SUBARU OUTBACK 2004 4.G Owners Manual

3-8
Instruments and controls
nately.
To set the trip meter to zero, select either the A trip or
B trip meter and push the knob and keep it pushed for
more than 1 second.
NOTE
If the connection between the combination meter
and battery is broken for any reason such as vehi-
cle maintenance or fuse replacement, the data re-
corded on the trip meter will be lost. „
Tachometer
Do not operate the engine with the pointer of
the tachometer in the red zone. In this range,
fuel injection will be cut by the engine control
module to protect the engine from overrevving.
The engine will resume running normally after
the engine speed is reduced below the red
zone.
The tachometer shows the engine speed in thousands of revolutions per minute. „
Outside temperature indicator (if
equipped)
The outside temperature indicator shows the outside
temperature in a range from –22 to 122 °F (–30 to
50 °C).
The indicator can give a false reading under 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 follow-
ing a shutdown. y When the actual outside temperature falls outside
the specified indicator range.
For vehicles with an automatic climate control,
outside temperature can be displayed on the cli-
mate control display panel. Refer to the “Automat-
ic climate control system (if equipped)” in chapter 4. „ Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge shows the approximate amount of fuel
remaining in the tank.
The gauge does not return to “E” even though the ig-
A trip meter B trip meter

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Instruments and controls
– CONTINUED –
nition switch is in the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
The gauge may move slightly during braking, turning
or acceleration due to fuel level movement in the tank. „Temperature gauge
If the pointer exceeds the normal operating
range, safely stop the vehicle as soon as possi-
ble.
See “In case of emergency” in chapter 9.
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant temper-
ature when the ignition switch is in the “ON” position.
The coolant temperature will vary in accordance with
the outside temperature and driving conditions.
We recommend that you drive moderately until the
pointer of the temperature gauge reaches near the
middle of the range. Engine operation is optimum with
the engine coolant at this temperature range and high
revving operation when the engine is not warmed up
enough should be avoided.
1
UB2012BB

3-10
Instruments and controls
Warning and indicator lights
Several 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
checking the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the ignition switch to
the “ON” position. The following lights come on:
Seatbelt warning light
SRS airbag system warning light
CHECK ENGINE warning light / Malfunction indica- tor lamp
Charge warning light
Oil pressure warning light
AT OIL temperature warning light (AT vehicles) ABS warning light
VDC warning light (if equipped)
VDC operation indicator light (if equipped)
VDC OFF indicator light (if equipped)
Brake system warning light
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 chime
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position,
the seatbelt warning light will come on and the remind-
er chime will sound for about six seconds to remind the
driver to fasten the seatbelt.
The seatbelt warning light remains on for about six
seconds and turns off automatically after six seconds.
The seatbelt reminder chime will turn off when the
driver’s side seatbelt is buckled or it will turn off auto- matically after six seconds. „ SRS airbag system warning light
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position,
the SRS airbag system warning light will come on for
about six seconds and go out. This shows the SRS
frontal airbag and SRS side airbag (if equipped) and
seatbelt pretensioners are in normal operation.
If this light comes on while driving or remains illuminat-
ed even after a period of about 6 seconds from when
the ignition has been turned on, it may indicate that the
SRS frontal airbag system or SRS side airbag system
(if equipped) or seatbelt pretensioner system is not
working properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately.

3-11
Instruments and controls
– CONTINUED –
„CHECK ENGINE warning light/
Malfunction indicator lamp
If the CHECK ENGINE light comes on while you
are driving, have your vehicle checked/repaired
by your SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
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.
If this light comes on steadily or blinks while the engine
is running, it may indicate that there is a problem or po-
tential problem 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 sys-
tem malfunction has been detected.
You should have your vehicle checked by an autho-
rized SUBARU dealer immediately.
NOTE
This 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 indica-
tor lamp coming on could be a loose or missing fuel fill-
er 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 EN-
GINE warning light turn off immediately. It may take
several driving trips. If the light does not go out, take
your vehicle to your authorized SUBARU dealer im-
mediately. T If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an engine misfire
condition has been detected which may damage the
emission control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emission control
system, you should do the following:y Reduce vehicle speed.
y Avoid hard acceleration.
y Avoid steep uphill grades.
y Reduce the amount of cargo, if possible.
y Stop towing a trailer as soon as possible.
The CHECK ENGINE warning light may stop blinking

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Instruments and controls
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 condition but the
light remains on, contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er immediately. „ Oil pressure warning light
Do not operate the engine with the oil pressure
warning light on. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
If 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 lev-
el 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 (for AT vehicles)
If this light comes on when the engine is running, it
may indicate that the automatic transmission fluid tem-
perature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, it is unnecessary to
stop the vehicle, but avoid driving up steep grades or
in stop and go traffic. T Automatic transmission control system warn- ing
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it may indi-
cate that the automatic transmission control system is
not working properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately.

