2016 SUBARU WRX Owners Manual

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

Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
switch is operated, a chirp sound is
heard and the electronic parking brake
indicator light flashes.
. When you cannot release the park-
ing brake due to, for example, a system
malfunction, contact your SUBARU
dealer and have your SUBARU dealer
release the parking brake.
. If the operation of the electronic
parking brake switch is stopped mid-
way or performed extremely slowly, the
system may detect an error and turn on
the brake system warning light. How-
ever, this does not indicate a malfunc-
tion if the brake system warning light
turns off after operating the switch.
. When the electronic parking brake
has not been used for a long period of
time, the electronic parking brake may
operate automatically after the ignition
switch is turned to the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ”
position. This occurs due to checking
the proper operation of the electronic
parking brake and does not indicate a
malfunction.
. If the electronic parking brake
switch is malfunctioning and the elec-
tronic parking brake cannot be re-
leased, refer to the instructions de-
scribed in “ Automatic release function
by accelerator pedal ” F 7-46.
After activating the EPB, you may hear a short sound several minutes after the
electronic parking brake indicator light
illuminates as the system confirms
proper engagement. This sound is
different from the apply and release
sound.
This can occur:
– If the brakes are extremely hot.
– If the car is parked on a steep
incline.
– If the electronic parking brake is
applied after the ignition switch is
turned OFF.
This is a normal operating sound under
any of these conditions.
! Automatic release function by ac-
celerator pedal
The electronic parking brake system has
an automatic release function. The park-
ing brake will be automatically released by
depressing the accelerator pedal. How-
ever, the automatic release function does
not operate under the following conditions.
. Any door (other than the trunk lid) is
open.
. The driver ’ s seatbelt is not fastened.
If the parking brake is automatically
released, the electronic parking brake
indicator light and the indicator light on the parking brake switch turn off.
NOTE Even if you have applied the parking
brake, the parking brake will be auto-
matically released when the accelera-
tor pedal is depressed.
! Hill Holder function
The electronic parking brake system has a
Hill Holder function. If the Hill Holder
function is activated, the parking brake
will be automatically applied when stop-
ping on an uphill slope with the brake
pedal depressed. In this case, the electro-
nic parking brake indicator light and the
indicator light on the parking brake switch
illuminate.
The Hill Holder function also operates
while driving uphill in reverse.
NOTE . The Hill Holder function may not
activate on a gentle uphill slope. In this
case, manually apply the electronic
parking brake.
. If you do not depress the brake
pedal sufficiently, the Hill Holder func-
tion may not operate properly. How-
ever, this is not a malfunction. When
stopping on an uphill slope, depress
the brake pedal firmly and release it
after the electronic parking brake in-7-46

dicator light illuminates.
. Depending on the condition of the
road surface and braking force, the
brakes operate temporarily and feel
different than usual.
. When the electronic parking brake
system has a malfunction while the Hill
Holder function is activated, a chirp
sound is heard, the Hill Holder indica-
tor light turns off and the brake system
warning light turns on.
. When the hill holder activates on a
slope, the electronic parking brake is
engaged. The electronic parking brake
will release when you accelerate from
the stop. If you manually release the
electronic parking brake while the hill
holder is activated, the hill holder
function is cancelled and will not re-
engage until the vehicle has moved
some distance. In that case, you will
need to manually engage the electronic
parking brake if needed. ! Hill Holder switch
WARNINGWhen stopping on an uphill slope
with the Hill Holder function acti-
vated, release the brake pedal after
the electronic parking brake indica-
tor light has illuminated. Otherwise,
the Hill Holder function may not
operate properly and an accident
may occur.
You can activate/deactivate the Hill Holder
function by pressing the Hill Holder switch.
To activate: Press the Hill Holder switch.
To deactivate: Press the Hill Holder
switch again. Deactivate the Hill Holder function under
the following conditions.
. When towing a trailer
. When carrying a heavy load
. When you do not frequently use the
parking brake when stopping on an uphill
slope
NOTE . If the Hill Holder switch is pressed
for more than 30 seconds, the Hill
Holder indicator light turns off, and
the system ignores any further press-
ing of the switch. To activate the switch
again, turn the ignition switch to the
“ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position and restart the
engine.
. When the Hill Holder function is
deactivated while the Hill Holder func-
tion has a malfunction, if you press the
Hill Holder switch, a chirp sounds. Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
– CONTINUED –7-47

Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
! Hill Holder indicator light
When the Hill Holder function is activated,
the Hill Holder indicator light illuminates.
Refer to “ Hill Holder indicator light (models
with electronic parking brake system) ”
F 3-24.
! Emergency brake
CAUTION
Use the emergency brake only in
case of an emergency. If the emer-
gency brake is excessively used,
the brake parts will wear down
faster or the brake may not work
sufficiently due to brake overheat-
ing. NOTE . While using the emergency brake,
the electronic parking brake indicator
light and the indicator light on the
parking brake switch illuminate and a
chirp sounds.
. While using the emergency brake, a
sound may be heard from the engine
compartment. This is the operating
sound of the brake that is activated by
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system,
and does not indicate a malfunction.
If the foot brake has a malfunction, you
can stop the vehicle by pulling the parking
brake switch continuously.
While applying the emergency brake, the
electronic parking brake indicator light and
the indicator light on the parking brake
switch illuminate and a chirp sounds.
! Electronic parking brake system
warning
CAUTION
If the brake system warning light
turns on, the electronic parking
brake system may be malfunction-
ing. Immediately stop your vehicle
in the nearest safe location and
contact your SUBARU dealer.
If a malfunction occurs in the electronic parking brake system, the brake system
warning light turns on. Refer to “ Electronic
parking brake indicator light (models with
electronic parking brake system) ” F 3-23.
& Parking tips When parking your vehicle, always per-
form the following items.
. Apply the parking brake firmly.
. For MT models, put the shift lever in the
“ 1 ” (1st) for upgrade or “ R ” (Reverse) for a
downgrade.
. For CVT models, put the select lever in
the “ P ” (Park) position.
Never rely on the mechanical friction of
the transmission alone to hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is7-48

headed up the hill, the front wheels should
be turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.
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 people.
. 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.
CAUTIONIf your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), pay attention to blocks
and other obstructions on the
ground when parking. The under-
spoilers could be damaged by con-
tact with them. Hill start assist system
(models without electronic
parking brake system) WARNING. The Hill start assist system is a
device only for helping the driver
to START the vehicle on an uphill
grade. To prevent accidents
when the vehicle is parked on a
slope, be sure to firmly set the
parking brake. When setting the
parking brake, make sure that the
vehicle remains stationary when
the clutch pedal (MT models) and
brake pedal (both MT and CVT
models) are released.
. Do not turn the ignition switch to
the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position while
the Hill start assist system is
operating. The Hill start assist
system will be deactivated, caus-
ing an accident.
The Hill start assist system is a device to
make the following vehicle operations
easier.Starting and operating/Hill start assist system (models without electronic parking brake system)
– CONTINUED –7-49

Starting and operating/Hill start assist system (models without electronic parking brake system)
1) Starting forward facing uphill
2) Starting backward facing downhill
A) Brake pedal (both MT models and CVT
models)
B) Clutch pedal (MT models only)
In both these cases, the Hill start assist
system operates under the following con- ditions.
. when the clutch pedal is depressed
while the brake pedal is also depressed
(MT models)
. when the vehicle has stopped with the
brake pedal depressed (CVT models)
Braking power is maintained temporarily
(for approximately 2 seconds) by the Hill
start assist system after the brake pedal is
released. The driver is therefore able to
start the vehicle in the same way as on a
level grade, just using the clutch pedal
(MT models only) and accelerator pedal
(all models).
If the braking power of the Hill start assist
system is insufficient after the brake pedal
is released, apply more braking power by
depressing the brake pedal again.
The Hill start assist system may not
operate on slight grades. Also, the Hill
start assist system does not operate in the
following cases.
. when starting backward facing uphill
. when starting forward facing downhill
. while the parking brake is applied
. while the ignition switch is in the “ ACC ”
or “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position
. while the Hill start assist warning light/7-50

Hill start assist OFF indicator light is
illuminated
When using the Hill start assist system, a
braking effect may be felt even after the
brake pedal has been released. However,
this braking effect should disappear once
the clutch pedal is released.
NOTE A slight jolt may be felt when the
vehicle begins to move forward after
being reversed.
& To activate/deactivate the Hill
start assist system
CAUTIONWhile the Hill start assist system is
deactivated, when starting on an
uphill grade, braking power is not
maintained if the brake pedal is
released. Start on an uphill grade
by using the parking brake.
You can activate/deactivate the Hill start
assist system according to the following
procedure.
NOTE
If you make an error when performing
any steps in the following procedure, place the ignition switch in the
“ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position once and then
start over again.
! To deactivate
1. Park your vehicle in a flat and safe
location and apply the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the “ LOCK ” /
“ OFF ” position.
3. Restart the engine.
4. Confirm the following items.
(1) The Brake system warning light
illuminates.
(2) The Vehicle Dynamics Control
warning light turns off.
(3) The Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light turns off.
(4) The ABS warning light turns off. Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch
5. Press the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch and hold it until the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light “
”
on the combination meter illuminates for
several seconds and then turns off.
6. Within 5 seconds after the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light
turns off, release the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF switch.Starting and operating/Hill start assist system (models without electronic parking brake system)
– CONTINUED –7-51