SUBARU OUTBACK 2004 4.G Owners Manual

7-18
Starting and operating
NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st
gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal
is pressed to accelerate the vehicle again. V
While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake
pedal will cause the transmission to downshift to 3rd
gear, thus applying engine braking. Reacceleration for
a short time will cause the transmission to upshift nor-
mally.
NOTE
In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a
downhill grade does not result in an automatic
downshift to 3rd gear. This can happen when the
automatic transmission fluid temperature is very
low, for example, during driving shortly after the
vehicle has been parked for an extended period of
time. When the ATF temperature has risen to a cer-tain level, automatic downshift normally takes
place. In the meantime, downshift manually for en-
gine braking as required.
Also, downshifting when braking downhill will not
occur at speeds above approximately 50 mph (80
km/h). T
3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking when going
down a hill or for climbing a grade.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable
gear from 1st to 3rd 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 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position. T 2 (Second)
This position is for using engine braking when going
down a hill or for climbing a steep grade.
In this position, the transmission holds in the 2nd gear.
Use this position when starting off from a standstill on
slippery road surfaces such as mud or snow. It will en-
sure greater traction. T 1 (First)
This position is for driving up or down very steep
grades, or driving through mud or sand, or on slippery
surfaces. In this position, the transmission holds in the
1st gear.

7-19
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
TMaximum speeds
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the ve-
hicle 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
brakes when the vehicle is travelling on a slip-
pery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost
and the risk of an accident increased.
The following tables show the maximum speeds that
are possible with each different gear.
When shifting down a gear, 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 be selected.
NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during decelera-
tion of the vehicle, the transmission will remain in
the current gear if the speed of the vehicle is in ex- cess of the Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear
to which the selector lever has been moved.
mph (km/h)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
T Driving tips
y Always apply the foot or parking brake when the ve-
hicle is stopped in the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position.y Always set the parking brake when parking your ve-
hicle. Do not hold the vehicle with only the transmis-sion.y Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary position on
an uphill grade by using the “D”, “3”, “2”, or “1” position.
Use the brake instead.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock when the
vehicle rapidly accelerates or rapidly pulls away from
a standstill. This phenomenon does not indicate a Position L, L-S OUTBACK
2.5 liter 3.0 liter
1 26 (42) 23 (38) 28 (45)
2 57 (92) 55 (89) 62 (100)
3 88 (142) 91 (147) 100 (160)

7-20
Starting and operating
fault. „
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from the “P” posi-
tion 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 the
regular screwdriver. 4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the selec-
tor lever from the “P” to the “N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole. Depress
the brake pedal and start the engine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU dealer im- mediately to have the system repaired.
P
RND321
HS7009BA
HS7011BA

7-21
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
Automatic transmission (with SPORTSHIFT mode – 2.5GT,
2.5GTLO)
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
yShift into the “P” or “R” position only after
the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting
while the vehicle is moving may cause damage
to the transmission. y Do not race the engine for more than five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or when wheel
blocks are used. This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat. y Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed. Also, it
has a SPORTSHIFT mode.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is recon-
nected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is re-
placed, you may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or 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.

7-22
Starting and operating
„
Selector lever
1) Release button : When the brake pedal depressed, shift while
pressing the button in.
: Shift while pressing the button in.
: Shift without pressing the button.
The selector lever has seven positions, “P”, “R”, “N”,
“D”, “3”, “2” and “1”, and also has a manual gate for us-
ing “SPORTSHIFT” mode.
The release button must be pushed to select the “P”,
“R”, or “2” positions. T P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and starting the
engine.
In this position, the transmission is mechanically
1
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7-23
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
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 ve-
hicle with only the transmission.
A shift interlock function is employed in the automatic
transmission system to ensure safe starting of the ve-
hicle.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to any other po-
sition, you have to depress the brake pedal fully then
push the release button on the selector lever when the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position. This prevents
the vehicle from lurching when it is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “P” position
with the brake pedal depressed, the release button
pushed in, and the ignition switch in the ON position,
refer to the “Shift lock release” section in this chapter. TR (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, first stop the vehi-
cle completely then move the lever to the “R” position
while pushing the release button. T
N (Neutral)
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 increased.
This position is for restarting a stalled engine.
In this position the wheels and transmission are not
locked. In this position, the transmission is neutral; the
vehicle will roll freely, even on the slightest incline un-
less the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine braking effect. T 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

