2016 SUBARU OUTBACK transmission oil

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

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/Off road driving
conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles.
.Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom-
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located on the door
pillar on the driver’s side.
.There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detailed information, refer to“Towing”
F9-13.Off road driving
WARNING
.Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden brak-
ing or under other similar condi-
tions.
.Always use the utmost care in
driving–overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle could easily
lead to a serious accident.
&Legacy
Your AWD vehicle is neither a conven-
tional off-road vehicle nor an all terrain
vehicle. It is a passenger car designed
primarily for on-road use. The AWD
feature gives it some limited off-road
capabilities in situations in which the
driving surface is relatively level, obstruc-
tion-free and otherwise similar to on-road
driving conditions. Operating it under other
than those conditions could subject the
vehicle to excessive stress which might
result in damage not eligible for repairunder warranty. If you do take your
SUBARU off road, you should review the
common sense precautions in the next
section (applicable to the Outback) for
general guidance. But please keep in
mind that your vehicle’s off-road capabil-
ities are more limited than those of the
Outback.
Never attempt to drive through pools and
puddles, or roads flooded with water.
Water entering the engine air intake or
the exhaust pipe or water splashing onto
electrical parts may damage your vehicle
and may cause it to stall.
&Outback
CAUTION
Frequent driving of an AWD model
under hard-driving conditions such
as rough roads or off roads will
necessitate more frequent replace-
ment of the following items than that
specified in the maintenance sche-
dule described in the“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet”.
.Engine oil
.Brake fluid
.Manual transmission oil (MT
models)
8-6

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/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

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine
compartment.................................................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine
compartment (2.5 L models)............................. 11-5
When checking or servicing in the engine
compartment while the engine is running.......... 11-5
Maintenance tips................................................ 11-5Removing and reinstalling clips.......................... 11-5
Engine hood....................................................... 11-7
Engine compartment overview.......................... 11-9
2.5 L models...................................................... 11-9
3.6 L models.................................................... 11-10
Engine oil.......................................................... 11-11Engine oil consumption.................................... 11-11
Checking the oil level....................................... 11-11
Changing the oil and oil filter............................ 11-13
Recommended grade and viscosity.................. 11-13
Synthetic oil..................................................... 11-13
Cooling system................................................ 11-14
Cooling fan, hose and connections................... 11-14
Engine coolant................................................. 11-14
Air cleaner element.......................................... 11-15Replacing the air cleaner element..................... 11-15
Spark plugs...................................................... 11-18Recommended spark plugs.............................. 11-18
Drive belts........................................................ 11-18
Manual transmission oil.................................. 11-18
Recommended grade and viscosity.................. 11-18
Continuously variable transmission fluid...... 11-19
Front differential gear oil (CVT models) and
rear differential gear oil................................ 11-19
Recommended grade and viscosity.................. 11-19
Brake fluid........................................................ 11-19Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-19
Recommended brake fluid............................... 11-21
Clutch fluid (MT models)................................. 11-21Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-21
Recommended clutch fluid............................... 11-22
Brake booster.................................................. 11-22
Brake pedal...................................................... 11-22
Checking the brake pedal free play.................. 11-22
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-23
Clutch pedal (MT models)............................... 11-23Checking the clutch function............................ 11-23
Checking the clutch pedal free play.................. 11-23
Replacement of brake pad.............................. 11-24Breaking-in of new brake pads ......................... 11-24
Tires and wheels.............................................. 11-24Types of tires................................................... 11-24
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if
equipped)...................................................... 11-25
Tire inspection................................................. 11-26
Tire pressures and wear.................................. 11-27
Wheel balance................................................. 11-28
Wear indicators............................................... 11-29
Tire rotation direction mark.............................. 11-29
Tire rotation..................................................... 11-29
Tire replacement.............................................. 11-30
Maintenance and service
11

Maintenance and service/Spark plugs
Spark plugs
It may be difficult to replace the spark
plugs. It is recommended that you have
the spark plugs replaced by your
SUBARU dealer.
The spark plugs should be replaced
according to the maintenance schedule
in the“Warranty and Maintenance Book-
let”.
&Recommended spark plugs
Refer to“Electrical system”F12-9.
Drive belts
It is unnecessary to check the deflection of
the drive belt periodically because your
engine is equipped with an automatic belt
tension adjuster. However, replacement of
the belt should be done according to the
maintenance schedule in the“Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet”. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for replacement.
If the belt is loose, cracked or worn,
contact your SUBARU dealer.
Manual transmission oil
It is unnecessary to check the manual
transmission oil level. However, if neces-
sary, consult your SUBARU dealer for
inspection.
&Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to
“Manual transmission, front differential
and rear differential gear oil”F12-7.
11-18

Continuously variable trans-
mission fluid
There is no fluid level gauge. It is
unnecessary to check the continuously
variable transmission fluid level. However,
if necessary, consult your SUBARU dealer
for inspection.
Front differential gear oil
(CVT models) and rear differ-
ential gear oil
It is not necessary to check the gear oil
level. Check that there are no cracks,
damage or leakage. However, the oil
inspection should be performed according
to the maintenance schedule in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
Consult your SUBARU dealer for details.
&Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to
“Manual transmission, front differential
and rear differential gear oil”F12-7.
CAUTION
Using a differential gear oil other
than the specified oil may cause a
decline in vehicle performance.
Brake fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
.Never let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake
fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with
clean water. For safety, when
performing this work, wearing
eye protection is advisable.
.Brake fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause a dangerous loss
of braking performance.
.If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
CAUTION
.When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
.Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.
Maintenance and service/Continuously variable transmission fluid
–CONTINUED–11-19