electronic parking brake has beenreleased.
11. Readjust the tire stops.
12. Reinstall the cap to the parking brake
release device.
CAUTION
. Do not turn the electronic parking
brake release tool counterclock-
wise or turn it around more than
300 times. Doing so may result in
a malfunction of the electronic
parking brake.
. Do not use electric power tools to
turn the electronic parking brake
release tool. Doing so may result
in a malfunction of the electronic
parking brake. Trunk lid (Legacy)
–if the
trunk lid cannot be opened
The trunk lid can also be opened using the
key.
To open the trunk lid, insert the key into
the key cylinder and turn it clockwise. In case of emergency
9-19

10-2Appearance care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or a mal-
function of the power steering.
. Do not use any organic solvents
when washing the surface of the
bulb assembly cover. However, if
a detergent with organic solvents
is used to wash the cover sur-
face, completely rinse off the
detergent with water. Otherwise,
the cover surface may be da-maged.
. Outback: Since your vehicle is
equipped with a rear wiper, auto-
matic car-wash brushes could become tangled around it, dama-
ging the wiper arm and other
components. Ask the automatic
car-wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. !
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to damage brake
hoses, sensor harnesses, and

Alcohol contained in the clutch
fluid may damage them.
. Be careful not to spill clutch fluid
when adding it. If clutch fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If clutch fluid gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe itoff.
1) “MAX ”level mark
2) “MIN ”level mark
Check the fluid level on the outside of the
reservoir. If the level is below “MIN ”level
mark, add the recommended clutch fluidto “MAX ”level mark.
Use only clutch fluid from a sealed
container. &
Recommended clutch fluid
Refer to “Fluids ”F 12-8.
CAUTION
Never use different brands of clutch
fluid together. Also, avoid mixing
DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluids even if
they are the same brand. Brake booster
If the brake booster does not operate as
described in the following procedure, have
it checked by your SUBARU dealer.
1. With the engine off, depress the brake
pedal several times, applying the same
pedal force each time. The distance the
pedal travels should not vary.
2. With the brake pedal depressed, start
the engine. The pedal should move
slightly down to the floor.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop
the engine and keep the pedal depressed
for 30 seconds. The pedal height should
not change.
4. Start the engine again and run for
approximately 1 minute then turn it off.
Depress the brake pedal several times to
check the brake booster. The brake
booster operates properly if the pedal
stroke decreases with each depression. NOTE
When you depress the brake pedal
strongly or suddenly, the following
phenomena occur. However, even
though these occur, they do not indi-
cate any malfunctions, and the brake
assist system is operating properly. .
You might feel that the brake pedal Maintenance and service
11-27
– CONTINUED –

11-28Maintenance and service
is applied by lighter force and gener-
ates a greater braking force..You might hear the sound of ABS
operating from the engine compart-ment.
Brake assist is not a system that brings
more braking ability to the vehicle
beyond its breaking capability. Brake pedal
Check the brake pedal free play and
reserve distance according to the main-
tenance schedule in the
“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet ”.
& Checking the brake pedal
free play
1) 0.08 –0.18 in (2 –5 mm)
Stop the engine and firmly depress the
brake pedal several times. Lightly pull the
brake pedal up with one finger to check
the free play with a force of less than 2 lbf
(10 N, 1 kgf).
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er. &
Checking the brake pedal
reserve distance
1) More than 2.56 in (65 mm)
Depress the pedal with a force of approxi-
mately 66 lbf (294 N, 30 kgf) and measure
the distance between the upper surface of
the pedal pad and the floor.
When the measurement is smaller than
the specification, or when the pedal does
not operate smoothly, contact with your
SUBARU dealer.

Clutch pedal (MT models)
Check the clutch pedal free play and
reserve distance according to the main-
tenance schedule in the“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet ”.
& Checking the clutch function
Check the clutch engagement and disen-gagement.
1. With the engine idling, check that there
are no abnormal noises when the clutch
pedal is depressed, and that shifting into
1st or reverse feels smooth.
2. Start the vehicle by releasing the pedal
slowly to check that the engine and
transmission smoothly couple without
any sign of slippage. &
Checking the clutch pedal
free play
1) 0.19 –0.44 in (5 –11 mm)
Lightly press the clutch pedal down with
your finger until you feel resistance, and
check the free play.
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er. Replacement of brake pad
and lining
CAUTION
If you continue to drive despite the
scraping noise from the audible
brake pad wear indicator, it will
result in the need for costly brake
rotor repair or replacement.
The disc brakes have audible wear
indicators on the brake pads. If the brake
pads wear close to their service limit, the
wear indicator makes a very audible
scraping noise when the brake pedal isapplied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time Maintenance and service
11-29
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11-30Maintenance and service
you apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible. &Breaking-in of new brake
pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining,
use only genuine SUBARU parts. After
replacement, the new parts must be
broken in as follows: ! Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40
mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake
pedal lightly. Repeat this five or moretimes. ! Parking brake lining
The break-in maintenance for the parking
brake linings should be performed at a
SUBARU dealer. Tires and wheels &
Types of tires
You should be familiar with type of tires
present on your vehicle. ! All season tires
The factory-installed tires on your new
vehicle except 2.5 L turbo models are all
season tires.
All season tires are designed to provide
an adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving including snowy and icy road
conditions. However all season tires do
not offer as much traction performance as
winter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snow
or on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by “ALL
SEASON ”and/or “M+S ”(Mud & Snow) on
the tire sidewall. ! Summer tires
The factory-installed tires on your new 2.5
L turbo models are summer tires. Summer
tires are high-speed capability tires best
suited for highway driving under dryconditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for driving
on slippery roads such as on snow-
covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered or icy roads, we strongly recommend the
use of winter (snow) tires.
When installing winter tires, be sure to
replace all four tires. !
Winter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving on
snow-covered and icy roads. However
winter tires do not perform as well as
summer tires and all season tires on roads
other than snow-covered and icy roads. & Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low. The tire pressure monitor-
ing system will activate only when the
vehicle is driven. Also, this system may
not react immediately to a sudden drop in
tire pressure (for example, a blow-out
caused by running over a sharp object).
If you adjust the tire pressures in a warm
garage and will then drive the vehicle in
cold outside air, the resulting drop in tire
pressures may cause the low tire pressure
warning light to illuminate. To avoid this
problem when adjusting the tire pressures
in a warm garage, inflate the tires to
pressures higher than those shown on the