!Automatic engine shutdown
The remote engine start system will
automatically shut down or will not start
the engine under the following conditions.
.The total run-time has exceeded 20
minutes.
.Any door or the rear gate is opened.
.The select lever is moved to any
position other than“P”.
.The engine hood is opened.
.Thepush-buttonignitionswitchis
pressed.
.The brake pedal is depressed.
.The engine speed is 3,000 rpm or
more.
The time until the engine automatically
stops differs according to the setting.
To change the time until the engine
automatically stops, contact your
SUBARU dealer. However, local laws
and regulations may prohibit changing
this time.&Models without“keyless ac-
cess with push-button start
system”
Remote engine starter transceiver (fob)
1) Fob button
!Starting the engine
NOTE
All vehicle doors (including rear gate/
trunk lid) and the engine hood must be
closed prior to activating the remote
engine start system. Any open entry
point will prevent starting or cause the
engine to stop.
The remote engine start system is acti-
vated by pressing the fob button on your
remote engine starter transceiver (fob)
twice within 3 seconds. If the fob is withinoperating range of the system and the
start request is received, the following will
occur.
.The fob flashes and beeps once.
.The horn sounds once.
.The side marker lights, tail lights, and
parking lights flash once.
If the fob is not within range (the user is
too far away from the vehicle), the fob will
indicate two long flashes without beeping.
The system will check certain safety
preconditions before starting, and if all
conditions are met, the engine will start
within 5 seconds. After the engine starts,
the following will occur.
.The fob flashes and beeps twice.
.The horn sounds once.
.The side marker lights, tail lights, and
parking lights flash once.
While the engine is idling via the remote
engine start system, the following will
occur.
.The side marker lights, tail lights, and
parking lights remain illuminated.
.The fob button flashes once every 3
seconds.
.The power windows are disabled.
If the engine turns over but does not start
(or starts and stalls) the remote engine
Starting and operating/Remote engine start system (dealer option)
–CONTINUED–7-17
exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
.Keep the trunk lid (Legacy) or
rear gate (Outback) closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
NOTE
Due to the expansion and contraction
of the metals used in the manufacture
of the exhaust system, you may hear a
crackling sound coming from the ex-
haust system for a short time after the
engine has been shut off. This sound is
normal.
Catalytic converter
WARNING
.Avoid fire hazards. Do not drive
or park the vehicle anywhere
near flammable materials (e.g.
grass, paper, rags or leaves),
because the catalytic converter
operates at very high tempera-
tures.
.Keep everyone and flammable
materials away from the exhaust
pipe while the engine is running.
The exhaust gas is very hot.
2.5 L models
3.6 L models
The catalytic converter is installed in the
exhaust system. It serves as catalyst to
reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust
gases, thus providing cleaner exhaust.
To avoid damage to the catalytic conver-
ter:
.Use only unleaded gasoline. Even a
small amount of leaded gasoline will
damage the catalytic converter.
.Never start the engine by pushing or
pulling the vehicle.
.Avoid racing the engine.
.Never turn off the ignition switch while
the vehicle is moving.
.Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel
the engine running rough (misfiring, back-
firing or incomplete combustion), have
Driving tips/Catalytic converter
–CONTINUED–8-3
Driving tips/Winter driving
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 (both for MT and CVT). For
CVT models, refer to“Selection of manual
mode”F7-29.
!After driving
.Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads.
.After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur.
.Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly.Winter driving
&Operation during cold
weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as a window scraper, a bag of sand,
flares, a small shovel and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winter
starts.
It normally takes longer to start the engine
in very cold weather conditions. Use an
engine oil of a proper grade and viscosity
for cold weather. Using heavy summer oil
will make it harder to start the engine.
Keep the door locks from freezing by
squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage
or separate the rubber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen,
use hot water to melt the ice, and after-
wards thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes
because they may damage the paint of
the vehicle.SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid con-
tains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%
surfactant, by volume. Its freezing tem-
perature varies according to how much it
is diluted, as indicated in the following
table.
