SUBARU WRX 2016 Owners Manual

Starting and operating/Driver ’ s Control Center Differential (C.DIFF/DCCD) (STI)
! Center differential control switch
and indicator
The control switch is located beside the
parking brake lever. By pushing the
control switch forward or pulling it rear-
ward, it is possible to change the initial
LSD torque.
The center differential indicator on the
combination meter gives six levels of
indication. The indicator and control
switch are linked; when the switch is
pushed or pulled to change the initial
LSD torque, the indicator changes accord-
ingly. Push the switch forward to increase the
initial LSD torque; when the “ LOCK ”
indicator appears, the initial LSD torque
setting is maximum. The center differential
will then be almost completely locked. Pull the switch rearward to reduce the
initial LSD torque. When the lowest posi-
tion of the driver ’ s control center differen-
tial indicator is displayed, the initial LSD
torque will be minimum. Under this condi-
tion, only the Mechanical LSD torque will
limit the differential action.
CAUTION
. Do not operate the control switch
when a wheel slippage occurs.
Wait until the wheelspin has been
brought under control.
. Under any of the following con-
ditions after setting to the man-
ual mode, pull the center differ-
ential control switch to minimize
the initial LSD torque:7-22

– When a temporary spare tire
is installed
– When your vehicle is towed
– When the vehicle is stopped
with the manual mode se-
lected
NOTE . A higher initial LSD torque setting
gives the vehicle greater traction when
driving straight ahead but makes cor-
nering more difficult. Remember this
when adjusting the initial LSD torque.
In general, higher initial LSD torque
settings assist driving on slippery
roads and lower settings for non-slip-
pery roads. When the vehicle is stuck
in snow or mud, setting the initial LSD
torque to the maximum will help to free
the vehicle.
. The setting of the initial LSD torque
will remain even when the auto mode is
selected or the ignition switch is turned
to the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position. How-
ever, the initial LSD torque will be
minimized when the battery is discon-
nected and reconnected.
. During cornering or when making
turns (especially when going into the
garage), the rotational difference be-
tween the front and rear wheels may cause a braking effect accompanied by
vibration and noise. This does not
indicate a problem. The phenomenon
will disappear when setting the initial
LSD torque to the minimum.
In the auto mode, it controls the initial
LSD torque automatically. While in the
auto mode, this phenomenon some-
times occurs depending on the driving
condition, however, it does not indicate
a problem.
. Use the center differential indicator
only as a rough indication of the initial
LSD torque.
. If you operate the center differential
control switch while quickly accelerat-
ing or turning a tight corner, you may
feel slight shocks. This is due to
differential action by the center differ-
ential and does not indicate a problem.
& Temporary release When the driver stops the vehicle and
pulls the parking brake lever after manu-
ally setting the initial LSD torque, the LSD
torque is temporarily minimized. However
the indicator on the combination meter
continues to show the driver ’ s selected
initial LSD torque. When the driver re-
leases the parking brake lever, the initial
LSD torque set by the driver is restored. Continuously variable trans-
mission The continuously variable transmission is
electronically controlled and provides an
infinite number of forward speeds and 1
reverse speed. It also has a manual mode.
WARNINGDo 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.
. Never move the vehicle rearwardStarting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
– CONTINUED –7-23

Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
by inertia with the select lever set
in a forward position or move the
vehicle forward by inertia with
the select lever set in the reverse
position. Doing so may result in
an unexpected accident or mal-
function.
. Do not shift from the “ D ” position
into the “ R ” position or vice
versa until the vehicle has com-
pletely stopped. Such shifting
may cause damage to the trans-
mission.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever in
the “ P ” position. Do not park for
a long time with the select lever
in any other position as doing so
could result in a dead battery.
NOTE . When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, the transmission will
upshift to higher engine speeds than
when the coolant temperature is suffi-
ciently high in order to shorten the
warm-up time and improve driveability.
The gearshift timing will automatically
shift to the normal timing after the
engine has warmed up. . 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 CVT model under
continuous heavy load conditions such
as when 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 function main-
taining the cooling performance of the
vehicle. The engine and vehicle speed
will return to a normal speed when the
engine is able to maintain the optimum
cooling performance after the heavy
load decreases. Driving under a heavy
load must be performed with extreme
care.
. The continuously variable transmis-
sion is a chain type system that
provides superior transmission effi-
ciency for maximum fuel economy. At
times, depending on varying driving
conditions, a chain operating noise
may be heard that is characteristic of this type of system.
& Select lever
1) Select lever button7-24

