2012 SUBARU TRIBECA air condition

Automatic climate control system 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.
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button.. The vehicle has a rear air condi-
tioner. The fan speed of the rear air
conditioner can be adjusted, but other
adjustments (outlet air temperature, air
distribution, etc.) are not possible for
the rear air conditioner. For details,
refer to “Rear air conditioner ”F 4-9.
The automatic climate control system
automatically controls outlet air tempera-
ture, fan speed, airflow distribution, air
inlet control, and air conditioner compres-
sor operation. It activates when the“ AUTO ”button is pressed, and is used to
maintain a constant, comfortable climate
within the passenger compartment.
The temperature can be set within a range
of 65 to 85 8F (18 to 32 8C). &
Control panel
1) Temperature control dial (driver ’s side)
2) Defroster button
3) Fan speed control dial
4) Rear window defogger button (Refer to “Rear window defogger button ”F 3-37.)
5) Temperature control dial (passenger ’s
side)
6) Air conditioner button
7) Airflow mode selection button
8) Air inlet selection button
9) OFF button
10) AUTO button !
AUTO button
AUTO mode operation:
When the “AUTO ”button is pressed, the
indicator light on the button illuminates. In
this state, fan speed, airflow distribution,
air inlet control, and air conditioner com-
pressor operation are automatically con-trolled.
Manual mode operation:
If you operate any of the buttons on the
control panel other than the “OFF ”button
and temperature control dial during auto-
matic mode operation, the indicator light
will turn off. You can then manually control
the system as desired using the button
you operated.
To change the system back to the AUTO
mode, press the “AUTO ”button.
Climate control
4-5
– CONTINUED –

4-6Climate control
! OFF button
The Automatic Climate Control system
turns off (the air conditioner compressor
and fan turn off) when the “OFF ”button is
pressed.
When the “OFF ”button is pressed, the
outside air introduction mode (air inlet
selection OFF) is automatically selected. !
Temperature control dialDriver ’s side
Passenger ’s side
It is possible to make separate tempera-
ture settings for the driver ’ssideand
passenger ’s side. Each temperature setting is shown on the display. With the
dial set at your desired temperature, the
system automatically adjusts the tempera-
ture of air supplied from the outlets such
that the desired temperature is achieved
and maintained.
Turning the dial counterclockwise and
releasing it reduces the temperature by1
8F (0.5 8C). Turning the dial clockwise
and releasing it increases the temperature
by 1 8F (0.5 8C). Holding the dial in either
turned position causes the temperature to
change continuously.
With the minimum temperature set, the
system gives maximum cooling perfor-
mance. With the maximum temperature
set, the system gives maximum heatingperformance.

!–Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows, push the defros-
ter button “
”. When the “”button is
pushed, the indicator light on the button
illuminates and the following operation isperformed. . The outside air is drawn into the
passenger compartment and the airflow
is directed towards the windshield and the
front door windows. . The air conditioner compressor auto-
matically operates to quickly defog the
windshield. However, the indicator light on
the air conditioner button will not illumi-nate.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, return the climate control system to the AUTO mode by pushingthe
“AUTO ”button or turn off by pushing
the “OFF ”button.
Alternatively, push the “
”button again
to return the system to the setting that was
selected before you activated the defros-
ter. ! Fan speed control dial
The fan speed control dial has 7 positions:
AUTO position and 6 different fan speedpositions.
The fan speed is shown on the center of
the dial.
With the fan speed control dial in the
AUTO position, the fan speed changes
automatically corresponding the various
conditions: air temperature inside and
outside of the passenger ’s compartment, intensity of the sunlight, etc. !
A/C –Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the
climate control system is operated in the
AUTO mode, push the air conditioner
button to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pushed, the air
conditioner compressor turns on and the
indicator light on the button illuminates.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, set the system back to the
AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO ”
button. Climate control
4-7
– CONTINUED –

