check engine SUBARU FORESTER 2006 Owners Manual

6 „Engine exhaust gas (carbon
monoxide)
„Drinking and drivingDrunken driving is one of the most fre- quent causes of accidents. Since alcohol
affects all people differently, you may
have consumed too much alcohol to drive
safely even if the level of alcohol in your
blood is below the legal limit. The safest
thing you can do is never drink and drive.
However if you have no choice but to
drive, stop drinking and sober up com-
pletely before getting behind the wheel.
„
Drugs and drivingIf you are taking any drugs, check with
your doctor or pharmacist or read the liter-
ature that accompanies the medication to
determine if the drug you are taking can
impair your driving ability. Do not drive af-
ter taking any medications that can make
you drowsy or otherwise affect your ability
to safely operate a motor vehicle. If you
yNever inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains car-
bon monoxide, a colorless and
odorless gas which is dangerous,
or even lethal, if inhaled.yAlways properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from entering
the vehicle.yNever 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.yAvoid remaining in a parked vehi-
cle for a lengthy time while the en-
gine is running. If that is unavoid-
able, then use the ventilation fan
to force fresh air into the vehicle.yAlways keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system always
works properly.
yIf at any time you suspect that ex-
haust fumes are entering the vehi-
cle, have the problem checked
and corrected as soon as possi-
ble. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with all win-
dows fully open.yKeep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Alcohol in the blood-
stream delays your reaction and im-
pairs your perception, judgment and
attentiveness. If you drive after
drinking – even if you drink just a lit-
tle – it will increase the risk of being
involved in a serious or fatal acci-
dent, injuring or killing yourself,
your passengers and others. In ad-
dition, if you are injured in the acci-
dent, alcohol may increase the se-
verity of that injury.Please don’t drink and drive.
There are some drugs (over the
counter and prescription) that can
delay your reaction time and impair
your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness. If you drive after taking
them, it may increase your, your
passengers’ and other persons’ risk
of being involved in a serious or fa-
tal accident.
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24

TWarning and indicator lightMark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-9
SRS airbag system
warning light 3-10

or Front passenger’s
frontal airbag ON indi-
cator light
3-10
or Front passenger’s
frontal airbag OFF in-
dicator light
3-10
CHECK ENGINE
warning light/Malfunc-
tion indicator lamp 3-11
Charge warning light 3-12
Oil pressure warning
light 3-12
AT OIL temperature
warning light (AT vehi-
cles) 3-12
or ABS warning light 3-12
or Brake system warning
light 3-14
Door open warning
light 3-15
All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (AT vehicles) 3-15
Low fuel warning light 3-15
Turn signal indicator
lights 3-16
High beam indicator
light 3-16
Security indicator light
(if equipped) 2-3
Cruise control indica-
tor light (if equipped) 3-16
Cruise control set indi-
cator light (if equipped) 3-17
Vehicle Dynamics
Control operation indi-
cator light (if equipped) 3-16
Mark Name Page
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator
light (if equipped)
3-13
Mark Name Page
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3
Instruments and controls
Ignition switch .................................................... 3-3
LOCK ....................................................................... 3-3
ACC .......................................................................... 3-4
ON ............................................................................ 3-4
START ...................................................................... 3-4
Key reminder chime ............................................... 3-5
Ignition switch light (if equipped) ......................... 3-5
Key interlock release (AT vehicles only) .............. 3-5
Hazard warning flasher ...................................... 3-6
Meters and gauges ............................................. 3-6
Speedometer ........................................................... 3-6
Odometer/Trip meter .............................................. 3-6
Tachometer ............................................................. 3-7
Fuel gauge ............................................................... 3-7
Temperature gauge ................................................ 3-8
Outside temperature indicator .............................. 3-8
Warning and indicator lights ............................. 3-9
Seatbelt warning light and chime .......................... 3-9
SRS airbag system warning light .......................... 3-10
Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON and OFF indicators .............................................................. 3-10
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator
lamp ....................................................................... 3-11
Charge warning light .............................................. 3-12
Oil pressure warning light ..................................... 3-12
AT OIL TEMPerature warning light (ATvehicles) .......................................................... 3-12
ABS warning light ................................................... 3-12 Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
(if equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF
indicator light (if equipped) ................................. 3-13
Brake system warning light ................................... 3-14
Door open warning lights ...................................... 3-15
