engine SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owner's Manual

3-20 Instruments and controls
„ ABS warning light The ABS warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion and goes out after approximately two
seconds.
This is an indicati on that the ABS system
is working properly. The ABS warning light comes on together
with the brake system wa rning light if the
EBD system becomes faulty. For further
details of the EBD system fault warning,
refer to “Brake syst em warning light”.
NOTE If the warning light behavior is as de-
scribed in the following, the ABS sys-
tem may be considered normal.
y The warning light comes on right af- ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.
y The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it goes
out when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 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 voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will go out.
„ Brake system
warning lightThe tire pressure monitoring system
is NOT a substitu te for manually
checking tire pressure. The tire
pressure should be checked period-
ically (at least mo nthly) using a tire
gauge. After any change to tire pres-
sure(s), the tire pressure monitoring
system will not re-check tire infla-
tion pressures until the vehicle is
first driven more than 20 mph (32
km/h). Be sure to install the speci-
fied size for the front and rear tires.
If the warning light behaves as fol-
lows, the ABS system may not work
properly. (U.S.)
(Canada) When the warning light is on, the
ABS function shuts down; however,
the conventional brake system con-
tinues 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 dur-
ing driving.
If any of these conditions occur,
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by
your SUBARU dealer.
y 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. (U.S.)
(Canada)

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
3-23
– CONTINUED –T Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light
The Vehicle Dynami cs Control system is
probably inoperative under any of the fol-
lowing conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immediate-
ly.
y The warning light does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position.
y The warning light comes on while the
vehicle is running.
y If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system itself becomes
faulty, the warning light only comes on. At
this time, the ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem) remains fully operational.
y The warning light comes on when the
electronic control sys tem of the ABS/Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control system becomes
faulty.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system
provides its ABS control through the elec-
trical circuit of the ABS system. Accord-
ingly, if the ABS is in operative, the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system becomes un-
able to provide ABS c ontrol. As a result,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system also
becomes inoperative, causing the warning
light to come on. Though both the Vehicle
Dynamics Control and ABS systems are
inoperative in this case, the ordinary func- tions of the brake system are still avail-
able. You will be safe while driving with
this condition, but have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible.
NOTE If the warning light behavior is as
shown in the following, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system may be consid-
ered normal.
y The warning light comes on right af-
ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.
y The warning light comes on after en-
gine startup and goes off while the ve-
hicle is subsequently being driven.
y The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately
and remains off.
T Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indi-
cator light
y It comes on when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF switch is pressed.
y It also comes on when the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is deactivated.
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 indicator light comes on when
the engine has developed a problem
and the Malfunction indicator light is
on.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably faulty under the following condi-
tion. Have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
y The light does not go out even after the
lapse of several minutes (the engine has
warmed up) after the engine has started.
„ Security indicator light This indicator light shows the status of the
alarm system. It also indicates operation
of the immobilizer system.
T Alarm system
It blinks to show the driver the operational
status of the alarm system. For detailed
information, refer to the “Alarm system”
section in chapter 2.
T Immobilizer system
This light blinks approximately 60 seconds
after the ignition switch is turned from
“ON” position to the “ACC” or “LOCK” po-
sition or immediately after the key is pulled
out. (Refer to the “Door locks” section in

3-24 Instruments and controls
chapter 2.)
If the indicator light does not flash, it may
indicate that immobilizer system may be
faulty. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately.
In the event that an unauthorized key (for
example, an unauthorized duplicate) is
used, the security indicator light comes
on.
„ SPORT mode indicator
light (AT vehicles)This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and
goes out after the engine has started.
When the selector lever is moved to the
manual gate, the SPORT mode is select-
ed and the indicator light comes on. (Refer
to the “Automatic transmission – 4-speed”
or “Automatic transmission – 5-speed”
section in chapter 7.)
T Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts,
it may indicate that the automatic trans-
mission control system is not working
properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately. „ Selector lever position indi-
cator (AT vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the
selector lever. „ Gear position indicator (AT
vehicles)
When the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator (which shows the
current gear selectio n) and the upshift/
downshift indicator light up. (Refer to the
“Automatic transmission – 4-speed” or
“Automatic transmission – 5-speed” sec-
tion in chapter 7.)
„ 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 300192 300266

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

3-30 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

3-32 Instruments and controls
„ Headlight flasher
To flash the headlights, pull the lever to-
ward 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 “ ” on
the instrument panel also comes on. „ Daytime running light system
The low beam headlights will automatical-
ly come on at reduced brightness when
the engine has started, under the follow-
ing conditions:
y The parking brake is fully released.
y The light switch is in the “OFF” or
“ ” position. Turn signal lever
To activate the right turn signal, push the
turn signal lever up. To activate the left
turn signal, push the turn signal lever
down. When the turn is finished, the lever
will return automatically. If the lever does
not return after corner ing, return the lever
to the neutral position by hand.
To signal a lane change, push the turn sig-
nal lever up or down slightly and hold it
during the lane change. The turn signal in-
dicator lights will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change. The lever will re-
turn automatically to the neutral position
when you release it.Do not hold the le ver in the flashing
position for more than just a few
seconds. 300508
The tail lights, parking lights, and
side marker lights are not turned on
by the daytime running light system.
The light switch must always be
turned to the “ ” position when
it is dark outside. 300509

4
Climate control Ventilator ............................................................. 4-2 Air flow selection .................................................... 4-2
Center and side ventilators .................................... 4-3
Manual climate control system (if equipped) ... 4-3 Control panel ........................................................... 4-3
Heater operation ..................................................... 4-5
Air conditioner operation ....................................... 4-7
Automatic climate control system (if
equipped) ......................................................... 4-7 Control panel ........................................................... 4-8
Temperature sensors ............................................. 4-11
Operating tips for heater and air conditioner .. 4-12 Cleaning ventilator grille ........................................ 4-12
Efficient cooling after parking in direct
sunlight ................................................................. 4-12
Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant
circuit ..................................................................... 4-12
Checking air conditioni ng system before summer
season ................................................................... 4-12
Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and
low temperature weather condition .................... 4-12
Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine
is heavily loaded ................................................... 4-12
Refrigerant for your climate control system ........ 4-12
Air filtration system (if equipped) ..................... 4-13

Climate control
4-5
– CONTINUED –T Air conditioner button
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 condi-
tioner. The indicator light will come on.
Push it again to turn off the air conditioner. T Air inlet selection button
ON position (Recirculation): Interior air is
recirculated inside the vehicle.
Push the air inlet button to the ON posi-
tion. The indicator light will come on.
Place this button in the ON position when
you wish to cool the cabin quickly (in a ve-
hicle with an air conditioner) or are driving
on a dusty road.
OFF position (Outside air): Outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment.
Push the air inlet button again to the OFF
position. The indicator light will go off.
Place this button in the OFF position when
you reach a road that is not dusty and
when you wish to achieve a comfortable
temperature in the cabin. „ Heater operation T Defrosting or defogging the wind-
shield
To direct warm air to the windshield and
front door windows:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the
“ ” position.
3. Turn the temperature control dial all the
way to the right.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
highest speed.
NOTE y In a vehicle equipped with an air con-
ditioner, when the dial is placed in the
“ ” position or “ ” position the
air conditioner compressor automati-
cally operates to quickly defog the
windshield. However the indicator on
the air conditioner button will not come
on. At the same time, the air inlet selec-400349 400350
Continued operation in the ON posi-
tion may fog up the windows.
Switch to the OFF position as soon
as the outside dusty condition
clears.