2017 SUBARU OUTBACK Owners Manual

Maintenance and service/Spark plugs
5. To install the air cleaner case (rear),
insert the three projections on the air
cleaner case (rear) into the slits on the
air cleaner case (front).
6. Install the removed parts in the reverse
order of removal.
Spark plugs
It may be difficult to replace the spark
plugs. It is recommended that you have
the spark plugs replaced by your
SUBARU dealer.
The spark plugs should be replaced
according to the maintenance schedule
in the“Warranty and Maintenance Book-
let ”.
& Recommended spark plugs
Refer to “Electrical system ”F 12-9.
Drive belts
It is unnecessary to check the deflection of
the drive belt periodically because your
engine is equipped with an automatic belt
tension adjuster. However, replacement of
the belt should be done according to the
maintenance schedule in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet ”. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for replacement.
If the belt is loose, cracked or worn,
contact your SUBARU dealer.
11-18

Manual transmission oil
It is unnecessary to check the manual
transmission oil level. However, if neces-
sary, consult your SUBARU dealer for
inspection.
&Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to
“Manual transmission, front differential
and rear differential gear oil ”F 12-7.
Continuously variable trans-
mission fluid
There is no fluid level gauge. It is
unnecessary to check the continuously
variable transmission fluid level. However,
if necessary, consult your SUBARU dealer
for inspection.
Front differential gear oil
(CVT models) and rear differ-
ential gear oil
It is not necessary to check the gear oil
level. Check that there are no cracks,
damage or leakage. However, the oil
inspection should be performed according
to the maintenance schedule in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Consult your SUBARU dealer for details.
& Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to
“Manual transmission, front differential
and rear differential gear oil ”F 12-7.
CAUTION
Using a differential gear oil other
than the specified oil may cause a
decline in vehicle performance.
Maintenance and service/Manual transmission oil11-19

Maintenance and service/Brake fluid
Brake fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
. Never let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake
fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with
clean water. For safety, when
performing this work, wearing
eye protection is advisable.
. Brake fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause a dangerous loss
of braking performance.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
CAUTION
. When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
. Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts. Alcohol contained in the brake
fluid may damage them.
. Be careful not to spill brake fluid
when adding it. If brake fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If brake fluid gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe it
off.
The reservoir has two chambers, one for
clutch fluid and the other for brake fluid.
Each fluid level must therefore be checked
in the appropriate chamber. Check the
fluid level on the outside of the reservoir
monthly.
3.6 L models
1) “MAX ”level line
2) “MIN ”level line
A) The brake fluid level must be checked in this area.
For 3.6 L models, be sure to check the
brake fluid level on the outboard side of
the reservoir (shaded area in the illustra-
tion). It cannot be checked on the inboard
side of the reservoir. If the fluid level is
below “MIN”, add the recommended brake
fluid to “MAX”. Use only brake fluid from a
sealed container.
11-20

2.5 L models
1)“MAX ”level line
2) “MIN ”level line
A) The brake fluid level must be checked in this area.
For 2.5 L models, be sure to check the
brake fluid level at the front part of the
reservoir (shaded area in the illustration).
If the fluid level is below “MIN”, add the
recommended brake fluid to “MAX”. Use
only brake fluid from a sealed container.
& Recommended brake fluid
Refer to “Fluids”F 12-8.
CAUTION
Never use different brands of brake
fluid together. Also, avoid mixing
DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluids even if
they are the same brand.
Clutch fluid (MT models)
& Checking the fluid level
WARNING
Never let clutch fluid contact your
eyes because clutch fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If clutch fluid
gets in your eyes, immediately flush
them thoroughly with clean water.
For safety, when performing this
work, wearing eye protection is
advisable.
CAUTION
. Clutch fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause improper clutch
operation.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
. When clutch fluid is added, be
careful not to allow any dirt into
the tank.
. Never splash the clutch fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.
Maintenance and service/Clutch fluid (MT models)
–CONTINUED –11-21

Maintenance and service/Brake booster
Alcohol contained in the clutch
fluid may damage them.
. Be careful not to spill clutch fluid
when adding it. If clutch fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If clutch fluid gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe it
off.
. The fluid level for the clutch
system must be checked at the
inboard side of the reservoir. It
cannot be checked at the out-
board side of the reservoir.
1) “MAX ”level line
2) “MIN ”level line
A) The clutch fluid level must be checked in this area.
Check the fluid level monthly.
Check the fluid level on the outside of the
reservoir. Because this reservoir is used
for both the brake and clutch systems and
has chambers for each system, be sure to
check the fluid level for the clutch system
at the inboard side of the reservoir
(shaded area in the illustration). If the fluid
level is below “MIN ”, add the recom-
mended clutch fluid to “MAX”.
Use only clutch fluid from a sealed
container.
& Recommended clutch fluid
Refer to “Fluids”F 12-8.
CAUTION
Never use different brands of clutch
fluid together. Also, avoid mixing
DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluids even if
they are the same brand.
Brake booster
If the brake booster does not operate as
described in the following procedure, have
it checked by your SUBARU dealer.
1. With the engine off, depress the brake
pedal several times, applying the same
pedal force each time. The distance the
pedal travels should not vary.
2. With the brake pedal depressed, start
the engine. The pedal should move
slightly down to the floor.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop
the engine and keep the pedal depressed
for 30 seconds. The pedal height should
not change.
4. Start the engine again and run for
approximately 1 minute then turn it off.
Depress the brake pedal several times to
check the brake booster. The brake
booster operates properly if the pedal
stroke decreases with each depression.
11-22