Washer Fluid Con-
centrationFreezing Temperature
30% 10.48F(−128C)
50%−48F(−208C)
100%−498F(−458C)
In order to prevent freezing of washer
fluid, check the freezing temperatures in
the table above when adjusting the fluid
concentration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with
a different concentration from the one
used previously, purge the old fluid from
the piping between the reservoir tank and
washer nozzles by operating the washer
for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if
the concentration of the fluid remaining in
the piping is too low for the outside
temperature, it may freeze and block the
nozzles.
CAUTION
.Adjust the washer fluid concen-
tration appropriately for the out-
8-8
Driving tips/Winter driving
&Driving on snowy and icy
roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine’s intake system and may
hinder the airflow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle’s braking perfor-
mance on snowy and icy roads. For
information about braking on slippery
surfaces, refer to“ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System)”F7-33 and“Vehicle Dynamics
Control system”F7-35.
!Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the
windshield or rear window, perform the
following procedure.
.To thaw the windshield wiper blades,
use the defroster with the airflow selection
in“
”and the temperature set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely thawed. Refer to“Climate
control”F4-1.
.If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper
deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. Refer to“Defog-
ger and deicer”F3-54.
.To thaw the rear wiper blade, use the
rear window defogger. Refer to“Defogger
and deicer”F3-54.When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow selection in“
”and the
temperature set for maximum warmth.
After the windshield gets warmed enough
to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away
using the windshield washer. Refer to
“Windshield washer”F3-52.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
Refer to“Hazard warning flasher”F3-7.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and freez-
ing temperatures. Blades of this type give
superior wiping performance in snowy
conditions. Be sure to use blades that
are suitable for your vehicle.
8-10
Appearance care/Exterior care
Exterior care
&Washing
CAUTION
.When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
.Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or a mal-
function of the power steering.
.Do not use any organic solvents
when washing the surface of the
bulb assembly cover. However, if
a detergent with organic solvents
is used to wash the cover sur-
face, completely rinse off the
detergent with water. Otherwise,
the cover surface may be da-
maged.
.Outback: Since your vehicle is
equipped with a rear wiper, auto-
matic car-wash brushes couldbecome tangled around it, dama-
ging the wiper arm and other
components. Ask the automatic
car-wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in direct
sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowedto dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or soft
cloth.
!Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-
pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-
sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.
CAUTION
.Be careful not to damage brake
hoses, sensor harnesses, and
10-2
Cleaning the interior
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the climate
control panel, audio equipment, instru-
ment panel, center console, combination
meter panel, and switches. (Do not use
organic solvents.)
&Seat fabric
Remove loose dirt, dust or debris with a
vacuum cleaner. If the dirt is caked on the
fabric or hard to remove with a vacuum
cleaner, use a soft brush then vacuum it.
Wipe the fabric surface with a tightly
wrung cloth and dry the seat fabric
thoroughly. If the fabric is still dirty, wipe
using a solution of mild soap and luke-
warm water then dry thoroughly.
If the stain does not come out, try a
commercially available fabric cleaner. Use
the cleaner on a hidden place and make
sure it does not affect the fabric adversely.
Use the cleaner according to its instruc-
tions.
CAUTION
When cleaning the seat, do not use
benzine, paint thinner, or any similar
materials. Doing so could damage
the surface and cause the color to
deteriorate.
&Leather seat materials
The leather used by SUBARU is a high
quality natural product which will retain its
distinctive appearance and feel for many
years with proper care.
Allowing dust or road dirt to build up on the
surface can cause the material to become
brittle and to wear prematurely. Regular
cleaning with a soft, moist, natural fiber
cloth should be performed monthly, taking
care not to soak the leather or allow water
to penetrate the stitched seams.
A mild detergent suitable for cleaning
woolen fabrics may be used to remove
difficult dirt spots, rubbing with a soft, dry
cloth afterwards to restore the luster. If
your SUBARU is to be parked for a long
time in bright sunlight, it is recommended
that the seats and headrests be covered,
or the windows shaded, to prevent fading
or shrinkage.