Low fuel warning light ............................................. 3-15
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT vehicles) ......... 3-15
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light (if equipped) ................................................. 3-16
Shift position indicator (AT vehicles) ................... 3-16
Turn signal indicator lights .................................... 3-16
High beam indicator light ....................................... 3-16
Cruise control indicator light ................................. 3-16
Cruise control set indicator light .......................... 3-17
Clock .................................................................... 3-17
Light control switch ........................................... 3-18
Headlights ............................................................... 3-18
High/low beam change (dimmer) .......................... 3-18
Headlight flasher ..................................................... 3-19
Daytime running light system ............................... 3-19
Turn signal lever ................................................. 3-20
Illumination brightness control ......................... 3-20
Headlight beam leveler (Canada-spec. 2.5XT) ............................................................... 3-21
Parking light switch ........................................... 3-21
Front fog light button ......................................... 3-21
Wiper and washer ............................................... 3-22
Windshield wiper and washer switches ............... 3-23
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Instruments and controls
3-9
– CONTINUED –
AT vehicles
1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Canada-spec. modelsThe outside temperature indicator is locat-
ed below the odometer/trip meter. The in-
dicator can indicate an outside tempera-
ture ranging from –22 to 122 °F (–30 to
50° C).
The indicator can give a false reading un-
der any of the following conditions:
y When there is too much sun.
y During idling; while running at low
speeds in a traffic jam; when the engine is
restarted immediately following a shut-
down.
y When the actual outside temperature
falls outside the specified indicator range.
Warning and indicator lightsSeveral of the warning and indicator lights
come on momentarily and then go out
when the ignition switch is initially turned
to the “ON” position. This permits check-
ing the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the igni-
tion switch to the “ON” position. The fol-
lowing lights come on:
Seatbelt warning light
SRS airbag system warning light
Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON in-
dicator light
Front passenger’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator light
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator lamp
Charge warning light
Oil pressure warning light
AT OIL temperature warning light (AT
vehicles)
ABS warning light
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
(if equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light (if equipped)
Brake system warning light
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT vehi-
cles)
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation in-
dicator light (if equipped) Cruise control indicator light (if
equipped)
Cruise control set indicator light (if
equipped)
If any lights fail to come on, it indicates a
burned-out bulb or a malfunction of the
corresponding system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU dealer
for repair.
„ Seatbelt warning light
and chimeYour vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt
warning device at the driver’s seat, as re-
quired by current safety standards. There
is a seatbelt warning light in the combina-
tion meter.
If the driver has not yet fastened the seat-
belt when the ignition switch is turned to
the “ON” position, the seatbelt warning
light will flash for 6 seconds, to warn that
the seatbelt is unfastened. If the driver’s
seatbelt is not fastened, a chime will also
sound simultaneously.
If the driver’s seatbelt is still not fastened
6 seconds later, the warning light will re-
main lit for 15 seconds. If the driver’s seat-
belt is still not fastened even 15 seconds
later (21 seconds after turning ON the ig-
nition switch), the warning lights will alter-
nate between flashing and steady illumi-
12
300576
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Instruments and controls
3-11
– CONTINUED –
or : Front passenger’s frontal
airbag ON indicator
or :Front passenger’s frontal airbag OFF indicator
The front passenger’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicators show you the status of
the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag.
The indicators are located next to the
clock in the central portion of the instru-
ment panel.
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, both the ON and OFF indi-
cators illuminate for 6 seconds during
which time the system is checked. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators ex-
tinguish for 2 seconds. After this, one of
the indicators illuminates depending on
the status of the front passenger’s SRS
frontal airbag reached by the Subaru ad-
vanced frontal airbag system monitoring.
If the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag
is activated, the passenger’s frontal airbag
ON indicator will illuminate while the OFF
indicator will remain extinguished.
If the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag
is deactivated, the passenger’s frontal air-
bag ON indicator will remain extinguished
while the OFF indicator will illuminate.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, if both the ON and OFF indica-
tors remain lit or extinguished simulta-
neously even after the system check peri- od, the system is faulty. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for an in-
spection.
