brake fluid SUBARU OUTBACK 2010 5.G Owners Manual

2
Chapter 12: Specifications
This chapter informs you about the dimen-
sions and capacities of your SUBARU.
Chapter 13: Consumer information and
Reporting safety defects
This chapter informs you about Tire
information, Uniform tire quality grading
standards and Reporting safety defects.
Chapter 14: Index
This is an alphabetical listing of all that’sin
this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read. & Safety warnings
You will find a number of WARNINGs,
CAUTIONs and NOTEs in this manual.
These safety warnings alert you to poten-
tial hazards that could result in injury to
you or others.
Please read these safety warnings as well
as all other portions of this manual care-
fully in order to gain a better understand-
ing of how to use your SUBARU vehicle
safely.
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious injury or death could
result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which injury or damage to your
vehicle, or both, could result if the
caution is ignored.
NOTE
A NOTE gives information or sugges-
tions how to make better use of yourvehicle. & Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it
in this manual. This symbol means “Do
not ”, “Do not do this ”,or “Do not let this
happen ”, depending upon the context. &
Abbreviation list
You will find several abbreviations in this
manual. The meanings of the abbrevia-
tions are shown in the following list.
Abbreviation Meaning
A/C Air conditioner A/ELR Automatic/Emergency locking retractor
ABS Anti-lock brake system
AKI Anti knock index
ALR Automatic locking retractor
AT Automatic transmission
ATF Automatic transmission fluid
AWD All-wheel drive CVT Continuously variable trans- mission
DRL Daytime running light EBD Electronic brake force distri- bution
ELR Emergency locking retractor
FWD Front-wheel drive
GAW Gross axle weight
GAWR Gross axle weight rating
GPS Global positioning system
GVW Gross vehicle weight
GVWR Gross vehicle weight rating

&Warning and indicator lights
Mark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-10
Front passenger ’s
seatbelt warning light 3-10
SRS airbag system
warning light 3-11
CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator lamp3-12
Coolant temperature
low indicator light/Cool-
ant temperature high
warning light3-13
Charge warning light 3-14
Oil pressure warning light
3-14
Engine oil level warning light3-14
AT OIL TEMP warning
light (AT and CVT mod- els)3-15
/ABS warning light 3-16 Mark Name Page
/Brake system warning light
3-17
Hill Holder indicator light
3-19
Door open warning light 3-20
Door open indicator light3-20
Low fuel warning light 3-19
All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (AT and CVT models)3-20
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light/Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light3-20
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol OFF indicator light
3-21
Security indicator light 3-22
Turn signal indicator lights3-23
High beam indicator light
3-23Mark Name Page
Front fog light indicator
light (if equipped)
3-23
Cruise control indicator light
3-23
Cruise control set indi-
cator light
3-23
Headlight indicator light 3-23
Low tire pressure
warning light
(U.S.-spec. models)3-15
ON /
Front passenger ’s fron-
tal airbag ON indicator light 1-46/
3-12
/Front passenger ’s fron-
tal airbag OFF indicator light 1-46/
3-12
Shift-up indicator 3-22
Windshield washer fluid
warning light 3-2019

Ignition switch..................................................... 3-3
LOCK .................................................................. 3-3
Acc..................................................................... 3-4
ON...................................................................... 3-4
START ................................................................ 3-4
Key reminder chime ............................................ 3-4
Ignition switch light ............................................. 3-4
Hazard warning flasher ....................................... 3-5
Meters and gauges. ............................................. 3-5
Combination meter illumination ........................... 3-5
Canceling the function for meter/gauge needle movement upon turning on the ignition switch ............................................................... 3-5
Speedometer ....................................................... 3-6
Odometer ............................................................ 3-6
Double trip meter ................................................ 3-6
Tachometer ......................................................... 3-7
Fuel gauge .......................................................... 3-7
ECO gauge ......................................................... 3-8
Warning and indicator lights .............................. 3-9
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 3-10
SRS airbag system warning light ........................ 3-11
Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators ......................................................... 3-12
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp .................................................. 3-12
Coolant temperature low indicator light/Coolant temperature high warning light ......................... 3-13
Charge warning light .......................................... 3-14
Oil pressure warning light .................................. 3-14
Engine low oil level warning light ....................... 3-14AT OIL TEMP warning light
(AT and CVT models) ....................................... 3-15
Low tire pressure warning light (U.S.-spec. models) .......................................... 3-15
ABS warning light .............................................. 3-16
Brake system warning light ................................ 3-17
Hill Holder indicator light ................................... 3-19
Low fuel warning light ....................................... 3-19
Door open warning light .................................... 3-20
Door open indicator light ................................... 3-20
Windshield washer fluid warning light ................ 3-20
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT and CVT models) ........................................................... 3-20
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light/Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light .. ..... 3-20
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light ..... 3-21
Security indicator light ....................................... 3-22
Select lever/gear position indicator ..................... 3-22
Turn signal indicator lights ................................. 3-23
High beam indicator light ................................... 3-23
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 3-23
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 3-23
Headlight indicator light ..................................... 3-23
Front fog light indicator light (if equipped) ..... ..... 3-23
Clock .................................................................. 3-24
Multi function display ........................................ 3-24
Outside temperature indicator .. .......................... 3-25
Average fuel consumption ................................. 3-25
Current fuel consumption .................................. 3-26
Driving range on remaining fuel ......................... 3-26
Instruments and controls
3

