2016 SUBARU WRX brake light

Starting and operating/ABS (Anti – lock Brake System)
cate any malfunctions, and the brake
assist system is operating properly.
. You might feel that the brake pedal
is applied by lighter force and gener-
ates a greater braking force.
. You might hear an ABS operating
noise from the engine compartment.
& Disc brake pad wear warning
indicators
The disc brake pad wear warning indica-
tors on the disc brakes give a warning
noise when the brake pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard
from the disc brakes while braking, im-
mediately have your vehicle checked by
your SUBARU dealer. ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem) The ABS prevents the lock-up of wheels
which may occur during sudden braking or
braking on slippery road surfaces. This
helps prevent the loss of steering control
and directional stability caused by wheel
lock-up.
When the ABS is operating, you may hear
a chattering noise or feel a slight vibration
in the brake pedal. This is normal when
the ABS operates.
The ABS will not operate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10
km/h).
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving a vehicle with the
ABS could easily lead to a serious
accident.
CAUTION
. The ABS does not always de-
crease stopping distance. You
should always maintain a safe following distance from other
vehicles.
. When driving on badly surfaced
roads, gravel roads, icy roads, or
over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be long-
er for a vehicle with the ABS than
one without. When driving under
these conditions, therefore, re-
duce your speed and leave ample
distance from other vehicles.
. When you feel the ABS operating,
you should maintain constant
brake pedal pressure. Do not
pump the brake pedal since
doing so may defeat the opera-
tion of the ABS system.
& ABS self-check Just after the vehicle is started, you may
feel on the brake pedal a vibration similar
to when the ABS operates, and you may
also hear the sound of the ABS working
from the engine compartment. This is
caused by an automatic functional test of
the ABS being carried out and does not
indicate any abnormal condition.7-36

& ABS warning light Refer to “ ABS warning light ” F 3-20.
Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) system The EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle ’ s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS and uses some of the ABS compo-
nents to perform its function of optimizing
the distribution of braking force. If any of
the ABS components used by the EBD
system malfunction, the EBD system also
stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. & Steps to take if EBD system
malfunctions
Brake and ABS warning light
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system malfunctions, the
conventional braking system will still func-
tion. However, the rear wheels will be
more prone to locking when the brakes
are applied harder than usual and the
vehicle ’ s motion may therefore become
somewhat harder to control.Starting and operating/Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system
– CONTINUED –7-37

Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps.
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat location.
2. Apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine.
3. Restart the engine.
4. Release the parking brake.
Even if both warning lights turn off:
The EBD system may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain illuminated after restarting
the engine:
1. Turn off the engine again.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Check the brake fluid level. For details
about checking the brake fluid level, refer
to “ Checking the fluid level ” F 11-25.
. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“ MIN ” mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
. If the brake fluid level is below the
“ MIN ” mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING. Driving with the brake system
warning light illuminated is dan-
gerous. This indicates your brake
system may not be working
properly. If the light remains
illuminated, have the brakes in-
spected by a SUBARU dealer
immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair. Vehicle Dynamics Control
system WARNINGAlways use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving a vehicle with the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
CAUTION. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, winter tires should be
used when driving on snow-cov-
ered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reduced
considerably. Simply having a
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem does not guarantee that the
vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
. Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-7-38

namics Control is no guarantee
that full vehicle control will be
maintained at all times and under
all conditions, its activation
should be seen as a sign that
the speed of the vehicle should
be reduced considerably.
. Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle, have an inspection of
that system performed by an
authorized SUBARU dealer.
. The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is operating properly:
– All four wheels should be
fitted with tires of the same
size, type, and brand. Further-
more, the amount of wear
should be the same for all
four tires.
– Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
vehicle placard attached to
the driver ’ s side door pillar.
– Use only the specified tem-
porary spare tire to replace a
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.
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control
system helps prevent unstable
vehicle motion such as skidding
using control of the brakes and
engine power. Do not turn off the
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem unless it is absolutely ne-
cessary. If you must turn off the
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem, drive very carefully accord-
ing to the road surface condition.
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 shown by
flashing 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 slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indi-
cator light
NOTE
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem may be considered normal whenStarting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
– CONTINUED –7-39

Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
the following conditions occur.
– Slight twitching of the brake
pedal is felt.
– The vehicle or steering wheel
shakes to a small degree.
– An operating sound from the
engine 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 circumstances shown in the
following list, 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 fitted with
snow 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 your vehicle is equipped with the Vehicle Dynamics Control system.
. Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire. 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 ” F 3-26 and “ Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light/
Traction mode indicator light ” F 3-27.& Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch
1) Traction mode indicator light
2) Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator
light7-40

