Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
!Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
1) Operating range
The system notifies the driver of vehicles
existing in the blind area. If the system
detects a vehicle existing in the blind area,
it warns the driver of dangers by illuminat-
ing the BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light(s) on the outside mirror(s). If the
driver operates the turn signal lever in the
direction where the BSD/RCTA approach
indicator light is illuminating, the system
warns the driver of dangers by flashing the
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light.!Lane Change Assist (LCA)
1) Operating range
The system notifies the driver of vehicles
approaching at a high speed in the
neighboring lanes. If the system detects
a vehicle approaching at a high speed in
the neighboring lanes, it warns the driver
of dangers by illuminating the BSD/RCTA
approach indicator light(s) on the outside
mirror(s). If the driver operates the turn
signal lever in the direction where the
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light is
illuminating, the system warns the driver
of dangers by flashing the BSD/RCTA
approach indicator light.!Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
1) Operating range
The system notifies the driver of another
vehicle approaching from either side when
driving in reverse. This feature helps the
driver check the rear and side areas of the
vehicle when moving backward.
If the system detects a vehicle approach-
ing from either side while moving back-
ward, it warns the driver of dangers in the
following way.
.The BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light(s) on the outside mirror(s) flashes.
.A warning buzzer sounds.
.An icon appears on the rear view
camera screen (if equipped)
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1) The detection area of the radar sensors
A) Vehicle that may be detected
B) Vehicle that may not be detected
WARNING
In parking areas in which parking
lots are located diagonally to driving
lanes as indicated in the illustration
above, the system may detect a
vehicle (A) that is coming across
the front of your vehicle in some
cases. Also, the system may not
detect a vehicle (B) that is coming
across behind your vehicle. Always
be sure to check the surroundings
with your eyes when reversing the
vehicle, because the detectability of
RCTA is limited.
&System operation
!Operating conditions
The BSD/RCTA will operate when all of
the following conditions are met.
.Theignitionswitchisinthe“ON”
position.
.The BSD/RCTA warning indicator and
BSD/RCTA OFF indicator are turned off.
.The vehicle is driven at speeds above
6 mph (10 km/h) (except when reversing).
.The shift lever/select lever is in the“R”
position (when reversing).
The BSD/RCTA will not operate in the
following situations.
.The BSD/RCTA OFF indicator ap-
pears.
.The vehicle speed is below 6 mph (10
km/h) even when the BSD/RCTA OFF
indicator does not appear (except when
reversing).
NOTE
.In the following cases, the BSD/
RCTA will stop operating and the
BSD/RCTA warning indicator will ap-
pear. If the BSD/RCTA warning indica-
tor appears, have your vehicle in-
spected at a SUBARU dealer as soon
as possible.
–When a malfunction occurs in thesystem, including the BSD/RCTA
approach indicator light
.In the following cases, the BSD/
RCTA will temporarily stop operating
(or may stop operating) and the BSD/
RCTA warning indicator will appear.
The BSD/RCTA will resume operation
once these conditions are corrected,
and the BSD/RCTA warning indicator
will disappear. However, if the BSD/
RCTA warning indicator has appeared
for a prolonged time, have the system
inspected at a SUBARU dealer as soon
as possible.
–When the radar sensor becomes
significantly misaligned (If the or-
ientation of the radar sensor is
shifted for any reason, readjust-
ment is required. Have the sensor
adjusted at a SUBARU dealer.)
–When a large amount of snow or
ice sticks to the rear bumper sur-
face around the radar sensors
–When the vehicle is driven on a
snow-covered road or in an envir-
onment in which there are no
objects around (such as in a desert)
for a long time
–When the temperature around
the radar sensors increased exces-
sively due to long driving on uphill
grades in summer, etc.
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
–CONTINUED–7-55
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
–When the temperature around
the radar sensors becomes extre-
mely low
–When the vehicle battery voltage
lowers
–When the vehicle battery be-
comes overvoltage
.The detectability of the radar sen-
sors is restricted. The BSD/RCTA de-
tection may be impaired and the sys-
tem may not operate properly under the
following conditions.
–When the rear bumper around
the radar sensors is distorted
–When ice, snow or mud adheres
to the rear bumper surface around
the radar sensors
–When stickers, etc. are affixed on
the areas of the radar sensors on
the rear bumper
–During adverse weather condi-
tions such as rain, snow or fog
–When driving on wet roads such
as snow-covered roads and
through puddles
.The radar sensors may not detect or
may have difficulty detecting the fol-
lowing vehicles and objects.
