ABS SUBARU OUTBACK 2012 5.G User Guide

Fuel...................................................................... 7-2
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-3
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-6
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-7
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-8
MT models .......................................................... 7-8
AT and CVT models ............................................. 7-9
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-10
Remote engine start system (dealer option) .............................................................. 7-10
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-10
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-11
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-11
Remote start confirmation transmitter feature ............................................................. 7-12
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-13
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-13
Service mode ..................................................... 7-13
Remote transmitter program ............................... 7-13
System maintenance .......................................... 7-14
Manual transmission .......................................... 7-15
Selecting reverse gear ........................................ 7-16
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-16
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-17
Automatic transmission/Continuously variable transmission ..................................... 7-17
Select lever ........................................................ 7-18 Shift lock function
............................................. 7-20
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-21
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-22
Power steering ................................................... 7-23
Braking ............................................................... 7-23
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-23
Brake system .................................................... 7-23
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-24
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-24
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-25
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-25
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-25
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions ..... ..... 7-25
Vehicle Dynamics Control system .................... 7-26
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor..... ..... 7-28
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ................ 7-28
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-29
Parking your vehicle ......................................... 7-30
Electronic parking brake .................................... 7-31
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-34
Cruise control .................................................... 7-35
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-35
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-36
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-36
To change the cruising speed .. .......................... 7-37
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-38
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 7-38
Starting and operating
7

7-24Starting and operating
!Brake assist system
WARNING
Do not be overconfident about the
brake assist. It is not a system that
brings more braking ability to the
vehicle beyond its braking capabil-
ity. Always use the utmost care
when driving regarding vehicle
speed and safe distance.
CAUTION
When you need to brake suddenly,
continue depressing the brake pedal
strongly to bring the effect of the
brake assist.
Brake assist is a driver assistance system.
It assists the brake power when the driver
cannot depress the brake pedal strongly
and the brake power is insufficient.
Brake assist generates the brake power
according to the speed at which the driver
depresses the brake pedal. NOTE
When you depress the brake pedal
strongly or suddenly, the following
phenomena occur. However, even
though these occur, they do not indi- cate any malfunctions, and the brake
assist system is operating properly. .
You might feel that the brake pedal
is applied by lighter force and gener-
ates a greater braking force.. You might hear the sound of ABS
operating from the engine compart-ment.
& Disc brake pad wear warning indicators
The disc brake pad wear warning indica-
tors on the disc brakes give a warning
noise when the brake pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard
from the disc brakes while braking, im-
mediately have your vehicle inspected by
the nearest SUBARU dealer. ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys- tem)
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with an ABS
equipped vehicle could easily lead
to a serious accident.
CAUTION
. The ABS system does not always
decrease stopping distance. You
should always maintain a safe
following distance from othervehicles.
. When driving on badly surfaced
roads, gravel roads, icy road, or
over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be long-
er for a vehicle with the ABS
system than one without. When
driving under these conditions,
therefore, reduce your speed and
leave ample distance from othervehicles.
. When you feel the ABS system
operating, you should maintain

constant brake pedal pressure.
Do not pump the brake pedal
since doing so may defeat the
operation of the ABS system.
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of
wheels which may occur during sudden
braking or braking on slippery road sur-
faces. This helps prevent the loss of
steering control and directional stability
caused by wheel lock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
when the ABS operates.
The ABS system will not operate when the
vehicle speed is below approximately 6
mph (10 km/h). & ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake
pedal and hear the operating sound of
ABS from the engine compartment just
after the vehicle is started. This is caused
by an automatic functional test of the ABS
system being carried out and does not
indicate any abnormal condition. & ABS warning light
Refer to “ABS warning light ”F 3-16. Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) system
The EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle
’s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS system and uses some of the ABSsystem ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD function fails, the EBD
system also stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. &
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 Starting and operating
7-25
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7-28Starting and operating
snow tires or winter tires
. Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly
different compared to that for normalconditions. . It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with
Vehicle Dynamics Control. . Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire as failure to do so may
render the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system unable to operate correctly. & Vehicle Dynamics Control
system monitor
Refer to “Vehicle Dynamics Control warn-
ing light/Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light ”F 3-20 and “Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light ”F 3-
21. &
Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch
Pressing the switch to deactivate the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system can
facilitate the following operations. .a standing start on a steeply sloping
road with a snowy, gravel-covered, or
otherwise slippery surface . extrication of the vehicle when its
wheels are stuck in mud or deep snow
When the switch is pressed during engine
operation, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light on the combination
meter illuminates. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will be deactivated. When
the switch is pressed again to reactivate
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light turns off.
You should not deactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system except under
the above-mentioned situations.
CAUTION
The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem helps prevent unstable vehicle
motion such as skidding using con-
trol of the brakes and engine power.
Do not turn off the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system unless it is abso-
lutely necessary. If you must turn off
the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem, drive very carefully based on
the road surface condition.
NOTE . When the switch has been pressed
to deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system automatically reacti-
vates itself the next time the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK ”position
and the engine is restarted.. If the switch is held down for 10
seconds or longer, the indicator light
turns off, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is activated, and the system
ignores any further pressing of the
switch. To make the switch usable

again, turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”position and restart the en-
gine.. When the switch is pressed to
deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system, the vehicle ’s running per-
formance is comparable with that of a
vehicle that does not have a Vehicle
Dynamics Control system. Do not de-
activate the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system except when absolutely neces-
sary.. Even when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is deactivated, compo-
nents of the brake control system may
still activate. When the brake control
system is activated, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator
light illuminates. Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 20 mph (32 km/h). Also,
this system may not react immediately to a
sudden drop in tire pressure (for example,
a blow-out caused by running over a
sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, never
brake suddenly and keep driving
straight ahead while gradually redu-
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the tire
placard on the door pillar on thedriver ’s side.
Even when the vehicle is driven a
very short distance, the tires get
warm and their pressures increase
accordingly. Be sure to let the tires
cool thoroughly before adjusting
their pressures to the standard
values shown on the tire placard.
Refer to “Tires and wheels ”F 11-30.
The tire pressure monitoring system
does not function when the vehicle
is stationary. After adjusting the tire
pressures, increase the vehicle
speed to at least 20 mph (32 km/h)
to start the TPMS re-checking of the
tire inflation pressures. If the tire
pressures are now above the severe Starting and operating
7-29
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a different concentration from the one
used previously, purge the old fluid from
the piping between the reservoir tank and
washer nozzles by operating the washer
for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if
the concentration of the fluid remaining in
thepipingistoolowfortheoutside
temperature, it may freeze and block thenozzles.
CAUTION
. Adjust the washer fluid concen-
tration appropriately for the out-
side temperature. If the concen-
tration is inappropriate, sprayed
washer fluid may freeze on the
windshield and obstruct your
view, and the fluid may freeze in
the reservoir tank.
. State or local regulations on
volatile organic compounds may
restrict the use of methanol, a
common windshield washer anti-
freeze additive. Washer fluids
containing non-methanol anti-
freeze agents should be used
only if they provide cold weather
protection without damaging
your vehicle ’s paint, wiper blades
or washer system. !
Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery and
driving dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before
driving, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has
accumulated under the fenders to avoid
making steering difficult. During severe
winter driving, stop when and where it is
safe to do so and check under the fenders
periodically. ! Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the enginerunning.
Do not use the parking brake when
parking for long periods in cold weather
since it could freeze in that position.
Instead, you should observe the followingtips. 1. Place the shift lever in
“1 ” or “R ”for MT
models, or the select lever in “P ” for AT
models and CVT models.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked
after use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-ness. ! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty. Driving tips
8-9
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8-10Driving tips
If your SUBARU is not going to be used
for an extended period, it is best to have
the fuel tank filled to capacity. &Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine ’s intake system and may
hinder the airflow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or evenbreakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle
’s braking perfor-
mance on snowy and icy roads. For
information about braking on slippery
surfaces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) ”F 7-24 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system ”F 7-26.
! Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the
windshield or rear window, perform the
following procedure. . To thaw the windshield wiper blades,
use the defroster with the airflow selection in “
”and the temperature set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely thawed. Refer to “Climate
control ”F 4-1.
. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper
deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. Refer to “Defog-
ger and deicer ”F 3-34.
. To thaw the rear wiper blade, use the rear window defogger. Refer to
“Defogger
and deicer ”F 3-34.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow selection in “
”and the
temperature set for maximum warmth.
After the windshield gets warmed enough
to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away
using the windshield washer. Refer to“ Windshield washer ”F 3-32.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
Refer to “Hazard warning flasher ”F 3-5.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and freez-
ing temperatures. Blades of this type give
superior wiping performance in snowy
conditions. Be sure to use blades that
are suitable for your vehicle.
CAUTION
During high-speed driving, non-
freezing type wiper blades may not
perform as well as standard wiper

