instrument panel SUBARU FORESTER 2006 Owners Manual

1
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Warranties„Warranties for U.S.A.All SUBARU vehicles distributed by
Subaru of America, Inc. and sold at retail
by an authorized SUBARU dealer in the
United States come with the following
warranties:
ySUBARU Limited Warranty
y Emission Control Systems Warranty
y Emissions Performance Warranty
All warranty information, including details
of coverage and exclusions, is in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
Please read these warranties carefully.„ Warranties for CanadaAll SUBARU vehicles distributed by
Subaru Canada, Inc. and sold at retail by
an authorized SUBARU dealer in Canada
come with the following warranties:
ySUBARU Limited Warranty
y Anti-Corrosion Warranty
y Emission Control Warranty
All warranty information, including details
of coverage and exclusions, is in the War-
ranty and Service Booklet. Please read
these warranties carefully. T
2.5XT (Canada model only)
TAll models except Canada model
2.5XT
How to use this owner’s man-ual„Using your Owner’s manualBefore you operate your vehicle, carefully
read this manual. To protect yourself and
extend the service life of your vehicle, fol-
low the instructions in this manual. Failure
to observe these instructions may result in
serious injury and damage to your vehicle.
This manual is composed of fourteen
chapters. Each chapter begins with a brief
table of contents, so you can usually tell at
a glance if that chapter contains the infor-
mation you want.
Chapter 1: Seat, seatbelt and SRS air-
bags
This chapter informs you how to use the
seat and seatbelt and contains precau-
tions for the SRS airbags.
Chapter 2: Keys and doors
This chapter informs you how to operate
the keys, locks and windows.
Chapter 3: Instruments and controls
This chapter informs you about the opera-
tion of instrument panel indicators and
how to use the instruments and other
switches.
Chapter 4: Climate Control
This chapter informs you how to operate
2.5XT models are equipped with
High Intensity Discharge (HID) head-
lights that contain mercury. For that
reason, it is necessary to remove
HID headlights before vehicle dis-
posal. Once removed, please reuse,
recycle or dispose of the HID head-
lights as hazardous waste.
This vehicle does not contain mer-
cury devices or parts.
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Vehicle symbolsThere are some of the symbols you may
see on your vehicle.
Mark Name
CAUTION
Power door lock
Passenger’s windows lock
Fuel
Front fog lights
Parking lights
Hazard warning flasher
Cigarette lighter
Engine hood
Seat heater
Child restraint top tether an-
chorages
Child restraint lower anchor-
ages
Horn
Windshield wiper deicer
Wiper intermittent
Windshield washer
Windshield wiper mist (for
single wipe)
Rear window wiper
Rear window washer
Mark Name
Lights
Parking lights, tail lights, li-
cense plate light and instru-
ment panel illumination
Head lights
Headlight beam leveler
Illumination brightness
Fan speed
Instrument panel outlets
Instrument panel outlets and
foot outlets
Foot outlets
Windshield defroster and
foot outlets
Windshield defroster
Mark Name
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14

„Instrument panel
12 3 4 5 67
8910
11
12
141516 13
000070
1) Door locks (page 2-4)
2) Outside mirror switch (page 3-28)
3) Light control lever (page 3-18)
4) Combination meter (page 3-6)
5) Wiper control lever (page 3-22)
6) Hazard warning flasher switch (page
3-6)
7) Audio (page 5-1)
8) Gear shift lever (MT) (page 7-9)/Se- lector lever (AT) (page 7-10)
9) Climate control (page 4-1)
10) Cruise control (page 7-26)
11) Horn (page 3-30)
12) SRS airbag (page 1-36)
13) Tilt steering (page 3-29)
14) Fuse (page 11-40)
15) Hood lock release knob (page 11-4)
16) Power windows (page 2-18)
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-47
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yWhen a heavy article is placed on the
seat.
When the front passenger’s seat is occu-
pied by an adult, observe the following
precautions. Failure to do so may lessen
the load on the front passenger’s seat, de-
activating the front passenger’s SRS fron-
tal airbag despite the fact that the seat is
occupied by an adult.
y Do not allow the rear seat occupant to
lift the front passenger’s seat cushion us-
ing his/her feet.
y Do not place any article under the front
passenger’s seat, or squeeze any article
from behind and under the seat. This may
lift the seat cushion.
y Do not squeeze any article between the
front passenger’s seat and side trim/pillar,
door or center console box. This may lift
the seat cushion.
V If the passenger’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator illuminates and the
ON indicator extinguishes even
when the front passenger’s seat is
occupied by an adult
This can be caused by the adult incorrect-
ly sitting in the front passenger’s seat.
Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF” posi-
tion. Ask the front passenger to set the
seatback to the upright position, sit up
straight in the center of the seat cushion, correctly fasten the seatbelt, position his/
her legs out forward, and adjust the seat
to the rearmost position. Turn the ignition
switch to the “ON” position. If the OFF in-
dicator remains illuminated while the ON
indicator remains extinguished, take the
following actions.
y
Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF” po-
sition.
y Ensure that there is no article, book,
shoe, or other object trapped under the
seat, at the rear of the seat, or on the side
of the seat.
y Ensure that the backward-forward posi-
tion and seatback of front passenger’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth. (Models
equipped with manual seats only)
y Next, turn the ignition switch to the “ON”
position and wait 6 seconds to allow the
system to complete self-checking. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators ex-
tinguish for 2 seconds. Now, the ON indi-
cator should illuminate while the OFF indi-
cator remains extinguished.
If the OFF indicator still illuminates while
the ON indicator remains extinguished,
ask the occupant to move to the rear seat
and immediately contact your SUBARU
dealer for an inspection. T
Effect vehicle modifications made
for persons with disabilities may
have on Subaru advanced frontal
airbag system operation (U.S. only)
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, seat belts, front bumper, front side
frame, instrument panel, combination
meter, steering wheel, steering column,
tire, suspension or floor panel can affect
the operation of the Subaru advanced air-
bag system. If you have any questions,
you may contact the following Subaru dis-
tributors:
of Columbia>
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer Dealer Services Department
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)

Schuman Carriage Motors, Inc.
1234 South Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI
96814
808-592-4497

Triple J Enterprises, Inc.
P.O. Box 6066, Tamuning, Guam 96931
671-646-9126
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Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-55
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TOperation1) SRS side airbag deploys as soon as a
collision occurs.
2) SRS side airbag protects the front pas- senger’s head and chest.
3) After deployment, SRS side airbag starts to deflate immediately.
The SRS side airbag can function only
when the ignition switch is in the “ON” po-
sition.
The driver’s and front passenger’s SRS
side airbags deploy independently of each
other since each has its own impact sen-
sor. Also, the SRS side airbag deploys in-
dependently of the frontal airbags in the
steering wheel and instrument panel.
An impact sensor is incorporated into
each of the vehicle’s center pillars. If ei-
ther sensor detects a certain predeter-
mined amount of force during a side im-
pact collision, the control module sends a
signal to the side airbag module on the im-
pacted side of the vehicle, instructing it to
inflate the SRS side airbag. Then the side
airbag module produces gas, which in-
stantly inflates the SRS side airbag. After
deployment, the SRS side airbag will de-
flate in a few seconds.
The SRS side airbag deploys even when
no one occupies the seat on the side on
which an impact is applied.
When the SRS side airbag deploys, a sud-
den, fairly loud inflation noise will be heard
and some smoke will be released. These
occurrences are a normal result of the de-
ployment. This smoke does not indicate a
fire in the vehicle.
Do not put any kind of cover or
clothes or other objects over either
front seatback and do not attach la-
bels or stickers to the front seat sur-
face on or near the SRS side airbag.
They could prevent proper deploy-
ment of the SRS side airbag, reduc-
ing protection available to the front
seat’s occupant.
1
2
3
100625
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3-6
Instruments and controls
Hazard warning flasherThe hazard warning flasher is used to
warn other drivers when you have to park
your vehicle under emergency conditions.
The hazard warning flasher works with the
ignition switch in any position.
To turn on the hazard warning flasher,
push the hazard warning button on the in-
strument panel. To turn off the flasher,
push the button again.NOTEWhen the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Meters and gauges„SpeedometerThe speedometer shows the vehicle
speed.„Odometer/Trip meter1) Trip meter
2) OdometerThis meter displays the odometer and two
trip meters when the ignition switch is in
the “ON” position.NOTEEven with the ignition switch in the
“OFF” or “LOCK” position, the odome-
ter and trip meters are displayed for 10
seconds when you press the knob. T
Odometer
The odometer shows the total distance
that the vehicle has been driven.
T Double trip meter
1) A trip meter
2) B trip meterThe trip meter shows the distance that the
vehicle has been driven since you last set
it to zero.
To change the mode indication, briefly
push the knob.
Each press of the knob changes the func-
tion alternately.
To set the trip meter to zero, select the A
300117
1
2
300571
1 2
300572
A trip meter B trip meter
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Instruments and controls
3-11
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or : Front passenger’s frontal
airbag ON indicator
or :Front passenger’s frontal airbag OFF indicator
The front passenger’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicators show you the status of
the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag.