Minor surface blemishes or bald patches
may be treated with a commercial leatherspray lacquer. You will discover that each
leather seat section will develop soft folds
or wrinkles, which is characteristic of
genuine leather.
&Synthetic leather upholstery
The synthetic leather material used on the
SUBARU may be cleaned using mild soap
or detergent and water, after first vacuum-
ing or brushing away loose dirt. Allow the
soap to soak in for a few minutes and wipe
off with a clean, damp cloth. Commercial
foam-type cleaners suitable for synthetic
leather materials may be used when
necessary.
CAUTION
Strong cleaning agents such as
solvents, paint thinners, window
cleaner or gasoline must never be
used on leather or synthetic interior
materials. Doing so could damage
the surface and cause the color to
deteriorate.
Appearance care/Cleaning the interior
–CONTINUED–10-5
Maintenance and service
Wheel replacement........................................... 11-31
Aluminum wheels............................................. 11-31
Windshield washer fluid.................................. 11-32
Replacement of wiper blades.......................... 11-33
Windshield wiper blade assembly..................... 11-34
Windshield wiper blade rubber......................... 11-34
Rear window wiper blade assembly
(Outback)....................................................... 11-35
Rear window wiper blade rubber (Outback) ....... 11-36
Battery............................................................... 11-37
Fuses................................................................ 11-38
Installation of accessories............................... 11-40
Replacing bulbs............................................... 11-40
HID headlights (if equipped)............................. 11-40
Halogen headlights.......................................... 11-40Front turn signal light...................................... 11-42
Front side marker light..................................... 11-42
Front fog light (if equipped).............................. 11-42
Rear combination lights................................... 11-43
Backup light.................................................... 11-45
License plate light........................................... 11-47
Dome light....................................................... 11-48
Map light......................................................... 11-48
Door step light................................................. 11-48
Cargo area light (Outback)............................... 11-49
Trunk light (Legacy)......................................... 11-49
Other bulbs..................................................... 11-49
Replacing battery............................................. 11-49Replacing battery of access key....................... 11-50
Replacing battery of transmitter....................... 11-51
CAUTION
.Adjust the washer fluid concen-
tration appropriately for the out-
side temperature. If the concen-
tration is inappropriate, sprayed
washer fluid may freeze on the
windshield and obstruct your
view, and the fluid may freeze in
the reservoir tank.
.State or local regulations on
volatile organic compounds may
restrict the use of methanol, a
common windshield washer anti-
freeze additive. Washer fluids
containing non-methanol anti-
freeze agents should be used
only if they provide cold weather
protection without damaging
your vehicle’s paint, wiper blades
or washer system.
Replacement of wiper blades
Grease, wax, insects, or other materials
on the windshield or the wiper blade
results in jerky wiper operation and streak-
ing on the glass. If you cannot remove the
streaks after operating the windshield
washer or if the wiper operation is jerky,
clean the outer surface of the windshield
(or rear window) and the wiper blades
using a sponge or soft cloth with a neutral
detergent or mild abrasive cleaner. After
cleaning, rinse the windshield and wiper
blades with clean water. The windshield is
clean if beads do not form when you rinse
the windshield with water.
CAUTION
.Do not clean the wiper blades
with gasoline or a solvent, such
as paint thinner or benzine. This
will cause deterioration of the
wiper blades.
.Whenyouwishtoraisethe
passenger-side wiper arm, first
raise the driver-side wiper arm.
Otherwise, the passenger-side
wiper assembly and driver-side
wiper assembly will touch each
other, possibly resulting in
scratches..Return the passenger-side wiper
arm to its original position before
returning the driver-side wiper
arm to its original position.
Otherwise, the passenger-side
wiper assembly and driver-side
wiper assembly will touch each
other, possibly resulting in
scratches.
.When returning the raised wipers
to the original positions, return
the wipers slowly on the wind-
shield by hand. Returning the
wipers from the detached posi-
tions by the spring operation
might change the shape of the
wiper arm or scratch the wind-
shield.
If you cannot eliminate the streaking even
after following this method, replace the
wiper blades using the following proce-
dures.
Maintenance and service/Replacement of wiper blades
–CONTINUED–11-33