2012 SUBARU TRIBECA warning light

Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher is used to
warn other drivers when you have to park
your vehicle under emergency conditions.
The hazard warning flasher works with the
ignition switch in any position.
To turn on the hazard warning flasher,
push the hazard warning button on the
instrument panel. To turn off the flasher,
push the button again. NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.Meters and gauges NOTE
Liquid crystal displays are used in
some of the meters and gauges on
the combination meter. You will find
their indications hard to see if you wear
polarized glasses. &
Combination meter illumina- tion
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position, the various parts of the
combination meter are illuminated in the
following sequence.
1. Warning lights, indicator lights, meter
rims, meter needles, odometer, trip meter,
and gauge back lights illuminate.
2. Meter needles and gauges each show
MAX reading.
3. Meter needles and gauges each show
MIN reading.
4. Meter and gauge dials illuminate.
5. Regular illumination (for driving) be- gins.
NOTE
The above sequence of operations may
not take place if you quickly turn the ignition switch to start the engine. This
is not a malfunction. &
Canceling the function for
meter needle/gauge move-
ment and combination meter
sequential illumination upon
turning on the ignition switch
It is possible to activate or deactivate the
movement of the meter needles and
gauges and sequential illumination of the
combination meter that takes place when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.
Turn the ignition switch to the “Acc ”
position. With the A trip meter indication
selected, briefly press the trip knob twice.
You can now establish the activated/
deactivated setting for movement of the Instruments and controls
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3-6Instruments and controls
meter needles and gauges when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position. To change the current setting,
press the trip knob for at least 2 seconds.
: Activated
: Deactivated
With the function deactivated, the combi-
nation meter illuminates as follows.
1. Warning lights, indicator lights, meter
rims, meter needles, odometer, trip meter,
and gauge back lights illuminate.
2. Meter and gauge dials illuminate.
3. Regular illumination (for driving) be- gins.
Briefly press the trip knob again. You can
now establish the activated/deactivated
setting for sequential illumination of the combination meter when the ignition
switch is turned to the
“ON ”position. To
change the current setting, press the trip
knob for at least 2 seconds.
: Activated
: Deactivated
Briefly press the knob to return to the A trip
meter indication.
If you turn the ignition switch to the “ LOCK ”position, turn the ignition switch
to the “ON ”position, or open and close the
driver ’s door during the setting procedure,
the new setting will be canceled.
Also, if you do not press the trip knob for a
period of 10 seconds, the new setting will
be canceled. NOTE . It is not possible to cancel sequen-
tial illumination of the combination
meter while sequential illumination is
actually taking place. Cancel sequen-
tial illumination when regular illumina-
tion (for driving) has begun.. When you open the driver ’s door
with the ignition switch in the “LOCK ”
position, the meters ’needles and rims
are lit. The illumination stops working
when you shut the driver ’s door or
automatically after 30 seconds. &
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the vehiclespeed. & Odometer
This meter displays the odometer when
the ignition switch is in the “LOCK ”, “Acc ”
or “ON ”position.
The odometer shows the total distance
that the vehicle has been driven.
If you press the trip knob when the ignition
switch is in the “LOCK ”or “Acc ”position,
the odometer/trip meter will light up. If you
do not press the trip knob within 10
seconds of illumination of the odometer/
trip meter, the odometer/trip meter will turnoff.

CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Refer to “Engine overheating ”F9-
14. Warning and indicator lights
Several of the warning and indicator lights
illuminate momentarily and then turn off
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:
: Driver ’s 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
: CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal- function indicator light
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: AT OIL TEMP warning light
/: ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light(U.S.-spec. models and Canada-spec.
models)/Vehicle Dynamics Control op-
eration indicator light (all models)
: Traction Control system OFF indicator light (U.S.-spec. models and Canada-
spec. models)
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
(Latin America-spec. models)/Traction
Control system OFF indicator light
(Latin America-spec. models)
/: Brake system warning light
: AWD warning light
: Low tire pressure warning light
: SPORT mode indicator light
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
indicator light
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator light
: Low fuel warning light
: Cruise control indicator light
: Cruise control set indicator light
: Rear differential oil temperature warn-
ing light
: Windshield washer fluid warning light Instruments and controls
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3-10Instruments and controls
: Door open warning light
If any lights do not 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.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON ”
position, this device reminds the driver
and front passenger to fasten their seat-
belts by illuminating the warning lights in
the locations indicated in the following
illustrations and sounding a chime.
Driver ’s warning light
Front passenger ’s warning light
! Operation
If the driver and/or front passenger have/
has not yet fastened the seatbelt(s) when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”
position, the seatbelt warning light(s) will
flash for 6 seconds, to warn that the
seatbelt(s) is/are unfastened. If the dri-ver ’s seatbelt is not fastened, a chime will
also sound simultaneously. NOTE . If the driver ’s and/or front passen-
ger ’s seatbelt(s) is/are still not fastened
6 seconds later, the seatbelt warning
device operates as follows according
to the vehicle speed.
–At speeds lower than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light(s) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
steady illumination and flashing at
15-second intervals. The chime will
not sound. – At speeds higher than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light(s) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
flashing and steady illumination at
15-second intervals and the chime
will sound while the warning light(s)
is/are flashing.
. It is possible to cancel the warning
operation that follows the 6-second
warning after turning ON the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is