Starting and operating/Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (U.S. – spec. models)
nents of the brake control system may
still activate. When the brake control
system is activated, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator
light illuminates.
Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec.
models)
Low tire pressure warning light
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 20 mph (32 km/h). Also,
this system may not react immediately to a
sudden drop in tire pressure (for example,
a blow-out caused by running over a
sharp object). WARNING. If the low tire pressure warning
light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly. Instead,
perform the following procedure.
Otherwise, an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and ser-
ious personal injury could occur.
(1) Keep driving straight ahead
while gradually reducing
speed.
(2) Slowly pull off the road to a
safe place.
(3) Check the pressure for all four
tires and adjust the pressure
to the COLD tire pressure
shown on the vehicle placard
on the door pillar on the
driver ’ s side.
Even when the vehicle is driven a
very short distance, the tires get
warm and their pressures in-
crease accordingly. Be sure to
let the tires cool thoroughly be-
fore adjusting their pressures to
the standard values shown on
the tire placard. Refer to “ Tires
and wheels ” F 11-31. The tire
pressure monitoring system
does not function when the ve-7-42

Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
Parking your vehicle WARNING. Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, the tempera-
ture in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to
cause severe or possibly fatal
injuries to them.
. Do not park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
. Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occu-
pants in the vehicle could die
from carbon monoxide (CO) con-
tained in the exhaust gas. & Parking brake (models with-
out electronic parking brake
system) To set the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal firmly and hold it down until
the parking brake lever is fully pulled up.
To release the parking brake, perform the
following procedure.
1. Pull the lever up slightly.
2. Press the release button.
3. Lower the lever while keeping the
button pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the
engine is running, the parking brake
warning light illuminates. After starting
the vehicle, be sure that the warning light
has turned off before the vehicle is driven.
Refer to “ Parking brake indicator (models without electronic parking brake system) ”
F 3-21.
CAUTIONNever drive while the parking brake
is set because this will cause un-
necessary wear on the brake lin-
ings. Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.
& Electronic parking brake
(models with electronic
parking brake system)
1) Parking brake switch
2) Indicator light
3) Release the electronic parking brake
4) Apply the electronic parking brake7-44

WARNING. Before exiting the vehicle, make
sure that you turn off the engine.
Otherwise, the parking brake
may be released and an accident
may occur.
. If the brake system warning light
turns on, the electronic parking
brake system may be malfunc-
tioning. Immediately stop your
vehicle in a safe location, use
tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving
and contact your SUBARU deal-
er.
. If the electronic parking brake is
operated when the brake is over-
heated or the vehicle is on a
steep slope, the electronic park-
ing brake indicator light may
flash. In this case, the vehicle
may start to move and it may lead
to an accident. Always use the
tire stops.
CAUTION
. When the electronic parking
brake system has a malfunction
and the parking brake cannot be applied, contact your SUBARU
dealer immediately for an inspec-
tion. If you have to park your
vehicle in such conditions, per-
form the following procedure.
– Stop your vehicle in a flat
location.
– Shift the select lever in the “ P ”
position. When the select le-
ver cannot be shifted into the
“ P ” position, you must re-
lease shift lock. Refer to “ Shift
lock function ” F 7-27.
– Use tire stops under the tires
to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
. Never drive while the parking
brake is applied because this will
cause unnecessary wear on the
brake linings. Before starting to
drive, always make sure that the
parking brake has been released
and the brake system warning
light has turned off.
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronic
parking brake. You can apply/release the
parking brake by operating the parking
brake switch.
To apply: Depress the brake pedal and
pull up the parking brake switch. To release: Press the parking brake
switch firmly while the ignition switch is
in the “ ON ” position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
When the parking brake is applied while
the ignition switch is in the “ ON ” position,
the electronic parking brake indicator light
and the indicator light on the parking brake
switch illuminate. Refer to “ Brake system
warning light ” F 3-21.
NOTE . If the parking brake switch is
pressed with the ignition switch in the
“ ACC ” or “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position, the
parking brake is not released.
. If the parking brake switch is
pressed without depressing the brake
pedal, the parking brake is not re-
leased.
. The electronic parking brake system
uses motors to apply the parking
brake. Therefore, operating sounds
from the motors will be heard when
applying or releasing the parking
brake. Make sure that the motor
sounds are heard when applying or
releasing the parking brake.
. When the electronic parking brake
system has a malfunction or the elec-
tronic parking brake operation is pro-
hibited temporarily, if the parking brake Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
– CONTINUED –7-45