wheel SUBARU FORESTER 2012 SH / 3.G User Guide

lift the front passenger’s seat cushion
using his/her feet. . 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. . 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. ! If the passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator illuminates and the ON
indicator turns off even when the
front passenger ’s seat is occupied
by an adult
This can be caused by the adult incor-
rectly sitting in the front passenger ’s seat.
Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position. 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
indicator remains illuminated while the ON
indicator remains off, take the followingactions. . Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position.. Ensure that there are no articles, books, shoes, or other objects trapped
under the seat, at the rear of the seat, or
on the side of the seat. .
Ensure that the backward-forward po-
sition and seatback of front passenger ’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth. . Next, turn the ignition switch to the
“ ON ”position and wait 6 seconds to allow
the system to complete self-checking.
Following the system check, both indica-
tors turn off for 2 seconds. Now, the ON
indicator should illuminate while the OFF
indicator remains off.
If the OFF indicator still remains illumi-
nated while the ON indicator remains off,
ask the occupant to move to the rear seat
and immediately contact your SUBARU
dealer for an inspection. ! 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, rear seat, seatbelts, front bumper,
front side frame, radiator panel, instrument
panel, combination meter, steering wheel,
steering column, tire, suspension or floor
panel can affect the operation of the
SUBARU advanced airbag system. If
you have any questions, you may contact the following SUBARU distributors.
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)
Servco Subaru Inc., dba Subaru Hawaii
2850 Pukoloa Street, Suite 202, Honolulu,
HI 96819 808-839-2273 Shen
’s Corporation dba Prestige Automo-
bile
491, East Marine Drive, Route 1 Dededo, Guam 671-633-2698

Trebol Motors
P.O. Box 11204, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00910 787-793-2828
There are currently no SUBARU distribu-
tors in any other U.S. territories. If you are
in such an area, please contact the
SUBARU distributor or dealer from which Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-43
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The SRS airbag can function only when
the ignition switch is in the“ON ”position.
The SUBARU advanced frontal airbag
system is designed to determine the
activation or deactivation condition of the
front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
depending on the total load on the frontpassenger ’s seat monitored by the front
passenger ’s occupant detection system
weight sensor. For this reason, only thedriver ’s SRS frontal airbag may deploy in
the event of a collision, but this does not
mean failure of the system.
If the front sub sensors and the impact
sensors in the airbag control module
detect a predetermined amount of force
during a frontal collision, the control
module sends signals to the airbag
module(s) (only driver ’s module or both
driver ’s and front passenger ’s modules)
instructing the module(s) to inflate the
SRS frontal airbag(s). The driver ’s and
front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbags use
dual stage inflators.
The two inflators of each airbag are
triggered either sequentially or simulta-
neously, depending on the severity of
impact, in the case of the driver ’s SRS
frontal airbag and depending on the
severity of impact and the total load on
the seat in the case of the front passen-ger ’s SRS frontal airbag. After deploy- ment, the SRS airbag immediately starts
to deflate so that the driver
’s vision is not
obstructed. The time required from detect-
ing impact to the deflation of the SRS
airbag after deployment is shorter than the
blink of an eye.
Both when only the driver ’s SRS frontal
airbag deploys and the driver ’s and front
passenger ’s SRS frontal airbags deploy,
the driver ’s and front passenger ’s seatbelt
pretensioners operate at the same time.
Although it is highly unlikely that the SRS
airbag would activate in a non-accident
situation, should it occur, the SRS airbag
will deflate quickly, not obscuring vision
and will not interfere with the driver ’s
ability to maintain control of the vehicle.
When the SRS airbag deploys, a sudden,
fairly loud inflation noise will be heard and
some smoke will be released. These
occurrences are a normal result of the
deployment. This smoke does not indicate
a fire in the vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS airbag system
components around the steering
wheel and dashboard with bare
hands right after deployment. Doing
so can cause burns because the components can be very hot as a
result of deployment.
The driver ’s SRS frontal airbag and front
passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag are de-
signed to deploy in the event of an
accident involving a moderate to severe
frontal collision. They are basically not
designed to deploy in lesser frontal im-
pacts because the necessary protection
can be achieved by the seatbelt alone.
Also, they are basically not designed to
deploy in side or rear impacts or in roll-
over accidents because deployment of
only the driver ’s SRS frontal airbag or both
driver ’s and front passenger ’s SRS frontal
airbags would not help the occupant in
those situations. The driver ’s and front
passenger ’s SRS frontal airbags are de-
signed to function on a one-time-onlybasis.
SRS airbag deployment depends on the
level of force experienced in the passen-
ger compartment during a collision. That
level differs from one type of collision to
another, and it may have no bearing on
the visible damage done to the vehicleitself. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-45
– CONTINUED –

