ignition system SUBARU FORESTER 2011 SH / 3.G Owner's Guide

3-22Instruments and controls
or with an excessively low air pressure in
any of the tires.
CAUTION
Continuing to drive with the AWD
warning light flashing can damage
the powertrain. If the AWD warning
light starts to flash, promptly park in
a safe place and check whether the
tires have differing diameters and
whether any of the tires has an
excessively low inflation pressure.
& Automatic headlight
beam leveler warning
light (models with HID headlights)
This light illuminates when the automatic
headlight beam leveler does not operate
normally.
If this light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off approximately 3 seconds after
turning the ignition switch to the “ON ”
position, have your vehicle inspected at
your SUBARU dealer. &
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol operation indicator light
!Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
CAUTION
The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem provides its ABS control
through the electrical circuit of the
ABS system. Accordingly, if the ABS
is inoperative, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system becomes unable to
provide ABS control. As a result, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system
also becomes inoperative, causing
the warning light to illuminate.
Though both the Vehicle Dynamics
Control and ABS systems are inop-
erative in this case, the ordinary
functions of the brake system are
still available. You will be safe while
driving with this condition, but drive
carefully and have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible. NOTE .
If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system itself mal-
functions, only this particular warning
light illuminates. Under these circum-
stances, the ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) remains fully operational.. The warning light illuminates when
the electronic control system of the
ABS/Vehicle Dynamics Control systemmalfunctions.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably inoperative under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. . The warning light does not illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position.
. The warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is running. NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following examples,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
may be considered to be operating
normally. . The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off.. The warning light illuminates after

the engine has started and turns off
while the vehicle is subsequently beingdriven..The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light
The indicator light flashes during activa-
tion of the skid suppression function and
during activation of the traction controlfunction. NOTE . The light may remain illuminated for
a short period of time after the engine
has been started, especially in cold
weather. This does not indicate the
existence of a problem. The light
should turn off as soon as the engine
has warmed up.. The indicator light illuminates when
the engine has developed a problem
and the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
malfunction indicator lamp is on.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably malfunctioning under the follow-
ing condition. Have your vehicle checked
at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. . The light does not turn off even after
the lapse of several minutes (the engine has warmed up) after the engine has started.
& Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicatorlight
The light illuminates when the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF switch is pressed
to deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably malfunctioning under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. .The light does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.. The light does not turn off even after a
period of approximately 2 seconds after
the ignition switch has been turned to the“ ON ”position. &
Security indicator light
Type A
Type B
The security indicator light deters potential
thieves by indicating that the vehicle is Instruments and controls
3-23
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3-24Instruments and controls
equipped with an immobilizer system. It
begins flashing in the following ways. . Once approximately every 3 sec-
onds:
–Approximately 60 seconds after the
ignition switch is turned from the “ON ”
position to the “Acc ”or “LOCK ”posi-
tion – Immediately after the ignition key is
pulled out
. Twice approximately every 2 sec-
onds:
After the alarm system has been armed
for surveillance (Refer to “Arming the
system ”F 2-16.)
. Five times approximately every 2
seconds:
When the alarm system is ready to be armed. . Other flashing patterns:
The alarm system may have been trig-
gered by unauthorized intrusion or any
impact to the vehicle body. Refer to“ Tripped sensor identification ”F 2-19.
If the security indicator light does not flash,
the immobilizer system may not be func-
tioning properly. If this occurs, contact
your SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. In case an unauthorized key is used (e.g.,
an imitation key), the security indicator
light illuminates.
NOTE
Even if the security indicator light
flashes irregularly or its fuse blows
(the light does not flash if its fuse is
blown), the immobilizer system will
function normally. & SPORT mode indicator
light (AT models)
When the select lever is moved to the
manual gate, the SPORT mode is se-
lected and the indicator light illuminates.
Refer to “SPORT mode ”F 7-20. &
Select lever and gear posi-
tion indicator (AT models)
Type A
Type B
This indicator shows the position of the
select lever.

