check engine SUBARU FORESTER 2000 SF / 1.G Owners Manual

Index13-3
Charg e warning lig ht
3-6
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CHECK ENGINE warning lig ht/Malfunc tion ind ic ator la mp 3-7. . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint systems 2-20
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Child safety loc ks 1-7
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Cig arette lig hter ( if eq uip p ed) 6-20
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Cleaning aluminum wheels 9-6
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Cleaning fog lig ht lens 9-6
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Cleaning the interior 9-5
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Cloc k 6-8
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Cloc k func tion 5-12
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Clutc h fluid 10-28
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Clutc h p ed al (Manual transmission vehic les) 10-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coat hook 6-23
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Coin tray 6-5
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Cooling system 10-12
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Corrosion p rotec tion 7-45, 9-4
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Cruise c ontrol (if eq uip p ed ) 7-28
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Cup hold er 6-6
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D
Dashb oard storag e c omp artment (if eq uip p ed ) 6-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dimensions 11-2
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Disc b rake p ad wear warning ind ic ators 7-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Door loc ks 1-3
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Door op en warning lig hts 3-10
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Door storag e c omp artment 6-5
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Drive b elts 10-18
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Driving in foreig n c ountries 7-10
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Driving tip s for AWD vehic les 7-37
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E
Elec tric al system 11-2
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Emerg enc y Loc king Retrac tor (ELR) func tion (exc ep t 2-p oint
typ e seatb elt) 2-13
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Eng ine 11-2
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Eng ine c omp artment overview 10-6
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Doors and locks1-27
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CONTINUED –

Fuel filler cap CAUTION
Make sure that the cap is tightened until it clicks to prevent
fuel spillage in the event of an accident. Always use a genuine SUBARU fuel filler cap. If you use the
wrong cap, it may not fit or have proper venting, and your fueltank and emission control system might be damaged.
OM-H2399
Close
Open
To take off the fuel filler c ap , turn it slowly c ou nterc loc kwise and re-
move the c ap .
To p ut the c ap b ac k on, turn it c loc kwise until you hear a c lic king
noise.
Be c ertain not to c atc h the c ap tether und er the c a p while tig htening .
NOTE If the fuel filler cap is not tightened until it clicks or if the tether is caught under the cap, the CHECK ENGINE warning light maycome on. Refer to the “Warning and indicator lights ” section
located in chapter 3. Refueling
After the fuel filler nozzle has automatic ally stop p ed , d o not ad d more
fuel.
If you sp ill any fuel on the p ainted surfac e, rinse it off immed iately.
Otherwise, the p ainted surfac e c ould b e d amag ed . Su c h d amag e is
not c overed und er the SUBARU Limited Warranty.

1-28Engine hood
WARNING
Always check that the hood is properly locked before you start
driving. If it is not, it might fly open while the vehicle is moving
and block your view, which may cause an accident and serious
bodily injury.
HS0025
HS0026 HS0024
To op en the hood :
1. Pull the hood release knob und er the instrument p
anel.
2. Release the sec ond ary hood release loc ated und er the front of the
eng ine hood b y moving the lever toward the left. Li ft up the hood , release
the hood p rop from its retainer and p ut the end of the hood p rop into the
slot in the hood .