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Instruments and controls
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„ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after
about two seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
If the warning light behaves as follows, the ABS
system may not work properly.
When the warning light is on, the ABS function
shuts down; however, the conventional brake
system continues to operate normally. y The warning light does not come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position. 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 during driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by your SUBARU
dealer.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as described be-
low, the ABS system may be considered normal.y The warning light comes on right after the en-
gine is started but goes out immediately, remain-
ing off.y The warning light remains on after the engine
has been started, but it goes out when the vehicle
speed reaches about 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 volt-
age and does not indicate a malfunction. When the
battery becomes fully charged, the light will go out. „ VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control)
warning light (if equipped)
This warning light comes on when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after the
engine has started. It indicates that the VDC system is
operational.
The VDC system is probably inoperative under any of
the following conditions. Immediately have your vehi-
cle checked at a SUBARU dealer.(U.S.) (Canada)

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Instruments and controls
y
The VDC warning light does not come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position. y The VDC warning light remains on after the engine
has started and stays lit even when the vehicle speed
reaches about 8 mph (12 km/h).y The VDC warning light comes on while the vehicle
is running.y If the electrical circuit of the VDC system itself be-
comes faulty, the VDC warning light only comes on. At
this time, the ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) remains
fully operational.y The warning light comes on when the electronic
control system of the ABS/VDC system becomesfaulty.
The VDC system provides its ABS control through the
electrical circuit of the ABS system. Accordingly, if the ABS is inoperative, the VDC system also becomes un-
able to provide ABS control. As a result, the VDC sys-
tem becomes inoperative, causing the VDC warning
light to come on. Though both the VDC and ABS sys-
tems are inoperative in this case, the ordinary func-
tions of the brake system are still available. You will be
safe while 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 described be-
low, the VDC system may be considered normal.y The warning light comes on right after the en-
gine is started but goes out immediately, remain-
ing off.y The warning light remains on after the engine
has been started, but it goes out when the vehicle
speed reaches 8 mph about (12 km/h).y The warning light comes on during driving, but
it goes out immediately and remains off. „ Brake system warning light
yDriving with the brake system warning light
on is dangerous. This indicates your brake sys-
tem may not be working properly. If the light re-
mains on, have the brakes inspected by a
SUBARU dealer immediately. y If 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
– CONTINUED –
This light has the following two functions: TParking 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. 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 res-
ervoir 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 near-
est safe place and check the brake fluid level. If the flu-
id level is below the “MIN” mark in the reservoir, do not
drive the vehicle. Have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair. „ Door open warning lights
The specific 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 about 2.6 US gal (10.0 liters, or 2.2 Imp
gal). It only operates when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position.
NOTE
This light does not go out unless the tank is re-
plenished up to an internal fuel quantity of about
3.7 US gal (14 liters, 3.1 Imp gal). „ Front-wheel drive warning light
(for AT vehicles except GT and ve-
hicle with VDC)
This light comes on when All Wheel Drive is disen-
gaged and the drive mechanism is switched to Front
Wheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes. „ VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control)
operation indicator light (if
equipped)
This light comes on when the ignition switch is ON and
goes out about 2 seconds later.

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Instruments and controls
It blinks when the skid suppression function is activat-
ed. It illuminates when only the traction control func-
tion is operating.
The VDC system is probably faulty under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer immediately. y
The light does not come on when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position. y The light does not go out even after a period of
about 2 seconds after the ignition switch has been
turned to the “ON” position. „ VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control)
OFF indicator light (if equipped)
y This indicator light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned ON and goes out about 6 seconds af-
ter the engine has started. y It comes on when the VDC system is deactivated
(by operating “VDC OFF” switch or in the standby state).
NOTE y 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 “VDC OFF” indicator light comes on when
the engine has developed 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. y The VDC OFF indicator light does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position. y The light does not go out even after several minutes
have passed (the engine has warmed up) after the en-
gine has been started. „ Security system status indicator
light (if equipped)
This light is found at the bottom center of the combina-
tion 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, refer to the “Security
system (if equipped)” in Chapter 2.

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Instruments and controls
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„Selector lever position indicator (AT
vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the selector lever. „
Gear position indicator (AT vehicle with SPORTSHIFT)
When the selector lever is in the manual gate, this in-
dicator shows the currently selected gear. „ 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 “Replacing bulbs”
section in chapter 11.
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