SUBARU FORESTER 2002 SG / 2.G Owners Manual

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VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) OFF indicator light (if equipped)
This indicator light comes on when the ignition switch is turned ON
and goes out about 6 seconds after the engine has started. It comes on when the VDC system is deactivated (by operating “VDC
OFF” switch or in the standby state).
NOTE The light may stay on for a while after the engine has been
started, especially in cold weather. This does not indicate the exis- tence of a problem. The light should go out as soon as the enginehas warmed up. The “VDC OFF ” indicator light comes on when the engine has de-
veloped a problem and the CHECK ENGINE warning light is on.
The VDC system is probably faulty under any of the following conditions. Have your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. The VDC OFF indicator light does not come on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position.
The light does not go out even after several minutes have passed (the
engine has warmed up) after the engine has been started. Security system status indicator light (if equipped)
This light is found at the bottom center of the combination meter panel. On vehicles equipped with a security system, it blinks to show the driver
the operational status of the security system. For detailed information, re-fer to the “Security system ” in Chapter 2.
Shift position indicator (for AT vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the shift lever. Turn signal indicator lights
These lights show the operation of the turn signal or lane change signal.
If the indicator lights do not blink or blink rapidly, the turn signal bulb
may be burned out. Replace the bulb as soon as possible. Refer to the

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“Replacing bulbs ” section in chapter 11.
High beam indicator light
This light shows that the headlights are in the high beam mode.
This indicator light also comes on when operating headlight flasher. Clock
HB2013BA
To set the time, turn the setting knob clockwise to advance and counter-
clockwise to retard the time.
Light control switch
WARNING
To prevent battery discharge resulting from accidentally leaving your lights on when your vehicle is parked, the light switch oper-ates only when the ignition switch is in the “ON” position. In any
other position, the vehicle ’s lights will be out.
If you park your vehicle on a roadside at night, use the hazardwarning flasher to alert the other drivers.

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HB2014BB
HB2007BA
The light switch operates only when the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position.
Headlights
To turn on the headlights, turn the knob on the end of the turn signal
lever.
first position
Parking lights, instrument panel illumination, tail lights and license
plate light are on.
second position
Headlights, parking lights, instrument panel illumination, tail lights,
and license plate light are on. High/low beam change (dimmer)
To change from low beam to high beam, push the turn signal lever
forward. When the headlights are on high beam, the high beam indi-cator light “a ” on the instrument panel is also on.
To switch back to low beam, pull the lever back to the detent position. Headlight flasher CAUTION
Do not hold the lever in the flashing position for more than just a few seconds.

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To flash the headlights, pull the lever toward you and then release it.
The high beam will stay on for as long as you hold the lever. The
headlight flasher works even though the lighting switch is in the “OFF”
position.
When the headlights are on high beam, the high beam indicator light “ a ” on the instrument panel also comes on.
Daytime running light system
WARNING
The tail lights, parking lights, and side marker lights are notturned on by the daytime running light system. The light switchmust always be turned to the “a ” position when it is dark out-
side.
The low beam headlights will automatically come on at reduced bright-
ness when the engine has started, under the following conditions: The parking brake is fully released.
The light switch is in the “OFF” or “p ” position.
Turn signal lever
HB2015BB
Right turn Left turn
To activate the right turn signal, push the turn signal lever up. To activate
the left turn signal, push the turn signal lever down. When the turn is fin-

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ished, the lever will return automatically. If the lever does not return after
cornering, return the lever to the neutral position by hand.
To signal a lane change, push the turn signal lever up or down slightly
and hold it during the lane change. The turn signal indicator lights will
flash in the direction of the turn or lane change. The lever will return auto-
matically to the neutral position when you release it.
Illumination brightness control
HB2017BB
When the lighting switch is in the “p ” or “a ” position, you can adjust
brightness of the instrument panel illumination for better visibility.
To brighten, turn the control dial counterclockwise.
To darken, turn the control dial clockwise.

