2023 SUBARU SOLTERRA steering

3975-5. Driving tips
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
road, please observe the follow-
ing precautions to ensure your
driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to
off-road vehicles:
 Drive your vehicle only in
areas where off-road vehicles
are permitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before
entering private property.
 Do not enter areas that are
closed. Honor gates, barriers
and signs that restrict travel.
 Stay on established roads.
When conditions are wet,
driving techniques should be
changed or travel delayed to
prevent damage to roads.
■Additional information for off-
road driving
For owners in U.S. mainland and
Hawaii:
To obtain additional information per-
taining to driving your vehicle off-
road, consult the following organiza-
tions: • State and Local Parks and Recre-
ation Departments
• State Motor Vehicle Bureau
• Recreational Vehicle Clubs
• U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
WARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe t he following pre-
cautions to minim ize the risk of
death, serious injury or damage to
your vehicle:
●Drive carefully when off the
road. Do not take unnecessary
risks by driving in dangerous
places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off-road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel
and injure your hands. Keep
both hands and especially your
thumbs on the ou tside of the
rim.
●Always check your brakes for
effectiveness immediately after
driving in sand, mud, water or
snow.
●After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc.,
check that there is no grass,
bush, paper, rags, stone, sand,
etc. adhering 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 breakdown or
fire could occur.

399
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
6
6
Interior features
Interior features
6-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
ALL AUTO (“ECO”) control .................................. 400
Automatic air conditioning system ....................... 402
Remote Air Conditioning System ...................... 409
Heated steering wheel/seat heaters/seat ventila-
tors/radiant heater ..... 411
6-2. Using the interior lights Interior lights list .......... 415
6-3. Using the storage features List of storage features 418
Luggage compartment fea- tures .......................... 421
6-4. Using the other interior features
Electronic sunshade.... 426
Other interior features . 428
Garage door opener.... 439

4006-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
6-1.Using the air conditioning system and defogger
*: if equipped
Press the ALL AUTO (“ECO”)
switch
The indicator on the ALL AUTO
(“ECO”) switch illuminates, and the
automatic air conditioning system,
seat heaters
* and ventilators*, and
heated steering wheel
* operate in
automatic mode.
If any of the system is operated
manually, the indicator turns off.
However, all other functions con-
tinue to operate in automatic mode.
Even if ALL AUTO (“ECO”) control
is turned off, the air conditioner,
seat heater/ventilator, and steering
heater will not be turned off.
If the front window glass becomes cloudy due to a drop in the outside
air temperature while the ALL
AUTO (“ECO”) control is operating,
you can remove the cloudiness by
pressing the AUTO switch on the
air conditioner control panel.
*: If equipped
■Automatic air conditioning
system (
P.402)
The temperature can be
adjusted independently for each
seat.
■Seat heaters (if equipped)
and ventilators (if
equipped) ( P. 4 1 1 )
Heating or ventilation is auto-
matically selected according to
the set temperature of the air
conditioning system, the out-
side temperature, etc.
■Heated steering wheel (if
equipped) ( P. 4 1 1 )
Heated steering wheel operates
automatically according to the
set temperature of the air condi-
tioning system, the outside tem-
perature, etc.
■Passenger detection functions
When a passenger is detected in
the front passenger seat, the seat
heater and ventila tor will operate
automatically.
■Seat heater (if equipped)/venti-
lator (if equipped) operation
If the seat heater/ventilator switch is
set to auto, it will operate without
performing the passenger detection.
ALL AUTO (“ECO”)
control
The seat heaters*, seat ven-
tilators
* and heated steer-
ing wheel
* are each
automatically controlled
according to the set tem-
perature of the air condi-
tioning system, the outside
and cabin temperature, etc.
ALL AUTO (“ECO”) con-
trols the power consump-
tion in order to both extend
the cruising range and
maintain comfortable condi-
tions.
Turning on ALL AUTO
(“ECO”) control
Operation of each system

4116-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
6
Interior features
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P. 1 6 2
■When the electronic key bat-
tery is fully depleted
 P. 4 9 7
■Customization
Setting (e.g. Operation using “A/C”
on the wireless remote control) can
be changed. (Customizable fea-
tures: P.575)*: If equipped
WARNING
■Precautions for the Remote
Air Conditioning System
●Do not use the system if people
are in the vehicle.
Even when the system is in use,
the internal temperature may
still reach a high or low level
due to features such as the
automatic shut-off. Children and
pets left inside the vehicle may
suffer heatstroke dehydration or
hypothermia, or could result in
death or serious injury.
●Depending on the surrounding
environment, signals from the
wireless switch may transmit
further than expected. Pay
appropriate attention to the
vehicle’s surroundings and use
the switch only when necessary.
●Do not operate “A/C” if the hood
is open. The air conditioning
may operate unintentionally and
objects may be drawn into the
electrical cooling fan.
NOTICE
■To prevent the traction bat-
tery from being discharged
through incorrect operation
Use “A/C” only when necessary.
Heated steering
wheel*/seat heat-
ers*/seat ventila-
tors*/radiant heater*
 Heated steering wheel
Warms up the grip of the
steering wheel
 Seat heaters
Warm up the seat upholstery
 Seat ventilators
Maintain good airflow on the
seat upholstery by sucking air
into the seats
 Radiant heaters
Warm up the feet of the front
seats
WARNING
■To prevent minor burn inju-
ries
Care should be taken if anyone in
the following categories comes in
contact with the steering wheel or
seats when the heater is on:
●Babies, small children, the
elderly, the sick and the physi-
cally challenged
●Persons with sensitive skin
●Persons who are fatigued
●Persons who have taken alco-
hol or drugs that induce sleep
(sleeping drugs, cold remedies,
etc.)

