engine SUBARU OUTBACK 2003 3.G Owner's Manual

3-16while driving with this condition, but you should have your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as shown below, the VDC system may be considered normal.
The warning light comes on right after the engine is started but
goes out immediately, remaining off. The warning light remains on after the engine has been started,
but it goes out when the vehicle speed reaches 8 mph about (12km/h). The warning light comes on during driving, but it goes out im-
mediately and remains off. Brake system warning light
WARNING
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. If at all in doubt about whether the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle. Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
This light has the following two functions: 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 parking brake is
fully released. 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 posi- (U.S.)
(Canada)

3-18the ignition switch has been turned to the
“ON” position.
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.
If the transmission has a Sport Shift mode, the position of the shift lever is
shown by another indicator during Sport Shift mode operation. For de-
tails, refer to Chapter 7, “Automatic transmission ”.

3
Instruments and controls3-21
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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.
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.

4
Climate control4-5
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: Air flows through the foot outlets and some through the wind-
shield defroster outlets.
: Air flows through the windshield defroster outlets and foot outlets.
: Air flows through the windshield defroster outlets.
NOTE When the dial is placed in the “
” or “”position, the air
conditioner compressor operates automatically regardless of the position of the air conditioner button to defog the windshield
quickly. At the same time, the air inlet selection is automaticallyset to “Outside air ” mode.
In this state, you cannot select “recirculation” mode by manually
pressing the air inlet selection button. n Air conditioner button
HB5010BB
The air conditioner operates only when the engine is running.
Push the air conditioner button while the fan is in operation to turn on
the air conditioner. The indicator light will come on.
Push it again to turn off the air conditioner.

4-12Automatic climate control system (if equipped) NOTE
Operate the automatic climate control system when the engine is
running. When the engine coolant is cold, for instance in cold weather, the
air flows through the windshield defroster outlets and the blowerruns at the lowest speed to prevent cold air from blowing directly
against the driver and front passenger. In the “AUTO” mode, if the air temperature in the passenger
compartment is cooled down to the specified temperature, the air
conditioner compressor stops automatically. For efficient defogging
or dehumidifying in cold weather, press the “A/C” switch on.
Even when cooling is not necessary, setting the temperature
much lower than the current outlet air temperature turns on the airconditioner compressor automatically and the “A/C” indicator light
on the control panel comes on.
The automatic climate control system automatically controls outlet air
temperature, fan speed, air flow distribution air-inlet control, and air con-
ditioner compressor operation. It activates when the “AUTO” switch is
pressed, and is used in conjunction with the Temperature control dial to
maintain a constant, comfortable climate within the passenger compart-ment.
The temperature can be set within a range of 65 – 85 F (18 – 32 C).
NOTE
The temperature is shown in units of Fahrenheit for US model and in Centigrade for Canadian model.

4
Climate control4-15
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n
OUT.TEMP switch
To check the outside air temperature, push the “OUT.TEMP” switch.
The outside air temperature will be displayed for five seconds, and
then the display automatically changes back to the inside air temper-
ature.
The display changes over from the inside air temperature to the out-
side air temperature as its normal indication if you keep the switch
pressed for more than 2 seconds. NOTE The outside air temperature display shows the outside air tem-
perature in a range from –22F to 131 F ( –30 C to 55 C).
You can check the outside air temperature even when the Au-
tomatic Climate Control is off. (The ignition switch should be in the “ON” position.)
In the following cases, the display can indicate a higher tem-
perature than the actual outside air temperature: – In direct sunlight
– When the vehicle is parked for a long period of time with the
engine kept running.– During stop and go driving
n
— Defroster switch
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield and side window, push the
defroster switch “
”. When the “” switch is pushed, re-
gardless whether the air conditioner is operating or not, outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment, the air conditioner compres-
sor turns on, air flow is directed towards the windshield and side win-dows, and the indicator light “
” on the control panel comes on.
Even with the defroster switch pushed, you can turn the air condition-
er ON/OFF and select interior air recirculation or outside air introduc-
tion as desired.
After eliminating the fogging from the windshield, set the air condition-er back in the AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO” switch or turn off
by pushing the “OFF” switch or “
” switch.