4-8Climate control
NOTE
The air conditioner compressor may
not operate when the outside air tem-
perature is approximately 32 8F(0 8C) or
lower. ! Airflow mode selection button
Select the desired airflow mode by push-
ing the airflow mode selection button. The
selected airflow mode is shown on the
center of the dial.
There are five airflow modes that activate
the following air outlets.
(Ventilation): Instrument panel outlets
(Bi-level): Instrument panel outlets and
foot outlets
(Heat): Foot outlets, both side outlets of
the instrument panel and some through
windshield defroster outlets (A small
amount of air flows to the windshield and
both side windows to prevent fogging.)
(Heat-def): Windshield defroster out-
lets, foot outlets and both side outlets of
the instrument panel
: Windshield defroster outlets and both
side outlets of the instrument panel
For details, refer to “Airflow mode selec-
tion ”F 4-3.
NOTE
When the “
”or “”mode is se-
lected, the air conditioner compressor
operates automatically to defog the
windshield more quickly, regardless of
the position of the air conditioner
button. However the indicator on the
air conditioner button will not illumi-
nate. At the same time, the air inlet
selection is automatically set to “out-
side air ”mode. !
Air inlet selection button
ON position (recirculation): Interior air is
recirculated inside the vehicle. Push the
air inlet selection button to the ON position
for fast cooling with the air conditioner or
when driving on a dusty road. The
indicator light will illuminate.
OFF position (outside air): Outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment.
Push the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position when the interior has cooled
to a comfortable temperature and the road
is no longer dusty. The indicator light will
turn off.
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.
NOTE
When driving on a dusty road or behind
a vehicle that emits unpleasant exhaust
gases, set the air inlet selection button
to the ON position.
From time to time, return the air inlet
selection button to the OFF position to
draw outside air into the passengercompartment. &
Rear air conditioner
The rear air conditioner blows cool air out
of the rear ventilators while the “A/C ”
button on the control panel is in the “ON ”
position. The fan speed of the rear air
conditioner can be adjusted using the rear
air conditioner dial behind the center
console. The fan speed can be adjusted
in four steps by turning the dial. Turn the
dial to the “OFF ”position to stop the fan.
NOTE . When the “A/C ”button is in the
“ OFF ”position and when the “A/C ”
indicator is not illuminated during
AUTO mode operation, the air condi-
tioner compressor does not operate,
meaning that the system merely blows
uncooled air out of the ventilators. .
The outlet air temperature of the rear
air conditioner cannot be adjusted.. The rear air conditioner cannot be
used as a heater. & Temperature sensors
1) Interior air temperature sensor
2) Solar sensor
The automatic climate control system
employs several sensors. These sensors
are delicate. If they are treated incorrectly
and become damaged, the system may
not be able to control the interior tempera-
ture correctly. To avoid damaging the
sensors, observe the following precau-tions. – Do not subject the sensors to impact.
– Keep water away from the sensors. Climate control
4-9
– CONTINUED –

4-10Climate control
–Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are located as follows. – Solar sensor: beside windshield
defroster grille– Interior air temperature sensor: on the
side of the driver-side part of the center panel – Outside temperature sensor: behind
front grille Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner &
Cleaning ventilator grille
Always keep the front ventilator 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
is fully depressed such as during rapid
acceleration or when driving on a steepupgrade. & 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 shown in the fol-
lowing. This schedule should be followed
to maintain the filter
’s dust collection
ability. Under extremely dusty conditions,
the filter should be replaced more fre-
quently. It is recommended that you have
your filter checked or replaced by your
SUBARU dealer. For replacement, we
recommend the use of a genuine
SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule: Every 15 months or 15,000 miles (24,000
km) whichever comes first &
Replacing the air filter
1. Remove the instrument panel side
cover. NOTE
The instrument panel side cover is held
in place with four pins. Climate control
4-11
– 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
The engine is designed to operate using
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of 87 AKI (90 RON) or higher .
! 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.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly when you drive
up a hill or when you accelerate. Contact
your SUBARU dealer if you use a fuel with
the specified octane rating and your
vehicle knocks heavily or persistently. ! 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. !
California fuel
If your vehicle was certified to California
Emission Standards as indicated on the
underhood tune-up label, it is designed to
optimize engine and emission control
system performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance 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
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service. The CHECK ENGINE warning
light/Malfunction indicator light may also
illuminate. If this occurs, return to your
authorized SUBARU dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition is
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 illuminate. 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