light SUBARU FORESTER 2005 SG / 2.G Service Manual

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Instruments and controls
y
When the actual outside temperature falls outside
the specified indicator range.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
checking the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the ignition switch to
the “ON” position. The following lights come on:
Seatbelt warning light
SRS airbag system warning light
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indica- tor lamp
Charge warning light
Oil pressure warning light
AT OIL temperature warning light (AT vehicles) ABS warning light
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light (if
equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator
light (if equipped) Brake system warning light
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT vehicles)
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light
(if equipped)
Cruise control indicator light (if equipped)
Cruise control set indicator light (if equipped)
If any lights fail to come on, it indicates a burned-out

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Instruments and controls
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bulb or a malfunction of the corresponding system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU dealer for repair. „Seatbelt warning light and chime
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position,
the seatbelt warning light will come on and the remind-
er chime will sound for about six seconds to remind the
driver to fasten the seatbelt.
The seatbelt warning light will turn off when the driv-
er’s side seatbelt is buckled.
The seatbelt reminder chime will turn off when the
driver’s side seatbelt is buckled or it will turn off auto-
matically after six seconds. „ SRS airbag system warning light
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position,
the SRS airbag system warning light will come on for
about six seconds and go out. This shows the SRS air-
bag and SRS side airbag (if equipped) and seatbelt
pretensioners are in normal operation.
If the warning light exhibits any of the following
conditions, there may be a malfunction in the
seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS airbag sys- tem. Immediately take your vehicle to your
nearest SUBARU dealer to have the system
checked. Unless checked and properly re-
paired, the seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbags will operate improperly (e.g. SRS air-
bags may inflate in a very minor collision or not
inflate in a severe collision), which may in-
crease the risk of injury.y
Flashing or flickering of the indicator light
y No illumination of the warning light when the
ignition switch is first turned to the “ON” posi-tion y Continuous illumination of the warning light
yIllumination of the warning light while driving
„ CHECK ENGINE warning light/
Malfunction indicator lamp
If the CHECK ENGINE light comes on while you
are driving, have your vehicle checked/repaired
by your SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
Continued vehicle operation without having the
emission control system checked and repaired
as necessary could cause serious damage,

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Instruments and controls
which may not be covered by your vehicle’s
warranty.
If this light comes on steadily or blinks while the engine
is running, it may indicate that there is a problem or po-
tential problem somewhere in the emission control
system. T If the light comes on steadily:
If the light comes on steadily while driving or does not
go out after the engine starts, an emission control sys-
tem malfunction has been detected.
You should have your vehicle checked by an autho-
rized SUBARU dealer immediately.
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 indica-
tor lamp coming on could be a loose or missing fuel fill-
er cap. Remove the cap and retighten it until it clicks.
Make sure nothing is interfering with the sealing of the
cap. Tightening the cap will not make the CHECK EN-
GINE warning light turn off immediately. It may take
several driving trips. If the light does not go out, take
your vehicle to your authorized SUBARU dealer im- mediately. T
If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an engine misfire
condition has been detected which may damage the
emission control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emission control
system, you should do the following: y Reduce vehicle speed.
y Avoid hard acceleration.
y Avoid steep uphill grades.
y Reduce the amount of cargo, if possible.
y Stop towing a trailer as soon as possible.
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 engine 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 condition but the

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Instruments and controls
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light remains on, contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er immediately. „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 lev-
el 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.
Do not operate the engine with the oil pressure
warning light on. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
„ AT OIL TEMPerature warning
light (AT vehicles)
The AT oil temperature warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and
goes out after about two seconds. If this light comes on when the engine is running, it
may indicate that the automatic transmission fluid tem-
perature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, it is unnecessary to
stop the vehicle, but avoid driving up steep grades or
in stop and go traffic. T
Automatic transmission control system warn-
ing
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it may indi-
cate that the automatic transmission control system is
not working properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately. „ ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after
about two seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
If the warning light behaves as follows, the ABS
system may not work properly.
When the warning light is on, the ABS function
shuts down; however, the conventional brake
(U.S.) (Canada)