The indicators are located next to the
clock in the central portion of the instru-
ment panel.
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, both the ON and OFF indi-
cators illuminate for 6 seconds during
which time the system is checked. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators ex-
tinguish for 2 seconds. After this, one of
the indicators illuminates depending on
the status of the front passenger’s SRS
frontal airbag reached by the Subaru ad-
vanced frontal airbag system monitoring.
If the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag
is activated, the passenger’s frontal airbag
ON indicator will illuminate while the OFF
indicator will remain extinguished.
If the front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag
is deactivated, the passenger’s frontal air-
bag ON indicator will remain extinguished
while the OFF indicator will illuminate.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, if both the ON and OFF indica-
tors remain lit or extinguished simulta-
neously even after the system check peri- od, the system is faulty. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for an in-
spection.
„
CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator lampIf this light comes on steadily or blinks
while the engine is running, it may indicate
that there is a problem or potential prob-
lem 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 system malfunction
has been detected. You should have your vehicle checked by
an authorized SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.
NOTEThis 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 indicator lamp coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler 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 ENGINE
warning light turn off immediately. It may
take several driving trips. If the light does
not go out, take your vehicle to your au-
thorized SUBARU dealer immediately.
T
If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an en-
gine misfire condition has been detected
which may damage the emission control
system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do the fol-
lowing.
y Reduce vehicle speed.
y Avoid hard acceleration.
y Avoid steep uphill grades.
y Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
If the CHECK ENGINE light comes
on while you are driving, have your
vehicle checked/repaired by your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-
ble. Continued vehicle operation
without having the emission control
system checked and repaired as
necessary could cause serious
damage, which may not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty.
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3-18
Instruments and controls
Light control switchThe light switch operates only when the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position.
„HeadlightsTo turn on the headlights, turn the knob on
the end of the turn signal lever.
first position:
Parking lights, instrument panel illumina-
tion, front side marker lights, tail lights and
license plate light are on.
second position:
Headlights, parking lights, instrument pan-
el illumination, front side marker lights, tail
lights, and license plate light are on.
„ High/low beam change (dim-
mer)To change from low beam to high beam,
push the turn signal lever forward. When
the headlights are on high beam, the high
beam indicator light “ ” on the instru-
ment panel is also on.
To switch back to low beam, pull the lever
back to the detent position.
To prevent battery discharge result-
ing from accidentally leaving your
lights on when your vehicle is
parked, the light switch operates
only when the ignition switch is in
the “ON” position. In any other posi-
tion, the vehicle’s lights will be out.If you park your vehicle on a road-
side at night, use the hazard warn-
ing flasher to alert the other drivers.
300127
300128
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Instruments and controls
3-19
„Headlight flasherTo flash the headlights, pull the lever to-
ward you and then release it. The high
beam will stay on for as long as you hold
the lever. The headlight flasher works
even though the lighting switch is in the
“OFF” position.
When the headlights are on high beam,
the high beam indicator light “ ” on
the instrument panel also comes on.
„Daytime running light systemT Canada-spec. 2.5XTThe low beam headlights and tail lights
will automatically come on when the en-
gine has started, under the following con-
ditions:
yThe parking brake is fully released.
y The light switch is in the “OFF” or
“ ” position.
y The automatic transmission selector le-
ver is set at other than the “P” position. T
All models except Canada-spec.
2.5XT
The low beam headlights will automatical-
ly come on at reduced brightness when
the engine has started, under the follow-
ing conditions:
yThe parking brake is fully released.
y The light switch is in the “OFF” or
“ ” position.
y The automatic transmission selector le-
ver is set at other than the “P” position.
Do not hold the lever in the flashing
position for more than just a few
seconds.
300129
The parking lights, and side marker
lights are not turned on by the day-
time running light system. The light
switch must always be turned to the
“ ” position when it is dark out-
side.
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.
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3-20
Instruments and controls
Turn signal lever1) Right turn
2) Left turn
3) Lane change for right
4) Lane change for leftTo activate the right turn signal, push the
turn signal lever 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 after cornering, return the lever
to the neutral position by hand.
To signal a lane change, push the turn sig-
nal lever up or down slightly and hold it
during the lane change. The turn signal in-
dicator lights will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change. The lever will re-turn automatically to the neutral position
when you release it.
Illumination brightness con-trolWhen the headlight switch is in the
“ ” or “ ” position, you can ad-
just brightness of the instrument panel illu-
mination for better visibility.
To brighten, turn the control dial upward.
To darken, turn the control dial downward.
1
2 3
4
300601
300131
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