: With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while pressing the select lever button
in.
: Shift while pressing the select lever
button in.
: Shift without pressing the select lever
button.
The select lever has four positions, “ P ” ,
“ R ” , “ N ” , “ D ” and it also has an “ M ” position
for using the manual mode.
NOTE For some models, to protect the engine
while the select lever is in the “ P ” or
“ N ” position, the engine is controlled
so that the engine speed may not
become too high even if the accelerator
pedal is depressed hard. ! P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine. In this position, the
transmission is mechanically locked to
prevent the vehicle from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first apply the
parking brake firmly, then shift into the “ P ”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the mechanical friction of the transmis-
sion.
To shift the select lever from the “ P ”
position to any other position, you should
depress the brake pedal fully then move
the select lever. This prevents the vehicle
from lurching when it is started.
! R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle. To
shift from the “ N ” to “ R ” position, stop the
vehicle completely then move the lever to
the “ R ” position while pressing the select
lever button in.
When the ignition switch has been turned
to the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position, movement
of the select lever from the “ N ” to “ R ”
position is possible for a limited time
period by depressing the brake pedal,
and then it becomes impossible. For
details, refer to “ Shift lock function ” F 7-27. ! N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled
engine. In this position, the transmission is
neutral, meaning that the wheels and
transmission are not locked. Therefore,
the vehicle will roll freely, even on the
slightest incline unless the parking brake
or foot brake is applied.
Avoid coasting with the transmission in
neutral. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition.
WARNINGDo not drive the vehicle with the
select lever in the “ N ” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no
effect in this condition and the risk
of an accident is consequently in-
creased.
NOTE If the select lever is in the “ N ” position
when you stop the engine for parking,
you may not subsequently be able to
move it to the “ R ” and “ P ” positions. If
this happens, turn the ignition switch to
the “ ON ” position. You will then be able
to move the select lever to the “ P ”
position.Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
– CONTINUED –7-25

Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
! D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving. The
transmission shifts automatically and con-
tinuously into a suitable gear according to
the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require. Also, while driving up and
down a hill, the transmission assists and
controls the driving performance and
engine braking while corresponding to
the road grade.
When more acceleration is required in the
“ D ” position, depress the accelerator
pedal fully to the floor and hold that
position. The transmission will automati-
cally downshift. If the Intelligent (I) mode
or the Sport (S) mode has been selected,
the transmission will operate like a con-
ventional automatic transmission. When
you release the pedal, the transmission
will return to the original gear position.
If one of the shift paddles behind the
steering wheel is operated while driving in
the “ D ” position, the transmission will
temporarily switch to the manual mode.
In this mode, you can shift into any gear
position using the shift paddles. For de-
tails about the manual mode, refer to
“ Selection of manual mode ” F 7-26. Once
the vehicle speed stabilizes, the transmis-
sion will switch from the manual mode
back to the “ D ” position for normal driving. & Selection of manual mode
With the vehicle either moving or station-
ary, move the select lever from the “ D ”
position to the “ M ” position to select the
manual mode. 1) Upshift indicator
2) Downshift indicator
3) Gear position indicator
When the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator and upshift indica-
tor and/or downshift indicator on the
combination meter appear.
The gear position indicator shows the
currently selected gear in the following
range.
. 1st-to-8th-gear range (when the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode is selected)
. 1st-to-6th-gear range (in other situa-
tions)
The upshift and downshift indicators show
when a gear shift is possible. When the
upshift indicator “
” appears, upshifting is
possible. When the downshift indicator7-26

