warning light SUBARU FORESTER 2011 SH / 3.G Service Manual

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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3-28Instruments and controls
when the outside temperature drops to 37 8F(3 8C) or lower again, unless the
outside temperature has increased to41 8F(5 8C) or higher.
NOTE
The outside temperature indication
may differ from the actual outside
temperature. The road surface freeze
warning indication should be treated
only as a guide. Be sure to check the
condition of the road surface beforedriving. & Current fuel consumption (if equipped)
This indication shows the rate of fuel
consumption at the present moment. &
Average fuel consumption
1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
This indication shows the average rate of
fuel consumption since the trip meter was
last reset.
When either of the trip meter indications is
reset, the corresponding average fuel
consumption value is also reset. NOTE . The indicated values vary in accor-
dance with changes in the vehicle ’s
running conditions. Also, the indicated
values may differ slightly from the
actual values and should thus be
treated only as a guide.. When either trip meter indication is
reset, the average fuel consumption corresponding to that trip meter indica-
tion is not shown until the vehicle has
subsequently covered a distance of 1
mile (or 1 km). &
To turn off fuel consumption
indicator display
The fuel consumption indicator display
can be turned off.
To turn off this display, turn the ignition
switch to the “LOCK ”position and press
the “+ ” button adjacent to the information
display for approximately 5 seconds.
Then, the information display and the
clock display will blink for 3 seconds to
notify you that the fuel consumption dis-
play has been turned off.
To restore the indicator, once again pressthe “+ ” button for approximately 5 sec-
onds. NOTE . The initial display setting of the fuel
consumption indicator of your vehicle
has been set to operational at the time
of shipment from the factory. . The average fuel consumption is
calculated even while the indicator is
not displayed.. Even if you turn off the fuel con-
sumption indicator, the fuel consump-
tion indicator will automatically turn on

&Daytime running light system
(if equipped)
WARNING
The brightness of the illumination of
the high beam headlights is reduced
by the daytime running light system.
The light switch must always be
turned to the “
”position when it
is dark outside.
The high beam headlights will automati-
cally illuminate at reduced brightness
when the engine has started, under the
following conditions: . The select lever is in a position other
than the “P ”position (AT models).
. The parking brake is fully released.
. The light switch is in the “OFF ”or “
”
position.
NOTE
When the light switch is in the “
”
position, the front side marker lights,
tail lights and license plate lights are
also illuminated. &
Automatic headlight beam
leveler (models with HID headlights)
The HID headlights generate more light
than conventional halogen headlights.
Therefore a driver of an oncoming vehicle
may experience too much glare when your
headlight beam height adjustment is high
due to the vehicle carrying heavy load.
The automatic headlight beam leveler
adjusts the headlight beam height auto-
matically and optimally according to the
load being carried by the vehicle. Turn signal lever
To 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
signal lever up or down slightly and hold it
during the lane change. The turn signal
indicator lights will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change. The lever will
return automatically to the neutral position
when you release it.Instruments and controls
3-31