4126-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
Turns the heated steering wheel
on/off
Each time the switch is pressed,
the operation condition changes as
follows.
AUTO (lit)  Hi (2 segments lit) 
Lo (1 segment lit)  Off
The AUTO indicator and/or level
indicator illuminates during
operation.
■The heated steering wheel can
be used when
The power swit ch is in ON.
■Front
Turns the seat heaters on/off
Each time the switch is pressed,
the operation condition changes as
follows.
AUTO (lit)  Hi (3 segments lit) 
Mid (2 segments lit)  Lo (1 seg-
ment lit)  Off
The AUTO indicator and/or level
indicator illuminates during
operation.
■Rear (outboard rear seats)
Each time the switch is pressed,
the operation condition changes
as follows.
Hi (3 segments lit)  Mid (2
segments lit)  Lo (1 segment
lit)  Off
When not in use, put the switch
in the neutral position. The indi-
cator will turn off.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
seat heaters and seat ventila-
tors
Do not put heavy objects that
have an uneven surface on the
seat and do not stick sharp
objects (needles, nails, etc.) into
the seat.
■To prevent 12-volt battery dis-
charge
Do not use the functions when the
EV system is off.
Heated steering wheel
Seat heaters

4216-3. Using the storage features
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
6
Interior features
Raise the hooks to use.
The cargo hooks are provided for
securing loose items.
Upper hook (rope hook)
Upper hook (utility hook)
Lower hook
WARNING
■Caution while driving
Observe the following precautions
when putting items in the open
tray. Failure to do so may cause
items to be thrown out of the tray
in the event of sudden braking or
steering. In these cases, the items
may interfere with pedal operation
or cause driver distraction, result-
ing in an accident.
• Do not store items in the tray
that can easily shift or roll out.
• Do not stack items in the tray higher than the edge of tray.
• Do not put items in the tray that may protrude over the edge of
tray.
Luggage compar t-
ment features
Cargo hooks
WARNING
■When cargo hooks are not in
use
To avoid injury , always return the
hooks to their stowed positions
when not in use.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
upper hook (utility hook)
Do not hang any object heavier
than 8 lb. (4 kg) on the upper
hook (utility hook).

4517-1. Maintenance and care
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
7
Maintenance and care
 Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty
surfaces with a cloth damp-
ened with lukewarm water.
 If dirt cannot be removed,
wipe it off with a soft cloth
dampened with neutral deter-
gent diluted to approximately
1%.
Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off remaining traces of
detergent and water.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foam-
ing-type cleaners available. Use a
sponge or brush to apply the foam.
Rub in overlapping circles. Do not
use water. Wipe dirty surfaces and
let them dry. Excellent results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as
dry as possible.
■Handling the seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm
water using a cloth or sponge. Also
check the belts periodically for
excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
■Front side window s with IR pro-
tective coating
The front side windows have IR pro-
tective coating. To prevent any dam-
NOTICE
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at
least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from
the vehicle body. Otherwise
resin section, such as moldings
and bumpers, may be deformed
and damaged. Also, do not con-
tinuously hold the nozzle in the
same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of
the windshield continuously. If
water enters the air conditioning
system intake located near the
lower part of the windshield, the
air conditioning system may not
operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of
the vehicle usin g a high pres-
sure car washer. If water enters
the traction battery, the EV sys-
tem may malfunction.
●Do not use the washer on the
area around the charging port
lid. Water could get into the
charging inlet and could dam-
age the vehicle.
■Cleaning aluminum parts
When cleaning the hood, do not
push hard or put weight on it.
The aluminum part may be
dented.
Cleaning and protect-
ing the vehicle interior
Perform cleaning in a man-
ner appropriate to each
component and its material.
Protecting the vehicle
interior

4587-2. Maintenance
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate
smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be
damaged.
Seats
• Do the seat con-trols operate
properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steer-ing wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steer- ing wheel have
the correct
amount of free
play?
• There should not be any strange
sounds coming
from the steer-
ing wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors
• Do the doors operate
smoothly?
Hood
• Does the hood lock system work
properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage
after the vehicle
has been parked.
ItemsCheck points
Tires
• Is the tire infla-tion pressure
correct?
• The tires should not be damaged
or excessively
worn.
• Have the tires been rotated
according to the
maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel bolt should not be
loose.
Windshield
wipers
• The wiper blades should not show
any signs of
cracking, split-
ting, wear, con-
tamination or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield with-
out streaking or
skipping.
ItemsCheck points