2017 SUBARU FORESTER tow

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
the “LOCK ”position while the
vehicle is being driven or towed
because that will lock the steer-
ing wheel, preventing steering
control. And when the engine is
turned off, it takes a much great-
er 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/Meters and gauges
&Fuel gauge
Fuel gauge (type A)
Fuel gauge (type B)
1) Trip knob
The fuel gauge is displayed when the
ignition is in the “ON”position, and it shows the approximate amount of fuel
remaining in the tank.
The gauge indication may change slightly
during braking, turning or acceleration due
to fuel level movement in the tank.
If you press the trip knob while the ignition
switch is in the
“LOCK”/ “OFF”or “ACC ”
position, the fuel gauge will light up and
indicate the amount of fuel remaining in
the tank. If, while the fuel gauge is
indicating the amount of fuel remaining in
the tank, you (a) do not press the trip knob
for 10 seconds or (b) open and close the
driver ’s door, the fuel gauge indication will
turn off.
NOTE
You will see the “”sign in the fuel
gauge. This indicates that the fuel filler
door (lid) is located on the right side of
the vehicle.
& ECO gauge (if equipped)
The ECO gauge shows the difference
between the current rate of fuel consump-
tion and the average rate of fuel consump-
tion since the trip meter was last reset.
If the needle of the gauge moves towards
the right side, this indicates better fuel
efficiency.
NOTE
. The ECO gauge shows only an
approximate indication of fuel effi-
ciency.
. After resetting the trip meter, the
average rate of fuel consumption is not
shown until driving 0.6 mile (1 km).
Before that time, the ECO gauge does
not operate.
3-12

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 in BLUEindicates insuffi-
cient warming up of the engine
. Blinking in REDindicates that the
engine is close to overheating
. Illumination in REDindicates overheat-
ing condition of the engine
For a system check, this indicator light/
warning light illuminates in REDfor
approximately 2 seconds when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON”position.
After that, this indicator light/warning light
changes to BLUEand maintains illumina-
tion in BLUE. This BLUE illuminated light
turns off when the engine is warmed up
sufficiently.
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED –3-17

&ABS warning light
CAUTION
.If any of the following conditions
occur, we recommend that you
have the ABS 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
when the vehicle speed ex-
ceeds approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h).
– 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
“Electronic
Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system
warning ”F 3-22.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following conditions,
the ABS 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,
but it turns off when the vehicle speed
reaches approximately 25 mph (40
km/h).
. The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may illumi-
nate. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged, the light will turn off.
&Brake system
warning light
The light illuminates with the parking
brake applied while the ignition switch is
in the
“ON”position. It turns off when the
parking brake is fully released.
WARNING
. Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains illuminated,
have the brakes inspected by a
SUBARU dealer immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair.
The brake system warning light has the
following functions.
! Brake fluid level warning
This light illuminates when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the “MIN”level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED –3-21

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
switch in the“ON”position and with the
parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should
illuminate while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in “ON”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe
location and check the brake fluid level.
If the fluid level is below the “MIN”mark in
the reservoir, do not drive the vehicle.
Have the vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.
! Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also
illuminates if a malfunction occurs in the
EBD system. In that event, it illuminates
together with the ABS warning light.
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 fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are
applied harder than usual and the vehi-
cle ’s motion may therefore become some-
what 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. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake and then restart it.
3. 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.
4. If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain illuminated after the engine
has been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“
MIN ”mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the
“ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
! Vacuum pump system warning
(turbo models)
This light illuminates when a malfunction
is detected in the vacuum pump system.NOTE
The vacuum pump system assists the
boost pressure when driving at high
altitudes while the engine is cold.
&Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light illuminates
when the tank is nearly empty, at approxi-
mately 2.6 US gal (10.0 liters, 2.2 Imp gal).
It only operates when the ignition switch is
in the “ON”position.
CAUTION
Promptly put fuel in the tank when-
ever the low fuel warning light
illuminates. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
NOTE
This light does not turn off unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.5 US
gal (17 liters, 3.7 Imp gal).
3-22

Instruments and controls/Multi information display (models with type B combination meter)
5) Select lever/gear position indicator (refer to“Select lever/gear position indicator
(CVT models) ”F 3-31.)
6) Odometer (refer to “Odometer ”F 3-10.)/
double trip meter (refer to “Double trip
meter ”F 3-10.)
Control switch
1) Up (select)
2) Set (enter)
3) Down (select)
& Basic operation
By operating “”or “”of the control
switch, the screens and selection items
can be switched. When the “
/SET”
switch is pulled toward you, the item can
be selected and set.
If there are some useful messages, such
as vehicle information, warning informa- tion, etc., they will interrupt the current
screen, and appear on the display accom-
panied by a beep. If such a screen is
displayed, take proper action according to
the message shown on the screen.
The warning screen will return to the
original screen after a few seconds. While
the
“
”information reminder is shown on
the display, it may be possible to display
the warning screen again. To recall the
message marked with “
”on the display,
pull the “/SET”switch on the steering
wheel toward you.
& Welcome screen and Good-
bye screen
When the driver ’s door is opened and
closed after unlocking the door, the
welcome screen will appear on the multi
information display for approximately 20
seconds.
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“LOCK”/ “OFF ”position, the multi informa-
tion display gradually turns off (Good-bye
screen).
NOTE
. The basic screen will be shown
when the ignition switch is turned to
the “ON ”position while the welcome
screen is displayed. .
Once the welcome screen appears,
it takes a certain period of time to
display it again.
. If the ignition switch is operated
after unlocking the driver ’s door, the
welcome screen will not appear even
when the driver ’s door is opened and
closed.
. The welcome screen will disappear
when you lock the driver ’s door by
using the remote keyless entry system
(all models) or the keyless access
function (if equipped) while the wel-
come screen is displayed.
. If any of the doors (including the
rear gate) is opened while the welcome
screen is displayed, the door ajar
warning will appear.
. The welcome screen can be set to
on or off. For details, refer to “Welcome
Good-bye Screen ”F 3-43.
3-40

