2016 SUBARU WRX stop start

Braking & Braking tips WARNINGNever rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking.
! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep
driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place.
& Brake system ! Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit
brake systems. Each circuit works diag-
onally across the vehicle. If one circuit of
the brake system should fail, the other half
of the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer
to the floor than usual and you will need to
press it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop the
vehicle.
! Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to depress the pedal much
harder than normal and the braking dis-
tance will increase. ! Brake assist system
WARNINGDo not be overconfident about the
brake assist. It is not a system that
brings more braking ability to the
vehicle beyond its braking capabil-
ity. Always use the utmost care
when driving regarding vehicle
speed and safe distance.
CAUTIONWhen you need to brake suddenly,
continue depressing the brake pedal
strongly to obtain the effect of the
brake assist.
Brake assist is a driver assistance system.
It assists the brake power when the driver
cannot depress the brake pedal strongly
and the brake power is insufficient.
Brake assist generates the brake power
according to the speed at which the driver
depresses the brake pedal.
NOTE When you depress the brake pedal
strongly or suddenly, the following
phenomena occur. However, even
though these occur, they do not indi- Starting and operating/Braking
– CONTINUED –7-35

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

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