7-24
Starting and operating
the pedal, the transmission will return to the original
gear position.
To use the SPORTSHIFT mode, move the lever from
this position into the manual gate. V
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 accelerating again.
This prevents repeated upshifting and downshifting re-
sulting 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 accelerate the vehicle again. V While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake
pedal will cause the transmission to downshift to 3rd
gear, thus applying engine brakeing. Reacceleration
for a short time will cause the transmission to upshift
normally.
NOTE
In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a
downhill grade does not result in an automatic downshift to 3rd gear. This can happen when the
automatic transmission fluid temperature is very
low, for example, during driving shortly after the
vehicle has been parked for an extended period of
time. When the ATF temperature has risen to a cer-
tain level, automatic downshift normally takes
place. In the meantime, downshift manually for en-
gine braking as required.
Also, downshifting when braking downhill will not
occur at speeds above approximately 50 mph (80
km/h). T
3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking when going
down a hill or for climbing a grade.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable
gear from 1st to 3rd 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 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position. T 2 (Second)
To shift from the “3” to “2” position, push the release

7-25
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
button.
This position is for using engine braking when going
down a hill or for climbing a steep grade.
In this position, the transmission holds in the 2nd gear.
Use this position when starting off from a standstill on
slippery road surfaces such as mud or snow. It will en-
sure greater traction. T1 (First)
This position is for driving up or down very steep
grades, or driving through mud or sand, or on slippery
surfaces. In this position, the transmission holds in the
1st gear. „
Selection of SPORTSHIFT mode (man-
ual mode)
1) Selector lever
1. Select the SPORTSHIFT mode by moving the se-
lector lever into the manual gate from the “D” position
with the vehicle stationary or moving.
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7-26
Starting and operating
1) Lamp showing whether upshift is possible
2) Lamp showing whether downshift is possible
3) Indication of currently selected gear
2. Once the SPORTSHIFT mode is selected, the cur-
rently selected gear is shown by the shift position indi-
cator in the meter cluster. Next to this indication, ar-
row-shaped lamps show whether an upshift is possi-
ble and whether a downshift is possible.
Lamps showing whether upshifting and downshifting
are possible:
The and lamps show whether upshifting and
downshifting are possible. When both lamps are off,
SPORTSHIFT operation is not possible. When both lamps are on, upshifting and downshifting are both
possible. When only the lamp is on, only upshift-
ing is possible. When only the lamp is on, only
downshifting is possible.
3. Perform gearshifts using the selector lever. You
can shift by one gear at a time in the 1st-to-4th-gear
range.
Upshifting
Shift to the next-higher gear (in the 1st-to-4th-gear
range) by pushing the selector lever toward the “+”
end of the manual gate.
Downshifting
Shift to the next-lower gear (in the 1st-to-4th-gear
range) by pushing the selector lever toward the “–”
end of the manual gate.
4. To deselect the SPORTSHIFT mode, return the se-
lector lever to the “D” position from the manual gate.
NOTE
Please read the following points carefully and bear
them in mind when using the SPORTSHIFT mode. y
When the temperature of the automatic trans-
mission fluid is lower or higher than normal, warn-
ing beeps are emitted and the shift position indica-
tor shows “–”. If these warnings are issued, dese-
lect the SPORTSHIFT mode to protect the auto-
1
2 3
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7-27
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
matic transmission from damage. yAutomatic gearshifts do not take place in the
SPORTSHIFT mode. Perform gearshifts in accor-
dance with road conditions so that the tachometer
needle does not enter the red zone. If the engine
speed reaches a predetermined level, a fuel-cut
function will operate. Shift up if this happens. y 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. y If you attempt to shift up when the vehicle speed
is too low, the transmission will not respond. y You can perform a skip-shift (for example, from
4th to 2nd or from 2nd to 4th) by operating the se-
lector lever twice in rapid succession.y The transmission automatically selects 1st gear
when the vehicle stops moving. It will not permit a
standing start in 2nd gear. T Maximum speeds
When down shifting a gear, ensure that the ve-
hicle 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 brak-
ing caused by downshifting when the vehicle is
travelling 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
increased.
The following tables show the maximum speeds that
are possible with each different 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 be se- lected.
NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during decelera-
tion of the vehicle, the transmission will remain in
the current gear if the speed of the vehicle is in ex-
cess of the Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear
to which the selector lever has been moved.