2016 SUBARU LEGACY spare tire

driving with others.
&Car phone/cell phone and
driving
CAUTION
Do not use a car phone/cell phone
while driving; it may distract your
attention from driving and can lead
to an accident. If you use a car
phone/cell phone, pull off the road
and park in a safe place before
using your phone. In some States/
Provinces, only hands-free phones
may legally be used while driving.
&Modification of your vehicle
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified
other than with genuine SUBARU
parts and accessories. Other types
of modifications could affect its
performance, safety or durability,
and may even violate governmental
regulations. In addition, damage or
performance problems resulting
from modification may not be cov-
ered under warranties.
&Driving with pets
Unrestrained pets can interfere with your
driving and distract your attention from
driving. In a collision or sudden stop,
unrestrained pets or cages can be thrown
around inside the vehicle and hurt you or
your passengers. Besides, the pets can
be hurt under these situations. It is also for
their own safety that pets should be
properly restrained in your vehicle. Re-
strain a pet with a special traveling
harness which can be secured to the rear
seat with a seatbelt or use a pet carrier
which can be secured to the rear seat by
routing a seatbelt through the carrier’s
handle. Never restrain pets or pet carriersin the front passenger’s seat. For further
information, consultyour veterinarian,
local animal protection society or pet
shop.
&Tire pressures
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the spare)
at least once a month and before any long
journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are
cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust the
tire pressures to the values shown on the
tire placard. For detailed information, refer
to“Tires and wheels”F11-24.
7

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
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.
&Engine low oil level
warning indicator
This indicator appears when the engine oil
level decreases to the lower limit.
If the engine low oil level warning indicator
appears while driving, park the vehicle at a
safe and level location, and then check
the engine oil level. When the engine oil
level is not within the normal range, refill
with engine oil. Refer to“Engine oil”F11 -
11 .
If the warning indicator does not disappear
after refilling with engine oil or the warning
indicator appears even though the engine
oil level is within the normal range, have
the system checked by a SUBARU dealer.
NOTE
.After replacing or adding the engine
oil, if the engine oil level is within the
normal range when restarting the en-gine on a level surface, the warning
indicator will be off.
.The warning indicator may appear
temporarily in the following conditions
because a low oil level may be detected
as a result of significant oil movement
in the engine.
–when the vehicle is considerably
inclined on an uphill or steep slope
–when the vehicle has continu-
ously accelerated and decelerated
–when the vehicle is continuously
turned
–when the vehicle is driven on a
road that alternates continuously
between uphill and downhill
&AT OIL TEMP warning
light (CVT models)
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the transmis-
sion 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.
!Transmission control system warn-
ing
If the“AT OIL TEMP”warning light flashes
after the engine has started, it mayindicate that the transmission control
system is not working properly. Contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer for service
immediately.
&Low tire pressure
warning light (U.S. spec.
models)
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 go out.
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 those
tires.)
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-
3-16

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 ofreasons, 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 as
possible.
WARNING
If this light does not illuminate
briefly after the ignition switch is
turned ON or the light illuminates
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute, you should have
your Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
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 seriouspersonal 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.
CAUTION
The tire pressure monitoring system
is NOT a substitute for manually
checking tire pressure. The tire
pressure should be checked peri-
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED–3-17