–Small motorcycles, bicycles, pe-
destrians, stationary objects on the
road or road side, etc.
–Vehicles with body shapes thatthe radar may not reflect (vehicles
with lower body height such as a
trailer with no cargo and sports
cars)
–Vehicles that are not approach-
ing your vehicle even though they
are in the detection area (either on a
neighboring lane to the rear or
beside your vehicle when rever-
sing) (The system determines the
presence of approaching vehicles
based on data detected by the radar
sensors.)
–Vehicles traveling at significantly
different speeds
–Vehicles driving in parallel at
almost the same speed as your
vehicle for a prolonged time
–Oncoming vehicles
–Vehicles in a lane beyond the
neighboring lane
–Vehicles travelling at a signifi-
cantly lower speed that you are
trying to overtake
.On a road with extremely narrow
lanes, the system may detect vehicles
driving in a lane next to the neighbor-
ing lane.&BSD/RCTA approach indica-
tor light/warning buzzer
When the BSD/RCTA is active, the BSD/
RCTA approach indicator light and warn-
ing buzzer will operate to alert the driver to
the presence of the following vehicles.
.Vehicles in the neighboring lanes
.Vehicles approaching from the left or
right rear side when reversing
!BSD/RCTA approach indicator light
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light
It is mounted in each side of the outside
mirrors and will illuminate when a vehicle
approaching from behind is detected. If a
light illuminates and the turn signal lever is
operated toward the side in which this light
turned on, the indicator light flashes to
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warn the driver of dangers. When rever-
sing the vehicle, the indicator light flashes
when the system detects a vehicle ap-
proaching from either side.
!BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light dimming function
When the headlights are turned on, the
brightness of the BSD/RCTA approach
indicator light will be reduced.
NOTE
.When affected by direct sunlight,
you may have difficulty recognizing
the BSD/RCTA approach indicator light.
.When affected by the headlight
beams from the vehicles behind, you
may have difficulty recognizing the
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light.
.While the illumination brightness
control dial is in the fully upward
position, even if the headlights are
turned on, the brightness of the BSD/
RCTA approach indicator light will not
be reduced. For details about the
illumination brightness control dial,
refer to“Illumination brightness con-
trol”F3-48.!BSD/RCTA approach warning buz-
zer (only when reversing)
A warning buzzer sounds along with
flashing of the BSD/RCTA approach in-
dicator light to warn the driver of dangers.
The setting of the warning buzzer volume
can be changed by operating the multi
information display of the combination
meter. For details, refer to“BSD/RCTA”
F3-42.
!Safety tips regarding the BSD/RCTA
approach indicator light/warning
buzzer
.In the following cases, operation of the
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light and
the warning buzzer may be delayed or the
system may fail to issue these warnings.
–Whenavehiclemovestothe
neighboring lane from a lane next to
the neighboring lane
–When driving on a steep incline or
on repeated sharp uphill and downhill
grades
–When going beyond a pass
–When both your vehicle and a
vehicle driving on a neighboring lane
are driving on the far side of each lane.
–When several narrowly-spaced ve-
hicles are approaching in a row
–In low radius bends (tight bends orwhen making turns at an intersection)
–When there is a difference in height
between your lane and the neighbor-
ing lane
–Immediately after the BSD/RCTA is
activated by pressing the BSD/RCTA
OFF switch
–Immediately after the shift lever/
select lever is shifted to the“R”
position
–When extremely heavy cargo is
loaded in the trunk or cargo area
.During reversing, operation of the BSD/
RCTA approach indicator light and the
warning buzzer may be delayed or the
system may fail to issue these warnings
under the following conditions.
–When backing out of an angled
parking space
–When a large-sized vehicle is
parked next to your vehicle (That
vehicle prevents the propagation of
radar waves.)
–When reversing on sloped roads
–When reversing at a high speed
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
–CONTINUED–7-57
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
.The BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light may illuminate when driving close to
solid objects on the road or road side
(such as guardrails, tunnels and side-
walls).
.When turning at an intersection in
urban areas, or a multilane intersection,
the BSD/RCTA approach indicator light
may flash.
.If a building or a wall exists in the
reversing direction, the BSD/RCTA ap-
proach indicator light may flash and the
warning buzzer may sound.
