3-8Instruments and controls
pointer of the tachometer in the redzone. This may cause severe da-mage to the engine.
NOTE
To protect the engine while the selectlever is in the“P”or“N”position, theengineis controlled so that the enginespeed may not become too high even ifthe accelerator pedal is depressedhard.
&Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge shows the approximateamount of fuel remaining in the tank.
The gauge may move slightly duringbraking, turning or acceleration due to fuel
level movement in the tank.
If you press the trip knob while the ignitionswitch is in the“LOCK”or“Acc”position,the fuel gauge will light up and indicate theamount of fuel remaining in the tank.
NOTE
You will see the“”signin the fuelgauge meter.
This indicates that the fuel filler door(lid) is located on the right side of thevehicle.
&Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows enginecoolant temperature when the ignitionswitch is in the“ON”position.
The coolant temperature will vary inaccordance with the outside temperatureand driving conditions.
We recommend that you drive moderatelyuntil the pointer of the temperature gaugereaches near the middle of the range.Engine operation is optimum with theengine coolant at this temperature range.Also, high revving operation while theengine is not sufficiently warmed upshould be avoided.
Automatic climate control
system
NOTE
.Operate the automatic climate con-trol system when the engine is running..The blower fan rotates at a lowspeed when the engine coolant tem-perature is low.
Forefficient 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 airconditioner can be adjusted, but otheradjustments (outlet air temperature, airdistribution, etc.)are not possible forthe rear air conditioner. For details,refer to“Rear air conditioner”F4-9.
The automatic climate control systemautomatically controls outlet air tempera-ture, fan speed, airflow distribution, airinlet control, and air conditioner compres-sor operation. It activates when the“AUTO”button is pressed, and is used tomaintain a constant, comfortable climatewithin the passenger compartment.
The temperature can be set within a rangeof 65 to 858F (18 to 328C).
&Control panel
1) Temperature control dial (driver’s side)2) Defroster button3) Fan speed control dial4) Rear window defogger button (Refer to“Rearwindow defogger button”F3-37.)5) Temperature control dial (passenger’sside)6) Air conditioner button7) Airflow mode selection button8) Air inlet selection button9) OFF button10) AUTO button
!AUTO button
AUTO mode operation:
When the“AUTO”button is pressed, theindicator light on the button illuminates. Inthis 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 thecontrol panel other than the“OFF”buttonand temperature control dial during auto-matic mode operation, the indicator lightwill turn off. You can then manually controlthe system as desired using the buttonyou operated.
To change the system back to the AUTOmode, press the“AUTO”button.
Climate control4-5
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–all cargo in the trailer is securedsafely in position.–the side mirrors provide a goodrearward field of view without a sig-nificant blind spot..Sufficient time should be taken to learnthe“feel”of the vehicle/trailer combinationbefore starting out on a trip. In an area freeof traffic, practice turning, stopping andbacking up.
!Driving with a trailer
.You should allow for considerably morestopping distance when towing a trailer.Avoid sudden braking because it mayresult in skidding or jackknifing and loss ofcontrol.
.Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns andrapid lane changes.
.Slow down before turning. Make alonger than normal turning radius becausethe trailer wheels will be closer than thevehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Ina tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle.
.Crosswinds will adversely affect thehandling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-ing sway. Crosswinds can be due toweather conditions or the passing of largetrucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmlygrip the steering wheel and slow downimmediately but gradually.
.When passing other vehicles, consid-erable distance is required because of theadded weight and length caused byattaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn2) Right turn
.Backing up with a trailer is difficult andtakes practice. When backing up with atrailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.When turning back, grip the bottom of thesteering wheel with one hand and turn it tothe left for a left turn, and turn it to the rightfor a right turn.
.If the ABS warning light illuminateswhile the vehicle is in motion, stop towingthe trailer and have repairs performedimmediately by the nearest SUBARUdealer.
!Driving on grades
.Before going down a steep hill, slowdown and shift into lower gear (if neces-sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize theengine braking effect and prevent over-heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do notmake sudden downshifts.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, theair conditioner may turn off automaticallyto protect the engine from overheating.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, payattention to the water temperature gaugepointer and AT OIL TEMP warning lightbecause the engine and transmission arerelatively prone to overheating underthese conditions. If the water temperaturegauge pointer approaches the OVER-HEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warninglight illuminates, immediately turn off theair conditioner and stop the vehicle in thenearest safe location. For further instruc-tions and additional information, refer tothe following sections.–“If you park your vehicle in anemergency”F9-2–“Engine overheating”F9-14–“Temperature gauge”F3-8–“AT OIL TEMP warning light”F3-13
NOTE
The temperature of engine coolant isless likely to rise to the OVERHEAT
Driving tips8-27
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9-14In case of emergency
Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-tor cap until the engine has beenshut off and has fully cooled down.When theengine is hot, the coolantis under pressure. Removing thecap while the engine is still hotcould release a spray of boiling hotcoolant, which could burn you veryseriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off theroad and stop the vehicle in a safe place.
&If steam is coming from the
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyoneaway from the vehicle until it cools down.
&If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment
NOTE
For details about how to check thecoolant level or how to add coolant,refer to“Engine coolant”F11-11.
