2016 SUBARU WRX four wheel drive

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

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the Low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
If the light illuminates steadily after
blinking for approximately one min-
ute, promptly contact a SUBARU
dealer to have the system inspected.
CAUTION
The tire pressure monitoring system
is NOT a substitute for manually
checking tire pressure. The tire
pressure should be checked peri-
odically (at least monthly) using a
tire gauge. After any change to tire
pressure(s), the tire pressure mon-
itoring system will not re-check tire
inflation pressures until the vehicle is first driven to a vehicle speed of at
least 20 mph (32 km/h). After adjust-
ing the tire pressures, increase the
vehicle speed to at least 20 mph (32
km/h) to start the TPMS re-checking
of the tire inflation pressures. If the
tire pressures are now above the
severe low pressure threshold, the
low tire pressure warning light
should turn off a few minutes later.
Therefore, be sure to install the
specified size for the front and rear
tires.
& ABS warning light
CAUTION. If any of the following conditions
occur, we recommend that you
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by
your SUBARU dealer.
– The warning light does not
illuminate when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ ON ”
position.
– The warning light illuminates
when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ ON ” position,
but it does not turn off even after starting the vehicle.
– The warning light illuminates
during driving.
. When the warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is
off), the ABS function shuts
down. However, the conventional
brake system continues to oper-
ate normally.
The ABS warning light illuminates to-
gether with the brake system warning light
if the EBD system malfunctions. For
further details of the EBD system mal-
function warning, refer to “ Brake system
warning light ” F 3-21.
NOTE If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following conditions,
the ABS system may be considered
normal.
. The warning light illuminates when
the ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ” position and turns off approxi-
mately 2 seconds after the engine has
started.
. The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off.
. The warning light remains illumi-
nated after the engine has been started,3-20

& 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
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Starting and operating/Preparing to drive
. A vehicle fails the OBDII inspection if
the “ CHECK ENGINE ” warning light is not
properly operating (light is illuminated or is
not working due to a burned out bulb) or
there is one or more diagnostic trouble
codes stored in the vehicle ’ s computer.
. A state emission inspection may reject
(not pass or fail) a vehicle if the number of
OBDII system readiness monitors “ NOT
READY ” is greater than one. If the
vehicle ’ s battery has been recently re-
placed or disconnected, the OBDII system
inspection may indicate that the vehicle is
not ready for the emission test. Under this
condition, the vehicle driver should be
instructed to drive his/her vehicle for a few
days to reset the readiness monitors and
return for an emission re-inspection.
. Owners of rejected or failing vehicles
should contact their SUBARU Dealer for
service.
Some states still use dynamometers in
their emission inspection program. A
dynamometer is a treadmill or roller-like
testing device that allows your vehicle ’ s
wheels to turn while the vehicle remains in
one place. Prior to your vehicle being put
on a dynamometer, tell your emission
inspector
not to place your SUBARU
AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dynam-
ometer. Otherwise, serious transmis-
sion damage will result. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and states using two-wheel
dynamometers in their emission testing
program have EXEMPTED SUBARU
AWD vehicles from the portion of the
testing program that involves a two-wheel
dynamometer. There are some states that
use four-wheel dynamometers in their
testing program. When properly used, this
equipment should not damage a SUBARU
AWD vehicle.
Under no circumstances should the rear
wheels be jacked off the ground, nor
should the driveshaft be disconnected for
state emission testing. Preparing to drive You should perform the following checks
and adjustments every day before you
start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and
lights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition
of the tires. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of
leaks, and check that no small animal is
under the vehicle.
4. Check that no small animal enters the
engine compartment.
5. Check that the hood and trunk lid are
fully closed.
6. Check the adjustment of the seat.
7. Check the adjustment of the inside
and outside mirrors.
8. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your
passengers have fastened their seatbelts.
9. Check the operation of the warning
and indicator lights when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ ON ” position.
10. Check the gauges, indicator and warn-
ing lights after starting the engine.7-8

: With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while pressing the select lever button
in.
: Shift while pressing the select lever
button in.
: Shift without pressing the select lever
button.
The select lever has four positions, “ P ” ,
“ R ” , “ N ” , “ D ” and it also has an “ M ” position
for using the manual mode.
NOTE For some models, to protect the engine
while the select lever is in the “ P ” or
“ N ” position, the engine is controlled
so that the engine speed may not
become too high even if the accelerator
pedal is depressed hard. ! P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine. In this position, the
transmission is mechanically locked to
prevent the vehicle from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first apply the
parking brake firmly, then shift into the “ P ”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the mechanical friction of the transmis-
sion.
To shift the select lever from the “ P ”
position to any other position, you should
depress the brake pedal fully then move
the select lever. This prevents the vehicle
from lurching when it is started.
! R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle. To
shift from the “ N ” to “ R ” position, stop the
vehicle completely then move the lever to
the “ R ” position while pressing the select
lever button in.
When the ignition switch has been turned
to the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position, movement
of the select lever from the “ N ” to “ R ”
position is possible for a limited time
period by depressing the brake pedal,
and then it becomes impossible. For
details, refer to “ Shift lock function ” F 7-27. ! N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled
engine. In this position, the transmission is
neutral, meaning that the wheels and
transmission are not locked. Therefore,
the vehicle will roll freely, even on the
slightest incline unless the parking brake
or foot brake is applied.
Avoid coasting with the transmission in
neutral. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition.
WARNINGDo not drive the vehicle with the
select lever in the “ N ” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no
effect in this condition and the risk
of an accident is consequently in-
creased.
NOTE If the select lever is in the “ N ” position
when you stop the engine for parking,
you may not subsequently be able to
move it to the “ R ” and “ P ” positions. If
this happens, turn the ignition switch to
the “ ON ” position. You will then be able
to move the select lever to the “ P ”
position.Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
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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
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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

Driving tips for AWD models 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.
. When you replacing or installing
tire(s), all four tires must be the
same for following items.
(a) Size
(b) Circumference
(c) Speed symbol
(d) Load index
(e) Construction
(f) Manufacturer
(g) Brand (tread pattern)
(h) Degrees of wear
For the items (a) to (d), you must
obey the specification that is printed on the tire placard. The
tire placard is located on the
bottom of driver ’ s door pillar.
If all of four tires are not the same
for items (a) to (h), there is a
possibility that serious mechan-
ical damage could occur to the
drive train of your car, and affect
the following.
— Ride
— Handling
— Braking
— Speedometer/Odometer
calibration
— Clearance between the body
and tires
It also may be dangerous and
lead to loss of vehicle control,
and it can lead to an accident.
CAUTION
If you use a temporary spare tire to
replace a flat tire, be sure to use the
original temporary spare tire stored
in the vehicle. Using other sizes may
result in severe mechanical damage
to the drive train of your vehicle. All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine
power to all four wheels. AWD models
provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt and sand.
By shifting power between the front and
rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also
provide added traction during acceleration
and added engine braking force during
deceleration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging
the AWD system, you should keep the
following tips in mind.
. An AWD model is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery Driving tips/Driving tips for AWD models
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