Type A
Type B
The indicator light located on the combi-
nation meter will illuminate when the front
fog lights are on. Wiper and washer
WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use the
windshield washer until the wind-
shield is sufficiently warmed by the
defroster.
Otherwise the washer fluid can
freeze on the windshield, blocking
your view.
CAUTION
. Do not operate the washer con-
tinuously for more than 10 sec-
onds, or when the washer fluid
tank is empty. This may cause
overheating of the washer motor.
Check the washer fluid level
frequently, such as at fuel stops.
. Do not operate the wipers when
the windshield or rear window is
dry. This may scratch the glass,
damage the wiper blades and
cause the wiper motor to burn
out. Before operating the wiper
on a dry windshield or rear
window, always use the wind-
shield washer. .
In freezing weather, be sure that
the wiper blades are not frozen to
the windshield or rear window
before switching on the wipers.
Attempting to operate the wiper
with the blades frozen to the
window glass could cause not
only the wiper blades to be
damaged but also the wiper mo-
tor to burn out. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the window
glass, be sure to operate the
defroster, windshield wiper dei-
cer (if equipped) or rear window
defogger before turning on the
wiper.
. If the wipers stop during opera-
tion because of ice or some other
obstruction on the window, the
wiper motor could burn out even
if the wiper switch is turned off. If
this occurs, promptly stop the
vehicle in a safe place, turn the
ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position and clean the window
glass to allow proper wiper op-eration.
. Use clean water if windshield
washer fluid is unavailable. In
areas where water freezes in
winter, use SUBARU Windshield
Washer Fluid or the equivalent. Instruments and controls
3-33
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Place the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position when the interior has cooled
to a comfortable temperature and the road
is no longer dusty.
WARNING
Continued operation with the air
inletselectionbuttonintheON
position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the OFF position as soon
as the outside dusty conditionclears.
& Heater operation
NOTE . Models with air conditioner system:
When the “
”or “”position is
selected, the air conditioner compres-
sor automatically operates regardless
of the position of the air conditioner
button to defog the windshield more
quickly. At the same time, the air inlet
selection is automatically switched to
the OFF position (outside air). How-
ever, the air conditioner indicator light
does not illuminate at this time.. When defrosting, defogging or heat-
ing, warm air is also emitted from the
right and left air outlets. To stop warm
airflow from these outlets, turn the corresponding thumb wheel down. !
Defrosting or defogging the wind- shield
To direct warm air to the windshield and
front door windows:
1. Set the airflow control dial to the “
”
position.
2. Turn the temperature control dial all
the way to the right.
3. Set the fan speed control dial to the
highest speed. !
Heating and defrosting
To direct warm air toward the floor and the windshield:
1. Set the airflow control dial to the “
”
position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the
most comfortable level.
3. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed. Climate control
4-5
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!Air inlet selection button
Select airflow by pressing the air inlet
selection button.
The selected air inlet setting is shown on
the control panel.
(Recirculation) : Interior air recircu-
lates inside the passenger compartment.
Use this position when quickly cooling
down the passenger compartment or to
prevent outside air from entering the
passenger compartment. When the recir-
culation mode is selected, a “
”indica-
tor light appears on the display.
(Outside air) : Outside air is drawn
into the passenger compartment. When
the climate control system is operated inthe “AUTO ”mode, this position is selected
automatically. (There is one exception:
When the temperature control dial is turned fully counterclockwise, the recircu-
lation mode is automatically selected.)
When the outside air mode is selected, a“
”
indicator light appears on the dis-
play.
WARNING
Continued operation in the “
”
position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the “
”position as soon
as the outside dusty condition clears.
NOTE
When driving on a dusty road or behind
a vehicle that emits unpleasant exhaust
gases, set the air inlet selection button
to the “
”position. From time to
time, return the air inlet selection
button to the “
”position to draw
outside air into the passenger compart- ment. &
Type B
Although this climate control system can
be used as a full-automatic climate control
system, it can also, if desired, be used as
a semi-automatic climate control system.
When it is used as a full-automatic climate
control system, the outlet air temperature,
fan speed, airflow distribution, air inlet
control, and air conditioner compressor
operation are all automatically controlled
to maintain a constant, comfortable tem-
perature inside the vehicle. NOTE . When the engine coolant is cold, the
blower does not run. . In the “AUTO ”mode, when the air
temperature in the passenger compart-
ment is sufficiently cool, the air condi-
tioner compressor does not operate.
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button to operate the air conditioner
compressor. Climate control
4-13
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4-16Climate control
for fast cooling with the air conditioner or
when driving on a dusty road. The
indicator light will illuminate.
OFF position (outside air): Outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment.
Push the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position when the interior has cooled
to a comfortable temperature and the road
is no longer dusty. The indicator light will
turn off. AUTO: Turn the fan speed control dial and
airflow control dial to the AUTO position.
The air inlet control is then adjusted
automatically in accordance with the air
temperature inside and outside the pas-
senger compartment, the intensity of sun-
light, and other factors. Pressing the air
inlet selection button cancels the “AUTO ”
mode. To return to “AUTO ”mode, turn the
fan speed control dial or airflow control
dial to a position other than the AUTO
position. Then turn to “AUTO ”mode.
SUBARU recommends using the AUTOposition.
WARNING
Continued operation in the ON posi-
tion may fog up the windows. Switch
to the OFF position as soon as the
outside dusty condition clears. !
Air conditioner button
The button positions and their functions
are as follows. ON: The air conditioner operates while the
fan is running.
Push the button to select this position. The
indicator light will illuminate. OFF: The air conditioner does not oper-
ate.
Push the button again to select this
position. The indicator light will turn off. AUTO: Turn the fan speed control dial and
airflow control dial to the AUTO position.
The air conditioner compressor operation
is then adjusted automatically in accor-
dance with the air temperature inside and
outside the passenger compartment, the
intensity of sunlight, and other factors.
Pressing the button cancels the “AUTO ”mode. To return to
“AUTO ”mode, turn the
fan speed control dial or airflow control
dial to a position other than the AUTO
position. Then turn to “AUTO ”mode.
SUBARU recommends using the AUTOposition.
NOTE
The air conditioner ’s compressor does
not operate with an outside tempera-
ture of 32 8F(0 8C) or lower.