3
Instruments and controls Gauges3-2
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Speedometer 3-2
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Odometer/Trip meter 3-2
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Tachometer 3-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel gauge 3-3
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Temperature gauge 3-4
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Warning and indicator lights 3-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belt warning light and chime 3-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag system warning light 3-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Charge warning light 3-6
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Oil pressure warning light 3-6
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Brake system warning light 3-6
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CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp 3-7 . . . . . .
ABS warning light (for vehicles with ABS) 3-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AT OIL TEMPerature warning light (for AT vehicles) 3-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Door open warning lights 3-10
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Front-wheel drive warning light (for AT vehicles) 3-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Turn signal indicator lights 3-10
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High beam indicator 3-10
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Hazard warning flasher 3-11
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Light control switch 3-11
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Turn signals lever 3-14
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Illumination brightness control 3-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking light switch 3-15
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Fog light switch (if equipped) 3-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wiper and washer 3-16
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Windshield wiper and washer switches 3-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear window wiper and washer switch (if equipped) 3-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshield wiper deicer (if equipped) 3-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear window defogger switch 3-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Horn 3-22
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Mirrors 3-23
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Inside mirror 3-23
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Outside mirrors 3-23
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Instruments and controls3-5
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CONTINUED –
Warning and indicator lights
Several of the warning and ind ic ator lig hts c ome on
momentarily and
then g o out when the ig nition switc h is initially t urned to the “ON ” p osi-
tion. This p ermits c hec king the op eration of the b u lb s.
Ap p ly the p arking b rake and turn the ig nition switc h to the “ON ” p osition.
The following lig hts c ome on:
Seat b elt warning lig ht
SRS airb ag system warning lig ht
Charg e warning lig ht
Oil p ressure warning lig ht
Brake system warning lig ht
CHECK ENGINE warning lig ht/Malfunc tion ind ic ator la mp
ABS warning lig ht (if eq uip p ed )
AT OIL TEMP warning lig ht (automatic transmission v ehic les)
If any lig hts fail to c ome on, it ind ic ates a b urne d -out b ulb or a malfunc -
tion of the c orresp ond ing system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU d ealer for rep air. Seat belt warning light and chime
When the ig nition switc h is turned to the “ON ” p osition, the seat b elt
warning lig ht will c ome on and the remind er c hime will sound to remind
d river to fasten the seat b elt.
The seat b elt warning lig ht remains on for ab out si x sec ond s and turns
off automatic ally after six sec ond s.
The seat b elt remind er c hime will turn off when the d river’s sid e seat b elt
is b uc kled or it will turn off automatic ally after ab out six sec ond s.
SRS airbag system warning light AIRBAG
When the ig nition switc h is turned to the “ON ” p osition, the SRS airb ag
system warning lig ht will c ome on for ab out six sec ond s and g o out. This
shows the SRS airb ag system is in normal op eration.
If this lig ht c omes on while d riving or d oes not g o out after the eng ine
starts, it may ind ic ate that the SRS airb ag system is not working p rop erly.
Contac t your nearest SUBARU d ealer immed iately.

Instruments and controls3-7
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CONTINUED –

Parking brake warning
The lig ht c omes on with the p arking b rake ap p lied w hile the ig nition
switc h is in the “ON ” p osition. It g oes out when the p arking b rake is
fully released . Brake fluid level warning
This lig ht c omes on when the b rake fluid level has d rop p ed to near
the “MIN ” level of the b rake fluid reservoir with the ig niti on switc h in
the “ON ” p osition and with the p arking b rake fully released .
If the b rake system warning lig ht should c ome on wh ile d riving (with
the p arking b rake fully released and with the ig nit ion switc h p osi-
tioned in “ON ”), it c ould b e an ind ic ation of leaking of b rake fl uid or
worn b rake p ad s. Have your vehic le c hec ked b y a SUB ARU d ealer
immed iately.
CHECK ENGINE warning light/ Malfunction indicator lamp
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE light comes on while you are driving, have
your vehicle checked/repaired by your SUBARU dealer as soonas possible. Continued vehicle operation without having the
emission control system checked and repaired as necessarycould cause serious damage, which may not be covered by your
vehicle’ s warranty.
If this lig ht c omes on stead ily or b links while the eng ine is running , it may
ind ic ate that there is a p rob lem or p otential p rob l em somewhere in the
emission c ontrol system.
If the light comes on steadily:
If the lig ht c omes on stead ily while d riving or d oe s not g o out after the
eng ine starts, an emission c ontrol system malfunc ti on has b een d e-
tec ted .
You should have your vehic le c hec ked b y an authoriz ed SUBARU
d ealer immed iately.