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
&Door open indicator
When any of the doors, the rear gate
(Outback) or the trunk lid (Legacy) is not
fully closed, the door open indicator
appears. This function is effective even if
the ignition switch is in the“LOCK”/“OFF”
or“ACC”position (all models) or the key is
removed from the ignition switch (models
without“keyless access with push-button
start system”).
The open door is indicated by the corre-
sponding part of the door open indicator.
Always make sure this indicator does not
appear before you start to drive.
&Windshield washer
fluid warning indicator
This indicator appears when the fluid level
in the windshield washer fluid tank de-
creases to the lower limit (approximately
0.6 US qt, 0.6 liter, 0.5 Imp qt).
&All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (CVT models)
WARNING
Continued driving with the AWD
warning light flashing can lead to
powertrain damage. If the AWD
warning light flashes, promptly parkin a safe place then check whether
all four tires are the same diameter
and whether any of the tires has a
puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason.
NOTE
If the temporary spare tire is used, the
AWD warning light may flash. Use of
the temporary spare tire should there-
fore be restricted to the minimum time
necessary. Replace the temporary
spare tire with a conventional tire as
soon as possible.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters fitted on its
wheels or with the air pressure exces-
sively low in any of its tires.
&Power steering warn-
ing light
While the engine is running, this warning
light illuminates when a malfunction has
been detected in the electric power steer-
ing system.
CAUTION
When the power steering warning
light is illuminated, there may be
more resistance when the steeringwheel is operated. Drive carefully to
the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the vehicle inspected immedi-
ately.
NOTE
If the steering wheel is operated in the
following ways, the power steering
control system may temporarily limit
the power assist in order to prevent the
system components, such as the con-
trol computer and drive motor, from
overheating.
.The steering wheel is operated fre-
quently and turned sharply while the
vehicle is maneuvered at extremely low
speeds, such as while frequently turn-
ing the steering wheel during parallel
parking.
.The steering wheel remains in the
fully turned position for a long period
of time.
At this time, there will be more resis-
tance when steering. However this is
not a malfunction. Normal steering
force will be restored after the steering
wheel is not operated for a while and
the power steering control system has
an opportunity to cool down. However,
if the power steering is operated in a
non-standard way which causes power
3-22

nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING
.Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
.If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair.
Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in
driving–overconfidence because
you are driving with a Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a ser-
ious accident.
CAUTION
.Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, winter tires should be
used when driving on snow-cov-
ered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reduced
considerably. Simply having a
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem does not guarantee that the
vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
.Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-namics Control is no guarantee
that full vehicle control will be
maintained at all times and under
all conditions, its activation
should be seen as a sign that
the speed of the vehicle should
be reduced considerably.
.Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle equipped with the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system, have
an inspection of that system
performed by an authorized
SUBARU dealer.
.The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is operating properly.
–All four wheels should be
fitted with tires of the same
size, type, and brand. Further-
more, the amount of wear
should be the same for all
four tires.
–Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
vehicle placard attached to
the driver’s side door pillar.
–Use only the specified tem-
porary spare tire to replace a
Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
–CONTINUED–7-35

Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
flat tire. With a temporary
spare tire, the effectiveness
of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is reduced and
this should be taken into ac-
count when driving the vehi-
cle in such a condition.
.If non-matching tires are used,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system may not operate cor-
rectly.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
adjusts the engine’s output and the
wheels’respective braking forces to help
maintain traction and directional control.
.Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on
slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is indicated by
flashing of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light.
.Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels’tendency to slidesideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is indicated by
flashing of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light.
NOTE
.The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem may be considered normal when
the following conditions occur.
–Slight twitching of the brake
pedal is felt.
–The vehicle or steering wheel
shakes to a small degree.
–An operating noise from the en-
gine compartment is heard briefly
when starting the engine and when
driving off after starting the engine.
–The brake pedal seems to jolt
when driving off after starting the
engine.
.In the following circumstances, the
vehicle may be less stable than it feels
to the driver. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control System may therefore operate.
Such operation does not indicate a
system malfunction.
–on gravel-covered or rutted
roads
–on unfinished roads
–when the vehicle is towing a
trailer
–when the vehicle is fitted withsnow tires or winter tires
.Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly
different compared to that for normal
conditions.
.It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with
Vehicle Dynamics Control.
.Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire as failure to do so may
render the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system unable to operate correctly.
&Vehicle Dynamics Control
system monitor
Refer to“Vehicle Dynamics Control warn-
ing light/Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light”F3-23 and“Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light”F3-
24.
7-36

Starting and operating/X–mode (Outback CVT models)
X-mode (Outback CVT mod-
els)
WARNING
.Always use the utmost care in
driving–overconfidence be-
cause you are driving a vehicle
with X-mode could easily lead to
a serious accident.
.Always use the utmost care in
driving–overconfidence be-
cause you are driving a vehicle
with hill descent control function
could easily lead to a serious
accident. Be especially careful,
and depress the brake pedal if
necessary when driving on ex-
tremely steep downhill, frozen,
muddy or sandy roads. Failure
to control the vehicle’s speed
may cause a loss of control and
result in a serious accident.
CAUTION
.Even if your vehicle is equipped
with X-mode, winter tires should
be used when driving on snow-
covered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reducedconsiderably. Simply having X-
mode does not guarantee that
the vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
.Activating the X-mode should be
done when you encounter a very
slippery surface at low speed.
However, having X-mode is no
guarantee that full vehicle con-
trol will be maintained at all times
and under all conditions. When
activating X-mode, the speed of
the vehicle should be reduced
considerably.
.Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle, have the system in-
spected by an authorized
SUBARU dealer.
.The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the X-mode is operating
properly:
–All four wheels should be
fitted with tires of the same
size, type, and brand. Further-
more, the amount of wear
should be the same for all
four tires.
–Keep the tire pressure at theproper level as shown on the
label attached to the vehicle’s
door pillar.
–Use only the special tempor-
ary spare tire to replace a flat
tire. With a normal temporary
spare tire, the effectiveness of
the X-mode is reduced and
this should be taken into ac-
count when driving the vehi-
cle in such a condition.
.If the hill descent control function
has operated continuously for a
long time, the temperature of the
brake disc may increase and the
hill descent control function may
be temporarily disabled. In this
case, the hill descent control
indicator will disappear. When
the hill descent control indicator
disappears, the hill descent con-
trol function is disabled.
X-mode is the integrated control system of
the engine, AWD and Vehicle Dynamics
Control system, etc. for driving with bad
road conditions. Using X-mode, you can
drive more comfortably even in slippery
road conditions including uphill and down-
hill.
X-mode has the following functions.
7-38

WARNING
.If the low tire pressure warning
light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly. Instead,
perform the following procedure.
(1) Keep driving straight ahead
while gradually reducing
speed.
(2) Slowly pull off the road to a
safe place. Otherwise an acci-
dent involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal
injury could occur.
(3) Check the pressure for all four
tires and adjust the pressure
to the COLD tire pressure
shown on the vehicle placard
on the door pillar on the
driver’s side.
Even when the vehicle is driven a
very short distance, the tires get
warm and their pressures in-
crease accordingly. Be sure to
let the tires cool thoroughly be-
fore adjusting their pressures to
the standard values shown on
the tire placard. Refer to“Tires
and wheels”F11-24. The tire
pressure monitoring system
does not function when the ve-hicle is stationary. After adjusting
the tire pressures, increase the
vehicle speed to at least 20 mph
(32 km/h) to start the TPMS
rechecking of the tire inflation
pressures. If the tire pressures
are now above the severe low
pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should
turn off a few minutes later.
If this light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire
pressure, a tire may have signifi-
cant 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/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
illuminate steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute.
This indicates the TPMS is un-
able to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
.When a tire is repaired with liquidsealant, the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter may not
operate properly. If a liquid sea-
lant is used, contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer or other qualified
service shop as soon as possi-
ble. Make sure to replace the tire
pressure warning valve and
transmitter when replacing the
tire. You may reuse the wheel if
there is no damage to it and if the
sealant residue is properly
cleaned off. Do not inject any tire
liquid or aerosol tire sealant into
the tires, as this may cause a
malfunction of the tire pressure
sensors. If the light illuminates
steadily after blinking for ap-
proximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU
dealer to have the system in-
spected.
Starting and operating/Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
–CONTINUED–7-41