
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
the surroundings with your eyes
when reversing the vehicle.
Example 2
1) The detection range of the radar sensors
C) Vehicle that may be detected
NOTE
The system may detect that a vehicle
(C) is passing in front of your vehicle.
Always be sure to check the surround-
ings with your eyes when reversing the
vehicle.
&System operation
! Operating conditions
The BSD/RCTA will operate when all of
the following conditions are met.
. The ignition switch is in the “ON ”
position.
. The BSD/RCTA warning indicator and
BSD/RCTA OFF indicator are turned off.
. The vehicle is driven at speeds above
6 mph (10 km/h) (except when reversing).
. The shift lever/select lever is in the “R”
position (RCTA only).
The BSD/RCTA will not operate in the
following situations.
. The BSD/RCTA OFF indicator ap-
pears.
. The vehicle speed is below 6 mph (10
km/h) even when the BSD/RCTA OFF
indicator does not appear (except when
reversing).
NOTE
. In the following cases, the BSD/
RCTA will stop operating and the
BSD/RCTA warning indicator will ap-
pear.
–When a malfunction occurs in the
system, including the BSD/RCTA
approach indicator light
. If the BSD/RCTA warning indicator appears, exercise proper caution. For
details, refer to
“BSD/RCTA warning
indicator ”F 7-59.
. In the following cases, the BSD/
RCTA will temporarily stop operating
(or may stop operating) and the BSD/
RCTA warning indicator will appear.
–When the radar sensor becomes
significantly misaligned (If the or-
ientation of the radar sensor is
shifted for any reason, readjust-
ment is required. Have the sensor
adjusted at a SUBARU dealer.)
– When a large amount of snow or
ice sticks to the rear bumper sur-
face around the radar sensors
– When the vehicle is driven on a
snow-covered road or in an envir-
onment in which there are no
objects around (such as in a desert)
for a prolonged period of time
– When the temperature around
the radar sensors increases exces-
sively due to long driving on uphill
grades in the summer, etc.
– When the temperature around
the radar sensors becomes extre-
mely low
– When the vehicle battery voltage
lowers
– When the vehicle voltage ex-
ceeds the battery voltage rating
7-56

The BSD/RCTA will resume operation
once these conditions are corrected,
and the BSD/RCTA warning indicator
will disappear. However, if the BSD/
RCTA warning indicator appears for a
prolonged period of time, have the
system inspected at a SUBARU dealer
as soon as possible.
.The detectability of the radar sen-
sors is restricted. The BSD/RCTA de-
tection may be impaired and the sys-
tem may not operate properly under the
following conditions.
–When the rear bumper around
the radar sensors is distorted
– When ice, snow or mud adheres
to the rear bumper surface around
the radar sensors
– When stickers, etc. are affixed on
the areas of the radar sensors on
the rear bumper
– During adverse weather condi-
tions such as rain, snow or fog
– When driving on wet roads such
as snow-covered roads and
through puddles
. The radar sensors may not detect or
may have difficulty detecting the fol-
lowing vehicles and objects.
–Small motorcycles, bicycles, pe-
destrians, stationary objects on the
road or road side, etc. –
Vehicles with body shapes that
the radar may not reflect (vehicles
with lower body height such as a
trailer with no cargo and sports
cars)
– Vehicles that are not approach-
ing your vehicle even though they
are in the detection area (either on a
neighboring lane to the rear or
beside your vehicle when rever-
sing) (The system determines the
presence of approaching vehicles
based on data detected by the radar
sensors.)
– Vehicles traveling at significantly
different speeds
– Vehicles driving in parallel at
almost the same speed as your
vehicle for a prolonged time
– Oncoming vehicles
– Vehicles in a lane beyond the
neighboring lane
– Vehicles travelling at a signifi-
cantly lower speed that you are
trying to overtake
. On a road with extremely narrow
lanes, the system may detect vehicles
driving in a lane next to the neighbor-
ing lane.& BSD/RCTA approach indica-
tor light/warning buzzer
While the BSD/RCTA is active, the follow-
ing item(s) will operate to alert the driver:
. The BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light (when there are vehicles in the
neighboring lanes).
. The BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light and warning buzzer (when a vehicle
is approaching from the left or right side
while your vehicle is reversing)
! BSD/RCTA approach indicator light
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light
It is mounted on each side of the outside
mirrors.
The indicator light will
illuminate when a
vehicle approaching from behind is de-
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
–CONTINUED –7-57

Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
tected.
The indicator light will
flash to warn the
driver of dangers under the following
conditions.
. While the indicator light is illuminating,
if the turn signal lever is operated toward
the side in which this light turned on
. When reversing the vehicle while the
system detects a vehicle approaching
from either side
! BSD/RCTA approach indicator
light dimming function
When the headlights are turned on, the
brightness of the BSD/RCTA approach
indicator light will be reduced.
NOTE
. You may have difficulty seeing the
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light
under the following conditions.
–When sunlight shines directly on
it
– When the headlight beams from a
vehicle traveling behind shines di-
rectly on it
. While the illumination brightness
control dial is in the fully upward
position, even if the headlights are
turned on, the brightness of the BSD/
RCTA approach indicator light will not
be reduced. For details about the illumination brightness control dial,
refer to
“Illumination brightness con-
trol” F3-55.
! BSD/RCTA approach warning buz-
zer (only when reversing)
A warning buzzer sounds along with
flashing of the BSD/RCTA approach in-
dicator light to warn the driver of dangers.
The setting of the warning buzzer volume
can be changed by operating the multi
information display of the combination
meter. For details, refer to “BSD/RCTA”
F 3-45.
! Safety tips regarding the BSD/RCTA
approach indicator light/warning
buzzer
. In the following cases, operation of the
BSD/RCTA approach indicator light and
the warning buzzer may be delayed or the
system may fail to issue these warnings.
–Whenavehiclemovestothe
neighboring lane from a lane next to
the neighboring lane
– When driving on a steep incline or
on repeated sharp uphill and downhill
grades
– When going beyond a pass
– When both your vehicle and a
vehicle driving on a neighboring lane
are driving on the far side of each lane. –
When several narrowly-spaced ve-
hicles are approaching in a row
– In low radius bends (tight bends or
when making turns at an intersection)
– When there is a difference in height
between your lane and the neighbor-
ing lane
– Immediately after the BSD/RCTA is
activated by pressing the BSD/RCTA
OFF switch
– Immediately after the shift lever/
select lever is shifted to the “R ”
position
– When extremely heavy cargo is
loaded in the trunk or cargo area
. During reversing, operation of the BSD/
RCTA approach indicator light and the
warning buzzer may be delayed or the
system may fail to issue these warnings
under the following conditions.
–When backing out of an angled
parking space
– When a large-sized vehicle is
parked next to your vehicle (That
vehicle prevents the propagation of
radar waves.)
– When reversing on sloped roads
– When reversing at a high speed
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).
. When turning at an intersection in
urban areas, or a multilane intersection,
the BSD/RCTA approach indicator light
may flash.
. If a building or a wall exists in the
reversing direction, the BSD/RCTA ap-
proach indicator light may flash and the
warning buzzer may sound.
. In the following cases, the system may
detect a vehicle driving two lanes away
from your vehicle.
–When your vehicle drives on the
near side of its lane from the corre-
sponding vehicle –
When the vehicle driving two lanes
away drives 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 at extremely high or low tempera-
tures or when abnormal voltage exists.
Once these conditions are corrected, the
system will recover from the temporary
stop condition and the indicator will
disappear.
If the indicator remains displayed for a
prolonged time, have the system in-
spected 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 displayed for a
prolonged time, have the system in-
spected at a SUBARU dealer.
Starting and operating/BSD/RCTA
–CONTINUED –7-59

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
their surroundings 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
all even when an obstacle is
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 contracted
by SUBARU may acquire and use the
recorded data for the purpose of vehi-
cle research and development.
SUBARU and third parties contracted
by SUBARU will not disclose or pro-
vide the acquired data to any other third party except under the following
conditions.
.
The vehicle owner has given his/her
consent.
. The disclosure/provision is based
on a court order or other legally
enforceable request.
. Data that has been modified so that
the user and vehicle cannot be identi-
fied is provided to a research institu-
tion for statistical processing or similar
purposes.
& Reverse Automatic Braking
System overview
The system detects objects using sonar
sensors installed in the rear bumper.
. If the system determines a possible
collision with an object in the reversing
direction, automatic deceleration will be
activated. Also, beeping sounds will acti-
vate.
. If the vehicle is further reversed, auto-
matic hard braking will be applied and a
continuous beeping sound will activate.
Starting and operating/Reverse Automatic Braking System
–CONTINUED –7-63

