2016 SUBARU WRX key

Instruments and controls/Ignition switch (models without push – button start system)
Ignition switch (models with-
out push-button start sys-
tem) WARNING. Never turn the ignition switch to
“ LOCK ” while the vehicle is
being driven or towed because
that will lock the steering wheel,
preventing steering control. And
when the engine is turned off, it
takes a much greater effort than
usual to steer.
. Before leaving the vehicle, al-
ways remove the key from the
ignition switch for safety and
never allow an unattended child
to remain in the vehicle. Failure
to follow this procedure could
result in injury to a child or
others. Children could operate
the power windows, the moon-
roof or other controls or even
make the vehicle move.
CAUTION
Do not attach a large key holder or
key case to either key. If it banged against your knees or hands while
you are driving, it could turn the
ignition switch from the “ ON ” posi-
tion to the “ ACC ” or “ LOCK ” posi-
tion, thereby stopping the engine.
Also, if the key is attached to a
keyholder or to a large bunch of
other keys, centrifugal force may act
on it as the vehicle moves, resulting
in unwanted turning of the ignition
switch.
The ignition switch has four positions:
LOCK, ACC, ON and START.
NOTE . Keep the ignition switch in the
“ LOCK ” position when the engine is
not running. . Using electrical accessories for a
long time with the ignition switch in the
“ ON ” or “ ACC ” position can cause the
battery to go dead.
. If the ignition switch will not move
from the “ LOCK ” position to the “ ACC ”
position, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left and right as you turn
the ignition switch.
& LOCK The key can only be inserted or removed
in this position. The ignition switch will lock
the steering wheel when you remove the
key.
If turning the key is difficult, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the right and left
as you turn the key.3-4

The key can be turned from the “ ACC ” to
“ LOCK ” position only when the select
lever is in the “ P ” position (CVT models)
and the key is pushed in while turning it
(all models).
& ACC In this position the electrical accessories
(audio, accessory power outlet, etc.) can
be used.
& ON This is the normal operating position after
the engine is started.
& START
The engine is started in this position. The
starter cranks the engine to start it. When the key is released (after the engine has
started), the key automatically returns to
the “ ON ” position.
CAUTIONDo not turn the ignition switch to the
“ START ” position while the engine
is running.
If your registered key fails to start the
engine, pull out the key once (the security
indicator light will blink), and then insert
the key in the ignition switch and turn it to
the “ START ” position and again try to start
the engine.
NOTE The engine may not start in the follow-
ing cases: . The key grip is touching another key
or a metallic key holder.
. The key is near another key that
contains an immobilizer transponder.
. The key is near or touching another
transmitter.
& Key reminder chime The reminder chime sounds when the
driver ’ s door is opened and the ignition
switch is in the “ LOCK ” or “ ACC ” position.
The chime stops under the following
conditions.
. when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ” position
. when the key is removed from the
ignition switch
. when the driver ’ s door is closedInstruments and controls/Ignition switch (models without push – button start system)
– CONTINUED –3-5

Instruments and controls/Push – button ignition switch (models with push – button start system)
& Ignition switch lightFor easy access to the ignition switch in
the dark, the ignition switch light illumi-
nates when the driver ’ s door is opened or
when the driver ’ s door is unlocked using
the remote keyless entry transmitter.
The light remains illuminated for several
tens of seconds and then gradually turns
off under the following conditions.
. when the driver ’ s door is closed
. when the doors are unlocked using the
remote keyless entry transmitter
The light turns off immediately under the
following conditions.
. when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ” position
. when all doors are locked using the
remote keyless entry transmitter Push-button ignition switch
(models with push-button
start system) & Safety precautions Refer to “ Safety precautions ” F 2-10.
& Operating range for push-
button start system
1) Antenna
2) Operating range
NOTE . If the access key is not detected
within the operating range of the an-
tennas inside the vehicle, the push-
button ignition switch and the engine
start cannot be operated. . Even when the access key is outside
the vehicle, if it is placed too close to
the glass, it may be possible to switch
the power or to start the engine.
. Do not leave the access key in the
following places. It may become im-
possible to operate the push-button
ignition switch and the engine start.
– On the instrument panel
– On the floor
– Inside the glove box
– Inside the door trim pocket
– On the rear seat
– On the rear shelf
– Inside the trunk
. When operating the push-button
ignition switch or starting the engine,
if the access key battery is discharged,
perform the procedure described in
“ Access key – if access key does not
operate properly ” F 9-16. In such a
case, replace the battery immediately.
Refer to “ Replacing battery of access
key ” F 11-50.3-6

