SUBARU FORESTER 2012 SH / 3.G Owners Manual

4-2Climate control
Ventilator control &Center ventilators
Move the tab to adjust the flow direction. &
Side ventilators
1) Open
2) Close
3) Thumb-wheel
Move the tab to adjust the flow direction.
To open or close the ventilator, turn the
thumb-wheel up or down. Climate control panel
Type A panel is used for the manual
climate control system.
Refer to
“Manual climate control ”F 4-8.
Type B and C panels are used for the
automatic climate control systems.
Refer to “Automatic climate control system
(type B and C) ”F4-6 for automatic
operation.
Refer to “Manual climate control ”F 4-8 for
manual operation.

&Type A1) Temperature control dial (Refer to “Tem-
perature control ”F 4-9.)
2) Fan speed control dial (Refer to “Fan
speed control ”F 4-9.)
3) Airflow control dial (Refer to “Airflow
mode selection ”F 4-8.)
4) Control switch of the defogger and deicer system (Refer to “Defogger and deicer ”
F 3-45.)
5) Air conditioner button (Refer to “Air
conditioner control ”F 4-9.)
6) Air inlet selection button (Refer to “Air
inlet selection ”F 4-9.)
Climate control
4-3
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4-4Climate control
& Type B
1) Temperature control dial (driver ’s side)
(Refer to “Temperature control ”F 4-9.)
2) AUTO button (Refer to “Automatic cli-
mate control system (type B and C) ”F 4-
6.)
3) DUAL mode button (Refer to “Automatic
climate control system (type B and C) ”
F 4-6 and “Temperature control ”F 4-9.)
4) OFF button (Refer to “Automatic climate
control system (type B and C) ”F 4-6.)
5) Air inlet selection button (Refer to “Air
inlet selection ”F 4-9.)
6) Fan speed control button (Refer to “Fan
speed control ”F 4-9.)
7) Airflow mode selection button (Refer to “Airflow mode selection ”F 4-8.)
8) Air conditioner button (Refer to “Air
conditioner control ”F 4-9.)
9) Temperature control dial (passenger ’s
side) (Refer to “Temperature control ”
F 4-9.)
10) Defroster button (Refer to “Airflow mode
selection ”F 4-8 and “Defrosting ”F 4-10.)
11) Rear window defogger button (Refer to “Defogger and deicer ”F 3-45.)

&Type C1) Temperature control dial (Refer to “Tem-
perature control ”F 4-9.)
2) Fan speed control dial (Refer to “Auto-
matic climate control system (type B and C) ”F 4-6 and “Fan speed control ”F 4-9.)
3) Airflow control dial (Refer to “Automatic
climate control system (type B and C) ”
F 4-6, “Airflow mode selection ”F 4-8 and
“ Defrosting ”F 4-10.)
4) Control switch of the defogger and deicer system (Refer to “Defogger and deicer ”
F 3-45.)
5) Air inlet selection button (Refer to “Air
inlet selection ”F 4-9.)
6) Air conditioner button (Refer to “Air
conditioner control ”F 4-9.)
NOTE
The controllable temperature range
may differ depending on the model. Climate control
4-5

4-6Climate control
Automatic climate control
system (type B and C)
When the automatic climate control mode
is selected, the outlet air temperature, the
fan speed, airflow distribution, air-inlet
control and air conditioner compressor
operation are automatically controlled.
To activate this mode, perform the follow-
ing procedure. NOTE .Operate the automatic climate con-
trol system when the engine is running. . The blower fan rotates at a low
speed when the engine coolant tem-
perature is low.. The air conditioner may not operate
in the following cases:
–When the cabin temperature is
low – When the ambient temperature
decreases to close to 32 8F(0 8C)
. For efficient defogging or dehumidi-
fying in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button. &
Type B
1) Temperature control dial (driver ’s side)
2) AUTO button
3) Temperature control dial (front passen- ger’s side)
1. Set the preferred temperature using
temperature control dial.
2. Press the “AUTO ”button. The FULL
AUTO mode is selected and the indicator light “FULL AUTO ”on the display illumi-
nates. NOTE . When the “DUAL ”button is pressed,
separate temperature settings for the driver ’s side and passenger ’s side can
be enabled (DUAL mode). To cancel the
DUAL mode, press the “DUAL ”button
again. The temperature setting for the passenger
’s side becomes the same as
the setting for the driver ’s side.
. If you operate any of the buttons on
the control panel other than the “OFF ”
button, rear window defogger button
and temperature control dials during
FULL AUTO mode operation, the indi-
cator light “FULL ”on the control panel
will turn off and the indicator light“ AUTO ”will remain illuminated. You
can then manually control the system
as desired using the button you oper-
ated. To change the system back to the
FULL AUTO mode, press the “AUTO ”
button.
3. To turn off the climate control system,
press the “OFF ”button.