3-8NOTE This light also comes on when the fuel filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have rec ently refueled your vehic le, the c au
se of the CHECK
ENGINE warning lig ht/malfunc tion ind ic ator lamp c om ing on c ould b e
a loose or missing fuel filler c ap . Remove the c ap and retig hten it until
it c lic ks. Make sure nothing is interfering with th e sealing of the c ap .
Tig htening the c ap will not make the CHECK ENGINE w arning lig ht
turn off immed iately. It may take several d riving t rip s. If the lig ht d oes
not g o out, take your vehic le to your authorized SU BARU d ealer
immed iately. If the light is blinking:
If the lig ht is b linking while d riving , an eng ine m isfire c ond ition has
b een d etec ted whic h may d amag e the emission c ontrol system.
To p revent serious d amag e to the emission c ontrol s ystem, you
should d o the following : Red uc e vehic le sp eed .
Avoid hard ac c eleration.
Avoid steep up hill g rad es.
Red uc e the amount of c arg o, if p ossib le.
Stop towing a trailer as soon as p ossib le.
The CHECK ENGINE warning lig ht may stop b linking an d c ome on
stead ily after several d riving trip s. You should ha ve your vehic le
c hec ked b y an authorized SUBARU d ealer immed iately.
ABS warning light (for vehicles with ABS)
The ABS warning lig ht c omes on when the ig nition sw itc h is turned to the
“ ON ” p osition and g oes out after ab out two sec ond s.
This is an ind ic ation that the ABS system is workin g p rop erly.
If the warning lig ht b ehaves as follows, the ABS sy stem may not work
p rop erly. The warning lig ht d oes not c ome on when the ig nitio n switc h is turned
to the “ON ” p osition.
(U.S.)
(Canada)
ABS

4-10c lean b ec ause c ooling p erformanc e is imp aired b y an
y ac c umulation
of insec ts and leaves on the c ond enser. Efficient cooling after parking in direct sunlight
After p arking in d irec t sunlig ht, d rive with the wi nd ows op en for a few
minutes to allow outsid e air to c irc ulate into the heated interior. This re-
sults in q uic ker c ooling b y the air c ond itioner. Ke ep the wind ows
c losed d uring the op eration of the air c ond itioner for maximum c ooling
effic ienc y. Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant circuit
Op erate the air c ond itioner c omp ressor at a low eng ine sp eed (at id le
or low d riving sp eed s) a few minutes eac h month d ur ing the off-sea-
son to c irc ulate its oil. Checking air conditioning system before summer season
Chec k the air c ond itioner unit for refrig erant leak s, hose c ond itions,
and p rop er op eration eac h sp ring . This c hec k is b es t p erformed b y
your SUBARU d ealer. Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and low tempera- ture weather condition
Und er c ertain weather c ond itions (hig h relative hum id ity, low temp era-
tures, etc .) a small amount of water vap or emission from the air outlets
may b e notic ed d uring c ooling or d ehumid ifying . Thi s c ond ition is nor-
mal and d oes not ind ic ate any p rob lem with the air c ond itioning sys-
tem. Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily loaded
To imp rove ac c eleration and g as mileag e, the air c o nd itioner c om-
p ressor is d esig ned to temp orarily shut off d uring air c ond itioner op -
eration whenever the ac c elerator is fully d ep ressed . Suc h as d uring
rap id ac c eleration or when d riving on a steep up g ra d e.
Refrigerant for your climate control system
Your air c ond itioner uses ozone friend ly refrig eran t HFC134a. There-
fore, the method of ad d ing , c hang ing or c hec king th e refrig erant is
d ifferent from the method for CFC12 (freon). Consul t your SUBARU

Starting and operating7-7
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CONTINUED –
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is danger- ous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine exhaust system to pre-
vent engine exhaust gas from entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space, such as a garage, ex-
cept for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is unavoidable, then use the ventila-tion 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
always works properly. If at any time you suspect that exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem checked and corrected as soon as pos-
sible. If you must drive under these conditions, drive only with allwindows fully open. Keep the trunk lid or rear gate 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 soundcoming from the exhaust system for a short time after the enginehas been shut off. This sound is normal.

7-10NOTE Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer fluid and other fluid
levels should be checked daily, weekly or at fuel stops.
Driving in foreign countries
When p lanning to use your vehic le in another c ountr
y:
Confirm the availab ility of the c orrec t fuel. (Refe r to Fuel Req uirement
sec tion in this c hap ter.) Comp ly with all reg ulations and req uirements of eac h c ountry.
Periodic inspections
To keep your vehic le in the b est c ond ition at all t imes, always have the
rec ommend ed maintenanc e servic es listed in the main tenanc e sc hed ule
in the “Warranty and Maintenanc e Booklet ” p erformed at the sp ec ified
time or mileag e intervals.
Ignition switch
WARNING
Never turn the ignition switch to “LOCK” while the vehicle is be-
ing driven or towed because that will lock the steering wheel, pre- venting steering control. And when the engine is turned off, it
takes a much greater effort than usual to steer.
The ig nition switc h has four p ositions: LOCK, ACC, ON and START.