& Switching power
1) Operation indicator
2) Push-button ignition switch
The power is switched every time the
push-button ignition switch is pressed.
1. Carry the access key, and sit in the
driver ’ s seat.
2. Shift the shift lever in neutral (MT
models) or the select lever in the “ P ”
position (CVT models).
3. Press the push-button ignition switch
without depressing the clutch pedal (MT
models) or the brake pedal (CVT models).
Every time the button is pressed, the
power is switched in the sequence of
“ OFF ” , “ ACC ” , “ ON ” and “ OFF ” . When the
engine is stopped and the push-button
ignition switch is in “ ACC ” or “ ON ” , the operation indicator on the push-button
ignition switch illuminates in orange. Power
status Indicator color Operation
OFF Turned off Power is turned
off.
ACC Orange The following
systems can be
used:
audio and ac-
cessory power
outlet.
ON Orange
(while engine is
stopped) All electrical
systems can be
used.Turned off
(while engine is
running)
CAUTION
. When the push-button ignition
switch is left in “ ON ” or “ ACC ”
for a long time, it may result in
vehicle battery discharge.
. Do not spill drinks or other
liquids on the push-button igni-
tion switch. It may cause a mal-
function.
. Do not touch the push-button
ignition switch with a hand soiled with oil or other contaminants. It
may cause a malfunction.
. If the push-button ignition switch
does not operate smoothly, stop
the operation. Contact a
SUBARU dealer immediately.
. If the push-button ignition switch
does not illuminate even when
the instrument panel illumination
is turned on, have the vehicle
inspected at a SUBARU dealer.
. If the vehicle was left in the hot
sun for a long time, the surface of
the push-button ignition switch
may get hot. Be careful not to
burn yourself.
NOTE . In CVT models, the push-button
ignition switch cannot be switched to
“ OFF ” when the select lever is in a
position other than “ P ” .
. When operating the push-button
ignition switch, firmly press it all the
way.
. If the push-button ignition switch is
pressed quickly, the power may not
turn on or off.
. If the indicator light on the push-
button ignition switch flashes in green
when the push-button ignition switch isInstruments and controls/Push – button ignition switch (models with push – button start system)
– CONTINUED –3-7

Instruments and controls/Hazard warning flasher
pressed, steering is locked. When this
occurs, press the push-button ignition
switch while turning the steering wheel
left and right.
! Battery drainage prevention func-
tion
When the push-button ignition switch is
left in the “ ACC ” or “ ON ” position for
approximately 1 hour, the push-button
ignition switch will be automatically
switched to “ OFF ” to prevent the battery
from going dead. (In CVT models, this
function is activated when the select lever
is in the “ P ” position.)
& When access key does not
operate properlyRefer to “ Access key – if access key does
not operate properly ” F 9-16. Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher is used to
warn other drivers when you have to park
your vehicle under emergency conditions.
The hazard warning flasher works regard-
less of the position of the ignition switch.
To turn on the hazard warning flasher,
push the hazard warning button on the
instrument panel. To turn off the flasher,
push the button again.
NOTE When the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work. Meters and gauges NOTE Liquid-crystal displays are used in
some of the meters and gauges on
the combination meter. You will find
their indications hard to see if you wear
polarized glasses.
& Combination meter illumina-
tion When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ” position, the various parts of the
combination meter are illuminated in the
following sequence.
1. Warning lights, indicator lights, meter
needles, gauge needles illuminate.
2. Meter and gauge indications each
show MAX position.
3. Meter and gauge indications each
show MIN position.
4. Regular illumination (for driving) be-
gins.3-8