„
CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator lampIf this light comes on steadily or blinks
while the engine is running, it may indicate
that there is a problem or potential prob-
lem somewhere in the emission control
system.
T If the light comes on steadily:
If the light comes on steadily while driving
or does not go out after the engine starts,
an emission control system malfunction
has been detected. You should have your vehicle checked by
an authorized SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.
NOTEThis light also comes on when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator lamp coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and retighten it until it
clicks. Make sure nothing is interfering
with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the
cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE
warning light turn off immediately. It may
take several driving trips. If the light does
not go out, take your vehicle to your au-
thorized SUBARU dealer immediately.
T
If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an en-
gine misfire condition has been detected
which may damage the emission control
system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do the fol-
lowing.
y Reduce vehicle speed.
y Avoid hard acceleration.
y Avoid steep uphill grades.
y Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
If the CHECK ENGINE light comes
on while you are driving, have your
vehicle checked/repaired by your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-
ble. Continued vehicle operation
without having the emission control
system checked and repaired as
necessary could cause serious
damage, which may not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty.
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3-12
Instruments and controls
ble.
yStop towing a trailer as soon as possi-
ble.
The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and come on steadily after
several driving trips. You should have
your vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately.„ Charge warning light If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does
not go out after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good con-
dition but the light remains on, contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer immediate-
ly.„Oil pressure warning
lightIf this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does
not go out after the engine starts, stop the engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil
is at the proper level but the light remains
on, contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately.
„
AT OIL TEMPerature
warning light (AT vehi-
cles)The AT oil temperature warning light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after the engine has started.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, it is un-
necessary to stop the vehicle, but avoid
driving up steep grades or in stop and go
traffic.
T Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it may indicate that the automatic trans-
mission control system is not working
properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately.
„
ABS warning light The ABS warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion and goes out after approximately two
seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system
is working properly.
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
If the warning light behaves as fol-
lows, the ABS system may not work
properly.
When the warning light is on, the
ABS function shuts down; however,
the conventional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally.
yThe warning light does not come
on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position.
(U.S.)
(Canada)
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Instruments and controls
3-13
– CONTINUED –
With a vehicle equipped with an EBD sys-
tem, the ABS warning light comes on to-
gether with the brake system warning light
if the EBD system becomes faulty. For fur-
ther details of the EBD system fault warn-
ing, refer to “Brake system warning light”.NOTEIf the warning light behavior is as de-
scribed in the following, the ABS sys-
tem may be considered normal.
yThe warning light comes on right af-
ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.
y The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it goes
out when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 8 mph (12 km/h).
y The warning light comes on during driving, but it goes out immediately
and remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may come
on. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will go out.
„
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light (if
equipped)/Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF indicator
light (if equipped)This warning light has the function of indi-
cating faults in the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system and the function of indicating
that the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
has been deactivated.
It comes on in the event of a fault in the
system and is on when the system is not
operating.
This warning light comes on when the ig-
nition switch is turned to the “ON” position
and goes out after the engine has started.
It indicates that the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is in normal operation. T
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably inoperative under any of the fol-
lowing conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immediate-
ly.
y The warning light does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position.
y The warning light comes on while the
vehicle is running.
y If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system itself becomes
faulty, the warning light only comes on. At
this time, the ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem) remains fully operational.
y The warning light comes on when the
electronic control system of the ABS/Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control system becomes
faulty.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system
provides its ABS control through the elec-
trical circuit of the ABS system. Accord-
ingly, if the ABS is inoperative, the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system becomes un-
able to provide ABS control. As a result,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system also
becomes inoperative, causing the warning
light to come on. Though both the Vehicle
Dynamics Control and ABS systems are
inoperative in this case, the ordinary func-
y
The warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, but it does not go
out even when the vehicle speed
exceeds approximately 8 mph (12
km/h).
y The warning light comes on dur-
ing driving.
If any of these conditions occur,
have the ABS system repaired at the
first available opportunity by your
SUBARU dealer.