&Type C
1) Fan speed control dial
2) Airflow control dial
3) Temperature control dial
1. Turn the airflow control dial and fan
speed control dial to “AUTO ”position.
2. Set the preferred temperature using
the temperature control dial. NOTE
Each function can be individually set to
AUTO mode independently of the
others. Any function set to AUTO mode
is controlled automatically. Any func-
tion not set to AUTO mode can be
manually adjusted as desired.
3. To turn off the climate control system,
turn the fan speed control dial to the “OFF ”position.
& 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: next to
the steering column.– Outside temperature sensor: behind
the front grille. Climate control
4-7

4-8Climate control
Manual climate control &Airflow mode selection
Select the preferred airflow mode by
performing the following procedure. . Turn the airflow control dial (type A and
C) . Press the airflow mode selection button
or defroster button (type B)
Airflow modes are as follows.
(Ventilation): Instrument panel outlets
(Bi-level): Instrument panel outlets and the
foot outlets
(Heat): Foot outlets, both side outlets of
the instrument panel and some through
windshield defroster outlets (A small
amount of air flows to the windshield and both side windows to prevent fogging.)
(Heat-def): Windshield defroster outlets,
foot outlets and both side outlets of the
instrument panel
(Defrost): Windshield defroster outlets and
both side outlets of the instrument panel

NOTE .When the “
”mode or “”mode
is selected, the air conditioner com-
pressor automatically operates to more
quickly defog the windshield. At the
same time, the air inlet selection is
automatically set to the outside airmode.
In this state:
–The air conditioner indicator light
does not illuminate. – You cannot stop the air condi-
tioner compressor by pressing the
air conditioner button. – You cannot select the “recircula-
tion ”mode by pressing the air inlet
selection button.
& Temperature control
! Type A
Turn the temperature control dial over a
range from the blue side (cool) to red side
(warm) to regulate the temperature of
airflow from the air outlets. ! Type B and C
Turn the temperature control dial to set the
preferred interior temperature. With the
dial set to your preferred temperature, the
system automatically adjusts the tempera-
ture of air supplied from the outlets such that the preferred temperature is achieved
and maintained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise,
the system provides maximum cooling
performance. If the dial is turned fully
clockwise, the system provides maximum
heating performance.
NOTE
For type B, when the “DUAL ”button is
pressed, separate temperature settings
for the driver ’s side and passenger ’s
side can be enabled (DUAL mode). To
cancel the DUAL mode, press the“ DUAL ”button again. The temperature
setting for the passenger ’s side be-
comes the same as the setting for thedriver ’s side.
& Fan speed control
The fan operates only when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position. Select the
preferred fan speed by turning the fan
speed control dial (type A and C), or by
pressing the fan speed control buttons
(type B).
& Air conditioner control
The air conditioner operates only when
the engine is running.
Press the air conditioner button while the fan is in operation to turn on the air
conditioner. When the air conditioner is
on, the
“A/C ”indicator light illuminates.
To turn off the air conditioner, press the
button again.
NOTE
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, turn on the air
conditioner. However, if the ambient
temperature decreases to approxi-
mately 0 8C (32 8F), the air conditioner
compressor stops operation. & Air inlet selection
Select the air inlet by pressing the air inlet
selection button.
ON position (recirculation) : Interior air is
recirculated inside the vehicle. Press the
air inlet selection button to the ON position
for fast cooling with the air conditioner or
when driving on a dusty road. When the
ON position is selected, the “
”indicator
light illuminates.
OFF position (outside air) : Outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment.
Press the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position when the interior has cooled
to a comfortable temperature and/or the
road is no longer dusty. Climate control
4-9
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4-10Climate control
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. Defrosting
Select the desired
“
”mode or “”mode
to defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows by performing the
following procedures.
For types A and C: Turn the airflow control
dial and select the “
”mode or “”
mode.
For type B: Press the airflow mode
selection button to select the “
”mode
or press the defroster button to select the “
” mode.
NOTE . When the “
”mode or “”mode
is selected, the air conditioner com-
pressor automatically operates to more
quickly defog the windshield. (The air
conditioner indicator light does not
illuminate in this case.) At the same
time, the air inlet selection is automa-
tically set to the outside air mode. For
details, refer to “Airflow mode selec-
tion ”F 4-8.
. For type B, if the defroster button is
pressed while the “
”mode is se-
lected, it will return to the previous
mode before selecting the “
”mode. 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

heated interior. This results in quicker
cooling by the air conditioner. Keep the
windows closed during the operation of
the air conditioner for maximum cooling
efficiency. &Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil. & Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-son
Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper
operation each spring. Have the air con-
ditioning system checked by your
SUBARU dealer. & Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather conditions
Under certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.) a
small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate
any problem with the air conditioning system.
& Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage,
the air conditioner compressor is designed
to temporarily shut off during air condi-
tioner operation whenever the accelerator
pedal is fully depressed such as during
rapid acceleration or when driving on a
steep upgrade. & Refrigerant for your climate
control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly
refrigerant HFC134a. Therefore, the meth-
od of adding, changing or checking the
refrigerant is different from the method for
CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a
result of using the wrong refrigerant are
not covered under warranty. Air filtration system
Replace the filter element according to the
replacement schedule as follows. This
schedule should be followed to maintain
the filter
’s dust collection ability. Under
extremely dusty conditions, the filter
should be replaced more frequently. It is
recommended that you have your filter
checked or replaced by your SUBARU
dealer. For replacement, use only a
genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule: Every 12 months or 7,500 miles (12,000
km) whichever comes first
CAUTION
Contact your SUBARU dealer if the
following occurs, even if it is not yet
time to change the filter. – Reduction of the airflow through
the vents.
– Windshield gets easily fogged ormisted.
NOTE
The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor- Climate control
4-11
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