2014 SUBARU TRIBECA warning light

7-2Starting and operating
Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in qualityor use of an inappropriate fueladditive may cause engine damage.
&Fuel requirements
The engine is designed to operate usingunleaded gasolinewith an octane ratingof87 AKI (90 RON) or higher.
!Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of theResearch Octane and Motor Octanenumbers andis commonly referred to asthe Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octanerating can causepersistent and heavyknocking, which can damage the engine.Do not be concerned if your vehiclesometimes knocks lightly when you driveup a hill or when you accelerate. Contactyour SUBARU dealer if you use a fuel withthe specified octane rating and yourvehicle knocks heavily or persistently.
!Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designedto accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances shouldleaded gasoline be used because it willdamage the emission control system andmay impair driveability and fuel economy.
!California fuel
If your vehicle was certified to CaliforniaEmission Standards as indicated on theunderhood tune-up label, it is designed tooptimize engine and emission controlsystem performance with gasoline thatmeets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-fornia gasoline specifications. If you live inany other state than California, yourvehicle will operate on gasoline meetingFederal specifications. Gasoline sold out-side California is permitted to have highersulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-mance of your vehicle’s catalytic converterand may produce a sulfur exhaust odor orsmell. SUBARU recommends that you trya different brand of unleaded gasolinehaving lower sulfur to determine if theproblem is fuel related before returningyour vehicle to an authorized dealer forservice. The CHECK ENGINE warninglight/Malfunction indicator light may alsoilluminate. If this occurs, return to yourauthorized SUBARU dealer for diagnosis.If it is determined that the condition iscausedby the type of fuel used, repairsmay not be covered by your warranty.
!MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). Ifyou use such fuels, your emission controlsystem performance may deteriorate andthe CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-function indicator light may illuminate. Ifthis happens, return to your authorizedSUBARU dealer for service. If it isdetermined that the condition is causedby the type of fuel used, repairs may notbe covered by your warranty.
!Gasoline for cleaner air
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exteriorsurfaces of the vehicle. Fuels con-taining alcohol may cause paintdamage, which is not covered underthe SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Yo u r u s e o f g a s o l i n e w i t h d e t e r g e n tadditives will help prevent deposits fromforming in your engine and fuel system.This helps keepyour engine in tune andyour emission control system workingproperly, and is a way of doing your partfor cleaner air. If you continuously use ahigh quality fuel with the proper detergentand other additives, you should never

7-4Starting and operating
WARNING
Before opening the fuel filler cap,first touch the vehicle body or ametal portion of the fuel pump orsimilar object to discharge anystatic electricity that may be presenton your body. If your body is carry-ing an electrostatic charge, there isa possibility that an electric sparkcould ignite the fuel, which couldburn you. To avoid acquiring a newstatic electric charge, do not getback into the vehicle while refuelingis in progress.
1) Open2) Close
3. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning itslowly counterclockwise.
WARNING
.Gasoline vapor is highly flam-mable. Before refueling, alwaysfirst stop the engine and close allvehicle doors and windows.Make sure that there are nolighted cigarettes, open flamesor electrical sparks in the adja-cent area. Refueling must beperformed outside. Quickly wipeup any spilled fuel.
.When opening the cap, grasp itfirmly and turn it slowly to theleft. Do not remove the capquickly. Fuel may be under pres-sure and spray out of the fuelfiller neck, especially in hotweather. If you hear a hissingsound while you are removingthe cap, wait for the sound tostop and then slowly open thecapto prevent fuel from sprayingout and creating a fire hazard.
.When refueling, insert the fuelnozzle securely into the fuel fillerpipe. If the nozzle is lifted or notfullyinserted, its automatic stop-ping mechanism may not func-
tion, causing fuel to overflow thetank and creating a fire hazard.
.Stop refueling when the auto-matic stop mechanism on thefuel nozzle activates. If you con-tinue to add fuel, temperaturechanges or other conditionsmay cause fuel to overflow fromthe tank and create a fire hazard.
4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel fillerpump automatically turns off. Do not addany more fuel.
CAUTION
Make sure that the cap is tighteneduntil it clicks to prevent fuel spillagein the event of an accident.
5. Put the cap back on, turn it clockwiseuntil you hear a clicking noise. Be certainnot to catch the tether under the cap whiletightening.
