check engine light SUBARU FORESTER 2011 SH / 3.G Owner's Manual

7-24Starting and operating
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 ABS system ’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 system malfunction, 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
Type A
Type B
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 malfunctions, the
conventional braking system will still func-
tion. However, the rear wheels will be
more prone to locking when the brakes
are applied harder than usual and thevehicle
’s motion may therefore 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 location.
2. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake, and then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights turn off, the EBD system
may be malfunctioning. Drive carefully to
the nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
4. If both warning lights illuminate again
and stay illuminated after the engine has
been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level. Refer to “Brake fluid ”
F 11-25.

depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your
vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never
attempt to drive through rushing water;
regardless of its depth, it can wash away
the ground from under your tires, resulting
in possible loss of traction and even
vehicle rollover. . Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads. . Do not drive or park over or near
flammable materials such as dry grass or
fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard. . After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. .
Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the shift lever/
select lever back and forth between “1 ”/
“ D ” and “R ” repeatedly. Do not race the
engine. For the best possible traction,
avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle. . When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. For AT models, refer to“ Selection of manual mode ”F 7-19.
. Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual. . Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. .
Frequent driving of an AWD model
under hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the “Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Driving tips
8-7

Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. & If steam is coming from the
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down. & If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment
NOTE
For details about how to check the
coolant level or how to add coolant,
refer to “Engine coolant ”F 11-14.
1. Keep the engine running at idlingspeed. 2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment. Refer to
“Engine hood ”
F 11-5.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off
the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature
has dropped, turn off the engine.
If any of the following conditions occur,
turn off the engine. .The temperature gauge stays in the
overheated zone (if equipped). Referto “Temperature gauge (models with
type A combination meter) ”F 3-11.
. The coolant temperature high warn-
ing light remains illuminated (if
equipped). Refer to “Coolant tempera-
ture low indicator light/Coolant tem-
perature high warning light ”F 3-16.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reservetank.
If the coolant level is below the “LOW ”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL ”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it.
In case of emergency
9-13

the engine has stopped.
& When checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
while the engine is running
WARNING
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving
engine parts. Removing rings,
watches and ties is advisable. Engine hood
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their originalposition.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.
3. Release the secondary hood release
by moving the lever between the front
grille and the hood toward the left.
4. Lift up the hood.
To close the hood:
1. Lower the hood to a height of approxi-
mately 5.9 in (15 cm) above its closed
position and then let it drop.
2. After closing the hood, be sure the
hood is securely locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it
from a slightly higher position. Do not push
thehoodforciblytocloseit.Itcould
deform the metal.Maintenance and service
11-5
– CONTINUED –

11-12Maintenance and service
9. Clean the rubber seal seating area of
the bottom of engine and install the oil
filter by hand turning. Be careful not to
twist or damage the seal.
10. Tighten the oil filter by the amount
indicated in the following table after the
seal makes contact with the bottom ofengine.
Turbo models
Oil filter color Part number Amount of
rotation
Black 15208AA100 1 rotation
Blue 15208AA12A 7/8
rotation
Non-turbo models Oil filter color Part number Amount of
rotation
Black 15208AA130 3/4 rotationCAUTION
. Never over tighten the oil filter
because that can result in an oil leak.
. Thoroughly wipe off any engine
oil that has spilled over the
exhaust pipe and/or under-cover.
If spilled oil is not promptly
wiped up, the oil could cause afire.
11. Reinstall under cover (turbo models).
12. Pour engine oil through the filler neck.
For the oil capacity (guideline), refer to “ Engine oil ”F 12-5.
The oil quantity indicated above is onlyguideline.
The necessary quantity of oil depends on
the quantity of oil that has been drained.
The quantity of drained oil differs slightly
depending on the temperature of the oil
and the time the oil is left flowing out. After
refilling the engine with oil, therefore, you
must use the level gauge to confirm that
the level is correct.
13. Start the engine and make sure that no
oil leaks appear around the filter ’s rubber
seal and drain plug.
14. Run the engine until it reaches the
normal operating temperature. Then stop the engine and wait a few minutes to allow
the oil drain back. Check the oil level
again and if necessary, add more engineoil.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire.
& Recommended grade and viscosity
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recom-
mended grade and viscosity.
Refer to “Engine oil ”F 12-5.
NOTE
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects
fuel economy. Oils of lower viscosity
provide better fuel economy. However,
in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is
required to properly lubricate the en-gine.

&Synthetic oil
You should use synthetic engine oil that
meets the same requirements given for
conventional engine oil. When using
synthetic oil, you must use oil of the same
classification, viscosity and grade shown
in this Owner ’s Manual. Refer to “Engine
oil ”F 12-5. Also, you must follow the oil
and filter changing intervals shown in the
Warranty and Maintenance booklet. NOTE
Synthetic oil of the grade and viscosity
noted in chapter 12 is the required
engine oil for optimum engine perfor-
mance. Conventional oil may be used if
synthetic oil is unavailable. Cooling system
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has cooled down
completely. Since the coolant is
under pressure, you may suffer
serious burns from a spray of boil-
ing hot coolant when the cap isremoved.
CAUTION
. Vehicles are filled at the factory
with SUBARU Super Coolant that
does not require the first change
for 11 years/137,500 miles (11
years/220,000 km). This coolant
should not be mixed with any
other brand or type of coolant
during this period. Mixing with a
different coolant will reduce the
life of the coolant. Should it be
necessary to top up the coolant
for any reason, use only
SUBARU Super Coolant.
If the SUBARU Super Coolant is
diluted with another brand or
type, the maintenance interval is shortened to that of the mixingcoolant.
. Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface.
& Cooling fan, hose and con- nections
Your vehicle employs an electric cooling
fan which is thermostatically controlled to
operate when the engine coolant reaches
a specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operate
even when the following conditions occur,
the cooling fan circuit may be defective. . The engine coolant temperature gauge
exceeds the normal operating range (if
equipped). Refer to “Temperature gauge
(models with type A combination meter) ”
F 3-11.
. The coolant temperature high warning
light blinks or illuminates in RED(if
equipped). Refer to “Coolant temperature
low indicator light/Coolant temperature
high warning light ”F 3-16.
Check the fuse and replace it if necessary.
If the fuse is not blown, have the cooling
system checked by your SUBARU dealer. Maintenance and service
11-13
– CONTINUED –

