2017 SUBARU CROSSTREK overheating

How to use this Owner’s
Manual
&Using your Owner’s Manual
Before you operate your vehicle, carefully
read this manual. To protect yourself and
extend the service life of your vehicle,
follow the instructions in this manual.
Failure to observe these instructions may
result in serious injury and damage to your
vehicle.
This manual is composed of fourteen
chapters. Each chapter begins with a brief
table of contents, so you can usually tell at
a glance if that chapter contains the
information you want.
Chapter 1: Seat, seatbelt and SRS
airbags
This chapter informs you how to use the
seat and seatbelt and contains precau-
tions for the SRS airbags.
Chapter 2: Keys and doors
This chapter informs you how to operate
the keys, locks and windows.
Chapter 3: Instruments and controls
This chapter informs you about the opera-
tion of instrument panel indicators and
how to use the instruments and other
switches.Chapter 4: Climate control
This chapter informs you how to operate
the climate control.
Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate
your audio system.
Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate
interior equipment.
Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and
operate your SUBARU.
Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your
SUBARU in various conditions and ex-
plains some safety tips on driving.
Chapter 9: In case of emergency
This chapter informs you what to do if you
have a problem, such as a flat tire or
engine overheating.
Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your
SUBARU looking good.
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need
to take your SUBARU to the dealer for
scheduled maintenance and informs you
how to keep your SUBARU running
properly.Chapter 12: Specifications
This chapter informs you about dimen-
sions and capacities of your SUBARU.
Chapter 13: Consumer information and
Reporting safety defects
This chapter informs you about Uniform
tire quality grading standards and Report-
ing safety defects.
Chapter 14: Index
This is an alphabetical listing of all that’sin
this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
For models with EyeSight system:
For details about the EyeSight system,
refer to the Owner’s Manual supplement
for the EyeSight system.
&Safety warnings
You will find a number of WARNINGs,
CAUTIONs and NOTEs in this manual.
These safety warnings alert you to poten-
tial hazards that could result in injury to
you or others.
Please read these safety warnings as well
as all other portions of this manual care-
fully in order to gain a better understand-
ing of how to use your SUBARU vehicle
safely.
2

NOTE
This light also illuminates when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator light illuminating
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and retighten it until it
clicks. Make sure nothing is interfering
with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the
cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE
warning light turn off immediately. It may
take several driving trips. If the light does
not turn off, take your vehicle to your
authorized SUBARU dealer immediately.
!If the light is blinking
If the light is blinking while driving, an
engine misfire condition has been de-
tected which may damage the emission
control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do the
following.
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard acceleration.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.
.If towing a trailer, stop doing so as soon
as possible.The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and illuminate steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately.
&Coolant temperature
low indicator light/Cool-
ant temperature high
warning light
CAUTION
.After turning the ignition switch
to the“ON”position, if this
indicator light/warning light be-
haves in any of the following
ways, the electrical system may
be malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for
an inspection.
–It remains blinking in RED.
–It remains illuminated in RED
for more than 2 seconds.
–It remains blinking in RED and
BLUE alternately.
.While driving, if this indicator
light/warning light behaves in
any of the following ways, take
the specified appropriate mea-
sure listed below.–Blinking or illuminated in
RED:
Safely stop the vehicle as
soon as possible, and refer
to the emergency steps to
take in the case of engine
overheating. After that, have
the system checked by your
nearest SUBARU dealer. Refer
to“Engine overheating”F9-
12.
–Blinking in RED and BLUE
alternately:
The electrical system may be
malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspec-
tion.
This coolant temperature low indicator
light/coolant temperature high warning
light has the following three functions.
.Illumination inBLUEindicates insuffi-
cient warming up of the engine
.Blinking inREDindicates that the
engine is close to overheating
.Illumination inREDindicates overheat-
ing condition of the engine
For a system check, this indicator light/
warning light illuminates inREDfor
approximately 2 seconds when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the“ON”position.
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED–3-17

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
After that, this indicator light/warning light
changes toBLUEand maintains illumina-
tion inBLUE. ThisBLUEilluminated light
turns off when the engine is warmed up
sufficiently.
If the engine coolant temperature in-
creases over the specified range, the
indicator light/warning light blinks in
RED. At this time, the engine is close to
overheating.
If the engine coolant temperature in-
creases further, the indicator light/warning
light illuminates inREDcontinuously. At
this time, the engine may be overheating.
When the indicator light/warning light
blinks inREDor illuminates inRED, safely
stop the vehicle as soon as possible, and
refer to the emergency steps to take in the
case of engine overheating. Refer to
“Engine overheating”F9-12. After that,
have the system checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer.
Also, if the indicator light/warning light
often blinks inRED, the electrical system
may be malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspection.
NOTE
If the engine is restarted after a certain
driving condition, this indicator light/warning light may illuminate in RED.
However, this is not a malfunction if the
indicator light/warning light turns off
after a short time.
&Charge warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good
condition but the light remains illuminated,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately.
&Oil pressure warning
light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remainsilluminated, contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer immediately.
For details about checking the engine oil
level or adding the engine oil, refer to
“Engine oil”F11-8.
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light illumi-
nated. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
&Engine low oil level
warning light
This light illuminates when the engine oil
level decreases to the lower limit.
If the engine low oil level warning light
illuminates while driving, park the vehicle
in a safe and level location, and then
check the engine oil level. When the
engine oil level is not within the normal
range, refill with engine oil. Refer to
“Engine oil”F11-8.
If the warning light does not turn off after
refilling the engine oil, or the warning light
illuminates even though the engine oil
level is within the normal range, have the
vehicle checked by a SUBARU dealer.
3-18

WARNING
When the Hill start assist warning
light illuminates, have the vehicle
inspected at an authorized SUBARU
dealer.
!Hill start assist OFF indicator light
While the Hill start assist system is
deactivated, the Hill start assist OFF
indicator light illuminates continuously to
inform the driver that the Hill start assist
system is not operational.
&Door open warning
light
The warning light illuminates if any door
(including the rear gate) 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 (CVT models)
This light blinks if the vehicle is driven with
tires of differing diameters fitted on the
wheels or with an excessively low airpressure in any of the tires.
WARNING
If the AWD warning light flashes,
promptly park in a safe location 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.
Continuing to drive with the AWD
warning light flashing can lead to
powertrain damage.
&Power steering warn-
ing light
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.
CAUTION
When the power steering warning
light is illuminated, there may be
more resistance when the steeringwheel 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
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED–3-23

!Steering responsive fog lights OFF
indicator
Steering responsive fog lights OFF indica-
tor
This indicator appears when the steering
responsive fog lights system is deacti-
vated. This indicator disappears when the
system is activated.
Wiper and washer
WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use the
windshield washer until the wind-
shield is sufficiently warmed by the
defroster.
Otherwise the washer fluid can
freeze on the windshield, blocking
your view.
CAUTION
.Do not operate the washer con-
tinuously for more than 10 sec-
onds, or when the washer fluid
tank is empty. This may cause
overheating of the washer motor.
Check the washer fluid level
frequently, such as at fuel stops.
.Do not operate the wipers when
the windshield or rear window is
dry. This may scratch the glass,
damage the rubber wiper blades
and might cause the wiper motor
to fail. Before operating the wiper
on a dry windshield or rear
window, always use the wind-
shield washer..In freezing weather, be sure that
the rubber wiper blades are not
frozen to the windshield or rear
window before switching on the
wipers. Attempting to operate the
wiper with the rubber wiper
blades frozen to the window
glass could cause not only the
rubber wiper blades to be da-
maged but also might cause the
wiper motor to fail. If the rubber
wiper blades are frozen to the
window glass, be sure to operate
the defroster, windshield wiper
deicer (if equipped) or rear win-
dow defogger before turning on
the wiper.
.If the wipers stop during opera-
tion because of ice or some other
obstruction on the window, this
might cause the wiper motor to
fail even if the wiper switch is
turned off. If this occurs,
promptly stop the vehicle in a
safe place, turn the ignition
switch to the“LOCK”/“OFF”po-
sition and clean the window
glass to allow proper wiper op-
eration.
.Use clean water if windshield
washer fluid is unavailable. In
areas where water freezes in
Instruments and controls/Wiper and washer
–CONTINUED–3-95

appliance that can be connected
is 120W. Do not use an appliance
which exceeds the indicated wat-
tage for each outlet.
When using appliances con-
nected to two outlets simulta-
neously, the total power con-
sumed by them must not exceed
120W. Overloading the accessory
power outlet can cause a short
circuit. Do not use double adap-
ters or more than one electrical
appliance.
.If the plug on your electric appli-
ance is either too loose or too
tight for the accessory power
outlet, this can result in a poor
contact or cause the plug to get
stuck. Only use plugs that fit
properly.
.Use of an electric appliance in the
accessory power outlet for a long
period of time while the engine is
not running can cause battery
discharge.
.Before driving your vehicle, make
sure that the plug and the cord
on your electrical appliance will
not interfere with your shifting
gears and operating the accel-
erator and brake pedals. If theydo, do not use the electrical
appliance while driving.
NOTE
When the lid of the center console is
closed, an opening remains between
the center console and the lid to allow
the power outlet in the center console
to be used. Pass the cord of the
electrical appliance through this open-
ing.
&Use with a cigarette lighter
(dealer option)
To use the accessory power outlet as a
cigarette lighter socket, purchase the
cigarette lighter plug, which is an optional
accessory. A cigarette lighter plug isavailable from your SUBARU dealer.
The cigarette lighter operates only when
the ignition switch is in the“ON”or“ACC”
position.
To use the cigarette lighter, push in the
knob and wait a few moments. It will
automatically spring up when ready for
use.
WARNING
To avoid being burned, never grasp
the lighter by the end with the
heating element. Doing so could
result in injury and could also
damage the heating element.
CAUTION
.Do not hold the lighter pushed in,
because it will overheat.
.The electrical power socket is
originally designed to use a gen-
uine SUBARU cigarette lighter
plug. Do not use a non-genuine
cigarette lighter plug in the sock-
et. Doing so may cause a short-
circuit and overheating, resulting
in a fire.
.If the socket is ever used for a
plug-in accessory such as a cell
Interior equipment/Accessory power outlets
–CONTINUED–6-9

Starting and operating/Braking
&Power steering system fea-
tures
The vehicle is equipped with an electric
power steering system. When the ignition
switch is turned to the“ON”position, the
power steering warning light on the
combination meter illuminates to inform
the driver that the warning system is
functioning properly. Then, if the engine
started, the warning light turns off to inform
the driver that the steering power assist is
operational.
CAUTION
When 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, this may result in a malfunc-
tion of the power steering control
system.
Braking
&Braking tips
WARNING
Never 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
7-30

!Driving on grades
.Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the following indicators be-
cause the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating.
: Coolant temperature high warning light
: AT OIL TEMP warning light
(CVT models)
If the coolant temperature high warning
light and/or the AT OIL TEMP warning light
illuminates, immediately turn off the air
conditioner and stop the vehicle in the
nearest safe location. For further instruc-
tions and additional information, refer to
the following sections.
–“If you park your vehicle in case of
an emergency”F9-2
–“Engine overheating”F9-12
–“Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light”F3-17
–“AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVTmodels)”F3-19
.For CVT models, avoid using the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat.
!Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake firmly. You should not
park on a hill or slope. If parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or“P”position (CVT models)
and shut off the engine.
Driving tips/Trailer towing8-25