3-38Instruments and controls
displayed.
4. Releasing the button for 3 seconds will
exit the zone setting mode. ! 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 metallic objects or structures and
make certain the ignition switch is in the“ ON ”position.
3. Press and hold the right button for 6 - 7
seconds then release, 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 (approxi-
mately two to three circles). The compass
is now calibrated.
5. Further calibration may be necessary
should outside influences cause the mirror
to read inaccurately. You will know that
this has occurred if your compass begins
to read in only limited directions. Should
you encounter this situation, return to step
one of the above procedure and recali-
brate the mirror. &
Auto-dimming mirror/com-
pass with HomeLink
®(if
equipped)
1) HomeLink®button 1
2) HomeLink®button 2
3) LED
4) HomeLink
®button 3
5) Sensor
6) Automatic dimming on/off button
7) Compass display button
8) Compass display
The auto-dimming mirror has an anti-glare
feature which automatically reduces glare
coming from headlights of vehicles behind
you. It also contains a built-in compass
and HomeLink
®wireless control system.
. By pressing the automatic dimming on/
off button, the automatic dimming function
is toggled on or off. When the automatic dimming function is on, the LED indicator
will illuminate.
Even with the mirror in the automatic
dimming mode, the mirror surface turns
bright if the transmission is shifted into
reverse. This is to ensure good rearward
visibility during reversing. .
By pressing the compass display but-
ton, the compass display is toggled on or
off. When the compass is on, an illumi-
nated compass reading will appear in the
upper right corner of the mirror.
When cleaning the mirror, use a paper
towel or similar material dampened with
glass cleaner. Do not spray glass cleaner
directly on the mirror as that may cause
the liquid cleaner to enter the mirror
housing and damage the mirror.

Defogger and deicer
1) Rear window defogger
2) Outside mirror defogger (if equipped)
3) Windshield wiper deicer (if equipped)
The vehicle is equipped with a rear window defogger. For some models, the
outside mirror defogger and/or windshield
wiper deicer are/is also equipped. The
defogger and deicer system is activated
only when the ignition switch is in the
“ON ”
position.
Manual climate control system
Automatic climate control system (type A)
Automatic climate control system (type B)
To activate the defogger and deicer
system, push the control switch that is
located on the climate control panel. The
rear window defogger, outside mirror Instruments and controls
3-45
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3-46Instruments and controls
defogger and windshield wiper deicer are
activated simultaneously. The indicator
light on the control switch illuminates while
the defogger and deicer system is acti-vated.
To turn them off, push the control switch
again. They also turn off when the ignition
switch is turned to the “Acc ”or “LOCK ”
position.
The defogger and deicer system will
automatically shut off after approximately
15 minutes. If the rear window and the
outside mirrors have been cleared and the
windshield wiper blades have been deiced
completely before that time, push the
control switch to turn them off. If defrost-
ing, defogging or deicing is not complete,
you have to push the control switch to turn
them on again.
For models with the automatic climate
control system, it is possible to set the
defogger and deicer system for the con-
tinuous operation mode as follows. . Models with genuine SUBARU navi-
gation system:
The settings can be changed for the
continuous operation mode using the
navigation monitor. For details, refer to
the Owner ’s Manual supplement for the
navigation system. The settings can also be changed by a
SUBARU dealer. Contact your SUBARU
dealer for details. .
Models without genuine SUBARU
navigation system:
The settings can be changed by a
SUBARU dealer. Contact your SUBARU
dealer for details.
CAUTION
. To prevent the battery from being
discharged, do not operate the
defogger and deicer system con-
tinuously for any longer than
necessary.
. Do not use sharp instruments or
window cleaner containing abra-
sives to clean the inner surface
of the rear window. They may
damage the conductors printed
on the window.
NOTE . Turn on the defogger and deicer
system if the wipers are frozen to the windshield.. If the windshield is covered with
snow, remove the snow so that the
windshield wiper deicer works effec-
tively. .
While the defogger and deicer sys-
tem is in the continuous operation
mode, if the vehicle speed remains at
9 mph (15 km/h) or less for 15 minutes,
the windshield wiper deicer automati-
cally stops operating, though the rear
window defogger and outside mirror
defogger maintain continuous opera-
tion in this condition.. While the defogger and deicer sys-
tem is in the continuous operation
mode, if the battery voltage drops
below the permissible level, continu-
ous operation of the defogger and
deicer system is canceled and the
system stops operating.

