Page 330 of 540
328 4-2. Maintenance
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• Moves smoothly (without uneven
pedal effort or catching)?
Automatic transmission “Park”
mechanism• Can the vehicle be held securely
on an incline with the select lever
in P?
Brake pedal• Moves smoothly?
• Does it have appropriate clear-
ance and correct amount of free
play?
Brakes• Not pull to one side when
applied?
• Loss of brake effectiveness?
• Spongy feeling brake pedal?
• Pedal almost touches floor?
Clutch pedal • Moves smoothly?
Head restraints• Move smoothly and lock
securely?
Indicators/buzzers • Function properly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake• Moves smoothly?
• Can hold the vehicle securely on
an incline?
Seatbelts• Does the seatbelt system oper-
ate smoothly?
• Are the belts undamaged?
Seats• Do the seat controls operate
properly?
Steering wheel• Moves smoothly?
• Has correct free play?
• No strange noises?
Page 335 of 540

333 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■When working in the engine compartment
●Keep hands, clothing, and tools away from the moving fan and engine
drive belt.
●Be careful not to touch the engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right
after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
●Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper or rags, in the
engine compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel or the bat-
tery. Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
●Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.
■When working near the electric cooling fans or radiator grille
Vehicles without a keyless access with push button start system: Be sure the
engine switch is off. With the engine switch in the “ON” position, the electric
cooling fans may automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or
the coolant temperature is high. ( oP. 342)
Vehicles with a keyless access with push button start system: Be sure the
push-button ignition switch is off. With the push-button ignition switch in
“ON” mode, the electric cooling fans may automatically start to run if the air
conditioning is on and/or the coolant temperature is high. ( oP. 342)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc. from
getting in the eyes.
CAUTION
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive engine wear
due to dirt in the air. Also a backfire could cause a fire in the engine compart-
ment.
Page 406 of 540

404 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Have the vehicle inspected immediately.
Failing to investigate the cause of the following warnings may lead to
the system operating abnormally and possibly cause an accident.
Have the vehicle inspected by your SUBARU dealer immediately.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada and
Mexico)Malfunction indicator lamp
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The electronic engine control system;
• The electronic throttle control system;
• The electronic automatic transmission control system.
SRS airbag system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The seatbelt pretensioner system;
• The front passenger occupant detection system.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada and
Mexico)ABS warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS;
• The brake assist system.
Electric power steering warning light (warning buzzer)
Indicates a malfunction in the electric power steering sys-
tem.
Slip indicator
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The Vehicle stability control (VSC) system;
• The TRAC system;
• The hill start assist system.
Automatic headlight leveling system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the automatic headlight leveling
system.
Page 408 of 540
406 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Follow the correction procedures.
After taking the specified steps to correct the suspected problem,
check that the warning light turns off.
Warning lightWarning light/DetailsCorrection procedure
Open door warning light (if
equipped)
Indicates that a door or the
trunk lid is not fully closed.Check that both side doors
and the trunk lid are closed.
(Comes on in
yellow)Low fuel level warning
light
Remaining fuel
(Approximately 1.8 gal.
[7.0 L, 1.5 Imp. gal.] or
less)Refuel the vehicle.
(On the instru-
ment cluster)Driver’s seatbelt
reminder light
(warning buzzer)
*1
Warns the driver to fasten
his/her seatbelt.Fasten the seatbelt.
(On the center
panel)Front passenger’s seatbelt
reminder light
(warning buzzer)
*2
Warns the front passenger
to fasten his or her seatbelt.Fasten the seatbelt.
Page 410 of 540

408 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
*1: Driver’s seatbelt buzzer:
Vehicles without a keyless access with push button start system
The driver’s seatbelt buzzer sounds to alert the driver that his or her seatbelt
is not fastened. Once the engine switch is turned to the “ON” position, the
buzzer sounds for 6 seconds. If the vehicle reaches a speed of 12 mph (20
km/h), the buzzer sounds once. If the seatbelt is still unfastened after 24
seconds, the buzzer will sound intermittently for 10 seconds. Then, if the
seatbelt is still unfastened, the buzzer will sound in a different tone for 20
more seconds.
Vehicles with a keyless access with push button start system
The driver’s seatbelt buzzer sounds to alert the driver that his or her seatbelt
is not fastened. Once the
push-button ignition switch is turned to “ON”
mode
, the buzzer sounds for 6 seconds. If the vehicle reaches a speed of
12 mph (20 km/h), the buzzer sounds once. If the seatbelt is still unfastened
after 24 seconds, the buzzer will sound intermittently for 10 seconds. Then,
if the seatbelt is still unfastened, the buzzer will sound in a different tone for
20 more seconds.
*2: Front passenger’s seatbelt buzzer:
The front passenger’s seatbelt buzzer sounds to alert the front passenger
that his or her seatbelt is not fastened. The buzzer sounds once if the vehi-
cle reaches a speed of 12 mph (20 km/h). If the seatbelt is still unfastened
after 24 seconds, the buzzer will sound intermittently for 10 seconds. Then,
if the seatbelt is still unfastened, the buzzer will sound in a different tone for
20 more seconds.
Page 411 of 540

5
When trouble arises
409 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Low fuel level warning light
When the vehicle is on an incline, curve and so forth, the fuel inside the tank
moves, which may cause the warning light to come on early.
■Front passenger detection sensor and passenger seatbelt reminder
and warning buzzer
●If luggage is placed on the front passenger seat, the front passenger
detection sensor may cause the warning light to flash and warning
buzzer to sound, even if a passenger is not sitting in the seat.
●If a cushion is placed on the seat, the sensor may not detect a passen-
ger, and the warning light may not operate properly.
■
When the tire pressure warning light comes on (if equipped)
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level.
■The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes
(if equipped)
The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes such
as natural air leaks or tire inflation pressure changes caused by temper-
ature. In this case, adjusting the tire inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a spare tire (vehicles with a tire pres-
sure monitoring system)
The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure warning light will
not turn off even though the flat tire has been replaced with the spare
tire. Replace the spare tire with the repaired tire and adjust the tire infla-
tion pressure. The tire pressure warning light will go off after a few min-
utes.
Page 418 of 540
416 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Have the vehicle inspected immediately.
Failure to investigate the cause of the following warnings may lead to
the system operating abnormally and possibly cause an accident.
Have the vehicle inspected by your SUBARU dealer immediately.
Warning messageDetails
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The seatbelt pretensioner system;
• The front passenger occupant detection system.
A buzzer also sounds.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada and Mexico)
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS;
• The brake assist system.
A buzzer also sounds.
Indicates a malfunction in the electric power steer-
ing system.
A buzzer also sounds.
Page 459 of 540
5
When trouble arises
457 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
■When handling jumper cables
Be careful that the jumper cables do not become tangled in the cooling fans
or any of the belts when connecting or disconnecting them.
■When closing the doors
While pushing the door glass towards the inside of the vehicle, slowly close
the door.
Because the side window open/close function linked to door operation will
not operate, the window may interfere with the vehicle body, possibly
scratching both the vehicle body and window, or even shattering the window.