2017 SUBARU FORESTER climate control

Contact your SUBARU dealer for in-
spection.
.The indicator light on the air inlet
selection button may flash in the
following cases. However, this does
not indicate a malfunction.
–After the vehicle battery has been
disconnected and reconnected.
– When the vehicle battery voltage
is low.Defrosting
& Type A and B
Select the “”or “”mode by turning the
airflow mode selection dial to defrost or to
dehumidify the windshield and front door
windows.
& Type C
Select the “”mode by pressing the
defroster button, or select the “”mode
by turning the airflow mode selection dial
to defrost or to dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows.
& Type D
Select the “”mode by pressing the
defroster button, or select the “”mode
by pressing the airflow mode selection
button to defrost or to dehumidify the
windshield and front door windows.
NOTE
. When the “”or “”mode is
selected, the air conditioner compres-
sor operates automatically regardless
of the position of the air conditioner
button to defrost the windshield more
quickly. However the indicator on the
air conditioner button will not illumi-
nate. At the same time, the air inlet selection is automatically set to the
outside air mode.
For type A climate control system, in
this state:
–You cannot stop the air condi-
tioner compressor by pressing the
air conditioner button.
– You cannot select the recircula-
tion mode by pressing the air inlet
selection button.
. For type C and D climate control
system, after defrosting the windshield
by pressing the defroster button “
”,
pressing the button again returns the
system to the setting that had been
selected before the defroster was acti-
vated.
Climate control/Defrosting4-11

Climate control/Operating tips for heater and air conditioner
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner
&Cleaning ventilation grille
1) Front ventilation inlet grille
Always keep the front ventilation inlet grille
free of snow, leaves, or other obstructions
to ensure efficient heating and defrosting.
Since the condenser is located in front of
the radiator, this area should be kept clean
because cooling performance is impaired
by any accumulation of insects and leaves
on the condenser.
&Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to allow outside air to circulate into the
heated interior. This results in quicker
cooling by the air conditioner. Keep the
windows closed during the operation of
the air conditioner for maximum cooling
efficiency.
&
Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil.
&Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-
son
Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper
operation each spring. Have the air con-
ditioning system checked by your
SUBARU dealer.
&Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather conditions
Under certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.) a
small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate any problem with the air conditioning
system.
&
Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage,
the air conditioner compressor is designed
to temporarily shut off during air condi-
tioner operation whenever the accelerator
is fully depressed such as during rapid
acceleration or when driving up a steep
incline.
&Refrigerant for your climate
control system
1) Air conditioner label
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly
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refrigerant HFC134a (as shown on the air
conditioner label). Therefore, the method
of adding, changing or checking the
refrigerant is different from the method
for CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a
result of using the wrong refrigerant are
not covered under warranty.Air filtration system
Your vehicle’s air conditioning system is
equipped with an air filtration system.
Replace the air filter element according
to the replacement schedule found in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”. This
schedule should be followed to maintain
the filter ’s dust collection ability. Under
extremely dusty conditions, the filter
should be replaced more frequently. Have
your filter checked or replaced by your
SUBARU dealer. For replacement, use
only a genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
CAUTION
Contact your SUBARU dealer if the
following occurs, even if it is not yet
time to change the filter:
. Reduction of the airflow through
the vents.
. Windshield gets easily fogged or
misted.
NOTE
The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor-
mance if not properly maintained.
& Replacing an air filter
1. Remove the glove box.
NOTE
We recommend that you take mea-
sures to protect the center console
with masking tape first, so that you
avoid scratching the center console
with the glove box.
(1) Open the glove box.
(2) Remove the damper shaft from the
glove box.
Climate control/Air filtration system
–CONTINUED –4-13

Climate control/Air filtration system
1) Stopper
(3) Push in the stoppers located on
both sides of the glove box and then
pull down the glove box as far as it will
go.
(4) Pull out the glove box horizontallyand remove the hinge portion. When
doing this, be careful not to damage
the hinge.
2. Remove the air filter according to the
following procedure in order to prevent
dust on the air cleaner from falling to the
inside of its housing.
(1) Push in the four stoppers to
unlock, and then slowly pull out the
air filter 4 in (10 cm) from the housing.
(2) Completely pull out the air filter by
gently tilting the front side of the air
filter downward.
3. Replace the air filter element with a
new one.
CAUTION
The arrow mark on the filter must
point UP.
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4. Reinstall the glove box, and connect
the damper shaft.
5. Close the glove box.
Climate control/Air filtration system4-15

Bottle holders
CAUTION
.Do not pick up a bottle from the
bottle holder or put a bottle in the
holder while you are driving, as
this may distract you and lead to
an accident.
. When placing a beverage in a
bottle holder, make sure it is
capped. Otherwise, the beverage
could spill when opening/closing
the door or while driving and, if
the beverage is hot, it could burn
you and/or your passengers.
The bottle holder equipped on each door trim can be used to hold a beverage bottle
and other items.
Accessory power outlets
Power outlet below the climate control
Power outlet in the center consoleInterior equipment/Bottle holders
–CONTINUED –
6-9

Interior equipment/Accessory power outlets
Power outlet in the cargo area
Accessory power outlets are provided
below the climate control dials, in the
center console and in the cargo area.
Electrical power (12V DC) from the battery
is available at any of the outlets when the
ignition switch is in either the“ACC ”or
“ON ”position.
Youcanuseanin-vehicleelectrical
appliance by connecting it to an outlet.
The maximum power rating of an appli-
ance that can be connected is 120W.Do
not use an appliance which exceeds the
indicated wattage for each outlet.
When using appliances connected to two
or more outlets simultaneously, the total
power consumed by them must not
exceed 120W.
CAUTION
. Do not attempt to use a cigarette
lighter in the accessory power
outlets.
. Do not place any foreign objects,
especially metal ones such as
coins or aluminum foil, into the
accessory power outlet. That
could cause a short circuit. Al-
ways put the cap on the acces-
sory power outlet when it is not
in use.
. Use only electrical appliances
which are designed for 12V DC.
The maximum power rating of an
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 or more outlets
simultaneously, the total power
consumed by them must not
exceed 120W. Overloading the
accessory power outlet can
cause a short circuit. Do not use
double adapters 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 they
do, do not use the electrical
appliance while driving.
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Driving tips/Winter driving
frost or snow etc. on the power rear
gate, remove it. If you forcibly
operate the power rear gate with
frost or snow, it may cause a mal-
function.
&Driving on snowy and icy
roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle’ s braking perfor-
mance on snowy and icy roads. For
information on braking on slippery sur-
faces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) ”F 7-37 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system ”F 7-39.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine ’sintakesystemandmay
hinder the airflow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.
! Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the
windshield or rear window, perform the
following procedure.
. To thaw the windshield wiper blades,
use the defroster with the airflow selection
in “
”and the temperature set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely thawed. Refer to “Climate
control ”F 4-1.
. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. Refer to
“Defog-
ger and deicer ”F 3-116.
. To thaw the rear wiper blade, use the
rear window defogger. Refer to “Defogger
and deicer ”F 3-116.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow selection in “
”and the
temperature set for maximum warmth.
After the windshield gets warmed enough
to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away
using the windshield washer. Refer to
“Windshield washer ”F 3-106.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
Refer to “Hazard warning flasher ”F 3-8.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and freez-
ing temperatures. Blades of this type give
superior wiping performance in snowy
conditions. Be sure to use blades that
are suitable for your vehicle.
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