fuel SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 User Guide

Instruments and controls
3-13door, the fuel gauge needle will drop to the
“E” position and the dial, needle, and rim
will go off.
NOTE
You will see the “ ” sign in the fuel
gauge.
This indicates that the fuel filler door
(lid) is located on the right side of the
vehicle.
T L o w f u e l w a r n i n g l i g h t
The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly empty [Approximately
2.6 US gal (10 liters, 2.2 lmp gal)].
It only operates when the ignition switch is
in the “ON” position. NOTE This 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 lmp gal).
„ Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine
coolant temperature when the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position.
The coolant temperature will vary in ac-
cordance 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. En-
gine 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.
200253
1 300593If the pointer exceeds the normal
operating range, safely stop the ve-
hicle as soon as possible.
See the “In case of emergency” in
chapter 9.

3-14 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 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
(The seatbelt warning light goes out only
when the driver fastens the seatbelt.)
: Front passenger’s seatbelt warning
light
(The seatbelt warning light goes out only
when the front seat passenger fastens the
seatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light /
Malfunction indicator lamp
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: AT OIL temperature warning light
(AT vehicles) / : ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light (if equipped)
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light (if equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol OFF indicator light (if equipped)
/ : Brake system warning light
: AWD warning light (AT vehicles)
: Low tire pressure warning light (if
equipped)
: SPORT mode indicator light (AT
vehicles)
/ : Front passenger’s frontal airbag
ON indicator light
/ : Front passenger’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator light
: Low fuel warning light
: Door open warning light
: Cruise control indicator light (if equipped)
: Cruise control set indicator light (if
equipped)
If any lights fail to co me 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 Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt
warning device at the driver’s and front
passenger’s seat, as required by current
safety standards.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, this device reminds the driver
and front passenger to fasten their seat-
belts by illuminating the warning lights in
the locations indicated in the following il-
lustration and sounding a chime.

3-18 Instruments and controls
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 indicator lamp coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and retighten it until it
clicks. Make sure no thing 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-
ble.
y Stop 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 e ngine 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
light
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 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 approximately two seconds.
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.
„ Low tire pressure warn-
ing light (if equipped) When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will come on for approximately 2Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.

Instruments and controls
3-19
– CONTINUED –seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will go out.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the prop-
er inflation pressure for those tires.) As an
added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure moni-
toring system (TPMS) that illuminates a
low tire pressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driv-
ing on a significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping
ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to main-
tain correct tire pre ssure, even if under-in- flation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.
The TPMS gives warning both when a tire
is significantly under-inflated and when
there is a problem in the TPMS. The low
tire pressure warning light operates differ-
ently according to these conditions as fol-
lows:
When a tire is significantly under-inflat-
ed: Steady illumination
When there is a problem in the TPMS:
Flashing
Should the warning light flash, have the
system inspected by your nearest
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
If this light does not come on briefly
after the ignition switch is turned
ON or the light is flashing, you
should have your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-
ble. If this light comes on while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep driv-
ing straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off
the road to a safe place. Otherwise
an accident involving serious vehi-
cle damage and serious personal in-
jury could occur.
If this light still comes on while driv-
ing after adjusting the tire pressure,
a tire may have significant damage
and a fast leak that causes the tire to
lose air rapidly. If you have a flat
tire, replace it with a spare tire as
soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the Low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash. This in-
dicates the TPMS is unable to moni-
tor all four road wheels. Contact
your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible for tire and sensor replace-
ment and/or system resetting. If the
light flashes, promptly contact a
SUBARU dealer to have the system
inspected.

Instruments and controls
3-21
– CONTINUED –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
The brake system warnin g light also illu-
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 faulty if the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously during driv-
ing.
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 ou t, the EBD system
may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have t he 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.
„ Low fuel warning light The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly em pty approximately 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 replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 3.7 US
gal (14 liters, 3.1 Imp gal).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.