Brake booster
If the brake booster does not operate as
described in the following, have it checked
by your SUBARU dealer.
1. With the engine off, depress the brake
pedal several times, applying the same
pedal force each time. The distance the
pedal travels should not vary.
2. With the brake pedal depressed, start
the engine. The pedal should move
slightly down to the floor.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop
the engine and keep the pedal depressed
for 30 seconds. The pedal height should
not change.
4. Start the engine again and run for
approximately 1 minute then turn it off.
Depress the brake pedal several times to
check the brake booster. The brake
booster operates properly if the pedal
stroke decreases with each depression. NOTE
For models equipped with the brake
assist system, when you depress the
brake pedal strongly or suddenly, the
following phenomena occur. However,
even though these occur, they do not
indicate any malfunctions, and the
brake assist system is operating prop-erly. .
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.
Brake assist is not a system that brings
more braking ability to the vehicle
beyond its breaking capability. Brake pedal
Check the brake pedal free play and
reserve distance according to the main-
tenance schedule in the
“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet ”.
& Checking the brake pedal
free play
1) 0.02 –0.08 in (0.5 –2.0 mm)
Stop the engine and firmly depress the
brake pedal several times. Lightly pull the
brake pedal up with one finger to check
the free play with a force of less than 2 lbf
(10 N, 1 kgf).
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er. Maintenance and service
11-27
– CONTINUED –

11-28Maintenance and service
&Checking the brake pedal
reserve distance
1) More than 2.56 in (65 mm)
Depress the pedal with a force of approxi-
mately 66 lbf (294 N, 30 kgf) and measure
the distance between the upper surface of
the pedal pad and the floor.
When the measurement is smaller than
the specification, or when the pedal does
not operate smoothly, contact with your
SUBARU dealer. Clutch pedal (MT models)
Check the clutch pedal free play and
reserve distance according to the main-
tenance schedule in the
“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet ”.
& Checking the clutch function
Check the clutch engagement and disen-gagement.
1. With the engine idling, check that there
are no abnormal noises when the clutch
pedal is depressed, and that shifting into
1st or reverse feels smooth.
2. Start the vehicle by releasing the pedal
slowly to check that the engine and
transmission smoothly couple without
any sign of slippage. &
Checking the clutch pedal
free play1) 0.16 –0.43 in (4.0 –11.0 mm)
Lightly press the clutch pedal down with
your finger until you feel resistance, and
check the free play.
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er.

Hill start assist system (MT models)
Ensure that the Hill start assist system
operates properly under the followingcircumstances:
1. Stop the vehicle on an uphill grade by
depressing the brake pedal and clutch
pedal, with the engine running.
2. Make sure that the vehicle does not
move backward even after the brake
pedal is released.
3. Then make sure the vehicle starts
climbing the grade by following the normal
starting procedures.
If the Hill start assist system does not
operate as described above, contact with
your SUBARU dealer.Replacement of brake pad
and lining
The front disc brake and the rear disc
brake have audible wear indicators on the
brake pads. If the brake pads wear close
to their service limit, the wear indicator
makes a very audible scraping noise
when the brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time
you apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
If you continue to drive despite the
scraping noise from the audible
brake pad wear indicator, it will result in the need for costly brake
rotor repair or replacement.
& Breaking-in of new brake
pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining,
use only genuine SUBARU parts. After
replacement, the new parts must be
broken in as follows. ! Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40
mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake
pedal lightly. Repeat this five or moretimes. ! Parking brake lining
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of
approximately 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button
pushed in, pull the parking brake lever
SLOWLY and GENTLY (pulling with a
force of approximately 33 lbf [147 N, 15kgf]).
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately
220 yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking
brake to cool down. Repeat this proce-dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the
parking brake stroke is out of the specified Maintenance and service
11-29
– CONTINUED –

&Fluids
NOTE
Each quantity indicated here is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on the
temperature and other factors.
Fluid Fluid type Fluid capacity
Automatic transmission fluid (AT models) · SUBARU ATF
· IDEMITSU ATF HP 9.8 US qt (9.3 liters, 8.2 Imp qt)
Power steering fluid · SUBARU ATF
· IDEMITSU ATF HP ·
“Dexron III ”Type Automatic Transmission Fluid 0.7 US qt (0.7 liter, 0.6 Imp qt)
Brake fluid FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid –
Clutch fluid (MT models) –
For the checking procedure, or other details, refer to “Automatic transmission fluid ”F 11-21, “Power steering fluid ”F 11-24, “Brake fluid ”F 11-25 or
“ Clutch fluid (MT models) ”F 11-26.
& Engine coolant
NOTE
Each quantity indicated here is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on the
temperature and other factors.
Model Coolant capacity Coolant type
Non-turbo Manual transmission 7.5 US qt (7.1 liters, 6.2 Imp qt)
SUBARU Super Coolant
Automatic transmission 7.4 US qt (7.0 liters, 6.2 Imp qt)
Turbo 8.5 US qt (8.0 liters, 7.0 Imp qt)
For the checking, adding and replacing procedure, or other details, refer to “Cooling system ”F 11-13. Specifications
12-9
– CONTINUED –