1. Keep the engine running at idlingspeed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the enginecompartment. Refer to“Engine hood”F11-4.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. Ifthe fan is not turning, immediately turn offthe engine and contact your authorizeddealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperaturehas dropped, turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at theoverheated zone, turn off the engine.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,check the coolant level in the reservetank.
If the coolant level is below the“LOW”mark, add coolant up to the“FULL”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reservetank, add coolant to the reserve tank.Then remove the radiator cap and fill theradiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hotradiator, first wrap a thick cloth around theradiator cap, then turn the cap counter-clockwise slowly without pressing downuntil it stops. Release the pressure fromthe radiator. After the pressure has beenfully released, remove the cap by pressingdown and turning it.
Towing
WARNING
Never tow AWD models with thefront wheels raised off the groundwhile the rear wheels are on theground, or with the rear wheelsraised off the ground while the frontwheels are on the ground. This willcause the vehicle to spin away dueto the operation or deterioration ofthe centerdifferential.
If towing is necessary, it is best done byyour SUBARU dealer or a commercialtowing service. Observe the followingprocedures for safety.
11-10Maintenance and service
mended engine oil for optimum engineperformance. Conventional oil may beused if synthetic oil is unavailable.
Cooling system
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-tor cap until the engine has beenshut off and has cooled downcompletely. Since the coolant isunder pressure, you may sufferserious burns from a spray of boil-ing hot coolant when the cap isremoved.
CAUTION
.Vehicles are filled at the factorywith SUBARU Super Coolant thatdoes not require the first changefor 11 years/137,500 miles (11years/220,000 km). This coolantshould not be mixed with anyother brand or type of coolantduring this period. Mixing with adifferent coolant will reduce thelife of the coolant. Should it benecessary to top off the coolantfor any reason, use onlySUBARU Super Coolant.
If the SUBARU Super Coolant isdiluted with another brand ortype, the maintenance interval is
shortened to that of the mixingcoolant.
.Do not splash the engine coolantover painted parts. The alcoholcontained in the engine coolantmay damage the paint surface.
&Hose and connections
Your vehicle employs an electric coolingfan which is thermostatically controlled tooperate when the engine coolant reachesa specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operateeven when the engine coolant tempera-ture gauge exceeds the normal operatingrange, the cooling fan circuit may bedefective.Check the fuse and replace itif necessary. If the fuse is not blown, havethe cooling system checked by yourSUBARU dealer.
If frequent addition of coolant is neces-sary, there may be a leak in the enginecooling system. It is recommended thatthe cooling system and connections bechecked for leaks, damage, or looseness.
11-28Maintenance and service
Windshield washer fluid
CAUTION
Never use engine coolant as washerfluid because it could cause paintdamage.
If you spray washer fluid on the windshieldbut thewindshield washer fluid warninglight illuminates or the supply of washerfluid appears to diminish, add washer fluidin the tank.
Remove the washer tank filler cap, thenadd washer fluid until it reaches the“FULL”mark on the tank.
After adding washer fluid, make sure thewindshieldwasher fluid warning light hasturned off.
Use windshield washer fluid. If windshieldwasher fluid is unavailable use cleanwater.
In areas where water freezes in winter,use an anti-freeze type windshield washerfluid. SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluidcontains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%surfactant, by volume. Its freezing tem-perature varies according to how much itis diluted, as indicated in the followingtable.
Washer FluidConcentrationFreezingTemperature
30%10.48F(!128C)
50%!48F(!208C)
100%!498F(!458C)
CAUTION
Never use engine coolant as washerfluid because it could cause paintdamage.
In order to prevent freezing of washerfluid, check the freezing temperatures inthe table above when adjusting the fluidconcentration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid witha different concentration from the oneused previously, purge the old fluid fromthe piping between the reservoir tank andwasher nozzles by operating the washerfor a certain period of time. Otherwise, ifthe concentration of the fluid remaining inthe piping is too low for the outsidetemperature, it may freeze and block thenozzles.
CAUTION
.Adjust the washer fluid concen-tration appropriately for the out-
&Fluids
FluidFluid type*1Fluid capacity*2Remarks*3
Automatic transmission fluid· SUBARU ATF· IDEMITSU ATF HP10.4 US qt (9.8 liters, 8.6 Imp qt)“Automatic transmission fluid”F11 -14
Power steering fluid
· SUBARU ATF· IDEMITSU ATF HP·“Dexron III”Type AutomaticTransmission Fluid
0.95 US qt (0.9 liters, 0.79 Imp qt)·“Power steering”F7-18·“Power steering fluid”F11-16
Brake fluidFMVSSNo. 116, fresh DOT 3 or DOT 4brake fluid–“Brake fluid”F11-17
*1: Use one of the indicated types of fluid.*2: The indicated fluid quantity is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on the temperature and otherfactors.*3: For moredetails about maintenance and service,referto the indicated section.
&Engine coolant
Coolant type Coolant capacity
SUBARU Super Coolant8.0 US qt (7.6 liters, 6.7 Imp qt)
The indicated coolant quantity is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on the temperature and otherfactors. For more details about maintenance and service, refer to“Cooling system”F11-10.
&Electrical system
Battery type and capacity (5HR) 75D23L (12V-52AH)
Alternator12V-130A
Spark plugsSILFR6C11 (NGK)
Specifications12-7
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