A hands-free microphone or
other accessory in such a loca-
tion could be propelled through
the cabin with great force by the
curtain airbag, or it could prevent
correct deployment of the curtain
airbag. In either case, the result
could be serious injuries.
. Never hang or place coat hangers
or other hard or pointed objects
near the side windows. If such
items are present when the SRS
curtain airbags deploy, they
could be thrown through the
passenger compartment and
cause serious injuries. They
could also prevent proper opera-
tion of the SRS curtain airbags.WARNING
Do not put any kind of cover or
clothes or other objects over either
front seatback and do not attach
labels or stickers to the front seat
surface on or near the SRS side
airbag. They could prevent proper
deployment of the SRS side airbag,
reducing protection available to the
front seat ’s occupant.
! Operation
The SRS side airbag and SRS curtain
airbag can function only when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position.
The driver ’s and front passenger ’s SRS
side airbags and SRS curtain airbags deploy independently of each other since
each has its own impact sensor. There-
fore, they may not both deploy in the same
accident. Also, the SRS side airbag and
SRS curtain airbag deploys independently
of the driver
’s and front passenger ’s SRS
frontal airbags in the steering wheel and
instrument panel.
An impact sensor, which senses impact
force, is located in each of the left and
right center pillars and rear wheel houses.
Another impact sensor, which also senses
impact force, is located under the rear
center seat. In addition, a rollover sensor
is located inside the airbag control mod-ule.
If one of the center pillar impact sensors
and the impact sensor that is located
under the rear center seat together sense
an impact force above a predetermined
level in a side impact collision, the control
module causes both the SRS side airbag
and curtain airbag on the impacted side to
inflate regardless of whether the rear
wheel house impact sensor on the same
side senses an impact.
If one of the rear wheel house impact
sensors and the impact sensor that is
located under the rear center seat to-
gether sense an impact force above a
predetermined level in a side impact
collision, the control module causes only Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-51
– CONTINUED –

1-58Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
&SRS airbag system monitors
Type A
Type B
A diagnostic system continually monitors
the readiness of the SRS airbag system
(including front seatbelt pretensioners) while the vehicle is being driven. The
SRS airbag system warning light
“AIR-
BAG ”will show normal system operation
by lighting for approximately 6 seconds
when the ignition switch is turned to the“ ON ”position.
The following components are monitored
by the indicator: . Front sub sensor
– Right-hand side
– Left-hand side
. Airbag control module (including im-
pact and rollover sensors). Frontal airbag module
– Driver ’s side
– Front passenger ’s side
. Side airbag sensor
– Center pillar right-hand side
– Center pillar left-hand side
. Side airbag module
– Driver ’s side
– Front passenger ’s side
. Curtain airbag sensor
– Rear wheel house right-hand side
– Rear wheel house left-hand side
. Curtain airbag module
– Right-hand side
– Left-hand side
. Satellite safing sensor (under the rear
center seat) .
Seatbelt pretensioner
– Driver ’s side
– Front passenger ’s side
. Seatbelt buckle switch (front passen-
ger ’s side)
. Front passenger ’s seatbelt tension
sensor. Front passenger ’s occupant detection
system weight sensor. Front passenger ’s occupant detection
control module. Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicator. All related wiring
WARNING
If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, there may
be a malfunction in the seatbelt
pretensioners and/or SRS airbag
system. Immediately take your vehi-
cle to your nearest SUBARU dealer
to have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, the
seatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbag will not operate properly in
the event of a collision, which may
increase the risk of injury. . Flashing or flickering of the warn-
ing light

