automatic transmission SUBARU FORESTER 2005 SG / 2.G Owners Manual

3-3
Instruments and controls
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Instruments and controlsIgnition switch
The ignition switch has four positions: LOCK, ACC,
ON and START. „LOCK
The key can only be inserted or removed in this posi-
tion. The ignition switch will lock the steering wheel
when you remove the key.
If turning the key is difficult, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the right and left as you turn the key. T
Automatic transmission vehicles
US3051BA
HS3015BA
HS2020CA

3-4
Instruments and controls
The key can be turned from “ACC” to “LOCK” only
when the selector lever is in the “P” position. T
Manual transmission vehicles
The key can be turned from “ACC” to “LOCK” only
when the key is pushed in while turning it.
y Never turn the ignition switch to “LOCK”
while the vehicle is being driven or towed be-
cause that will lock the steering wheel, prevent-
ing steering control. And when the engine is
turned off, it takes a much greater effort than usual to steer.y
Before leaving the vehicle, always remove
the key from the ignition switch for safety and
never allow an unattended child to remain in
the vehicle. Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child or others. They
could operate the power windows, the sunroof
or other controls or even make the vehicle
move.
„ ACC
In this position the electrical accessories (radio, ac-
cessory power outlet, etc.) can be used. „ ON
This is the normal operating position after the engine
is started. „ START
The engine is started in this position. The starter
cranks the engine to start it. When the key is released
(after the engine has started), the key automatically
returns to the “ON” position.
HS2020DA

3-15
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)

3-25
Instruments and controls
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more than just a few seconds.
„ Daytime running light system
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.
The low beam headlights will automatically come on at
reduced brightness when the engine has started, un-
der the following conditions: y The parking brake is fully released.
y The light switch is in the “OFF” or “ ” position.
y The automatic transmission selector lever is set at
other than the “P” position.
Turn signal lever
A) Right turn
B) Left turn
C) Lane change for right
D) Lane change for left
To activate the right turn signal, push the turn signal le-
ver 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 af-
ter cornering, return the lever to the neutral position by
hand.
To signal a lane change, push the turn signal lever up
A B C
D
HS3027BD

3-36
Instruments and controls
will illuminate. y
By pressing and releasing the right button, the com-
pass display is toggled on or off. When the compass is
on, an illuminated compass reading will appear in the
lower part of the mirror.
Even with the mirror in anti-glare mode, the mirror sur-
face turns bright if the transmission is shifted into re-
verse. This is to ensure good rearward visibility duringreversing. V Photosensors
The mirror has a photosensor attached on both the
front and back sides. If the glare from the headlights of
vehicles behind you strikes the mirror, these sensors detect it and make the reflection surface of the mirror
dimmer to help prevent you from being blinded. For
this reason, use care not to cover the sensors with
stickers, or other similar items. Periodically wipe the
sensors clean using a piece of dry soft cotton cloth or
an applicator. V
Compass calibration
1. For optimum calibration, switch off all nonessential
electrical accessories (rear window defogger, heater/
air conditioning system, spotlight, etc.) and ensure all
doors are shut.
2. Drive to an open, level area away from large metal-
lic objects or structures and make certain the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position.
3. Press and hold the left button for 3 seconds then re-
lease, and the compass will enter the calibration
mode. “CAL” and direction will be displayed.
4. Drive slowly in a circle until “CAL” disappears from
the display (about two or three circles).
5. The compass is now calibrated. Further calibration
is not required. The compass will automatically cali-
brate from this point forward.
HS3038BA

5-28
Audio
y
Do not attempt to insert two or more discs
into the slot at a time. Doing so can cause me-
chanical damage to the CD changer. y Use only music CDs identified by
am ark .
y Do not use CDs listed below which could
cause damage to the CD player. y3 inch (8 cm) compact disc.
y Any disc with a peel-off or seal on it.
y Any disc with scratches and/or dust.
y Bent disc.
y Cleaning disc.
y CD accessory. (E.g., 3 inch (8 cm) disc
adapter)
y Do not insert or remove any disc when the
automatic transmission selector lever is in the
park position; the selector lever in that position
can interfere with disc insertion or removal,
causing scratches on the disc surface (for AT
vehicles).
T To insert a disc
1. Press one of the disc select buttons (3) (numbered
from 1 to 6) for which the disc indicator light (2) is “OFF”.
The disc indicator lights are located directly above the
corresponding disc select buttons.
2. The indicator will begin blinking. The blinking will last for 15 seconds.
During this period, insert a desired disc, and the disc
will begin to play. (If any disc is not inserted during this
period, the “Disc slot” (1) door will close. Repeat Step
1.)
Be sure to hold a disc with the label side (the side
where titles are printed) up.
3. To insert another disc, repeat Steps 1 and 2 choos-
ing a different disc select button. T
To insert six discs at a time
1. Press and hold the disc select button number 1 un-
til all disc indicators begin blinking (about 1.5 sec-
onds).
2. The indicators will blink for 15 seconds. During this
period, insert desired six discs.
3. When all discs are loaded, the first disc will begin to
play. (If no disc is inserted within this 15 seconds, the
entire disc load sequence will be canceled.) T To remove a disc
1. Press the desired one of the disc select buttons (3)
(numbered from 1 to 6) for which the disc indicator
light is on.