To use the cigarette lighter, push in the
knob and wait a few moments. It will
automatically spring up when ready foruse.
WARNING
To avoid being burned, never grasp
the lighter by the end with the
heating element. Doing so could
result in injury and could also
damage the heating element.
CAUTION
. Do not hold the lighter pushed in,
because it will overheat.
. Do not use a non-genuine cigar-
ette lighter plug in the socket.
Doing so may cause a short-
circuit and overheating, resulting
in a fire.
. If the socket is ever used for a
plug-in accessory such as a cell
phone, that may damage the
portion of the socket ’s internal
mechanism that causes a cigar-
ette lighter plug to “pop out ”
after its lighter element is heated.
Therefore, do not place a cigar-
ette lighter plug in a socket that
has been used, even once, to power a plug-in accessory. Doing
so may cause the plug to stick
and overheat, creating a potential
fire hazard.
Ashtray (if equipped)
CAUTION
. Do not use ashtrays as waste
receptacles or leave a lighted
cigarette in an ashtray. This
could cause a fire.
. Always extinguish matches and
cigarettes before putting them
into the ashtray, and then close
the ashtray securely. If you keep
the ashtray open, the fire on the
cigarette tip may spread to an-
other cigarette butt and start afire.
. Do not put flammable material in
the ashtray.
. Do not leave a lot of cigarette
butts in the ashtray. Interior equipment
6-11
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Fuel...................................................................... 7-2
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-3
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-6
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-7
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-7
MT models .......................................................... 7-7
AT models ........................................................... 7-8
Stopping the engine ............................................ 7-9
Remote engine start system (dealer option) ..... 7-9
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-10
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-10
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-10
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-10
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-11
Service mode ..................................................... 7-11
Remote transmitter programming and programmable feature option ............................ 7-11
System maintenance .......................................... 7-12
Manual transmission .......................................... 7-13
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-14
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-14
Automatic transmission ..................................... 7-15
Select lever ........................................................ 7-16
Shift lock function .............................................. 7-17
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-19
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-20 SPORT mode
..................................................... 7-20
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 ...................................... 7-23
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-23
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-24
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions ..... ..... 7-24
Vehicle Dynamics Control system .................... 7-25
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor..... ..... 7-26
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ................ 7-27
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec. models). ........................................ 7-28
Parking your vehicle ......................................... 7-29
Parking brake .................................................... 7-29
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-30
Hill start assist system (MT models) ................ 7-31
Hill start assist warning light .............................. 7-32
Cruise control .................................................... 7-32
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-33
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-34
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-34
To change the cruising speed .. .......................... 7-35
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-36
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 7-36
Starting and operating
7

7-2Starting and operating
Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause engine damage.
& Fuel requirements
! Non-turbo models
The engine is designed to operate using
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of 87 AKI (90 RON) or higher .
! Turbo models
The engine is designed to operate usingpremium unleaded gasoline with an
octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON) or
higher . If premium unleaded gasoline is
not available, regular unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 87 AKI (90 RON)
or higher may be temporarily used. For
optimum engine performance and drive-
ability, it is required that you use premium
grade unleaded gasoline. NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded
gasoline of 91 AKI (95 RON) or higher
for turbo engine models. If other gaso- line (lower than 91 AKI (95 RON)) is
used, knocking, reduced output and
poor accelerator response will result. !
Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane
numbers and is commonly referred to as
the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane
rating can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly when you drive
up a hill or when you accelerate. Contact
your SUBARU dealer if you use a fuel with
the specified octane rating and your
vehicle knocks heavily or persistently. ! Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will
damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy. ! Gasoline for California-certified LEV
If your vehicle was certified to California ’s
low emission vehicle (LEV) standards as
indicated on the underhood tune-up label,
it is designed to optimize engine and emission performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle
’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or
smell. SUBARU recommends that you try
a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer forservice. ! MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If
you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator lamp may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty.