2017 SUBARU FORESTER lock

2. Wrap the tip of a flat-head screwdriver
with vinyl tape or a cloth and use it to
remove the shift lock cover. The shift lock
release button is located under the shift
lock cover.
3. While depressing the brake pedal,insert a screwdriver into the hole, press
the shift lock release button using a
screwdriver, and then move the select
lever.
If the select lever does not move after
performing the above procedure, the shift
lock system may be malfunctioning. Con-
tact a SUBARU dealer for an inspection
as soon as possible.
&
Driving tips
CAUTION
If the accelerator and brake pedals
are depressed at the same time,
driving torque may be restrained.
This is not a malfunction.
. Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D”or
“R ”position.
. Make sure to apply the parking brake
when parking your vehicle. Do not hold
the vehicle with only the mechanical
friction of the transmission.
. Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the
“D ”position. Use the brake instead.
. The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This phenomenon does not indicate a
malfunction.
Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission7-31

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
Alwaysusetheutmostcarein
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 tire chains are installed,
stopping distances may be long-
er for a vehicle with the ABS than
one without. Be sure to reduce
your speed and maintain a safe
distance from the vehicle in front.
. 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.
& 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 a malfunction.
&
ABS warning light
Refer to “ABS warning light ”F 3-21.
Starting and operating/ABS (Anti –lock Brake System)7-37

Starting and operating/Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system
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 (type A)
Brake and ABS warning light (type B)
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.
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.
7-38

Starting and operating/X–mode
OFF indicator light “”on the combination
meter illuminates. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will be deactivated and the
vehicle will behave like a model not
equipped with the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system. When the switch is pressed
again to reactivate the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator light turns off.
With the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
deactivated, traction and stability en-
hancement offered by Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is unavailable. Therefore
you should not deactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system except under
above-mentioned situations.
NOTE
. When the switch has been pressed
to deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system automatically reacti-
vates itself the next time the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK ”/“ OFF ”
position and the engine is restarted.
. If the switch is held down for 30
seconds or longer, the indicator light
turns off, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is activated, and the system
ignores any further pressing of the
switch. To make the switch usable
again, turn the ignition switch to the “
LOCK ”/“ OFF ”position and restart the
engine.
. When the switch is pressed to
deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system, the vehicle ’s running per-
formance is comparable with that of a
vehicle that does not have a Vehicle
Dynamics Control system. Do not de-
activate the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system except when absolutely neces-
sary.
. Even when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is deactivated, compo-
nents of the brake control system may
still activate. When the brake control
system is activated, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator
light flashes.
X-mode (if equipped)
WARNING
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving a vehicle
with X-mode could easily lead to
a serious accident.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving a vehicle
with hill descent control function
could easily lead to a serious
accident. Be especially careful,
and depress the brake pedal if
necessary when driving on ex-
tremely steep downhill, frozen,
muddy or sandy roads. Failure
to control the vehicle ’sspeed
may cause a loss of control and
result in a serious accident.
CAUTION
. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with X-mode, winter tires or snow
chains should be used when
driving on snow-covered or icy
roads; in addition, vehicle speed
should be reduced considerably.
7-42

Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
21.
CAUTION
Never 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.
&Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always per-
form the following items.
. Apply the parking brake firmly.
. For MT models, put the shift lever in the
“1 ”(1st) for upgrade or “R”(Reverse) for a
downgrade.
. For CVT models, put the select lever in
the “P”(Park) position.
Never rely on the mechanical friction of
the transmission alone to hold the vehicle.When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is
headed up the hill, the front wheels should
be turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.
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 people.
. 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.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), pay attention to blocks
7-48

and other obstructions on the
ground when parking. The under-
spoilers could be damaged by con-
tact with them.Hill start assist system
WARNING
.The Hill start assist system is a
device only for helping the driver
to START the vehicle on an uphill
grade. To prevent accidents
when the vehicle is parked on a
slope, be sure to firmly set the
parking brake. When setting the
parking brake, make sure that the
vehicle remains stationary when
the clutch pedal (MT models) and
brake pedal (both MT and CVT
models) are released.
. Do not turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ”/“ OFF ”position while
the Hill start assist system is
operating. The Hill start assist
system will be deactivated and
may lead to an accident.
The Hill start assist system is a device to
make the following vehicle operations
easier.
1) Starting forward facing uphill
2) Starting backward facing downhill
A) Brake pedal (both MT models and CVT models)
B) Clutch pedal (MT models only)
In both these cases, the Hill start assist
system operates under the following con-
Starting and operating/Hill start assist system
–CONTINUED –7-49

Starting and operating/Hill start assist system
ditions.
.when the clutch pedal is depressed
while the brake pedal is also depressed
(MT models)
. when the vehicle has stopped with the
brake pedal depressed (CVT models)
Braking power is maintained temporarily
(for approximately 2 seconds) by the Hill
start assist system after the brake pedal is
released. The driver is therefore able to
start the vehicle in the same way as on a
level grade, just using the clutch pedal
(MT models only) and accelerator pedal
(all models).
If the braking power of the Hill start assist
system is insufficient after the brake pedal
is released, apply more braking power by
depressing the brake pedal again.
The Hill start assist system may not
operate on slight grades. Also, the Hill
start assist system does not operate in the
following cases.
. when starting backward facing uphill
. when starting forward facing downhill
. while the parking brake is applied
. while the ignition switch is in the “ACC”
or “LOCK”/ “OFF”position
. while the Hill start assist warning light/ Hill start assist OFF indicator light is
illuminated
When using the Hill start assist system, a
braking effect may be felt even after the
brake pedal has been released. However,
this braking effect should disappear once
the clutch pedal is released.
CAUTION
The braking power of the Hill start
assist system may not be sufficient
when strong braking power is
needed (e.g., when towing a trailer).
NOTE
A slight jolt may be felt when the
vehicle begins to move forward after
being reversed.
&
To activate/deactivate the Hill
start assist system
CAUTION
While the Hill start assist system is
deactivated, when starting on an
uphill grade, braking power is not
maintained if the brake pedal is
released. Start on an uphill grade
by using the parking brake.
7-50

You can activate/deactivate the Hill start
assist system according to the following
procedure.
NOTE
If you make an error when performing
any steps in the following procedure,
placetheignitionswitchinthe
“LOCK ”/“OFF ”position once and then
start over again.
! To deactivate
1. Park your vehicle in a flat and safe
location and apply the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” /
“OFF ”position.
3. Restart the engine.
Type A combination meter
Type B combination meter
4. Confirm the following items. (1) The Brake system warning light
illuminates.
(2) The Vehicle Dynamics Control
warning light turns off.
(3) The Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light turns off.
(4) The ABS warning light turns off.
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch
(models with power rear gate)
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch
(models without power rear gate)
5. Press the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch and hold it until the Vehicle
Starting and operating/Hill start assist system
–CONTINUED –7-51