7-1
7
Starting and operating
Fuel ................................................................ 7-2 Fuel requirements ............................................. 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................ 7-4
State emission testing (U.S. only) ............... 7-7
Preparing to drive ......................................... 7-9
Starting the engine ....................................... 7-9 Manual transmission vehicle ........................... 7-9
Automatic transmission vehicle ...................... 7-10
Stopping the engine ..................................... 7-12
Manual transmission .................................... 7-12 Shifting speeds ................................................. 7-13
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-14
Automatic transmission ............................... 7-15 Selector lever for automatic transmission ..... 7-16
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-20
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .................................... 7-21
Power steering .............................................. 7-21
Braking .......................................................... 7-22 Braking tips ....................................................... 7-22
Brake system ..................................................... 7-22
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ........ 7-23
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .................... 7-23 ABS system self-check .................................... 7-24
ABS warning light ............................................. 7-24
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system (if equipped) ...................... 7-26Steps to take if EBD system fails .................... 7-26 Vehicle Dynamics Control system
(if equipped) ............................................... 7-28Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor .... 7-30
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ........... 7-33
Parking your vehicle ..................................... 7-34 Parking brake .................................................... 7-34
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-34
Hill holder (for manual transmission – if equipped) ................................................ 7-36
Cruise control (if equipped) ......................... 7-38 To set cruise control ........................................ 7-38
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ....... 7-40
To turn off the cruise control ........................... 7-41
To change the cruising speed ......................... 7-41
Self-leveling rear suspension (if equipped) ............................................... 7-43

7-10
Starting and operating
If the engine does not start, try the following:
1) Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF” position and
wait for at least 10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly set, turn the ignition switch to
the “START” position while depressing the acceler-
ator pedal slightly (about a quarter of the full stroke).
Release the accelerator pedal as soon as the en-
gine starts.
2) If this fails to start the engine, turn the ignition
switch back to the “OFF” position and wait for at
least 10 seconds. Then fully depress the accelerator
pedal and turn the ignition switch to the “START”
position. If the engine starts, quickly release the ac-
celerator pedal.
3) If this fails to start the engine, turn the ignition
switch again to the “OFF” position. After waiting for
10 seconds or longer, turn the ignition switch to the
“START” position without depressing the accelera-
tor pedal.
4) If the engine still refuses to start, contact your
nearest SUBARU dealer for assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator lights have
gone off after the engine has started. The fuel injection
system automatically lowers the idle speed as the en-
gine warms up.
NOTE
The engine may be difficult to start when the bat- tery has been disconnected and reconnected (for
maintenance or other purposes). This difficulty is
caused by the electronically controlled throttle’s
self-diagnosis function. To overcome it, keep the
ignition switch in the “ON” position for approxi-
mately 10 seconds before starting the engine. „
Automatic transmission vehicle
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Shift the selector lever to the “P” or “N” position
(preferably “P” position).
The starter motor will only operate when the select le-
ver is at the “P” or “N” position.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position and
check the operation of the warning and indicator lights.
Refer to the “Warning and indicator lights” section
(chapter 3).
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START” position
without depressing the accelerator pedal. Release
the key immediately after the engine has started.
If the engine does not start, try the following: 1) Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF” position and
wait for at least 10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly set, turn the ignition switch to
the “START” position while depressing the acceler-

7-15
Starting and operating
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Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
and provides 4 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed.
NOTE yWhen the engine coolant temperature is still
low, your vehicle’s automatic transmission will
up-shift at higher engine speeds than when the
coolant temperature is sufficiently high in order to
shorten the warm-up time and improve driveabili-
ty. The gearshift timing will automatically shift to
the normal timing after the engine has warmed up. y Immediately after ATF (automatic transmission
fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic
transmission operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
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.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
y Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after
the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting
while the vehicle is moving may cause damage
to the transmission. y Do not race the engine for more than five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or the tires are on
blocks. This may cause the automatic transmis-
sion fluid to overheat.y Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such
shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.

7-16
Starting and operating
„
Selector lever for automatic transmis- sion
: With the brake pedal depressed, move the lever along the gate.
: Move the lever along the gate.
The selector lever has seven positions. T 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 set the parking brake
fully, then shift into the “P” position. Do not hold the ve-
hicle with only the transmission.
P
RND321
HS7009AA
HS7010BA