indicator needle is pointing to the“+ ” side,
it indicates fuel-efficient driving.
Except U.S.-spec. models:
If the current rate of fuel consumption is
lower than the average rate of fuel
consumption, the indicator needle points
to the “ ” side. If the current rate of fuel
consumption is higher than the average
rate of fuel consumption, the indicator
needle points to the “+ ” side. When the
indicator needle is pointing to the “ ” side,
it indicates fuel-efficient driving.
NOTE . The ECO gauge shows only an
approximate indication. . After resetting the trip meter, the
average rate of fuel consumption is not
shown until driving 0.6 mile (1 km).
Until that time, the ECO gauge does notoperate. Warning and indicator lights
Several of the warning and indicator lights
illuminate 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
ignition switch to the “ON ”position. The
following lights illuminate:
: Seatbelt warning light (The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the driver fastens theseatbelt.)
: Front passenger ’s seatbelt warning
light
(The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the front seat passenger
fastens the seatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator lamp
: Coolant temperature high warning light
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: Engine low oil level warning light
: Windshield washer fluid warning light
: AT OIL TEMP warning light(AT and CVT models)
/: ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light/Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indica-tor light
/: Brake system warning light
: Hill Holder indicator light
: All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT andCVT models)
: Low tire pressure warning light (U.S.-spec. models)
ON /
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator light
/: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator light
: Low fuel warning light
: Door open warning light
: Door open indicator light
: Cruise control indicator light
: Cruise control set indicator light
: Select lever/gear position indicator Instruments and controls
3-9
– CONTINUED –

3-18Instruments and controls
NOTE . When the ignition switch is turned to
the “LOCK ”position with the electronic
parking brake applied, the brake sys-
tem warning light remains illuminated
for approximately 30 seconds and then
turns off.. When the electronic parking brake
switch is pressed to apply the electro-
nic parking brake while the ignition
switch is in the “LOCK ”position, the
brake system warning light illuminates,
remains illuminated for approximately
30 seconds and then turns off.. Even if the brake system warning
light flashes, if the warning light beha-
vior is as described in the following
examples, the electronic parking brake
system is not malfunctioning.
–The warning light turns off when
the electronic parking brake is ap-
plied or released. – The warning light turns off when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position again.
. The brake system warning light may
flash when the engine is started im-
mediately after the electronic parking
brake is applied or released. However,
the electronic parking brake system is
not malfunctioning if the warning light
turns off after the electronic parking brake is applied or released after that. .
The brake system warning light may
flash after the electronic parking brake
is frequently applied and released.
However, the electronic parking brake
system is not malfunctioning if the light
turns off for a short period of time.
This light has the following functions: ! Parking brake warning
The light illuminates with the parking
brake applied while the ignition switch is
in the “ON ”position. It turns off when the
parking brake is fully released. ! Brake fluid level warning
This light illuminates 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
illuminate 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
reservoir, do not drive the vehicle. Have
the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair. !
Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also
illuminates if a malfunction occurs in the
EBD system. In that event, it illuminates
together with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
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
applied harder than usual and the vehi-cle ’s motion may therefore become some-
what 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 turn off, the EBD system
may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain 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
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair. ! Electronic parking brake system warning
The brake system warning light flashes
when the electronic parking brake system
is malfunctioning. If the warning light
flashes, promptly park in a safe location
as soon as possible and contact your
SUBARU dealer.
The brake system warning light remains
illuminated when the parking brake cannot
be released even if the parking brake
switch is pulled. For details, refer to“ Electronic parking brake ”F 7-34.
! Parking brake apply inhibit warning
The brake system warning light flashes for
10 seconds and a chirp sound will be
heard if the parking brake switch is
operated when the parking brake cannot be applied. !
Frequent operation warning
The brake system warning light flashes for
20 seconds and a chirp sound will be
heard if the parking brake switch is
operated too frequently. In this case, the
operation of the parking brake switch is
restricted to protect the electronic parking
brake system.
NOTE
Wait until the warning light turns off. ! Emergency released warning
The brake system warning light flashes
when the parking brake is automatically
released in case of an emergency. & Hill Holder indicator light
WARNING
If the Hill Holder indicator light does
not illuminate even when the Hill
Holder switch is pressed to activate
the Hill Holder function, the electro-
nic parking brake system may be
malfunctioning. Immediately stop
the vehicle in a safe location and
contact your SUBARU dealer. The light illuminates when the ignition
switch is turned to the
“ON ”position and
turns off after approximately 2 seconds.
The light illuminates when the Hill Holder
switch is pressed to activate the Hill
Holder function.
& Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light illuminates
when the tank is nearly empty approxi-
mately 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 turn off unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 3.7 US
gal (14 liters, 3.1 Imp gal).
CAUTION
Promptly put fuel in the tank when-
ever the low fuel warning light
illuminates. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine. Instruments and controls
3-19
– CONTINUED –

