2017 SUBARU FORESTER overheating

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 while driving, 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.
& 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.
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious injury or death could
result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which injury or damage to your
vehicle, or both, could result if the
caution is ignored.
NOTE
A NOTE gives information or sugges-
tions how to make better use of your
vehicle.
&Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it
in this manual. This symbol means “Do
not ”,“Do not do this ”,or“Do not let this
happen ”, depending upon the context.
2

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

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
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 in REDcontinuously. At
this time, the engine may be overheating.
When the indicator light/warning light
blinks in REDor illuminates in RED, 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 ”F 9-12. After that,
have the system checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer.
Also, if the indicator light/warning light
often blinks in RED, 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 remains
illuminated, contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer immediately.
For details about checking the engine oil
level or adding the engine oil, refer to
“Engine oil ”F 11-10.
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 ”F 11-10.
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.
NOTE
. After replacing or adding the engine
oil, if the engine oil level is within the
normal range when restarting the en-
gine on a level surface, the warning
light will turn off.
3-18

&Hill start assist warning
light/Hill start assist
OFF indicator light
!Hill start assist warning light
While the engine is running, if there are
any malfunctions in the Hill start assist
system, the warning light will illuminate.
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 or
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 flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of differing diameters fitted on
the wheels or with an excessively low air
pressure 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 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.
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED –3-23

Instruments and controls/Wiper and washer
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 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 wiper blades are not frozen to
the windshield or rear window
before switching on the wipers.
Attempting to operate the wiper
with the blades frozen to the
window glass could cause not
only the wiper blades to be
damaged but also might cause
the wiper motor to fail. If the
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
winter, use SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid or the equivalent.
Refer to
“Windshield washer
fluid ”F 11-30.
Also, when driving the vehicle
when there are freezing tempera-
tures, use non-freezing type wi-
per blades.
. Do not clean the wiper blades
with gasoline or a solvent, such
as paint thinner or benzine. This
will cause deterioration of the
wiper blades.
NOTE
. The windshield wiper motor is pro-
tected against overloads by a circuit
breaker. If the motor operates continu-
ously under an unusually heavy load,
the circuit breaker may trip to stop the
motor temporarily. If this happens, park
your vehicle in a safe place, turn off the
wiper switch, and wait for approxi-
mately 10 minutes. The circuit breaker
will reset itself, and the wipers will
again operate normally.
. Clean your wiper blades and win-
dow glass periodically with a washer
solution to prevent streaking, and to
remove accumulations of road salt or
road film. Operate the windshield
washer for at least 1 second so that
3-104

!Gate Operator / Canadian Pro-
gramming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require
transmitter remote signals to “time-out ”
(or quit) after several seconds of transmis-
sion, which may not be long enough for
HomeLink to pick up the signal during
programming. Similar to this Canadian
law, some U.S. gate operators are de-
signed to “time-out”in the same manner.
The indicator LED on the hand-held
remote will go off when the device times
out, indicating that it has finished transmit-
ting.
If you live in Canada or you are having
difficulties programming a gate operator or
garage door opener by using the program-
ming procedures, replace “Programming a
New HomeLink Button ”step 3 with the
following:
While the HomeLink indicator light is
flashing orange, press and release (“cy-
cle ”) your device ’s hand-held remote
every two seconds until the HomeLink
indicator light changes from orange to
green. You may now release the hand-
held remote button.
NOTE
If programming a garage door opener
or gate operator, it is advised to unplug the device during the
“cycling ”pro-
cess to prevent possible overheating.
Proceed with “Programming a New
HomeLink Button ”step 4 to complete.
! Using HomeLink
To operate, simply press and release the
programmed HomeLink button. Activation
will now occur for the trained device (i.e.
garage door opener, gate operator, secur-
ity system, entry door lock, home/office
lighting, etc.). For convenience, the hand-
held remote of the device may also be
used at any time.
!Erasing HomeLink Buttons
To erase programming from the three
buttons (individual buttons cannot be
erased but can be “reprogrammed”as
outlined below), follow the step noted:
Press and hold the two outer HomeLink
buttons for at least 10 seconds. The LED
indicator will change from continuously lit
to rapidly flashing. Release both buttons.
Do not hold for longer than 20 seconds.
HomeLink is now ready to be programmed
at any time beginning with “Programming
a New HomeLink Button ”- step 1. !
Reprogramming a Single
HomeLink Button
To program a previously trained button,
follow these steps:
1. Press and hold the desired HomeLink
button. DO NOT release the button.
2. The indicator light will begin to slowly
flash orange after 20 seconds. The
HomeLink button can be released at this
point. Proceed with “Programming a New
HomeLink Button ”- step 3.
3. If you do not complete the program-
ming of a new device to the button, it will
revert to the previously stored program-
ming.
!Garage Door Two-Way Commu-
nication
HomeLink has the capability of commu-
nicating with your garage door opener.
HomeLink can receive and display “clos-
ing ”or “opening ”status messages from
compatible garage door opener systems.
At any time, HomeLink can also recall and
display the last recorded status commu-
nicated by the garage door opener to
indicate your garage door being “closed”
or “opened ”.
HomeLink has the capability of receiving
this communication from the garage door
opener at a range up to 820 feet (250 m).
Instruments and controls/Mirrors
–CONTINUED –3-113

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 (if
equipped)
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 is
available 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
phone, that may damage the
portion of the socket ’s internal
mechanism that causes a cigar-
ette lighter plug to “pop out ”
after its lighter element is heated.
Therefore, do not place a cigar-
ette lighter plug in a socket that
has been used, even once, to
power a plug-in accessory. Doing
so may cause the plug to stick
and overheat, creating a potential
fire hazard.
Ashtray (if equipped)
CAUTION
. Do not use ashtrays as waste
receptacles or leave a lighted
cigarette in an ashtray. This
could cause a fire.
. Always extinguish matches and
cigarettes before putting them
into the ashtray, and then close
the ashtray securely. If you keep
the ashtray open, the fire of the
cigarette may spread to another
cigarette butt and start a fire.
. Do not put flammable material in
the ashtray.
. Do not leave a lot of cigarette
butts in the ashtray.
NOTE
Particles of ash and tobacco will accu-
mulate around the hinges of the ash-
tray ’s inner lid. Clean them off using a
toothbrush or a similar narrow-ended
implement.
Interior equipment/Ashtray
–CONTINUED –6-11

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
Starting and operating/Braking
–CONTINUED –7-35