2017 SUBARU FORESTER ESP

power desired by those who want to make
the driving experience their own personal
adventure.
&Sport Sharp (S#) mode
! For maximum performance driving
Type A combination meter
Type B combination meter
For sports-minded drivers, the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode offers an exhilarating
level of engine performance and control.
The throttle becomes more responsive
regardless of the engine speed. Delivering
maximum driving enjoyment, this mode is
ideal for tackling twisting roads and for
merging or overtaking other vehicles on
the freeway with confidence.
When you select the Sport Sharp (S#)
mode while the select lever is in the “D”
position, the transmission gear ratio will
shift from variable speed to eight-speed.
The select lever/gear position indicator
display will change from “D”to the gear
position.
When selecting Sport Sharp (S#) mode, the following controls will be applied.
Uphill control:
Prevents unnecessary
shift-up/shift-down during ascent.
Cornering control: While turning, if there
is a large centrifugal force, shift-up will not
occur: during re-acceleration.
Braking control: At the beginning of
corners etc., heavy application of the
brake pedal will cause automatic down-
shift and gently re-accelerate.
Sudden acceleration return control:
During acceleration, if acceleration pedal
is returned suddenly (for example, at
corners etc.), shift-up will not be applied.
Starting and operating/SI– DRIVE
– CONTINUED –7-33

Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is reduced and
this should be taken into ac-
count when driving the vehi-
cle in such a condition.
. If non-matching tires are used,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system may not operate cor-
rectly.
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control
system helps prevent unstable
vehicle motion such as skidding
using control of the brakes and
engine power. Do not turn off the
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem unless it is absolutely ne-
cessary. If you must turn off the
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem, drive very carefully accord-
ing to the road surface condition.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
adjusts the engine’ s output and the
wheels’ respective braking forces to help
maintain traction and directional control.
. Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is shown by
flashing the Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light.
.
Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels’ tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.
NOTE
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem may be considered normal when
the following conditions occur.
–Slight twitching of the brake
pedal is felt.
– The vehicle or steering wheel
shakes to a small degree.
– An operating sound from the
engine compartment is heard
briefly when starting the engine
and when driving off after starting
the engine.
– The brake pedal seems to jolt
when driving off after starting the
engine. .
In the circumstances shown in the
following list, the vehicle may be less
stable than it feels to the driver. The
Vehicle Dynamics Control System may
therefore operate. Such operation does
not indicate a system malfunction.
–on gravel-covered or rutted
roads
– on unfinished roads
– when the vehicle is towing a
trailer
– when the vehicle is fitted with
snow tires or winter tires
. Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly
different compared to that for normal
conditions.
. It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if your vehicle is equipped with
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system.
. Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire. Failure to do so may
render the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system unable to operate correctly.
7-40

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

mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
illuminate steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute.
This indicates the TPMS is un-
able to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
. Do not inject any tire liquid or
aerosol tire sealant into the tires,
as this may cause a malfunction
of the tire pressure sensors. If
the light illuminates steadily after
blinking for approximately one
minute, promptly contact a
SUBARU dealer to have the sys-
tem inspected.
CAUTION
. Do not place metal film or any
metal parts in the cargo area.
This may cause poor reception of
the signals from the tire pressure
sensors, and the tire pressure
monitoring system will not func-
tion properly.
. FCC WARNING
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance
could void the user
’s authority
to operate the equipment.
NOTE
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
. U.S.-spec. models
FCC ID: CWTWD1U781
NOTE
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Parking your vehicle
& Parking brake
To set the parking brake, depress the
brake pedal firmly and hold it down until
the parking brake lever is fully pulled up.
To release the parking brake, perform the
following procedure.
1. Pull the lever up slightly.
2. Press the release button.
3. Lower the lever while keeping the
button pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the
engine is running, the parking brake
warning light illuminates. After starting
the vehicle, be sure that the warning light
has turned off before the vehicle is driven.
Refer to “Brake system warning light ”F 3-
Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
–CONTINUED –7-47

Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
BSD/RCTA (if equipped)
The BSD/RCTA consists of rear radar with
Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross
Traffic Alert.
These functions enable the system to
detect objects or vehicles to the rear,
drawing attention to the driver when
changingalaneorwhendrivingin
reverse.
WARNING
The driver is responsible for driving
safely. Always be sure to check the
surroundings with your eyes when
changing lanes or reversing the
vehicle.
The system is designed to assist the
driver by monitoring the rear and
side areas of the vehicle during a
lane change or reversing. However,
you cannot rely on this system
alone in assuring the safety during
a lane change or reversing. Over-
confidence in this system could
result in an accident and lead to
serious injury or death. Since the
system operation has various limita-
tions, the flashing or illumination of
the BSD/RCTA approach indicatorlight may be delayed or it may not
operate at all even when a vehicle is
present in a neighboring lane or
approaching from either side.
The driver is responsible for paying
attention to the rear and side areas
of the vehicle.
&
System features
BSD/RCTA consists of the following func-
tions.
. To detect a vehicle in a blind spot on an
adjacent lane or a vehicle approaching at
high speed while driving the vehicle (Blind
Spot Detection)
. To detect a vehicle approaching from
the right or left while reversing the vehicle
(Rear Cross Traffic Alert)
The system uses radar sensors for the
above functions.
NOTE
The BSD/RCTA radar sensor has been
certified by the radio wave related laws
of the U.S. When driving in other
countries, certification of the country
where the vehicle is driven must be
obtained. For certification in the U.S.,
refer to “Certification for the BSD/
RCTA ”F 7-65. !
Blind Spot Detection (BSD)
1) Operating range
The system notifies the driver of vehicles
existing in the blind area. If the system
detects a vehicle existing in the blind area,
it warns the driver of dangers by illuminat-
ing the BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light(s) on the outside mirror(s). If the
driver operates the turn signal lever in the
direction where the BSD/RCTA approach
indicator light is illuminating, the system
warns the driver of dangers by flashing the
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light.
7-58

