2012 SUBARU OUTBACK fuel type

caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty. !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, return to your 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
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels con-
taining alcohol may cause paint
damage, which is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
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) may be used in
your vehicle, but should contain no more
than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
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 thefollowing. .
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.
& 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
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7-18Starting and operating
than 5 seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is applied or
when chocks are used in the
wheels. This may cause the
transmission fluid to overheat.
. Avoid shifting from one of the
forward driving positions into the“ R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever inthe “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the select
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
NOTE . For AT models, when the engine
coolant temperature is still low, the
transmission will upshift to higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in order
to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor- mal timing after the engine has warmedup..
Immediately after transmission fluid
is replaced, you may feel that the
transmission operation is somewhat
unusual. This results from invalidation
of data which the on-board computer
has collected and stored in memory to
allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.. When driving a vehicle that is
equipped with CVT under continuous
heavy load conditions such as towing a
camper or climbing a long, steep hill,
the engine speed or the vehicle speed
may automatically be reduced. This is
not a malfunction. This phenomenon
results from the engine control func-
tion maintaining the cooling perfor-
mance of the vehicle. The engine and
vehicle speed will return to a normal
speed when the engine is able to
maintain the optimum cooling perfor-
mance after the heavy load decreases.
Driving under a heavy load must be
performed with extreme care. Do not
try to pass a vehicle in front when
driving on an uphill slope while towing.. The continuously variable transmis-
sion is a chain type system that provides superior transmission effi-
ciency for maximum fuel economy. At
times, depending on varying driving
conditions, a chain operating sound
may be heard that is characteristic of
this type of system.
& Select lever
: With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while pressing the button in
: Shift while pressing the button in: Shift without pressing the button
The select lever has four positions, “P ”,
“ R ”, “N ”, “D ”and also has a manual gate
for using the manual mode. ! P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine.

8-10Driving tips
If your SUBARU is not going to be used
for an extended period, it is best to have
the fuel tank filled to capacity. &Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine ’s intake system and may
hinder the airflow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or evenbreakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle
’s braking perfor-
mance on snowy and icy roads. For
information about braking on slippery
surfaces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) ”F 7-24 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system ”F 7-26.
! Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the
windshield or rear window, perform the
following procedure. . To thaw the windshield wiper blades,
use the defroster with the airflow selection in “
”and the temperature set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely thawed. Refer to “Climate
control ”F 4-1.
. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper
deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. Refer to “Defog-
ger and deicer ”F 3-34.
. To thaw the rear wiper blade, use the rear window defogger. Refer to
“Defogger
and deicer ”F 3-34.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow selection in “
”and the
temperature set for maximum warmth.
After the windshield gets warmed enough
to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away
using the windshield washer. Refer to“ Windshield washer ”F 3-32.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
Refer to “Hazard warning flasher ”F 3-5.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and freez-
ing temperatures. Blades of this type give
superior wiping performance in snowy
conditions. Be sure to use blades that
are suitable for your vehicle.
CAUTION
During high-speed driving, non-
freezing type wiper blades may not
perform as well as standard wiper

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

11-16Maintenance and service
12. Start the engine and make sure that no
oil leaks appear around the filter ’s rubber
seal and drain plug.
13. Keep the engine idling until the engine
reaches the normal operating temperature
range, as indicated by the temperature
gauge on the combination meter. After
that, check the engine oil level again. For
further details about the check procedure,
refer to “Checking the oil level ”F 11-12.
& Recommended grade and viscosity
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recom-
mended grade and viscosity.
Refer to “Engine oil ”F 12-4.
NOTE
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects
fuel economy. Oils of lower viscosity
provide better fuel economy. However,
in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is
required to properly lubricate the en- gine. & Synthetic oil
You should use synthetic engine oil that
meets the same requirements given for conventional engine oil. When using
synthetic oil, you must use oil of the same
classification, viscosity and grade shown
in this Owner
’s Manual. Refer to “Engine
oil ”F 12-4. Also, you must follow the oil
and filter changing intervals shown in the
Warranty and Maintenance booklet.
NOTE
Synthetic oil of the grade and viscosity
noted in chapter 12 is the recom-
mended engine oil for optimum engine
performance. Conventional oil may be
used if synthetic oil is unavailable. Cooling system
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has cooled down
completely. Since the coolant is
under pressure, you may suffer
serious burns from a spray of boil-
ing hot coolant when the cap isremoved.
CAUTION
. Vehicles are filled at the factory
with SUBARU Super Coolant that
does not require the first change
for 11 years/137,500 miles (11
years/220,000 km). This coolant
should not be mixed with any
other brand or type of coolant
during this period. Mixing with a
different coolant will reduce the
life of the coolant. Should it be
necessary to top off the coolant
for any reason, use only
SUBARU Super Coolant.
If the SUBARU Super Coolant is
diluted with another brand or
type, the maintenance interval is

11-32Maintenance and service
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
does not illuminate briefly after the
ignition switch is turned ON or the
light illuminates steadily after blink-
ing for approximately one minute,
you should have your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-ble.
If this light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep
driving straight ahead while gradu-
ally reducing speed. Then slowly
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and serious
personal injury could occur.
If this light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, 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 as possible.
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. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU dealer
to have the system inspected.
& Tire inspection
Check on a daily basis that the tires are
free from serious damage, nails, and
stones. At the same time, check the tires
for abnormal wear.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately if you find any problem. NOTE . When the wheels and tires strike
curbs or are subjected to harsh treat-
ment as when the vehicle is driven on a
rough surface, they can suffer damage
that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
This type of damage does not become
evident until time has passed. Try not
to drive over curbs, potholes or on
other rough surfaces. If doing so is
unavoidable, keep the vehicle ’s speed
down to a walking pace or less, and approach the curbs as squarely as
possible. Also, make sure the tires are
not pressed against the curb when you
park the vehicle..
If you feel unusual vibration while
driving or find it difficult to steer the
vehicle in a straight line, one of the
tires and/or wheels may be damaged.
Drive slowly to the nearest authorized
SUBARU dealer and have the vehicleinspected.
& Tire pressures and wear
Maintaining the correct tire pressures
helps to maximize the tires ’service lives
and is essential for good running perfor-
mance. Check and, if necessary, adjust
the pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month (for example,
during a fuel stop) and before any long
journey.

&Engine
Engine model EJ253
(2.5 L, SOHC, non-turbo) EJ255
(2.5 L, DOHC, turbo) EZ36D
(3.6 L, DOHC, non-turbo)
Engine type Horizontally opposed, liquid cooled 4 cylinder,
4 stroke gasoline engine Horizontally opposed, liquid cooled 6 cylinder,
4 stroke gasoline engine
Displacement cu-in (cc) 149.9 (2,457) 221.5 (3,630)
Bore 6Stroke in (mm) 3.92 63.11 (99.5 679.0) 3.62 63.58 (92.0 691.0)
Compression ratio 10.0 : 1 8.4 : 1 10.5 : 1
Firing order 1– 3–2 – 4 1
–6– 3–2– 5–4
& Fuel
Vehicle model Fuel requirementFuel tank capacity
Non-turbo models Unleaded gasoline with 87 AKI (90 RON) or higher
18.5 US gal (70 liters, 15.4 Imp gal)
Turbo models Premium unleaded gasoline with 93 AKI (98 RON) or higher*
1
*1: If 93 AKI (98 RON) fuel is not available, refer to “Fuel requirements ”F 7-2. Specifications
12-3
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