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Parking light switch
HB2018BA
The parking light switch operates regardless of the ignition switch posi- tion.
By pushing the front end of this switch, following lights will come on.
– Parking lights
– Front and rear side marker lights
– Tail lights
– License plate lights
To turn off, push the rear end of the parking light switch.
Avoid leaving these lights on for a long time because that will run down
the battery.

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Fog light switch (if equipped)
The fog lights operate only when the headlights are on low beam. Push
the fog light switch to turn the fog lights on.
Press the switch again to turn them off.
HB2025BB
The indicator light located on the switch will illuminate when the fog
lights are on.
Wiper and washerWARNING
In freezing weather, do not use the windshield washer until the
windshield is sufficiently warmed by the defroster.Otherwise the washer fluid can freeze on the windshield, blocking
your view.
CAUTION
Do not operate the washer continuously for more than ten se-
conds, or when the washer fluid tank is empty. This may cause
overheating of the washer motor. Check the washer fluid level fre-
quently, such as at fuel stops.

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Do not operate the wipers when the windshield or rear window
is dry. This may scratch the glass, damage the wiper blades and
cause the wiper motor to burn out. Before operating the wiper on
a dry windshield or rear window, always use the windshield
washer. In freezing weather, be sure that the wiper blades are not fro-
zen to the windshield or rear window before switching on thewipers. Attempting to operate the wiper with the blades frozen tothe window glass could cause not only the wiper blades to be
damaged but also the wiper motor to burn out. If the wiper blade
is frozen to the window glass, be sure to operate the defroster,wiper deicer (if equipped) or rear window defogger before turning
on the wiper. If the wipers stop during operation because of ice or some oth-
er obstruction on the window, the wiper motor could burn outeven if the wiper switch is turned off. If this occurs, promptly stopthe vehicle in a safe place, turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”
position and clean the window glass to allow proper wiper opera-tion. Use clean water if windshield washer fluid is unavailable. In
areas where water freezes in winter, use SUBARU Windshield
Washer Fluid or the equivalent. (See “Windshield washer fluid ”
section in chapter 11.)Also, when driving the vehicle when there are freezing tempera-tures, use non-freezing type wiper blades. Do not clean the wiper blades with gasoline or a solvent, such
as paint thinner or benzene. This will cause deterioration of thewiper blades.
NOTE The wiper operates only when the ignition switch is in the “ON”
or “ACC” position.
Clean your wiper blades and window glass periodically with a
washer solution to prevent streaking, and to remove accumulations
of road salt or road film. Keep the washer button depressed at leastfor 1 second so that washer solution will be sprinkled all over the

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windshield or rear window. Grease, wax, insects or other material on the windshield or the
wiper blades results in jerky wiper operation and streaking on the
glass. If you cannot remove those streaks after operating the
washer or if the wiper operation is jerky, clean the outer surface ofthe windshield or rear window and the wiper blades using a sponge
or soft cloth with a neutral detergent or mild-abrasive cleaner. After
cleaning, rinse the window glass and wiper blades with clean water.The glass is clean if no beads form on the glass when you rinse with
water. If you cannot eliminate the streaking even after following this pro-
cedure, replace the wiper blades with new ones. Refer to the “Wiper
blade replacement ” section (chapter 11) for replacement instruc-
tions. Windshield wiper and washer switches Windshield wipers
HB2019BB
To turn the wipers on, push the wiper control lever down.
: Intermittent
LO : Low speed
HI : High speed
To turn the wipers off, return the lever to the “OFF” position.

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Wiper intermittent time control (if equipped)
HB2023BA
When the wiper switch is in the “” position, turn the dial to adjust
the operating interval of the wiper.
The operating interval can be adjusted continuously from the shortestinterval to the longest.
Two click stop positions of the dial may help you to aim at your de-
sired interval. Mist (for a single wipe)
For a single wipe of the wipers, pull the lever toward you. The wipers
operate until you release the lever. Washer
HB2020BA
To wash the windshield, push the washer button at the end of the wip-