4
Climate control4-21
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closed during the operation of the air conditioner for maximum cool-
ing efficiency.
Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at a low engine speed (at idle
or low driving speeds) a few minutes each month during the off-sea-
son to circulate its oil. Checking air conditioning system before summer season
Check the air conditioner unit for refrigerant leaks, hose conditions,
and proper operation each spring. This check is best performed by
your SUBARU dealer. Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and low tempera- ture weather condition
Under certain weather conditions (high relative humidity, low tempera-
tures, etc.) a small amount of water vapor emission from the air outlets
may be noticed. This condition is normal and does not indicate any
problem with the air conditioning system. Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage, the air conditioner com-
pressor is designed to temporarily shut off during air conditioner op-
eration whenever the accelerator is fully depressed such as during
rapid accerelation or when driving on a steep upgrade. Refrigerant for your climate control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly refrigerant HFC134a. There-
fore, the method of adding, changing or checking the refrigerant is
different from the method for CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a result of using the wrong
refrigerant are not covered under warranty.

6
Interior equipment6-11
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HB6011DA
The cigarette lighter operates only when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” and “ACC” positions.
To use the cigarette lighter, push in the knob and wait a few moments.
It will automatically spring up when ready for use. Using as an accessory power outlet
Electrical power (12V DC) from the battery is on tap at the socket when the ignition switch is either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
If you use the socket as an accessory power outlet, take the following
precautions.
When the socket is not in use, always put the cap on the socket to
prevent any foreign object from entering it.
CAUTION
Use only in-car use electrical appliances which are designed
for 12V DC and which consume less than 120W. Overloading the
socket can cause a short circuit. Do not use double adapters ormore than one electrical appliance. If the plug on your electric appliance is either too loose or too
tight for the socket, this can result in a poor contact or cause the
plug to get stuck. Only use plugs that fit properly. Use of an electric appliance in the socket for a long period of
time while the engine is not running can cause battery discharge. Before driving your vehicle, make sure that the plug and the
cord on your electrical appliance will not interfere with your shift-

6
Interior equipment6-15
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cludes valuable services such as Automatic Notification of Air Bag Deployment, Remote Door Unlock** and Online Concierge services,to name just a few!
The OnStar directions & connections plan
This plan features all of the Safe & Sound services, plus Route Sup-
port, RideAssist and Information and Convenience services. The OnStar luxury & leisure plan
This plan features all of the Directions & Connections features, plus
fee-free OnStar MED-NET and the luxury of Personal Concierge ser-vices.
* One of these plans is normally included for a specific duration with each ve-
hicle at time of purchase. Check with your dealership or with your OnStar advi-
sor to determine which plan is included with your vehicle. Services within plans
are subject to change. Please check our website at www.onstar.com
for ser-
vices included in each plan.
** Remote door unlock capabilities vary by vehicle
OnStar services
The following services are available within OnStar service plans. Your ve-
hicle comes with a specific one-year service plan that allows use ofsome or all of the following services.
Automatic notification of air bag deployment
Should your air bag deploy, a priority signal will be sent to the OnStarCenter with your vehicle ’s location (as long as cellular service and the
vehicle’ s electrical system are operable). An advisor will attempt to
contact you to assess the nature of your emergency, and then notify
the necessary emergency services provider. Emergency services
Should you require emergency assistance, press the OnStar Emer-
gency button and we will contact a nearby emergency services pro-
vider with your exact location and your request for help. Roadside assistance***
There’ s nothing worse than being stranded on the road with car
trouble. No matter what the problem is (flat tire, out of gas, or engine

6-20
Use of an electric appliance in the accessory power outlet for a
long period of time while the engine is not running can cause bat- tery discharge.
HB7008EA
Electrical power (12V DC) from the battery is on tap at the socket when the ignition switch is either in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
You can use an in-car use electrical appliance by connecting it to thesocket.
NOTE
The trim cover has a notch through which the connected electri- cal appliance ’s cord can be passed.
Convenience hook Coat hook CAUTION
Never hang anything on the coat hook that might obstruct the
driver’ s view or that could cause injury in sudden stops or in a
collision. And do not hang items on the coat hook that weigh 2.2lb (1 kg) or more.