“ ” appears, downshifting is possible.
When both indicators appear, upshifting
and downshifting are both possible. When
the vehicle stops (for example, at traffic
signals), the downshift indicator turns off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the
shift paddle behind the steering wheel.
To upshift to the next higher gear position,
pull the shift paddle that has “ + ” indicated
on it. To downshift to the next lower gear
position, pull the shift paddle that has “ – ”
indicated on it.
To deselect the manual mode, return the
select lever to the “ D ” position from the “ M ”
position. CAUTIONDo not place or hang anything on
the shift paddles. Doing so may
result in accidental gear shifting.
NOTE Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode.
. 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.
. If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond.
. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the shift paddle twice in rapid succes-
sion.
. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stops
moving.
. If the temperature of the transmis-
sion fluid becomes too high, the “ AT
OIL TEMP ” warning light on the combi-
nation meter will illuminate. Immedi-
ately stop the vehicle in a safe location and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off.
. By selecting the Sport Sharp (S#)
mode, upshifting will not occur auto-
matically. According to the road condi-
tions, shift change manually so that the
tachometer needle does not enter the
red zone. Also, if the engine revolu-
tions reach the specified number, the
fuel supply will be cut. In this case,
perform shift up operation.
& Shift lock function The shift lock function helps prevent the
improper operation of the select lever.
. The select lever cannot be operated
unless the ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ” position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
. The select lever cannot be moved from
the “ P ” position to any other position
before the brake pedal is depressed.
Depress the brake pedal first, and then
operate the select lever.
. Only the “ P ” position allows you to turn
the ignition switch from the “ ACC ” position
to the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position and remove
the key from the ignition switch.
. If the ignition switch is turned to the
“ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position while the select
lever is in the “ N ” position, the select leverStarting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
– CONTINUED –7-27

Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
may not be moved to the “ P ” position after
a period of time. Therefore, move the
select lever to the “ P ” position with the
brake pedal depressed soon after the
ignition switch is turned to the “ LOCK ” /
“ OFF ” position.
! Shift lock release
If the select lever cannot be operated, turn
the ignition switch back to the “ ON ”
position then move the select lever to the
“ P ” position with the select lever button
pressed and brake pedal depressed.
If the select lever does not move after
performing the above procedure, perform
the following steps.
. When the select lever cannot be
shifted from “ P ” to “ N ” :
Refer to “ Shift lock release using the shift
lock release button ” F 7-28.
. When the select lever cannot be
shifted from “ N ” to “ R ” , “ P ” :
Within 60 seconds after placing the igni-
tion switch in the “ ACC ” position, move the
select lever to the “ P ” position with the
select lever button pressed and brake
pedal depressed.
If you must perform the above procedure,
the shift lock system (or the vehicle control
system) may be malfunctioning. Contact a SUBARU dealer for an inspection as soon
as possible.
If the select lever does not move after
performing the above procedure, refer to
“ Shift lock release using the shift lock
release button ” F 7-28.
! Shift lock release using the shift
lock release button
Perform the following procedure to release
the shift lock.
1. Apply the parking brake and stop the
engine.
2. Wrap the tip of a flat-head screwdriver
with vinyl tape or a cloth and use it to
remove the shift lock cover. The shift lock
release button is located under the shift
lock cover. 3. While depressing the brake pedal,
insert a screwdriver into the hole, press
the shift lock release button using a
screwdriver, and then move the select
lever.
If the select lever does not move after
performing the above procedure, the shift
lock system may be malfunctioning. Con-
tact a SUBARU dealer for an inspection
as soon as possible.
& Driving tips . 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 mechanical friction
of the transmission.7-28