6. Close the fuel filler lid completely.
If you spill any fuel on the painted surface,rinse it off immediately. Otherwise, thepainted surface could be damaged.

NOTE
.You will see the“”sign in the fuelgauge. Thisindicates that the fuel fillerdoor (lid) is located on the right side ofthe vehicle..If the fuel filler cap is not tighteneduntil it clicks or if the tether is caughtunder the cap, the CHECK ENGINEwarning light/malfunction indicatorlight may illuminate. Refer to“CHECKENGINE warning light/Malfunction in-dicator light”F3-12.
CAUTION
.Never add any cleaning agents tothe fuel tank. The addition of acleaning agent may cause da-
mage to the fuel system.
.After refueling, turn the cap to theright until it clicks to ensure thatit is fully tightened. If the cap isnot securely tightened, fuel mayleak out while the vehicle is beingdriven or fuel spillage couldoccur in the event of an accident,creating a fire hazard.
.Do not let fuel spill on the exteriorsurfacesof the vehicle. Becausefuel may damage the paint, besure to wipe off any spilled fuelquickly. Paint damage caused byspilled fuel is not covered undertheSUBARU Limited Warranty.
.Always use a genuine SUBARUfuel filler cap. If you use thewrong cap, it may not fit, andyour fuel tank and emission con-trol systemmay be damaged. Itcould also lead to fuel spillageand a fire.
.Immediately put fuel in the tankwhenever the low fuel warninglight illuminates. Engine misfiresas a result of an empty tankcould cause damage to the en-gine.
State emission testing (U.S.
only)
WARNING
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive modelmust NEVER be performed on asingle two-wheel dynamometer. At-tempting to do so will result inuncontrolled vehicle movement andmay cause an accident or injuries topersons nearby.
CAUTION
.At state inspection time, remem-ber to tell your inspection orservice station in advance not toplace your SUBARU AWD vehicleon a two-wheel dynamometer.Otherwise, serious transmissiondamage will result.
.Resultant vehicle damage due toimproper testing is not coveredunderthe SUBARU Limited War-ranty and is the responsibility ofthe state inspection program orits contractors or licensees.
California and a number of federal stateshave Inspection/Maintenance programs to
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7-6Starting and operating
inspect your vehicle’s emission controlsystem. If your vehicle does not pass thistest, some states may deny renewal ofyour vehicle’s registration.
Your vehicle is equipped with a computerthat monitors the performance of theengine’s emission control system. Certi-fied emissioninspectors will inspect theOn-Board Diagnostic (OBDII) system aspart of the state emission inspectionprocess. The OBDII system is designedto detect engine and transmission pro-blems that might cause the vehicle emis-sions to exceed allowable limits. OBDIIinspectionsapply to all 1996 model yearand newer passenger cars and trucks.Over 30 states plus the District of Colum-bia have implemented emission inspec-tion of the OBDII system.
.The inspection of the OBDII systemconsists of a visual operational check ofthe“CHECK ENGINE”warning light/mal-function indicator light (MIL) and anexamination of the OBDII system with anelectronic scan tool.
.A vehiclepasses the OBDII systeminspection if proper operation of the“CHECK ENGINE”warning light is ob-served, there are no stored diagnostictrouble codes, and the OBDII readinessmonitors are all complete.
.A vehiclefails the OBDII inspection ifthe“CHECK ENGINE”warning light is notproperly operating (light is illuminated or isnot working due to a burned out bulb) orthere is one or more diagnostic troublecodes stored in the vehicle’s computer.
.A state emission inspection may reject(not pass or fail) a vehicle if the number ofOBDII system readiness monitors“NOTREADY”is greater than one. If thevehicle’s battery has been recently re-placed or disconnected, the OBDII systeminspection may indicate that the vehicle isnot ready for the emission test. Under thiscondition, the vehicle driver should beinstructed to drive his/her vehicle for a fewdays to reset the readiness monitors andreturn for an emission re-inspection.
.Owners of rejected or failing vehiclesshould contact their SUBARU Dealer forservice.
Some states still use dynamometers intheir emission inspection program. Adynamometer is a treadmill or roller-liketesting device that allows your vehicle’swheels to turn while the vehicle remains inone place. Prior to your vehicle being puton a dynamometer, tell your emissioninspectornot to place your SUBARUAWD vehicle on a two-wheel dynam-ometer.Otherwise, serious transmis-sion damage will result.
