2016 SUBARU LEGACY automatic transmission fluid

&Abbreviation list
You may find several abbreviations in this
manual. The meanings of the abbrevia-
tions are shown in the following list.
Abbreviation Meaning
A/C Air conditioner
ALR/ELRAutomatic locking retractor/
Emergency locking retractor
ABS Anti-lock brake system
AKI Anti knock index
ALR Automatic locking retractor
AWD All-wheel drive
BSD Blind Spot Detection
CVTContinuously variable trans-
mission
DRL Daytime running light
EBDElectronic brake force distri-
bution
ELR Emergency locking retractor
FWD Front-wheel drive
GAW Gross axle weight
GAWR Gross axle weight rating
GPS Global positioning system
GVW Gross vehicle weight
GVWR Gross vehicle weight rating
HID High intensity dischargeAbbreviation Meaning
INT Intermittent
LATCHLower anchors and tethers for
children
LCA Lane Change Assist
LED Light emitting diode
LSD Limited slip differential
MIL Malfunction indicator light
MMTMethylcyclopentadienyl man-
ganese tricarbonyl
MT Manual transmission
OBD On-board diagnostics
RON Research octane number
RCTA Rear Cross Traffic Alert
SRFSteering responsive fog lights
system
SRSSupplemental restraint sys-
tem
TIN Tire identification number
TPMSTire pressure monitoring sys-
tem
Vehicle symbols
There are some of the symbols you may
see on your vehicle.
For warning and indicator lights, refer to
“Warning and indicator lights”F23.
Mark Name
WARNING
CAUTION
Read these instructions care-
fully
Wear eye protection
Battery fluid contains sulfuric
acid
Keep children away
Keep flames away
Prevent explosions
3

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/Continuously variable transmission
shift paddle behind the steering wheel.
To upshift to the next higher gear position,
pull the shift paddle that has“+”indicated
on it. To downshift to the next lower gear
position, pull the shift paddle that has“–”
indicated on it.
To deselect the manual mode, return the
select lever to the“D”position from the“M”
position.
While driving with the select lever in the
“D”position, if you change gears by
operating the shift paddle, the gear posi-
tion indicator light illuminates and shows
the current gear condition.
CAUTION
Do not place or hang anything on
the shift paddles. Doing so may
result in accidental gear shifting.
NOTE
Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode.
.If you attempt to shift down when
the engine speed is too high, i.e., when
a downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible.
.If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond.
.You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the shift paddle twice in rapid succes-
sion.
.The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stops
moving.
.If the temperature of the transmis-
sion fluid becomes too high, the“AT
OIL TEMP”warning light will illuminate.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place and let the engine idle until thewarning light turns off.
&Driving tips
.On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill safely and easily by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manual
mode.
.Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the“D”or
“R”position.
.Always apply the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the
vehicle with only the transmission.
.Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the
“D”position. Use the brake instead.
.The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate a
malfunction.
.A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 3.6 L engine
before the engine warms up.
7-30

Driving tips/Trailer towing (Outback)
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
.Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.
.If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
!Driving on grades
.Before going down a steep hill, slow
down 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 not
make sudden downshifts.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.
.When driving uphill in hot weather,
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating, pay atten-
tion to the following items.
–Temperature gauge
–AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVT
models)
.If any of the following conditions occur,
immediately turn off the air conditioner and
stop the vehicle in the nearest safe
location. Refer to“If you park your vehicle
in an emergency”F9-2 and“Engine
overheating”F9-13.
–Temperature gauge needle ap-
proaches the OVERHEAT zone. Refer
to“Temperature gauge”F3-11.
–AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates (CVT models). Refer to“AT OIL
TEMP warning light (CVT models)”
F3-16.
.For CVT models, do not use the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat.!Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake. You should not park on
a hill or slope. If parking on a hill or slope
cannot be avoided, you should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or“P”(CVT models) and shut
off the engine.
8-28