4-14Climate control
! Control panel
1) Temperature control dial
2) Fan speed control dial
3) Airflow control dial
4) Control switch of the defogger and deicer
system (Refer to “Defogger and deicer ”
F 3-45.)
5) Air inlet selection button
6) Air conditioner button
! To use as full-automatic climate
control system
1. Place the temperature control dial in
the position for the preferred temperature.
2. Set the airflow control dial and fan
speed control dial in the “AUTO ”position.
The system ’s functions will then switch to
AUTO mode and be controlled automati-
cally. .
Airflow control dial: AUTO position
. Fan speed control dial: AUTO position
! To use as semi-automatic climate
control system
Each function can be individually set to
AUTO mode independently of the others.
Any function set to AUTO mode is con-
trolled automatically. Any function not set
to AUTO mode can be manually adjusted
as desired.
The temperature can be set within a range
of 65 to 85 8F (20 to 30 8C).
! Fan speed control dial
The fan operates only with the ignition
switch in the ON position. The fan speed
control dial is used to select the AUTO
(automatic control) mode or to select the
desired fan speed. The dial ’s positions and their functions are as follows. OFF:
The fan does not operate.
AUTO: The fan speed is adjusted auto-
matically in accordance with the air
temperature inside and outside the pas-
senger compartment, the intensity of sun-
light, and other factors. SUBARU recom-
mends using the AUTO position.
Other positions: The fan speed can be
adjusted in 7 steps.
NOTE
With the fan speed control dial in the
AUTO position and the airflow control
dial in the “
”, “”,or “”position,
the fan does not operate during engine
warm-up until the engine coolant tem-
perature exceeds approximately 122 8F
(50 8C).

&Temperature sensors
1) Interior air temperature sensor
2) Solar sensor
The automatic climate control system
employs several sensors. These sensors
are delicate. If they are not treated properly and become damaged, the sys-
tem may not be able to control the interior
temperature correctly. To avoid damaging
the sensors, observe the following pre-cautions. –
Do not subject the sensors to impact.
– Keep water away from the sensors.
– Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are located as follows.– Solar sensor: beside the windshield
defroster grille.– Interior air temperature sensor: near
the ignition switch.– Outside temperature sensor: behind
the front grille. Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner &
Cleaning ventilation grille
Always keep the front ventilation inlet grille
free of snow, leaves, or other obstructions
to ensure efficient heating and defrosting.
Since the condenser is located in front of
the radiator, this area should be kept clean
because cooling performance is impaired
by any accumulation of insects and leaves
on the condenser. &Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to
allow outside air to circulate into the Climate control
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&Type C audio set (if equipped)The audio set will operate only when the
ignition switch is in the “Acc ”or “ON ”
position. . Power and audio controls: refer to page
5-9. Radio operation: refer to page 5-13
. Satellite radio operation (if equipped):
refer to page 5-18. CD (compact disc) player operation:
refer to page 5-22. Auxiliary input jack: refer to page 5-30
. USB storage device/iPod
®operation:
refer to page 5-33. Hands-free system: refer to page 5-43 Audio
5-7
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5-8Audio
& Type D audio set (if equipped)
The audio set will operate only when the
ignition switch is in the “Acc ”or “ON ”
position. . Power and audio controls: refer to page
5-9. Radio operation: refer to page 5-13
. Satellite radio operation (if equipped):
refer to page 5-18. CD (compact disc) player operation:
refer to page 5-22. Auxiliary input jack: refer to page 5-30
. USB storage device/iPod
®operation:
refer to page 5-33. Hands-free system: refer to page 5-43