The U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) and states using two-wheeldynamometers in their emission testingprogram have EXEMPTED SUBARUAWD vehicles from the portion of thetesting program that involves a two-wheeldynamometer. There are some states thatuse four-wheel dynamometers in theirtesting program. When properly used, thisequipment should not damage a SUBARUAWD vehicle.
Under no circumstances should the rearwheels be jacked off the ground, norshould the driveshaft be disconnected forstate emission testing.

Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checksand adjustments every day before youstart driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, andlights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and conditionof the tires. Also check tires for properinflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign ofleaks.
4. Check that the hood and rear gate arefully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the insideand outside mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that yourpassengers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warningand indicator lights when the ignitionswitch is turned to the“ON”position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warn-ing lights after starting the engine.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid,washer fluid and other fluid levelsshould be checked daily, weekly or atfuel stops.
Starting the engine
CAUTION
.Do not operate the starter motorcontinuously for more than 10seconds. If the engine fails tostart after operating the starterfor 5 to 10 seconds, wait for 10seconds or more before tryingagain.
.If you restart the engine while thevehicle is moving, shift the selectlever into the“N”position. Donot attempt to place the selectlever of a moving vehicle into the“P”position.
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac-cessories.
3. Shift the select lever to the“P”or“N”position (preferably“P”position). Thestarter will only operate when the selectlever is at the“P”or“N”position.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the“ON”position and check the operation of thewarning and indicator lights. Refer to“Warning and indicator lights”F3-9.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the“START”positionwithoutdepressing the accelera-
tor pedal. Release the key immediatelyafter the engine has started.
If the engine does not start, try thefollowing.(1) Turn the ignition switch to the“LOCK”position and wait for at least10 seconds. After checking that theparking brake is firmly set, turn theignition switch to the“START”positionwhile depressing the accelerator pedalslightly (approximately a quarter of thefull stroke).Release the acceleratorpedal as soon as the engine starts.(2) If this fails to start the engine, turnthe ignition switch back to the“LOCK”position and wait for at least 10seconds.Then fully depress the accel-erator pedal and turn the ignitionswitch to the“START”position. If theengine starts, quickly release theaccelerator pedal.(3) If this fails to start the engine, turnthe ignition switch again to the“LOCK”position.After waiting for 10 secondsor longer, turn the ignition switch to the“START”position without depressingthe accelerator pedal.(4) If the engine still refuses to start,contact your nearest SUBARU dealerfor assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicatorlights have turned off after the engine has
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7-14Starting and operating
is started.
If the select lever does not move from the“P”position with the brake pedal de-pressed, the select lever button pushedin, and the ignition switch in the ONposition, refer to“Shift lock function”F7-14.
!R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the“N”to“R”position, stopthe vehicle completely then move thelever to the“R”position while pushingthe select leverbutton.
!N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalledengine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-sion are not locked. In this position, thetransmission is neutral; the vehicle will rollfreely, even on the slightest incline unlessthe parking brake or foot brake is applied.
Avoid coasting with the transmissionneutral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-ing effect.
NOTE
When the ignition switch has beenturned to the“LOCK”position, move-ment of the select lever from the“N”
position to the“R”position is possiblefor a limited time period by depressingthe brake pedal and then becomesimpossible. If the select lever becomesimpossible to be moved after a limitedtime period, turn the ignition switch tothe“ON”position. You will then be ableto move the select lever to the“P”position.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with theselect lever in the“N”(Neutral)position. Engine braking has noeffect in this condition and the riskof an accident is consequently in-creased.
!D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts intoa suitable gear from 1st to 5th according tothe vehicle speed and the accelerationyou require.
When more acceleration is required in thisposition, depress the accelerator pedalfully to the floor and hold that position. Thetransmission will automatically downshiftto 4th, 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When yourelease the pedal, the transmission will
return to the original gear position.
To use the SPORT mode, move the leverfrom this position into the manual gate.
To use the manual mode, move the leverfrom this position into the manual gatethen move it toward the“+”end or“!”end.
!While climbing a grade
When drivingup a hill, undesired upshift to4th or 5th gear is prevented from takingplace when the accelerator is released.This minimizes the chance of subsequentdownshifting to a lower gear when accel-erating again. This prevents repeatedupshifting and downshifting resulting in asmoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2ndor 1st gear, depending on the way theaccelerator pedal is depressed to ac-celerate the vehicle again.