.In the following cases, the system may
detect a vehicle driving two lanes away
from your vehicle.
–When your vehicle drives on the
near side of its lane from the corre-
sponding vehicle–When the vehicle driving two lanes
away drives on the near side of its lane
from your vehicle
&BSD/RCTA warning indicator
!System temporary stop indicator
System temporary stop indicator
This indicator appears when the system is
used at extremely high or low tempera-
tures or when abnormal voltage exists.
Once these conditions are corrected, the
system will recover from the temporary
stop condition and the indicator will
disappear. If the indicator remains dis-
played for a prolonged time, have the
system inspected at a SUBARU dealer.!System temporary stop indicator
due to reduced radar sensitivity
System temporary stop indicator due to
reduced radar sensitivity
This indicator appears when the detect-
ability of the radar sensors is reduced.
Once the condition is corrected, the
system will recover from the temporary
stop condition and the indicator will
disappear. If the indicator remains dis-
played for a prolonged time, have the
system inspected at a SUBARU dealer.
7-58
Driving tips/Loading your vehicle
&Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on your
vehicle because of the lack of
clearance between the tires and
vehicle body.
NOTE
When tire chains cannot be used, use
of another type of traction device (such
as spring chains) may be acceptable if
use on your vehicle is recommended
by the device manufacturer, taking into
account tire size and road conditions.
Follow the device manufacturer’s in-
structions, especially regarding max-
imum vehicle speed.
To help avoid damage to your vehicle,
drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle,
and do not spin your wheels. Damage
caused to your vehicle by use of a
traction device is not covered under
warranty.
Make certain that any traction device
you use is an SAE class S device, and
use it on the front wheels only. Always
use the utmost care when driving with
a traction device. Overconfidence be-cause you are using a traction device
could easily lead to a serious accident.
&Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the shift
lever/select lever back and forth between
“1”/“D”and“R”repeatedly. Do not race the
engine. For the best possible traction,
avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (for MT and CVT).
For information on holding the transmis-
sion in 2nd position, refer to“Selection of
manual mode”F7-29.
Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on a
folded rear seatback, in the trunk or
in the cargo area. Doing so may
result in serious injury.
WARNING
.Never stack luggage or other
cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or
accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as
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Driving tips/Trailer hitch (Outback—if equipped)
1) Hitch ball installation point
2) Hooks for safety chains
5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate
for the ball mount and your trailer. The
hitch ball must be securely installed on the
ball mount.
6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with
safety chains that will hold the trailer’s
maximum gross weight. The chains
should cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping onto the
ground in case it should disconnect from
the hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the
chains taking tight turn situations into
account; however, be careful not to let
them drag on the ground.
WARNING
Do not connect safety chains to any
part of the vehicle other than the
safety chain hooks.
Hitch harness connector
8. Connect the hitch wire harness’s black
four-pin wire connector to the towing
trailer’s wire harness.
9. Confirm proper function of the hitch
wire harness by individually activating the
brake, stop and turn signal lights on the
trailer.
NOTE
Always disconnect the trailer wire har-
ness before launching or retrieving awatercraft.
&If not towing a trailer
.Remove the ball mount from the hitch
receiver tube and insert the receiver cover
onto the hitch receiver tube.
.Place the dust cap over the four-pin
connector of the hitch wire harness to
protect against possible damage.
.Occasionally lubricate terminals of the
four-pin connector using terminal grease.
8-20
Driving tips/Trailer towing (Outback)
ground.
!Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view
without significant blind spots. If significant
blind spots occur with the vehicle’s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations.
!Trailer lights
CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle’s lighting system.Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-
cle’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle’s lighting circuit to
increase its capacity and accommodate
wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper
operation of the turn signals and the stop
lights each time you connect a trailer to
your vehicle.
!Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the tem-
porary spare tire is used. The tem-
porary spare tire is not designed to
sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated. Refer to“Tires”F12-
9 and in“GAS STATION REFERENCE”at
the end of this manual.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tirewhen towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service representive or professional
to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured.
&Trailer towing tips
CAUTION
.For models equipped with the
BSD (Blind Spot Detection) and
RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)
driving support systems, when
towing a trailer, press the BSD/
RCTA OFF switch to deactivate
the system. The system may not
operate properly due to the
blocked radar waves. For details
about the BSD/RCTA OFF switch,
refer to“BSD/RCTA OFF switch”
F7-59.
.Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days.
.When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent when compared to normal
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