Starting and operating/Reverse Automatic Braking System
near the sonar sensor
–Commercial electronic parts
(fog light, fender pole, radio
antenna) or commercial at-
tachment parts (trailer hitch,
bicycle carrier, bumper guard)
are attached
– Parts that emit high frequency
sound, such as a horn or
speaker, are attached
Vehicle conditions – The vehicle is significantly
inclined
– The ground clearance is sig-
nificantly reduced due to the
vehicle’ s loading condition,
etc.
– When the sonar sensor is
misaligned due to a collision
or an accident
Surrounding environment – A cloth banner, flag, hanging
branch or railroad crossing
bars are present in the rever-
sing direction
– When reversing on a gravel or
grassy area
– When reversing in an area
where objects or walls are
adjacent to the vehicle such as narrow tunnels, narrow
bridges, narrow roads or nar-
row garages
– Wheel track or hole is present
in the ground of the reversing
direction
– When reversing over a drai-
nage cover (grating cover)
– The path of the reversing
direction is inclined such as
on a steep uphill
– A curb is present in the rever-
sing direction
– When reversing downhill
Example: The path of the reversing direc-
tion is inclined such as on a steep uphill.
NOTE
The Reverse Automatic Braking sys-
tem will operate at vehicle speed
between 1 to 9 mph (1.5 to 15 km/h).
However, stopping the vehicle by auto-
matic hard braking is designed to
operate when the vehicle speed is less
than 3 mph (5 km/h).
&Reverse Automatic Braking
System operation
When Reverse Automatic Braking System
is in operation, an audible warning beeps
will sound in 3 levels to warn the driver of
a potential collision.
1) First braking and warning:
When the system detects an object, if the
vehicle is kept reversing, the system
determines a collision with an object may
occur. In this case, short warning beeps
will sound and automatic deceleration will
be activated. Also, a warning message will
be indicated on the audio/navigation
monitor.
7-66

Driving tips/New vehicle break–in driving –the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
New vehicle break-in driving
– the first 1,000 miles (1,600
km)
The performance and long life of your
vehicle are dependent on how you handle
and care for your vehicle while it is new.
Follow these instructions during the first
1,000 miles (1,600 km):
. Do not race the engine. And do not
allow engine speed to exceed 4,000 rpm
except in an emergency.
. Do not drive at one constant engine or
vehicle speed for a long time, either fast or
slow.
. Avoid starting suddenly and rapid
acceleration, except in an emergency.
. Avoid hard braking, except in an
emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be
applied to a newly installed or overhauled
engine or when brake pads or brake
linings are replaced with new ones.
Fuel economy hints
The following suggestions will help to save
your fuel.
. Select the proper gear position for the
speed and road conditions.
. Avoid sudden acceleration or decelera-
tion. Always accelerate gently until you
reach the desired speed. Then try to
maintain that speed for as long as
possible.
. Do not pump the accelerator and avoid
racing the engine.
. Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
. Keep the engine properly tuned.
. Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure shown on the tire placard, which
is located under the door latch on the
driver ’s side. Low pressure will increase
tire wear and fuel consumption.
. Use the air conditioner only when
necessary.
. Keep the front and rear wheels in
proper alignment.
. Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or
cargo.
. The indication of the ECO gauge
shows a reference for saving fuel. For
details, refer to “ECO gauge”F 3-12.
Engine exhaust gas (carbon
monoxide)
WARNING
. Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
. Always properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a long time while the
engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
. If at any time you suspect that
8-2

exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the trunk lid (Legacy) or
rear gate (Outback) closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
NOTE
Due to the expansion and contraction
of the metals used in the manufacture
of the exhaust system, you may hear a
crackling sound coming from the ex-
haust system for a short time after the
engine has been shut off. This sound is
normal.
Catalytic converter
WARNING
. Avoid fire hazards. Do not drive
or park the vehicle anywhere
near flammable materials (e.g.
grass, paper, rags or leaves),
because the catalytic converter
operates at very high tempera-
tures.
. Keep everyone and flammable
materials away from the exhaust
pipe while the engine is running.
The exhaust gas is very hot.
2.5 L models
3.6 L models
The catalytic converter is installed in the
exhaust system. It serves as catalyst to
reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust
gases, thus providing cleaner exhaust.
To avoid damage to the catalytic conver-
ter:
. Use only unleaded gasoline. Even a
small amount of leaded gasoline will
damage the catalytic converter.
. Never start the engine by pushing or
pulling the vehicle.
. Avoid racing the engine.
. Never turn off the ignition switch while
the vehicle is moving.
. Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel
the engine running rough (misfiring, back-
firing or incomplete combustion), have
Driving tips/Catalytic converter
–CONTINUED –8-3