Brake pedal
Check the brake pedal free play and
reserve distance according to the main-
tenance schedule in the“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet ”.
&Checking the brake pedal
free play
1) 0.02 –0.11 in (0.5 –2.7 mm)
Stop the engine and firmly depress the
brake pedal several times. Lightly pull the
brake pedal up with one finger to check
the free play with a force of less than 2 lbf
(10 N, 1 kgf).
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er.
& Checking the brake pedal
reserve distance
1) More than 2.56 in (65 mm)
Depress the pedal with a force of approxi-
mately 66 lbf (294 N, 30 kgf) and measure
the distance between the upper surface of
the pedal pad and the floor.
When the measurement is smaller than
the specification, or when the pedal does
not operate smoothly, contact with your
SUBARU dealer.
Clutch pedal (MT models)
Check the clutch pedal free play according
to the maintenance schedule in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
&Checking the clutch function
Check the clutch engagement and disen-
gagement.
1. With the engine idling, check that there
are no abnormal noises when the clutch
pedal is depressed, and that shifting into
1st or reverse feels smooth.
2. Start the vehicle by releasing the pedal
slowly to check that the engine and
transmission smoothly couple without
any sign of slippage.
Maintenance and service/Brake pedal
–CONTINUED –11-23

Maintenance and service/Replacement of brake pad
&Checking the clutch pedal
free play
1) 0.19 –0.44 in (5 –11 mm)
Lightly press the clutch pedal down with
your finger until you feel resistance, and
check the free play.
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er.
Replacement of brake pad
CAUTION
. If you continue to drive despite
the scraping noise from the audi-
ble brake pad wear indicator, it
will result in the need for costly
brake rotor repair or replace-
ment.
. It is recommended that you dis-
connect the vehicle battery be-
fore replacing the brake pad.
However, it is dangerous to dis-
connect the vehicle battery. We
recommend that you have your
SUBARU dealer replace the
brake pad.
The disc brakes have audible wear
indicators on the brake pads. If the brake
pads wear close to their service limit, the
wear indicator makes a very audible
scraping noise when the brake pedal is
applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time
you apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
& Breaking-in of new brake
pads
When replacing the brake pad, use only
genuine SUBARU parts. After replace-
ment, the new parts must be broken in as
follows:
! Brake pad
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40
mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake
pedal lightly. Repeat this five or more
times. Also, apply and release the electro-
nic parking brake five or more times.
11-24

Tires and wheels
&Types of tires
You should be familiar with type of tires
present on your vehicle.
! All season tires
The factory-installed tires on your new
vehicle are all season tires.
All season tires are designed to provide
an adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving including snowy and icy road
conditions. However all season tires do
not offer as much traction performance as
winter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snow
or on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by “ALL
SEASON ”and/or “M+S”(Mud & Snow) on
the tire sidewall.
! Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited for highway driving under
dry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for driving
on slippery roads such as on snow-
covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered
or icy roads, we strongly recommend the
use of winter (snow) tires.
When installing winter tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
!
Winter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving on
snow-covered and icy roads. However
winter tires do not perform as well as
summer tires and all season tires on roads
other than snow-covered and icy roads.
& Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low. The tire pressure monitor-
ing system will activate only when the
vehicle is driven. Also, this system may
not react immediately to a sudden drop in
tire pressure (for example, a blow-out
caused by running over a sharp object).
If you adjust the tire pressures in a warm
garage and will then drive the vehicle in
cold outside air, the resulting drop in tire
pressures may cause the low tire pressure
warning light to illuminate. To avoid this
problem when adjusting the tire pressures
in a warm garage, inflate the tires to
pressures higher than those shown on the
tire placard. Specifically, inflate them by an
extra 1 psi (6.9 kPa, 0.07 kgf/cm
2) for
every difference of 10 8F (5.6 8C) between the temperature in the garage and the
temperature outside. By way of example,
the following table shows the required tire
pressures that correspond to various out-
side temperatures when the temperature
in the garage is 60
8F (15.6 8C).
Example:
Tire size: 225/55R17 97V, 225/50R18 95H
Standard tire pressures:
Front: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm
2)
Rear: 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm2)
Garage temperature: 60 8F (15.6 8C)
Outside
temperature Adjusted pressure
[psi (kPa, kgf/cm2)]
Front Rear
30 8F( −18C) 36 (250, 2.5) 35 (240, 2.4)
10 8F( −12 8C) 38 (265, 2.65) 37 (255, 2.55)
−10 8F( −23 8C) 40 (280, 2.8) 39 (270, 2.7)
Example:
Tire size: 225/65R17 102H, 225/60R18
100H
Standard tire pressures:
Front: 35 psi (240 kPa, 2.4 kgf/cm
2)
Rear: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm2)
Garage temperature: 60 8F (15.6 8C)
Maintenance and service/Tires and wheels
–CONTINUED –11-25