&Shift lock function
The shift lock function helps prevent theimproper operationof the select lever.
.The select lever cannot be operatedunless the ignition switch is turned to the“ON”position and the brake pedal isdepressed.
.The select lever cannot be moved from

Gearshifts can be performed using theselect lever.
Shift to the next-higher gear by brieflypushing the select lever toward the“+”end of the manual gate.
Shift to the next-lower gear by brieflypulling the select lever toward the“!”end of the manual gate.
NOTE
Pleaseread the following points care-fully and bear them in mind when usingthe manual mode.
.When the temperature of the engineoil is higher than normal, warningbeeps are emitted and the shift positionindicator shows“!”. If these warningsare issued, deselect the manual modeto protect the engine from damage.
.The transmission does not automa-tically shift up in the manual mode.Perform gearshifts in accordance withroad conditions so that the tachometerneedle does not enter the red zone. Ifthe engine speed reaches a predeter-mined level, a fuel-cut function willoperate. Shift up if this happens. Also,the transmission may automaticallyshift up to protect the engine..If you attempt to shift down whenthe engine speed is too high, i.e., whena downshift would push the tachometerneedle beyond the red zone, beeps willbe emitted to warn you that the down-shift is not possible..If you attempt to shift up when thevehicle speed is too low, the transmis-sion will not respond..You can perform a skip-shift (forexample, from 4th to 2nd) by operatingthe select lever twice in rapid succes-sion..The transmission automatically se-lects 1st gear when the vehicle stopsmoving..If the temperature of the automatictransmission fluid becomes too high,the“AT OIL TEMP”warning light willilluminate and upshifts to 5th gear willnot be possible. Immediately stop thevehicle in a safe place and let theengineidle until the warning light turns
off.
&Driving tips
.On a road surface where there is a riskof wheelspin (for example, a snow- orgravel-covered road), you can pull awayfrom a standstill safely and easily by firstselecting the 2nd gear of the manualmode.
.Always apply the foot or parking brakewhen thevehicle is stopped in the“D”or“R”position.
.Always set the parking brake whenparking your vehicle. Do not hold thevehicle withonly the transmission.
.Do not keep the vehicle in a stationaryposition on an uphill grade by using the“D”position. Usethe brake instead.
.The engine may, on rare occasions,knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.This phenomenon does not indicate aproblem.
.A slight reduction in output torque mayoccur before the engine warms up.
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Braking
&Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brakepedal whiledriving. This can causedangerous overheating of thebrakes and needless wear on thebrake pads and linings.
!When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing thevehicle, the brakes may get wet. As aresult, brake stopping distance will belonger. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicleat a safe speed while lightly depressingthe brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
!Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine brakingin addition to foot braking. When descend-ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,the brakes may start working improperlybecause of brake fluid overheating,caused by overheated brake pads. Tohelp prevent this, shift into a lower gear toget stronger engine braking.
!Brakingwhen a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenlywhen a tire is punctured. This could cause
a loss of control of the vehicle. Keepdriving straight ahead while graduallyreducing speed. Then slowly pull off theroad to a safe place.
&Brake system
!Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has a dual circuit brakesystem. Each circuit works diagonallyacross the vehicle. If one circuit of thebrake system should fail, the other half ofthe system still works. If one circuit fails,the brake pedalwill go down much closerto the floor than usual and you will need todepress it down much harder. And a muchlonger distance will be needed to stop thevehicle.
!Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifoldvacuum to assist braking force. If enginemanifold vacuum becomes insufficient,such as when driving at high altitude, avacuum pump assures a sufficient va-cuum to operate the brake booster. Do notturn off the engine while driving becausethat will turn off the brake booster, result-ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work evenwhen the brake booster completely stopsfunctioning. If this happens, however, youwill have to depress the pedal much
harder than normal and the braking dis-tance will increase.
NOTE
Some sound accompanying operationof the vacuum pump may be heardfrom the engine compartment duringdriving. This does not indicate a mal-function.
!Brake assist system
WARNING
Do not be overconfident about thebrake assist. It is not a system thatbrings more braking ability to thevehicle beyond its braking capabil-ity. Always use the utmost carewhen driving regarding vehiclespeed and safe distance.
CAUTION
When you need to brake suddenly,continue depressing the brake pedalstrongly to bring the effect of thebrake assist.
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