SUBARU FORESTER 2009 SH / 3.G Owners Manual

7-12Starting and operating
Pressing the brake pedal repeatedly will
toggle the feature ON or OFF each time.
7. To exit the remote transmitter and
feature programming mode, turn the igni-
tion switch to the “LOCK ”position, remove
the key from the ignition switch and test
operation of the remote transmitter(s) and
horn confirmation feature. & System maintenance
! Changing the remote control bat- teries
The two 3-volt lithium batteries (model
CR-1220) supplied in your remote control
should last approximately 3 years, de-
pending on usage. When the batteries
begin to weaken, you will notice a
decrease in range (distance from the
vehicle that your remote control operates).
Follow the instructions below to change
the remote control batteries.
1. Carefully pry the remote control halves
apart using a small flathead screwdriver.2. Remove the circuit board from the
bottom half of the case and slide the white
plastic battery holder out from under the
battery tab releasing the batteries. Re-
move the old batteries and replace with
new ones. Be sure to observe the (+) sign

on the old batteries before removing them
to ensure that the new batteries are
inserted properly (battery“+ ” should be
pointed away from the transmitter circuit
board on both batteries).
3. Carefully snap the case halves back
together, then test the remote control.
NOTE
This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules and with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not ex-
pressly approved by the party respon-
sible for compliance could void theuser ’s authority to operate the equip-
ment. Manual transmission
The manual transmission is a fully syn-
chromeshed, 5-forward-speed and 1-re-
verse-speed transmission.
The shift pattern is shown on the shift
lever knob. When shifting from 5th gear to
reverse gear, first return the shift lever to
the neutral position then shift into reverse
gear.
To change gears, fully depress the clutch
pedal, move the shift lever, and gradually
let up on the clutch pedal.
If it is difficult to shift into gear, put the
transmission in neutral, release the clutch
pedal momentarily, and then try again.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
clutch disengaged (i.e., when the
clutch pedal is depressed) or with
the shift lever in the neutral position.
Engine braking has no effect in
either of these conditions and the
risk of an accident is consequentlyincreased.
CAUTION
Shift into reverse ONLY when the
vehicle has completely stopped. It
may cause damage to the transmis-
sion to try shifting into reverse when
the vehicle is moving.
NOTE
To protect the engine while the shift
lever is in the neutral position, the
engine is controlled so that the engine
speed may not become too high even if
the accelerator pedal is fully de-pressed. Starting and operating
7-13
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7-14Starting and operating
&Shifting speeds
! Recommended shifting speeds
The best compromise between fuel econ-
omy and vehicle performance during
normal driving is ensured by shifting up
at the speeds listed in the following table.
Shift up mph (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40) 3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
! Maximum allowable speeds
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
Never exceed the speed limit listed in the
following table for each gear position
except for brief acceleration in an emer-
gency. The tachometer ’s needle will enter
the red area if these speeds are ex-
ceeded. Failure to observe this precaution
can lead to excessive engine wear and
poor fuel economy. mph (km/h)
1st 30 (49)
2nd 52 (83) 3rd 73 (118) Never exceed the posted speed limit.
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to
observe this precaution can lead to
engine over-revving and this in turn
can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine brakes when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accidentincreased.
& Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to
hold your vehicle at a standstill on an
upgrade. Either of those actions may
cause clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to
labor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as
necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking
effect. Remember, if you
“ride ”(over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock
when the vehicle rapidly accelerates or
rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This
phenomenon is not an indication of a
problem in your vehicle.

Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 4 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has a
manual mode and a SPORT mode.
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ”
position into the “D ” or “R ” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle
to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
. Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is comple-
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
. Do not race the engine for more
than 5 seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
. Avoid shifting from one of the
forward driving positions into the “
R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
NOTE . When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle ’s auto-
matic transmission will up-shift at high-
er engine speeds than when the cool-
ant temperature is sufficiently high in
order to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmedup.. Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has collected and stored in memory to
allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.
NOTE (non-turbo models only)
To protect the engine while the
“P ” or
“ N ” position is selected, the engine is
controlled so that the engine speed
may not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is fully depressed.
& Selector lever
: Shift possible with brake pedal de-
pressed
: Shift possible with brake pedal notdepressed Starting and operating
7-15
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7-16Starting and operating
The selector lever has four positions, “P ”,
“ R ”, “N ”, “D ”and also has manual gate for
using “SPORT ”mode or manual mode.
! P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine.
In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically locked to prevent the vehicle
from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the
parking brake fully, then shift into the “P ”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P ” to
any other position, you should depress the
brake pedal fully then move the selector
lever. This prevents the vehicle from
lurching when it is started. ! R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N ”to “R ”position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the
lever to the “R ”position.
When the ignition switch has been turned
to the “LOCK ”position, movement of the
selector lever from the “N ”position to the
“ R ” position is possible for a limited time
period by depressing the brake pedal, and
then it becomes impossible. For details, refer to
“Selector lever reverse inhibiting
function ”in this section.
! N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalledengine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the
transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission in neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
NOTE
If the selector lever is in the “N ”
position when you stop the engine for
parking, you may not subsequently be
able to move it to the “R ” and “P ”
positions. If this happens, turn the
ignition switch to the “ON ”position.
You will then be able to move the
selector lever to the “P ” position.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
selector lever in the “N ” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no
effect in this condition and the risk
of an accident is consequently in- creased.
! D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 4th according to
the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to
the original gear position.
To use the “SPORT ”mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate. To
use the manual mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate
then move it toward the “+ ” and “ ” ends.
! While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to
4th gear is prevented from taking place
when the accelerator is released. This
minimizes the chance of subsequent
downshifting to a lower gear when accel-
erating again. This prevents repeated
upshifting and downshifting resulting in a
smoother operation of the vehicle.

NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd
or 1st gear, depending on the way the
accelerator pedal is pressed to accel-
erate the vehicle again. !While going down a hill
When you are descending a hill or any
other slope while braking with the“ SPORT ”mode selected, the transmission
may downshift to 3rd or 2nd gear depend-
ing on how hard you depress the brake
pedal, causing engine braking to work.
Reacceleration for a short time will cause
the transmission to upshift normally.
NOTE . A 4th-to-3rd automatic downshift
will not occur at speeds above 50
mph (80 km/h) and a 3rd-to-2nd auto-
matic downshift will not occur at
speeds above 24 mph (38 km/h).. Automatic downshifts to 3rd or 2nd
may occur even when driving on a level
road depending on conditions, such as
how hard you depress the brake pedal. & Selector lever reverse inhi-
biting function
This function prevents accidental move-
ment of the selector lever to the “R ”
position while the vehicle is moving. The function becomes operational when
the vehicle reaches a speed of approxi-
mately 5 mph (8 km/h). Once operational,
it prevents the selector lever from being
moved from the
“N ” position to the “R ”
position. When the vehicle speed drops
below 5 mph (8 km/h), the function is
canceled. The selector lever can then be
moved to the “R ”and “P ”positions.
When the ignition switch has been turned
to the “LOCK ”position, movement of the
selector lever from the “N ”position to the
“ R ” position is possible for a limited time
period by depressing the brake pedal and
then becomes impossible. Also, the se-
lector lever cannot be moved to the “R ”
position after it has been placed in the “P ”
position and then placed again in the “N ”
position.
When the movement of the selector lever
from the “N ” position to the “R ” position
has become impossible, turn the ignition
switch back to the “ON ”position then
move the selector lever to the “P ”position.
Pressing the selector lever release button
also makes it possible to move the
selector lever to the “P ” position at this
time. !
Selector lever release button
If you inadvertently have turned the igni-
tion switch to the “LOCK ”position with the
selector lever in the “N ”position, proceed
as follows. To remove the shift lock
release cover, refer to the “Shift lock
release ”section in this chapter. Then, with
a screwdriver inserted into the hole, move
the selector lever to the “P ”position. If the
selector lever reverse inhibiting function
fails, have the vehicle inspected by the
nearest SUBARU dealer. Starting and operating
7-17
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7-18Starting and operating
& Selection of manual mode
With the vehicle either moving or station-
ary, move the selector lever from the “D ”
position to the manual gate then move it tothe “+ ” end or “ ” end of the manual gate
to select manual mode.
1) Upshift indicator
2) Downshift indicator
3) Gear position indicator
When manual mode is selected, the gear
position indicator and upshift indicator
and/or downshift indicator on the combi-
nation meter illuminate. The gear position
indicator shows the currently selected
gear in the 1st-to-4th-gear range. The
upshift and downshift indicators show
when a gear shift is possible. When the
upshift indicator “
”is illuminated, up-
shifting is possible. When the downshift indicator “
”is illuminated, downshifting
is possible. When both indicators are
illuminated, upshifting and downshifting
are both possible. When the vehicle stops
(for example, at traffic signals), the down-
shift indicator turns off. Gear shifts can be performed by using the
selector lever.
Using the selector lever
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly
pushing the selector lever toward the
“+ ”
end of the manual gate.
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly
pulling the selector lever toward the “ ”
end of the manual gate. NOTE
Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode. . If you attempt to shift down when
the engine speed is too high, i.e., when
a downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-