.No illumination of the warning
light when the ignition switch is
first turned to the “ON ”position
. Continuous illumination of the
warning light
. Illumination of the warning light
while driving
& SRS airbag system servicing
WARNING
. When discarding an airbag mod-
ule or scrapping the entire vehi-
cle damaged by a collision, con-
sult your SUBARU dealer.
. The SRS airbag has no user-
serviceable parts. Do not use
electrical test equipment on any
circuit related to the SRS airbag
system. For required servicing of
the SRS airbag, consult your
nearest SUBARU dealer. Tamper-
ing with or disconnecting thesystem ’s wiring could result in
accidental inflation of the SRS
airbag or could make the system
inoperative, which may result in
serious injury.
CAUTION
If you need service or repair in areas
indicated in the following list, have
the work performed by an author-
ized SUBARU dealer. The SRS air-
bag control module, impact sensors
and airbag modules are stored in
these areas. . Under the center console
. On both the right and left sides at
the front of the vehicle
. Steering wheel and column and
nearby areas
. Top of the dashboard on front
passenger ’s side and nearby
areas
. Each front seat and nearby area
. Inside each center pillar
. In each roof side (from the front
pillar to a point over the rear seat)
. Between the rear seat cushion
and rear wheel house on each side
. Under the rear center seat
In the event that the SRS airbag is
deployed, replacement of the system
should be performed only by an author-
ized SUBARU dealer. When the compo- nents of the SRS airbag system are
replaced, use only genuine SUBARUparts.
NOTE
In the following cases, contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. . The front part of the vehicle was
damaged in an accident in which either
or both of the frontal airbags did not
deploy.. The pad of the steering wheel, the
cover over the front passenger ’s SRS
frontal airbag, or either roof side (from
the front pillar to a point over the rear
seat) is scratched, cracked, or other-
wise damaged.. Center pillar, rear wheel house or
rear sub frame, or an area near these
parts, was involved in an accident in
which the SRS side airbag and SRS
curtain airbag did not deploy.. The fabric or leather of either front
seatback is cut, frayed, or otherwisedamaged.. The rear part of the vehicle was
involved in an accident in which no
SRS airbag deployed. Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-59
– CONTINUED –

1-60Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
&Precautions against vehicle modification
WARNING
To avoid accidental activation of the
system or rendering the system
inoperative, which may result in
serious injury, no modifications
should be made to any components
or wiring of the SRS airbag system.
This includes the following modifi- cations. . Installation of custom steering
wheels
. Attachment of additional trim
materials to the dashboard
. Installation of custom seats
. Replacement of seat fabric or
leather
. Installation of additional fabric or
leather on the front seat
. Attachment of a hands-free mi-
crophone or any other accessory
to a front pillar, a center pillar, a
rear pillar, the windshield, a side
window, an assist grip, or any
other cabin surface that would be
near a deploying SRS curtainairbag. .
Installation of additional electri-
cal/electronic equipment such as
a mobile two-way radio on or
near the SRS airbag system
components and/or wiring is not
advisable. This could interfere
with proper operation of the
SRS airbag system.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the following
modifications. Such modifications
can interfere with proper operation
of the SRS airbag system. . Attachment of any equipment
(bush bar, winches, snow plow,
skid plate, etc.) other than genu-
ine SUBARU accessory parts to
the front end.
. Modification of the suspension
system or front end structure.
. Installation of a tire of different
size and construction from the
tires specified on the vehicle
placard attached to the driver ’s
door pillar or specified for indivi-
dual vehicle models in this Own-er ’s Manual.
. Attachment of any equipment
(side steps or side sill protectors, etc.) other than genuine SUBARU
accessory parts to the side body.
Always consult your SUBARU dealer if
you want to install any accessory parts on
your vehicle.

Ignition switch..................................................... 3-3
LOCK .................................................................. 3-3
Acc..................................................................... 3-4
ON...................................................................... 3-4
START ................................................................ 3-4
Key reminder chime ............................................ 3-5
Ignition switch light ............................................. 3-5
Hazard warning flasher ....................................... 3-5
Meters and gauges. ............................................. 3-6
Combination meter illumination ........................... 3-6
Canceling the function for meter/gauge needle movement upon turning on the ignition switch ............................................................... 3-6
Meter needles/gauge illumination setting (models with type A combination meter) ......................... 3-7
Speedometer ....................................................... 3-8
Odometer/Trip meter ............................................ 3-8
Tachometer ........................................................ 3-10
Fuel gauge ......................................................... 3-10
Temperature gauge (models with type A combination meter) .......................................... 3-11
ECO gauge (models with type A combination meter) .............................................................. 3-12
Warning and indicator lights ............................. 3-12
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 3-13
SRS airbag system warning light ........................ 3-15
Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators ......................................................... 3-15
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator light ................................................... 3-16 Coolant temperature low indicator light (if
equipped)/Coolant temperature high warning
light (if equipped). ............................................ 3-16
Charge warning light .......................................... 3-17
Oil pressure warning light .................................. 3-17
AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT models) .............. 3-18
Low tire pressure warning light (U.S.-spec. models) ........................................................... 3-18
ABS warning light .............................................. 3-19
Brake system warning light ................................ 3-20
Low fuel warning light ....................................... 3-21
Hill start assist warning light (MT models) ..... ..... 3-21
Door open warning light .................................... 3-21
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT models) ..... ..... 3-21
Automatic headlight beam leveler warning light (models with HID headlights).. .......................... 3-22
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light/Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light .. ..... 3-22
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light ..... 3-23
Security indicator light ....................................... 3-23
SPORT mode indicator light (AT models) ............ 3-24
Select lever and gear position indicator (AT models) ........................................................... 3-24
Turn signal indicator lights ................................. 3-24
High beam indicator light ................................... 3-25
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 3-25
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 3-25
Front fog light indicator light (if equipped) ..... ..... 3-25
Headlight indicator light ..................................... 3-25
Clock .................................................................. 3-25Instruments and controls
3