3-22 Instruments and controls
„ Door open warning light When any of the doors or the rear gate
(Station wagon) or trunk lid (Sedan) is not
fully closed, it is indicated by the corre-
sponding part of the door warning light.
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive.
„ All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (AT vehicles) The All-Wheel Drive warning light comes
on when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position and goes out after the en-
gine has started.
T For 5-speed automatic transmission
vehicles
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters fitted on its
wheels or with the air pressure excessive-
ly low in any of its tires.
T For 4-speed automatic transmission
vehicles
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.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters fitted on its
wheels or with the air pressure excessive-
ly low in any of its tires.
„ Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol operation indicator
light (if equipped) This light comes on when the ignition
switch is ON and goes out approximately
2 seconds later.
It blinks when the skid suppression func-
tion is activated. It illuminates when only
the traction control function is operating. The Vehicle Dynamics Control 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 ig-
nition switch is turned to the “ON” position.
y The light does not go out even after a
period of approximately 2 seconds after
the ignition switch has been turned to the
“ON” position.
„ Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light (if
equipped)/Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF indicator
light (if equipped) This warning light has both the function of
indicating faults in the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and the function of indicat-
ing that the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem 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.(Turbo model only) Promptly put
fuel in the tank whenever the low
fuel warning light comes on. Engine
misfires as a result of an empty tank
could cause damage to the engine.
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.

Instruments and controls
3-27
– CONTINUED –„ Outside temperature indica-
tor
U.S.-spec. vehicles Canada-spec. vehicles
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 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. T Road surface freeze warning indica-
tion
U.S.-spec. vehicles
Canada-spec. vehiclesOutside
tempera-
ture Current
fuel con-
sumption Average
fuel con-
sumption
Driving range
on remaining fuelJourney time
300594 300267
300595
300268

3-28 Instruments and controls
When the outside temperature drops to
37 ° F (3 ° C) or lower, the temperature indi-
cation flashes to show that the road sur-
face may be frozen.
If the outside temperature drops to 37 ° F
(3 ° C) or lower while the display is giving
an indication other than the outside tem-
perature, the display switches to the out-
side temperature indication and flashes
for five seconds before returning to its
original indication.
If the display is already indicating an out-
side temperature of 37 ° F (3 ° C) or lower
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the indication does not
flash.
NOTE The outside temperature indication
may differ from the actual outside tem-
perature. The road surface freeze warn-
ing indication should be treated only
as a guide. Be sure to check the condi-
tion of the road surface before driving. „ Current fuel consumption
U.S.-spec. vehicles
Canada-spec. vehicles
This indication shows the rate of fuel con- sumption at the present moment.
„ Average fuel consumption
U.S.-spec. vehicles 300270
300596 300272

Instruments and controls
3-29
– CONTINUED –Canada-spec. vehicles
This indication shows the average rate of
fuel consumption since the trip meter was
last reset.
Pressing the trip knob toggles the indica-
tion between the average fuel consump-
tion corresponding to the A trip meter indi-
cation and the average fuel consumption
corresponding to the B trip meter indica-
tion.
When either of the trip meter indications is
reset, the corresponding average fuel
consumption value is also reset.
NOTE y The indicated values vary in accor-
dance with changes in the vehicle’s
running conditions. Also, the indicated
values may differ slightly from the ac- tual values and should thus be treated
only as a guide.
y When either trip meter indication is
reset, the average fuel consumption
corresponding to that trip meter indica-
tion is not shown un til the vehicle has
subsequently covered a distance of 1
mile (or 1 km).
„ Driving range on remaining
fuel
U.S.-spec. vehicles Canada-spec. vehicles
The driving range indicates the distance
that can be driven taking into account the
amount of fuel remaining in the tank and
the average rate of fuel consumption.
When the low fuel warning light comes on,
the driving range indication flashes for five
seconds. (The display first switches to the
driving range indication if it was originally
giving some other indication.)300597
300274 300273

3-30 Instruments and controls
U.S.-spec. vehicles
Canada-spec. vehicles
If the driving range is shown as “ ”,
there is only a tiny amount of fuel left in the tank. You must refuel the vehicle immedi-
ately.
NOTE The driving range on remaining fuel is
only a guide. The indicated value may
differ from the actu al driving range on
remaining fuel, so you must immedi-
ately fill the tank when the low fuel
warning light comes on.
„ Journey time
The journey time shows the time that has
elapsed since the ignition switch was
turned to the “START” position. The journey time indication flashes each
time a complete hour has elapsed. If the
display is giving an indication other than
the journey time, the display switches to
the journey time, flashes for five seconds,
and returns to its original indication each
time a complete hour has elapsed.
NOTE The journey time is reset when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “OFF” posi-
tion. It is also reset if the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK” or
“ACC” position prio r to restarting of
the engine.300275
400265 400266 400267