8-26Driving tips
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable. . Check that the tire pressures are
correct.. Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
–the trailer tongue is connected
properly to the hitch ball. – the trailer lights connector is con-
nected properly and trailer ’s brake
lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s
brake pedal is pressed, and that the trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when
the vehicle ’s turn signal lever is oper-
ated. – the safety chains are connected
properly.– all cargo in the trailer is secured
safety in position.– the side mirrors provide a good
rearward field of view without a sig-
nificant blind spot.
. Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel ”of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up. !
Driving with a trailer
. You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may
result in skidding or jackknifing and loss ofcontrol. . Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accel-
erations. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, always start out in first gear
and release the clutch at moderate enginerevolution. . Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.. Slow down before turning. Make a
longer than normal turning radius because
the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. In
a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. . Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large
trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down
immediately but gradually. . When passing other vehicles, consid-
erable distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by
attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn. . If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer. ! Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the

engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the coolant temperature high
warning light (for all models) and AT OIL
TEMP warning light (for AT and CVT
models) because the engine and trans-
mission are relatively prone to overheating
under these conditions. If the coolant
temperature high warning light and/or the
AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates,
immediately turn off the air conditioner and
stop the vehicle in the nearest safe
location. For further instructions and addi-
tional information, refer to the followingsections.
–“If you park your vehicle in an
emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-13
–“ Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light ”F 3-13 –“
AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT and
CVT models) ”F 3-14
. For AT and CVT models, avoid using
the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat. ! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake. You should not park on
a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or “P ” (AT and CVT models) and
shut off the engine. Driving tips
8-27

power steering fluid touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
power steering fluid gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe itoff.
The power steering fluid expands greatly
as its temperature rises; the fluid level
differs according to fluid temperature.
Therefore, the reservoir tank has two
different checking ranges for hot and coldfluids.
Check the power steering fluid level
monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,
and stop the engine.
2. Check the fluid level of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle has
been run: Check that the oil level isbetween
“HOT MIN ”and “HOT MAX ”on
the surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle is
run: Check that the oil level is between“ COLD MIN ”and “COLD MAX ”on the
surface of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than the
applicable “MIN ”line, add the recom-
mended fluid as necessary to bring the
level between the “MIN ”and “MAX ”line.
If the fluid level is extreme low, it may
indicate possible leakage. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for inspection.
& Recommended fluid
Refer to “Fluids ”F 12-8. Brake fluid &
Checking the fluid level
WARNING
. Never let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake
fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with
clean water. For safety, when
performing this work, wearing
eye protection is advisable.
. Brake fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause a dangerous loss
of braking performance.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
CAUTION
. When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
. Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts. Maintenance and service
11-25
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