Instruments and controlsInformation display ............................................ 3-26
Outside temperature indicator ............................ 3-27
Current fuel consumption (if equipped) ............... 3-28
Average fuel consumption .................................. 3-28
To turn off fuel consumption indicator display ............................................................. 3-28
Light control switch ........................................... 3-29
Headlights. ......................................................... 3-30
High/low beam change (dimmer) ......................... 3-30
Headlight flasher ................................................ 3-30
Daytime running light system (if equipped) ... ...... 3-31
Automatic headlight beam leveler (models with HID headlights) ................................................ 3-31
Turn signal lever ................................................ 3-31 Illumination brightness control
......................... 3-32
Front fog light switch (if equipped) .................. 3-32
Wiper and washer .............................................. 3-33
Windshield wiper and washer switches .............. 3-34
Rear window wiper and washer switch ............... 3-36
Mirrors ................................................................ 3-36
Inside mirror ...................................................... 3-36
Auto-dimming mirror/compass (if equipped) ....... 3-37
Auto-dimming mirror/compass with HomeLink
®(if equipped) .................................................... 3-38
Outside mirrors ................................................. 3-44
Defogger and deicer .......................................... 3-45
Tilt/telescopic steering wheel ........................... 3-47
Horn .................................................................... 3-47

Ignition switch
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
“ LOCK ”while the vehicle is
being driven or towed because
that will lock the steering wheel,
preventing steering control. In
addition, when the engine is
turned off, it takes a much great-
er effort than usual to steer.
. Before leaving the vehicle, al-
ways remove the key from the
ignition switch for safety and
never allow an unattended child
to remain in the vehicle. Failure
to follow this procedure could
result in injury to a child or
others. Children could operate
the power windows, the moon-
roof or other controls or even
make the vehicle move.
CAUTION
Do not attach a large key holder or
key case to either key. If it bangs
against your knees or hands while
you are driving, it could turn the
ignition switch from the “ON ”posi- tion to the
“Acc ”or “LOCK ”posi-
tion, thereby stopping the engine.
Also, if the key is attached to a
keyholder or to a large bunch of
other keys, centrifugal force may act
on it as the vehicle moves, resulting
in unwanted turning of the ignitionswitch.
The ignition switch has four positions:
LOCK, Acc, ON and START. NOTE . Keep the ignition switch in the
“ LOCK ”position when the engine is
not running. . Using electrical accessories for a
long time with the ignition switch in the“ ON ”or “Acc ”position can cause the battery to go dead..
If the ignition switch will not move
from the “LOCK ”position to the “Acc ”
position, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left and right as you turn
the ignition switch. & LOCK
The key can only be inserted or removed
in this position. The ignition switch will lock
the steering wheel when you remove the
key.
If turning the key is difficult, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the right and left
as you turn the key. ! Automatic transmission models
Instruments and controls 3-3
– CONTINUED –

3-18Instruments and controls
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
& AT OIL TEMP warning
light (AT models)
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light illuminates while driving, im-
mediately stop the vehicle in a safe place
and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off. !Automatic transmission control
system warning
If this light flashes after the engine starts, it
may indicate that the automatic transmis-
sion control system is not working prop-
erly. Contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er for service immediately. &
Low tire pressure
warning light (U.S.-spec. models)
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will illuminate for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will turn off.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for thosetires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly under- inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle
’s handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the
malfunction indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of re-
placement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing