2016 SUBARU LEGACY towing

Illustrated index
&Exterior
1) Engine hood (page 11-7)
2) Headlight (page 3-44)
3) Bulb replacement (page 11-40)
4) Front wiper (page 3-52)
5) Moonroof (page 2-48)
6) Roof rail with integrated crossbars and
rope hook (page 8-14)
7) Door locks (page 2-6)
8) Outside mirrors (page 3-62)
9) Tire pressure (page 11-27)
10) Flat tires (page 9-5)
11) Fog light (page 3-49)
12) Tie-down hooks (page 9-14)
13) Towing hook (Outback) (page 9-14)
10

1) Rear window defogger (page 3-54)
2) Fuel filler lid and cap (page 7-4)
3) Child safety locks (page 2-33)
4) Towing hook (page 9-14)
5) Trunk lid (page 2-38)
6) Rear wiper (page 3-53)
7) Rear gate (page 2-40)
8) Bulb replacement (page 11-43)
9) Tie-down holes (page 9-14)
–CONTINUED–
11

&CHECK ENGINE
warning light/Malfunc-
tion indicator light
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
malfunction indicator 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 constantly
If the light illuminates constantly while
driving or does not turn off after the engine
starts, an emission control system mal-
function 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 coming on
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/malfunction indicator 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 conform
to the following instructions.
.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/mal-
function indicator light may stop blinking
and illuminate steadily after several driv-
ing trips. You should have your vehicle
checked by an authorized SUBARU deal-
er 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 on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED–3-15

Continuously variable trans-
mission
The continuously variable transmission is
electronically controlled and provides an
infinite number of forward speeds and 1
reverse speed. It also has a manual mode.
WARNING
Do not shift from the“P”or“N”
position into the“D”or“R”position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle
to lurch forward or backward.
CAUTION
.Shift into the“P”or“R”position
only after the vehicle is comple-
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
.Do not race the engine for more
than 5 seconds in any position
except the“N”or“P”position
when the brake is applied or
when chocks are used in the
wheels. This may cause the
transmission fluid to overheat.
.Do not shift from the“D”positioninto the“R”position or vice
versa until the vehicle has com-
pletely stopped. Such shifting
may cause damage to the trans-
mission.
.When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever in
the“P”position. Do not park for
a long time with the select lever
in any other position as doing so
could result in a dead battery.
NOTE
.When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, the transmission will
upshift to higher engine speeds than
when the coolant temperature is suffi-
ciently high in order to shorten the
warm-up time and improve driveability.
The gearshift timing will automatically
shift to the normal timing after the
engine has warmed up.
.Immediately after transmission fluid
is replaced, you may feel that the
transmission operation is somewhat
unusual. This results from invalidation
of data which the on-board computer
has collected and stored in memory to
allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the currentcondition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.
.When driving under continuous hea-
vy load conditions such as towing a
camper or climbing a long, steep hill,
the engine speed or the vehicle speed
may automatically be reduced. This is
not a malfunction. This phenomenon
results from the engine control func-
tion maintaining the cooling perfor-
mance of the vehicle. The engine and
vehicle speed will return to a normal
speed when the engine is able to
maintain the optimum cooling perfor-
mance after the heavy load decreases.
Driving under a heavy load must be
performed with extreme care. Do not
try to pass a vehicle in front when
driving on an uphill slope while towing.
.The continuously variable transmis-
sion is a chain type system that
provides superior transmission effi-
ciency for maximum fuel economy. At
times, depending on varying driving
conditions, a chain operating noise
may be heard that is characteristic of
this type of system.
Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
–CONTINUED–7-25

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/Parking your vehicle
To deactivate:Press the Hill Holder
switch again.
Deactivate the Hill Holder function under
the following conditions.
.When towing a trailer
.When carrying a heavy load
.When you do not frequently use the
parking brake when stopping on an uphill
slope
NOTE
.If the Hill Holder switch is pressed
for more than 30 seconds, the Hill
Holder indicator light turns off and the
system ignores any further pressing of
the switch. To activate the switch again,
turn the ignition switch to the“LOCK”/
“OFF”position and restart the engine.
.When the Hill Holder function is
deactivated while the Hill Holder func-
tion has a malfunction, if you press the
Hill Holder switch, a chirp sounds.!Hill Holder indicator light
When the Hill Holder function is activated,
the Hill Holder indicator light illuminates.
Refer to“Hill Holder indicator light”F3-21.!Emergency brake
CAUTION
Use the emergency brake only in
case of an emergency. If the emer-
gency brake is excessively used,
the brake parts will wear down
faster or the brake may not work
sufficiently due to brake overheat-
ing.
NOTE
.While using the emergency brake,
the electronic parking brake indicator
light and the indicator light on the
parking brake switch illuminate and a
chirp sounds.
.While using the emergency brake, a
sound may be heard from the engine
compartment. This is the operating
sound of the brake that is activated by
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system,
and does not indicate a malfunction.
If the foot brake has a malfunction, you
can stop the vehicle by pulling the parking
brake switch continuously.
While applying the emergency brake, the
electronic parking brake indicator light and
the indicator light on the parking brake
switch illuminate and a chirp sounds.
7-46

.when starting backward facing uphill
.when starting forward facing downhill
.while the parking brake is applied
.while the ignition switch is in the“ACC”
or“LOCK”/“OFF”position
.while the Hill Holder indicator light isOFF
When using the Hill start assist system, a
braking effect may be felt even after the
brake pedal has been released. However,
this braking effect should disappear once
the clutch pedal is released.
NOTE
A slight jolt may be felt when the
vehicle begins to move forward after
being reversed.
&To activate/deactivate the Hill
start assist system
When activating/deactivation the Hill
Holder function, the Hill start assist system
will also be activated/deactivated. For
details about activating/deactivating the
Hill Holder function, refer to“Hill Holder
switch”F7-45.
Cruise control
NOTE
For models with EyeSight system:
Refer to the Owner’s Manual supple-
ment for the EyeSight system.
Cruise control enables you to maintain a
constant vehicle speed without holding
your foot on the accelerator pedal and it is
operative when the vehicle speed is 25
mph (40 km/h) or more.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control under
any of the following conditions.
These may cause loss of vehicle
control.
.driving up or down a steep grade
.driving on slippery or winding
roads
.driving in heavy traffic
.towing a trailer
NOTE
Make sure the cruise control system is
turned off when the cruise control is
not in use to avoid unintentionally
setting of the cruise control.
Starting and operating/Cruise control
–CONTINUED–7-49

!System malfunction indicator
System malfunction indicator
1) At first, this message will appear
2) Then this message will appear
This indicator appears when a malfunction
occurs in the system. Contact a SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
&BSD/RCTA OFF switch
BSD/RCTA OFF switch
BSD/RCTA OFF indicator
If the BSD/RCTA OFF switch is pressed,
the BSD/RCTA OFF indicator appears on
the multi information display of the combi-nation meter, and the BSD/RCTA is
deactivated.
Press the switch again to activate the
BSD/RCTA. The BSD/RCTA OFF indica-
tor disappears.
NOTE
.In the following cases, press the
BSD/RCTA OFF switch to deactivate
the system. The system may not oper-
ate properly due to blocked radar
waves.
–When towing a trailer
–When a bicycle carrier or other
item is fitted to the rear of the
vehicle
–When using a chassis dynam-
ometer or free roller device, etc.
–When running the engine and
making the wheels rotate while
lifting up the vehicle
.If the ignition switch is turned to the
“LOCK”/“OFF”position, the last known
status of the system is maintained. For
example, if the ignition switch is turned
to the“LOCK”/“OFF”position with the
BSD/RCTA deactivated, the BSD/RCTA
remains deactivated the next time the
ignition switch is turned to the“ON”
position.
.If the vehicle battery is disconnected
due to situations such as battery
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
–CONTINUED–7-59