. 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 a
malfunction.
SI-DRIVE (STI) SI-DRIVE (SUBARU Intelligent Drive)
works to maximize engine performance,
control and efficiency.
This system consists of three modes:
Intelligent (I), Sport (S), and Sport Sharp
(S#). By adjusting the SI-DRIVE selector,
the character of the power unit changes.
& Intelligent (I) mode ! For smooth, efficient performance
driving
The Intelligent (I) mode provides well-
balanced performance with greater fuel
efficiency and smooth driveability without
stress. Power delivery is moderate during
acceleration for maximum fuel efficiency. This is ideal for around-town driving and
situations that do not require full power
output. It provides better control in difficult
driving conditions, such as slippery roads
or loose surfaces, due to gentler throttle
response.
When the Intelligent (I) mode is selected,
a shift-up indicator “
” on the combina-
tion meter will blink to signal the best time
to shift gears for maximum fuel efficiency. Starting and operating/SI – DRIVE (STI)
– CONTINUED –7-29

Starting and operating/SI – DRIVE (STI)
& Sport (S) mode! For all-around performance driving
The Sport (S) mode provides the engine
power desired by those who want to make
the driving experience their own personal
adventure.
The linear acceleration characteristic of
this versatile mode is ideal for normal
driving use. & Sport Sharp (S#) mode ! For maximum performance driving
For sports-minded drivers, the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode offers an exhilarating
level of engine performance and control.
The throttle becomes more responsive
regardless of the engine speed. Delivering
maximum driving enjoyment, this mode is
ideal for tackling twisting roads and for
merging or overtaking other vehicles on
the freeway with confidence. & SI-DRIVE selector When you rotate the SI-DRIVE selector to
the left, the current SI-DRIVE mode
changes to the Sport (S) mode. When
yourotateittotheright,themode
changes to the Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
and when you push it, the mode changes
to the Intelligent (I) mode. After performing
this operation, the switch returns to its
original location.
NOTE . Thenexttimeyouturnonthe
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode, the SI-
DRIVE mode changes to the Sport (S)
mode.
. Thenexttimeyouturnonthe
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport (S) mode or Intelligent (I)7-30

mode, the SI-DRIVE mode will stay in
the same mode as when the engine
was turned off.
. While the engine is running, if the
CHECK ENGINE warning light/malfunc-
tion indicator light illuminates, the SI-
DRIVE mode changes to the Sport (S)
mode. In this case, it is not possible to
change to the Sport Sharp (S#) mode or
Intelligent (I) mode.
. If there is a possibility that the
engine could overheat because of a
temperature increase of the engine
coolant, it is not possible to change to
the Sport Sharp (S#) mode. While the
vehicle is in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
it changes to the Sport (S) mode when
the engine coolant temperature in-
creases.
. If any of the SI-DRIVE indicators
blink, the SI-DRIVE system may be
malfunctioning. Contact your SUBARU
dealer.
. While the engine is cool, you cannot
change to Sport Sharp (S#) mode. SI-DRIVE (except STI: CVT
models) SI-DRIVE (SUBARU Intelligent Drive)
works to maximize engine performance,
control and efficiency.
This system consists of three modes:
Intelligent (I), Sport (S), and Sport Sharp
(S#). By operating the SI-DRIVE switches,
the character of the power unit changes.
& Intelligent (I) mode ! For smooth, efficient performance
driving
The linear acceleration characteristic of
the Intelligent (I) mode is ideal for normal
driving usage. The Intelligent (I) mode provides well-
balanced performance with greater fuel
efficiency and smooth driveability without
stress. Power delivery is moderate during
acceleration for maximum fuel efficiency.
This is ideal for around-town driving and
situations that do not require full power
output. It provides better control in difficult
driving conditions, such as slippery roads
or loose surfaces, due to gentler throttle
response.
& Sport (S) mode ! For all-around performance driving
The Sport (S) mode provides the engine
power desired by those who want to make
the driving experience their own personal
adventure.Starting and operating/SI – DRIVE (except STI: CVT models)
– CONTINUED –7-31