7-8Starting and operating
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid,
washer fluid and other fluid levels
should be checked daily, weekly or at
fuel stops. Starting the engine &
MT models
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac- cessories.
3. Depress the clutch pedal to the floor
and shift the shift lever into neutral. Hold
the clutch pedal to the floor while starting
the engine. The starter motor will only
operate when the clutch pedal is de-
pressed fully to the floor.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON ”
position and check the operation of the
warning and indicator lights. Refer to“ Warning and indicator lights ”F 3-9.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter motor
continuously for more than 10 sec-
onds. If the engine fails to start after
operating the starter for 5 to 10
seconds, wait for 10 seconds or
more before trying again.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START ”
position without depressing the accelera-
tor pedal. Release the key immediately
after the engine has started.
If the engine does not start, perform the
following procedure. (1) Turn the ignition switch to the“
LOCK ”position and wait for at least
10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly applied, turn the
ignition switch to the “START ”position
while depressing the accelerator pedal
slightly (approximately a quarter of the
full stroke). Release the accelerator
pedal as soon as the engine starts.
(2) If this fails to start the engine, turn
the ignition switch back to the “LOCK ”
position and wait for at least 10
seconds. Then fully depress the accel-
erator pedal and turn the ignition
switch to the “START ”position. If the
engine starts, quickly release the
accelerator pedal.
(3) If this does not start the engine,
turn the ignition switch again to the“ LOCK ”position. After waiting for 10
seconds or longer, turn the ignition
switch to the “START ”position without
depressing the accelerator pedal.
(4) If the engine still refuses to start,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
for assistance.

7-18Starting and operating
Automatic transmission/Con-
tinuously variable transmis-sion
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. The con-
tinuously variable transmission is electro-
nically controlled and provides an infinite
number of forward speeds and 1 reversespeed.
Both the automatic transmission and
continuously variable transmission have
a manual mode.
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ”
position into the “D ” or “R ” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle
to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
. Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is comple-
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
. Do not race the engine for more than 5 seconds in any position
except the
“N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is applied or
when chocks are used in the
wheels. This may cause the
transmission fluid to overheat.
. Avoid shifting from one of the
forward driving positions into the“ R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever inthe “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the select
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
NOTE . For AT models, when the engine
coolant temperature is still low, the
transmission will upshift to higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in order
to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor- mal timing after the engine has warmedup..
Immediately after transmission fluid
is replaced, you may feel that the
transmission operation is somewhat
unusual. This results from 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.. When driving a vehicle that is
equipped with CVT under continuous
heavy load conditions such as towing a
camper or climbing a long, steep hill,
the engine speed or the vehicle speed
may automatically be reduced. This is
not a malfunction. This phenomenon
results from the engine control func-
tion maintaining the cooling perfor-
mance of the vehicle. The engine and
vehicle speed will return to a normal
speed when the engine is able to
maintain the optimum cooling perfor-
mance after the heavy load decreases.
Driving under a heavy load must be
performed with extreme care. Do not
try to pass a vehicle in front when
driving on an uphill slope while towing.. The continuously variable transmis-
sion is a chain type system that

place and let the engine idle until the
warning light turns off. &Driving tips
. On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill safely and easily by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manualmode. . Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”or
“ R ”position.
. Always apply the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the
vehicle with only the transmission. . Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the “ D ”position. Use the brake instead.
. The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate afault. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 2.5 L turbo or
3.6 L engine before the engine warms up. Power steering
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than 5 seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump.
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort.
NOTE
Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is
normal. It does not indicate power
steering system trouble. Braking &
Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. ! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking. ! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause Starting and operating
7-23
– CONTINUED –

&Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
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
applied harder than usual and the vehi-cle’s motion may therefore become some-
what 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 turn off, the EBD system
may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain 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 systeminspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
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 re-
pair. Starting and operating
7-27