.The BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light may illuminate when driving close to
solid objects on the road or road side
(such as guardrails, tunnels and side-
walls).
. The BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light may flash when turning at an inter-
section in urban areas or a multilane
intersection.
. The BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light may flash and the warning buzzer
may sound if a building or a wall exists in
the reversing direction.
. In the following cases, the system may
detect a vehicle driving two lanes away
from your vehicle.
–When you are driving on the near
side of its lane from the corresponding
vehicle –
When the vehicle driving two lanes
away is driving on the near side of its
lane from your vehicle
& BSD/RCTA warning indicator
! System temporary stop indicator
System temporary stop indicator
This indicator appears when the system is
used under the following conditions.
.Extremely high or low temperatures
. When abnormal voltage exists for the
vehicle battery
. When the radar sensor is significantly
misaligned
Once the above conditions are corrected,
the system will recover from the temporary
stop condition and the indicator will disappear. If the indicator remains dis-
played for a prolonged time, have the
system inspected at a SUBARU dealer.
!
System temporary stop indicator
due to reduced radar sensitivity
System temporary stop indicator due to
reduced radar sensitivity
This indicator appears when the detect-
ability of the radar sensors is reduced.
Once the condition is corrected, the
system will recover from the temporary
stop condition and the indicator will
disappear. If the indicator remains dis-
played for a prolonged time, have the
system inspected at a SUBARU dealer.
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
–CONTINUED –7-63

Starting and operating/Reverse Automatic Braking System
NOTE
.To ensure correct operation of the
BSD/RCTA, observe the following pre-
cautions.
–Always keep the bumper surface
near the radar sensors clean.
– Do not affix any stickers or other
items on the bumper surface near
the radar sensors.
– Do not modify the bumper near
the radar sensors.
– Do not paint the bumper near the
radar sensors.
– Do not expose the bumper near
the radar sensors to strong im-
pacts. If a sensor becomes misa-
ligned, a system malfunction may
occur, including the inability to
detect vehicles entering the detec-
tion areas. If any strong shock is
applied to the bumper, be sure to
contact your SUBARU dealer for
inspection.
– Do not disassemble the radar
sensors.
. If the radar sensors require repair or
replacement, or the bumper area
around the radar sensors requires
repair, paintwork or replacement, con-
tact your SUBARU dealer for assis-
tance.Reverse Automatic Braking
System (if equipped)
Reverse Automatic Braking is a system
designed to help avoid collisions or reduce
collision damage when reversing the
vehicle. If a wall or an obstacle is detected
in the reversing direction, the system will
notify the driver with a warning sound and
may activate the vehicle ’s brakes auto-
matically.
WARNING
. Reverse Automatic Braking is not
a system intended to replace the
driver ’s responsibility to check
surrounding areas for vehicles or
obstacles to avoid a collision.
. The driver is responsible for
driving safely. Always be sure to
check the surroundings visually
when reversing the vehicle.
. Since the system operation has
various limitations, the warning
sound or automatic braking may
be delayed or may not operate at
allevenwhenanobstacleis
present in the reversing direc-
tion.
. The system is not designed to detect people (including chil-
dren), animals or other moving
objects.
. Depending on the vehicle condi-
tion or the surrounding environ-
ment, the sonar sensor ’s ability
to detect objects may become
unstable.
NOTE
The Reverse Automatic Braking Sys-
tem records and stores the following
data when automatic braking operates.
It does not record conversations, per-
sonal information or other audio data.
. Distance from the object
. Vehicle speed
. Accelerator pedal operation status
. Brake pedal operation status
. Select lever position
. Outside temperature
. The sensitivity setting of the sonar
sensors
SUBARU and third parties con-
tracted by SUBARU may acquire
and use the recorded data for the
purpose of vehicle research and
development. SUBARU and third
parties contracted by SUBARU will
not disclose or provide the acquired
7-66

common sense precautions such as those
in the following list should be taken.
.Make certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts.
. Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or
citizens band radio.
. Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain.
. Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and
the like.
. Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or
down slopes that are too steep.
. Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds.
. Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the
outside of the rim.
. If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams, first check the depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and cross the stream without stopping.
The water should be shallow enough that
it does not reach the vehicle’
s under-
carriage. Water entering the engine air
intake or the exhaust pipe or water
splashing onto electrical parts may da-
mage your vehicle and may cause it to
stall. Never attempt to drive through
rushing water; regardless of its depth, it
can wash away the ground from under
your tires, resulting in possible loss of
traction and even vehicle rollover.
. Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads.
. Do not drive or park over or near
flammable materials such as dry grass or
fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard.
. After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur.
.
Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle’ s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over.
. If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the shift lever/
select lever back and forth between “1”/
“D ”and “R”repeatedly. Do not race the
engine. For the best possible traction,
avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle.
. When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. For CVT models with
manual mode, refer to “Selection of
manual mode ”F 7-27.
. Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.
. Wash the vehicle’ s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
Driving tips/On –road and off –road driving
–CONTINUED –8-7