turned ON next time, however, the
complete sequence of the warning
operation resumes. For further details
about canceling the warning operation,
please contact your SUBARU dealer.
If there is no passenger on the front passenger’s seat, the seatbelt warning
device for the front passenger ’s seat will
be deactivated. The front passenger ’s
occupant detection system monitors
whether or not there is a passenger on
the front passenger ’s seat. Observe the
following precautions. Failure to do so
may prevent the device from functioning
correctly or cause the device to fail. . Do not install any accessory such as a
table or TV onto the seatback.. Do not store a heavy load in the
seatback pocket.. Do not allow the second-row seat
occupant to place his/her hands or legs
on the front passenger ’s seatback, or
allow him/her to pull the seatback.
If the seatbelt warning device for the front passenger ’s seat does not function cor-
rectly (e.g., it is activated even when the
front passenger ’s seat is empty or it is
deactivated even when the front passen-
ger has not fastened his/her seatbelt),
take the following actions. . Ensure that no article is placed on the seat other than a child restraint system
and its child occupant. .
Ensure that there is no article left in the
seatback pocket.
If still the seatbelt warning device for front passenger ’s seat does not function cor-
rectly after taking relevant corrective ac-
tions described above, immediately con-
tact your SUBARU dealer for an inspec-tion.
& SRS airbag system
warning light
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the SRS airbag system
warning light will illuminate for approxi-
mately 6 seconds and turn off. This shows
the SRS frontal airbag and SRS side
airbag and SRS curtain airbag and seat-
belt pretensioners are in normal operation.
WARNING
If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, there may
be a malfunction in the seatbelt
pretensioners and/or SRS airbag
system. Immediately take your vehi-
cle to your nearest SUBARU dealer
to have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, the seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbags will operate improperly (e.g.
SRS airbags may inflate in a very
minor collision or not inflate in a
severe collision), which may in-
crease the risk of injury. .
Flashing or flickering of the warn-
ing light
. No illumination of the warning
light when the ignition switch is
first turned to the “ON ”position
. Continuous illumination of the
warning light
. Illumination of the warning light
while driving Instruments and controls
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3-12Instruments and controls
&Front passenger ’s frontal
airbag ON and OFF indica- tors
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
indicator
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator
The front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicators show you the status of
the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag.
The indicators are located in the center
portion of the dashboard.
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position, both the ON and OFF
indicators illuminate for 6 seconds during
which time the system is checked. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators turn
off for 2 seconds. After that, one of the
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 ’sfrontal
airbag ON indicator will remain off while
the OFF indicator will illuminate.
If both the ON and OFF indicators remain
illuminated or off simultaneously, the
system is malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for an in-spection.
& CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator light
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE 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 steadily
If the light illuminates steadily while driving
or does not turn off after the engine starts,
an emission control system malfunction
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 illuminating
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 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 do thefollowing. . 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 may
stop blinking and illuminate steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately. & Charge warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good condition but the light remains illuminated,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately.
& Oil pressure warning light
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light illumi-
nated. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remains
illuminated, contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer immediately. & AT OIL TEMP warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot. If the light illuminates while driving, im-
mediately stop the vehicle in a safe place
and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off. !
Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it
may indicate that the automatic transmis-
sion control system is not working prop-
erly. Contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er for service immediately. & Rear differential oil
temperature warning light
CAUTION
Reduce vehicle speed and park the
vehicle in a safe place as soon as
possible if the R.DIFF TEMP light
illuminates. Continued driving with
this light illuminated can damage
the rear differential and other parts
of the powertrain.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the rear
differential oil temperature is too hot.
If the light illuminates while driving, reduce
vehicle speed and stop the vehicle at the Instruments and controls
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3-14Instruments and controls
nearest safe place.
Park the vehicle for several minutes. After
the light turns off, you can start driving.
If the light does not turn off, contact the
nearest SUBARU dealer for service. NOTE .If the tire pressures are not correct
and/or the tires are not all the same
size and brand, the rear differential will
be heavily loaded when the vehicle is
driven, resulting in an abnormally high
oil temperature.. The rear differential oil will deterio-
rate if its temperature increases en-
ough for the rear differential oil tem-
perature warning light to illuminate. It is
advisable to have the rear differential
oil replaced as soon as possible. & Low tire pressure
warning light
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 turn off.
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 aspossible.
WARNING
If this light does not illuminate
briefly after the ignition switch is