14-4Index
Locks................................................................... 2-33
Chime
Key ........................................................................ 3-4
Light..................................................................... 3-43
Seatbelt................................................................ 3-12
Cleaning
Aluminum wheels................................................... 10-3
Interior.................................................................. 10-5
Ventilation grille....................................................... 4-9
Climate control system................................................. 4-3
Automatic................................................................ 4-5
Manual................................................................... 4-6
Clock........................................................................ 3-32
Clutch
Fluid............................................................ 11-21, 12-8
Pedal.................................................................. 11-23
Coat hook................................................................. 6-13
Console...................................................................... 6-6
Continuously variable transmission (CVT)..................... 7-25
Fluid............................................................ 11-19, 12-8
Oil temperature warning light (AT OIL TEMP)............ 3-16
Coolant............................................................ 11-14, 12-8
Cooling system......................................................... 11-14
Corrosion protection................................................... 10-4
Crossbars................................................................. 8-14
Cruise control............................................................ 7-49
Indicator................................................................ 3-30
Set indicator.......................................................... 3-30
Cup holder.................................................................. 6-8
Front passenger’s .................................................... 6-8
Rear passenger’s..................................................... 6-9D
Daytime running light system....................................... 3-46
Defogger................................................................... 3-54
Defrosting................................................................... 4-9
Deicer....................................................................... 3-54
Differential gear oil
Front........................................................... 11-19, 12-7
Rear........................................................... 11-19, 12-7
Dimensions................................................................ 12-2
Disarming the alarm system......................................... 2-32
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators........................ 7-33
Dome light......................................................... 6-2, 11-48
Door
Locks..................................................................... 2-6
Open indicator light................................................. 3-22
Step light............................................................. 11-48
Unlock selection function................................. 2-17, 3-42
Double trip meter......................................................... 3-9
Drive belts............................................................... 11-18
Driving
All-Wheel Drive warning light................................... 3-22
AWD vehicles......................................................... 8-5
Car phone/cell phone
.................................................. 7
Drinking..................................................................... 6
Drugs........................................................................ 6
Foreign countries..................................................... 8-4
Off road.................................................................. 8-6
Pets.......................................................................... 7
Snowy and icy roads.............................................. 8-10
Tips ................................................. 7-24, 7-30, 8-2, 8-5
Tired or sleepy........................................................... 6

Winter.................................................................... 8-8
E
ECO gauge............................................................... 3-11
Electrical system........................................................ 12-9
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system.......... 7-34
Warning................................................................ 3-19
Electronic parking brake.............................................. 7-42
Automatic release function by accelerator pedal......... 7-44
Hill Holder............................................................. 7-45
Indicator light......................................................... 3-20
Warning........................................................ 3-20, 7-47
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)............................. 1-17
Engine
Compartment overview........................................... 11-9
Coolant........................................................ 11-14, 12-8
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)............................. 5, 8-2
Hood.................................................................... 11-7
Low oil level warning indicator................................. 3-16
Oil............................................................... 11-11, 12-4
Overheating.......................................................... 9-13
Starting & stopping........................................... 7-9, 7-12
Event data recorder......................................................... 8
Exterior care.............................................................. 10-2
F
Flat tires..................................................................... 9-5
Floor mat.................................................................. 6-15
Fluid level
Brake.................................................................. 11-19
Clutch.................................................................. 11-21Continuously variable transmission......................... 11-19
Fog light
Bulb.......................................................... 11-42, 12-14
Indicator light......................................................... 3-31
Steering responsive fog lights system....................... 3-49
Switch................................................................... 3-49
Front
Differential gear oil........................................ 11-19, 12-7
Seatbelt pretensioners............................................ 1-24
Side marker light.................................................. 11-42
Turn signal light.................................................... 11-42
Front seats................................................................. 1-2
Forward and backward adjustment............................ 1-4
Head restraint adjustment......................................... 1-8
Memory function...................................................... 1-6
Power seat............................................................. 1-5
Reclining................................................................ 1-4
Seat height adjustment (driver’s seat)........................ 1-4
Fuel........................................................................... 7-3
Consumption indicator............................................. 3-36
Economy hints........................................................ 8-2
Filler lid and cap...................................................... 7-4
Gauge................................................................... 3-10
Requirements................................................. 7-3, 12-3
Fuses
..................................................................... 11-38
Fuses and circuits.................................................... 12-10
G
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) ............................... 8-14
Glove box................................................................... 6-6
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)........................... 8-14
Index14-5