shift is not possible. .If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond.. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the selector lever twice in rapid suc-cession.. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stopsmoving.. If the temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid becomes too high,the “AT OIL TEMP ”warning light will
illuminate and upshifts to 4th gear will
not be possible. Immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and let the
engine idle until the warning light turnsoff.
& Maximum speeds
WARNING
When down shifting, ensure that the
vehicle is not travelling at a speed
exceeding the Maximum Allowable
Speed for the gear which is about to
be selected. Failure to observe this
precaution can lead to engine over-
revving and this in turn can result in
engine damage. In addition, sudden application of
engine braking caused by down
shifting when the vehicle is travel-
ling on a slippery surface can lead
to wheel locking; as a consequence,
control of the vehicle may be lost
and the risk of an accident in-creased.
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
When down shifting, it is important to
confirm that the current vehicle speed is
not in excess of the Maximum Allowable
Speed of the gear which is about to beselected.
Non-turbo models mph (km/h)
Gear
position Manual mode
“D ”position
1 30 (48)
2 63 (101) 3 99 (160) Turbo models
mph (km/h)
Gear
position Manual mode
“D ”position
1 36 (58) 28 (45)
2 66 (106) 65 (105)
3 107 (172) 106 (170)
NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during
deceleration of the vehicle, the trans-
mission will remain in the current gear
if the speed of the vehicle is in excess
of the Maximum Allowable Speed for
the gear to which the selector lever has
been moved. & Driving tips
. On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill (safely and easily) by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manualmode. . Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”or
“ R ”position.
. Always set the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the
vehicle with only the transmission. . Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary Starting and operating
7-19
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7-20Starting and operating
position on an uphill grade by using the “ D ”position. Use the brake instead.
. The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate aproblem.
& SPORT mode
SPORT mode is used when power is
needed for rapid acceleration or for uphill
driving. To select this mode, move the
selector lever from the “D ”position to the
manual gate.
When selected, the SPORT mode indica-
tor light on the combination meter will turnon.
To deselect SPORT mode, move the
selector lever to the “D ”position or select
manual mode.
To subsequently reselect SPORT mode,
move the selector lever to the “D ”position
and from there to the manual gate.
In this mode, the transmission shifts up at
higher vehicle speeds and shifts down
more responsively than in normal mode. &
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move fromthe “P ” position with the brake pedal
depressed and the ignition switch in the“ ON ”position, perform the following steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the
edge with a flat-head screwdriver.

4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector lever from the“P ”to the
“ N ”position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start theengine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately to have the systemrepaired. Power steering
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort. NOTE
Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is
normal. It does not indicate power
steering system trouble.
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than 5 seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump. Braking &
Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. ! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking. ! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause Starting and operating
7-21
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