& Door open warning
lightThe warning light illuminates if any door or
the trunk lid is not fully closed. This
function is effective even if the ignition
switch is in the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” or “ ACC ”
position, or the key is removed from the
ignition switch.
Always make sure this light is not illumi-
nated before you start to drive.
& All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (if equipped)This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of differing diameters fitted on
the wheels or with an excessively low air
pressure in any of the tires.
WARNING
Continued driving with the AWD
warning light flashing can lead to
powertrain damage. If the AWD
warning light flashes, promptly park
in a safe place then check whether
all four tires are the same diameter
and whether any of the tires has a
puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason. & Power steering warn-
ing light (except STI) This warning light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”
position and turns off after the engine
has started. This indicates that the warn-
ing system is working properly.
While the engine is running, this warning
light illuminates when a malfunction has
been detected in the electric power steer-
ing system.
CAUTIONWhen the power steering warning
light is illuminated, there may be
more resistance when the steering
wheel is operated. Drive carefully to
the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the vehicle inspected immedi-
ately.
NOTE If the steering wheel is operated in the
following ways, the power steering
control system may temporarily limit
the power assist in order to prevent the
system components, such as the con-
trol computer and drive motor, from
overheating. . The steering wheel is operated fre-
quently and turned sharply while the
vehicle is maneuvered at extremely low
speeds, such as while frequently turn-
ing the steering wheel during parallel
parking.
. The steering wheel remains in the
fully turned position for a long period
of time.
At this time, there will be more resis-
tance when steering. However this is
not a malfunction. Normal steering
force will be restored after the steering
wheel is not operated for a while and
the power steering control system has
an opportunity to cool down. However,
if the power steering is operated in a
non-standard way which causes power
assist limitation to occur too fre-
quently, that may result in a malfunc-
tion of the power steering control
system.
& LED headlight warning
light (if equipped) This light illuminates if the LED headlights
malfunction. Have your vehicle inspected
at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
– CONTINUED –3-25

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
! Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF in-
dicator light
This light illuminates when the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF switch is operated
to select the traction mode or the Vehicle
Dynamic Control OFF mode. For details,
refer to “ Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem ” F 7-38.
NOTE . The light may remain illuminated for
a while after the engine has been
started, especially in cold weather. This
does not indicate the existence of a
problem. The light should turn off as
soon as the engine has warmed up.
. The indicator light illuminates when
the engine has developed a problem
and the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
malfunction indicator light is on.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably malfunctioning under the follow-
ing conditions. Have your vehicle checked
at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
. The light does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”
position.
. The light does not turn off even after
the lapse of several minutes (the engine
has warmed up) after the engine has
started. ! Traction mode indicator light
The light illuminates when the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF switch is pressed
briefly to select the traction mode. For
details, refer to “ Traction mode ” F 7-41.
& Warning chimes and warning
indicator of the keyless ac-
cess with push-button start
system (if equipped)
Access key warning light
The keyless access with push-button start
system sounds a warning chime and the
access key warning indicator appears on
the combination meter in order to minimize
improper operations and help protect your
vehicle from theft.
When the warning chime sounds and/or
the warning indicator appears, take the appropriate action.
WARNINGNever drive the vehicle if the indi-
cator on the push-button ignition
switch is flashing in green when
starting the engine. This indicates
the status that the steering wheel is
not released and could result in an
accident involving serious injury or
death.
CAUTION. When starting the engine again
after the operation indicator on
the push-button ignition switch
flashes in green, if the operation
indicator is still flashing in green,
there could be a steering lock
malfunction. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
. When the operation indicator on
the push-button ignition switch
flashes in orange, contact a
SUBARU dealer immediately.3-28

NOTE . Even when the access key is within
the operating ranges inside the vehicle,
the access key warning for engine start
may be provided depending on the
status of the access key and the
environmental conditions.
. When the access key is taken out of
the vehicle through an open window,
the access key takeout warning or
passenger access key takeout warning
will not be provided.
! List of warnings
CAUTIONWhen any of the following warnings
occurs even if the access key warn-
ing indicator does not appear, take
the appropriate action. Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
– CONTINUED –3-29