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3-14
Instruments and controls
tions of the brake system are still avail-
able. You will be safe while driving with
this condition, but have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible.NOTEIf the warning light behavior is as
shown in the following, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system may be consid-
ered normal.
yThe warning light comes on right af-
ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.
y The warning light comes on after en-
gine startup and goes off while the ve-
hicle is subsequently being driven.
y The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately
and remains off.
T Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indi-
cator light
y It comes on when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF switch is pressed.
y It also comes on when the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is deactivated.NOTEy The light may stay on for a while after
the engine has been started, especially
in cold weather. This does not indicate
the existence of a problem. The light should go out as soon as the engine
has warmed up.
y
The indicator light comes on when
the engine has developed a problem
and the Malfunction indicator light is
on.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably faulty under the following condi-
tion. Have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
y The light does not go out even after the
lapse of several minutes (the engine has
warmed up) after the engine has started.
„ Brake system
warning light
This light has the following three func-
tions:
T Parking brake warning
The light comes on with the parking brake
applied while the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position. It goes out when the park-
ing brake is fully released.
T Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the “MIN” level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
switch in the “ON” position and with the
parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should
come on while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in “ON”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the “MIN” mark in the reser-
voir, do not drive the vehicle. Have the ve-
hicle towed to the nearest SUBARU deal-
er for repair.
T Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning (vehicles
with EBD)
The brake system warning light also illu-
y Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.yIf at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.
(U.S.)
(Canada)
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Instruments and controls
3-15
– CONTINUED –
minates if a malfunction occurs in the EBD
system. In that event, it comes on together
with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are ap-
plied harder than usual and the vehicle’s
motion may therefore become somewhat
harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat
place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights go out, the EBD system
may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated after the engine has
been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“MIN” mark, the EBD system may be faulty. Drive carefully to the nearest
SUBARU dealer and have the system in-
spected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the
“MIN” mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle. In-
stead, have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair.
„
Door open warning lightsThe door open warning light comes on if
any door or the rear gate is not fully
closed.
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive.„Low fuel warning light The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly empty [approximately
2.3 US gal (9.0 liters, 1.9 Imp gal)]. It only
operates when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position.NOTEThis light does not go out unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal).
„All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (AT vehicles)The All-Wheel Drive indicator light comes
on when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position and goes out after the en-
gine has started.
T For vehicles with Vehicle Dynamics
Control system
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters or with the
air pressure excessively low in any of its
tires.
T For vehicles without Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system
This light comes on when All-Wheel Drive
is disengaged and the drive mechanism is
switched to Front Wheel Drive for mainte-
nance or similar purposes.Continued driving with the AWD
warning light flashing can lead to
powertrain damage. If the AWD
warning light flashes, promptly park
in a safe place then check whether
all four tires are the same diameter
and whether any of the tires has a
puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason.
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4
Climate control
Ventilator .............................................................\
4-2
Air flow selection .................................................... 4-2
Center and side ventilators .................................... 4-3
Manual climate control system (if equipped) .. 4-3
Control panel .......................................................... 4-3
Heater operation ..................................................... 4-5
Air conditioner operation ....................................... 4-7
Automatic climate control system (if equipped) .................................................... 4-8
Control panel .......................................................... 4-8
To use as full-automatic climate control
system ................................................................... 4-8
To use as semi-automatic climate control
system ................................................................... 4-8
Fan speed control dial ........................................... 4-9
Temperature control dial ........................................ 4-9
Air flow control dial ................................................ 4-9
Air inlet selection button ........................................ 4-10
Air conditioner button ............................................ 4-10
Temperature sensors ............................................. 4-11
Operating tips for heater and air conditioner .. 4-11
Cleaning ventilation grille ...................................... 4-11
Efficient cooling after parking in direct
sunlight ................................................................. 4-11
Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant circuit .................................................................... 4-12
Checking air conditioning system before summer season .................................................... 4-12
Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and
low temperature weather conditions .................. 4-12 Air conditioner compressor shut-off when
engine is heavily loaded ...................................... 4-12
Refrigerant for your climate control system ........ 4-12
Air filtration system (if equipped) ..................... 4-12
Replacing an air filter ............................................. 4-13
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