Instruments and controls/Multi function display
NOTE
The driving range on the remaining fuel
is calculated using the average fuel
consumption of the last 19 miles (30
km) driven. This value may be different
from the values calculated using the
average fuel consumption correspond-
ing to the driving distance of each trip
meter or the current fuel consumption.!Clock
The clock can be displayed in either 12-
hour display or 24-hour display. For details
about the setting, refer to “Current date
and time setting ”F 3-59.
NOTE
If the vehicle battery is disconnected,
the clock shown in the information bar
will be reset. Set the time again after
the vehicle battery is connected. For
details about the setting, refer to “To p
display setting ”F 3-68. !
Fuel consumption screen
1) Average fuel consumption corresponding
to the driving distance of each trip meter
2) Current fuel consumption
3) Driving range on remaining fuel
The displayed location can be custo-
mized. For details, refer to “Fuel consump-
tion screen setting ”F 3-69. !
ECO gauge screen
1) Average fuel consumption corresponding
to the driving distance of each trip meter
2) ECO gauge
The gauge pointer shows the difference
between the current fuel consumption and
the average fuel consumption that is
displayed on the center part of the screen.
If the gauge pointer moves toward the
green side, this indicates better fuel
efficiency.
3-50

NOTE
.After manually changing the head-
light mode to the high beam, if you turn
on the high beam assist function,
return the light control switch to the
“ AUTO ”position.
. When manually changing the head-
light mode to the high beam, if you turn
the light control switch to the “
”
position, the instrument panel illumina-
tion, parking lights, front side marker
lights, rear side marker lights, tail lights
and license plate lights will be on.
! Tips for the high beam assist
system
. The high beam assist function recog-
nizes the condition surrounding the vehi-
cle based on the brightness of illumination
ahead of your vehicle, etc. Therefore, the
headlight mode may switch in some
situations that do not match to the driver ’s
sense.
. A bicycle or cargo cycle may not be
detected.
. Under the following situations, the
brightness of ambient illumination may
not be detected correctly and the high
beam assist function may not work prop-
erly. As a result, the glare of the high beam
may disturb the driving of an oncoming
vehicle or vehicle ahead. Also, the low beam mode may continue although there
are no oncoming vehicles and vehicles
ahead. In the such cases, change the
headlight mode manually.
–In bad weather (fog, snow, sand
storm, heavy rain, etc.)
– When the windshield glass is dirty
or fogged
– When the windshield is cracked or
damaged
– When the stereo camera is de-
formed or the stereo camera lenses
are dirty
– If there are lights similar to the
headlights or the tail lights in the
surrounding area
– When an oncoming vehicle or ve-
hicle ahead is driven without its head-
lights and tail lights on
– If the headlights of an oncoming
vehicle or the tail lights of a vehicle
ahead are dirty or discolored, or if the
light beams are not aimed correctly
– When a rapid change of brightness
continues while driving
– When driving on a road with many
ups and downs or uneven surfaces
– When driving on a road with many
curves
– When there are some objects that
reflect light strongly, such as a road
sign or a mirror in vehicle ahead –
When the rear part of the vehicle
ahead, such as a container, reflects
light strongly
– When the headlights of your vehicle
are damaged or dirty
– When your vehicle is tilted, such as
in case the vehicle has a flat tire or is
being towed
– Immediately after the engine has
started
. In the following conditions, the head-
light mode will not be automatically chan-
ged from the high beam to the low beam.
–When your vehicle passes an on-
coming vehicle suddenly in a blind
curve
– When another vehicle passes in
front of your vehicle
– When an oncoming vehicle or ve-
hicle ahead comes in and out of view
because of continuous curves, median
strips, roadside trees, etc.
. If the stereo camera detects the light of
the front fog lights of an oncoming vehicle,
the headlight mode may change from the
high beam to the low beam automatically.
. The headlight mode may change from
the high beam to the low beam, or the low
beam mode may continue, when affected
by a street light, traffic signal, illumination
of an advertisement board, or a reflective
object such as a road sign and signboard.
Instruments and controls/Light control switch
–CONTINUED –3-97