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Instruments and controls
system continues 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 during driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by your SUBARU
dealer.
With a vehicle equipped with an EBD system, the ABS
warning light comes on together with the brake system
warning light if the EBD system becomes faulty. For
further details of the EBD system fault warning, refer
to “Brake system warning light”.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as described be-
low, the ABS system may be considered normal.y The warning light comes on right after the en-
gine is started but goes out immediately, remain-
ing off.y The warning light remains on after the engine
has been started, but it goes out when the vehicle speed reaches about 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 volt-
age and does not indicate a malfunction. When the
battery becomes fully charged, the light will go out. „ Vehicle Dynamics Control warn-
ing light (if equipped)/Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF indicator
light (if equipped)
This warning light has the function of indicating faults
in the Vehicle Dynamics Control system and the func-
tion of indicating that the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system 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 ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after the
engine has started. It indicates that the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is in normal operation. T Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably in-

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Instruments and controls
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operative under any of the following conditions. Have
your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer immediate-ly. yThe warning light does not come on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position. y The warning light comes on while the vehicle is run-
ning.y If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol 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 system of the ABS/Vehicle Dynamics Control
system becomes faulty.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system provides its
ABS control through the electrical circuit of the ABS
system. Accordingly, if the ABS is inoperative, the Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control system becomes unable to
provide ABS control. As a result, the Vehicle Dynam-
ics 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 functions of the brake system
are still available. 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 below,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system may be con-
sidered normal. y The warning light comes on right after the en-
gine is started but goes out immediately, remain-
ing off. y The warning light comes on after engine startup
and goes off while the vehicle is subsequently be-
ing driven. y The warning light comes on during driving, but
it goes out immediately and remains off. T Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light
y It comes on when the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch is pressed. y It also comes on when the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol 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 in-
dicator light is on.

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Instruments and controls
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably
faulty under the following condition. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. y
The light does not go out even after the lapse of sev-
eral minutes (the engine has warmed up) after the en-
gine has started. „ Brake system warning light
yDriving with the brake system warning light
on is dangerous. This indicates your brake sys-
tem may not be working properly. If the light re-
mains on, have the brakes inspected by a
SUBARU dealer immediately. 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.
This light has the following three functions: 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 parking 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 res-
ervoir 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 near-
est safe place and check the brake fluid level. If the flu-
id level is below the “MIN” mark in the reservoir, do not
drive the vehicle. Have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair. T Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) sys-
tem warning (for vehicles with EBD)
The brake system warning light also illuminates 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 malfunctioning if the brake
system warning light and ABS warning light illuminate
simultaneously during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conventional 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 vehicle’s motion may there-
(U.S.) (Canada)

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Instruments and controls
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fore 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
out, the EBD system may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again and stay illu-
minated 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 inspect-
ed.
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. „Door open warning lights
The door open warning light comes on if any door or
the rear gate is not fully closed.
Always make sure this light is out before you start to drive. „
Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when the tank is
nearly empty [about 2.3 US gal (9.0 liters, 1.9 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 re-
plenished up to an internal fuel quantity of about
4.0 US gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal). „ All-Wheel Drive warning light
(AT vehicles)
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.

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Instruments and controls
The All-Wheel Drive indicator light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes
out after the engine has started. T
For vehicles with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters or with the air pressure excessively
low in any of its tires. T For vehicles without Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
This light comes on when All-Wheel Drive is disen-
gaged and the drive mechanism is switched to Front
Wheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters or with the air pressure excessively
low in any of its tires. „ Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light (if equipped)
This light comes on when the ignition switch is ON and
goes out about 2 seconds later.
It blinks when the skid suppression function is activat-
ed. It illuminates when only the traction control func-
tion 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 ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position. y The light does not go out even after a period of
about 2 seconds after the ignition switch has been
turned to the “ON” position. „ Shift position indicator (AT vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the shift lever.
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„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 possible. Refer to the “Replacing bulbs”
section in chapter 11. „ High beam indicator light
This light shows that the headlights are in the high
beam mode.
This indicator light also comes on when the headlight
flasher is operated. „ Cruise control indicator light (if
equipped)
The cruise control indicator light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes
out after about three seconds.
This light comes on when the “CRUISE” main switch
is pressed.
NOTE y If you move the cruise control lever while turn-
ing the ignition switch “ON”, the cruise control
function is deactivated and the cruise control indi- cator light flashes. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch back to the
“ACC” or “LOCK” position, and then turn it again
to the “ON” position. y
If this indicator light and the “ ” indicator
light flash simultaneously during driving, have the
vehicle checked by your nearest SUBARU dealer. „ Cruise control set indicator light (if
equipped)
The cruise control set indicator light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and
goes out after about three seconds.
This light comes on when vehicle speed has been set.