check engine SUBARU FORESTER 2013 SH / 3.G Owners Manual

6
The SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force
and can injure or even kill chil-
dren, especially if they are 12
years of age and under and are
not restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD
FACING CHILD SEAT IN THE
FRONT SEAT. DOING SO RISKS
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO
THE CHILD BY PLACING THECHILD ’S HEAD TOO CLOSE TO
THE SRS AIRBAG.
. Always turn the child safety locks
to the “LOCK ”position when
children sit on the rear seat.
Serious injury could result if a
child accidentally opens the door
and falls out. Refer to “Child
safety locks ”F 2-19.
. Always lock the passenger ’s win-
dows using the lock switch when
children are riding in the vehicle.
Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child
operating the power window. Re-
fer to “Windows ”F 2-20. .
Never leave unattended children
in the vehicle. They could acci-
dentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, temperature
in a closed vehicle could quickly
become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries
to them.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections. . For the seatbelt system, refer to “Seat-
belts ”F 1-12.
. For the child restraint system, refer to
“ Child restraint systems ”F 1-22.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ”F 1-33.
& Engine exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
. Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
. Always properly maintain the en- gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
. If at any time you suspect that
exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.

&On-road and off-road driving
This vehicle is classified as a utility
vehicle. Utility vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other types of
vehicles. Your vehicle has a higher ground
clearance and higher center of gravity,
making it more likely to roll over than
ordinary passenger cars. It also handles
and maneuvers differently from other
passenger cars. For this reason, please
read carefully the following section and
follow the instructions and precautions in
order to prevent serious injury or death
due to loss of control, rollover and other
accidents. Refer to “On-road and off-road
driving ”F 8-6. General information &
California proposition 65 warning
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its consti-
tuents, and certain vehicle compo-
nents contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. In addi-
tion, certain fluids in vehicles and
certain components of product wear
contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
& California Perchlorate Advi- sory
Certain vehicle components such as air-
bag modules, seatbelt pretensioners and
keyless entry transmitter batteries may
contain perchlorate material. Special
handling may apply for service or vehicle
end of life disposal. See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. &
Noise from under the vehicle
NOTE
You may hear a noise from under the
vehicle approximately 5 to 10 hours
after the engine is turned off. However,
this does not indicate a malfunction.
This noise is caused by the operation
of the fuel evaporation leakage check-
ing system and is normal. The noise
will stop after approximately 15 min-utes. 9

&Warning and indicator lights
Mark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-13
Front passenger ’s seat-
belt warning light 3-13
SRS airbag system
warning light3-14
/Front passenger
’s fron-
tal airbag ON indicator 3-15
/Front passenger
’s fron-
tal airbag OFF indicator 3-15
CHECK ENGINE
warning light/Malfunction
indicator light3-15
Coolant temperature low
indicator light (if
equipped)/Coolant tem-
perature 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)3-17Mark Name Page
/ABS warning light 3-19
/Brake system warning light
3-20
Door open warning light 3-21
AWD warning light
(AT models)
3-21
Hill start assist warning
light (MT models)
3-21
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light/Vehicle
Dynamics Control op-
eration indicator light3-22
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol OFF indicator light
3-23
Turn signal indicator lights
3-24
High beam indicator light 3-24
Automatic headlight
beam leveler warning
light (models with HID headlights)3-21Mark Name Page
Front fog light indicator
light (if equipped)
3-25
Security indicator light 3-23
Headlight indicator light 3-25
Cruise control indicator light3-24
Cruise control set indi-
cator light
3-25
Low fuel warning light 3-21
Low tire pressure warn-
ing light
(U.S.-spec. models)3-18
SPORT mode indicator
light (AT models)
3-2421

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) .............................................................. 3-11
Warning and indicator lights ............................. 3-12
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 3-13
SRS airbag system warning light ........................ 3-14
Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators ......................................................... 3-15
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator light ................................................... 3-15 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) .............. 3-17
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).. .......................... 3-21
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 ................................... 3-24
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 3-24
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

3-12Instruments and controls
sumption.
The ECO gauge indicates the current fuel
efficiency as shown in the following chart.
Displayed unit Needle pointing
“ + ” side “-” side
MPG Better Poorer
l/100km Poorer Better
NOTE . The ECO gauge shows only an
approximate indication of fuel effi-
ciency.. After resetting the trip meter, the
average rate of fuel consumption is not
shown until driving 0.6 mile (1 km).
Until that time, the ECO gauge does notoperate. Warning and indicator lights
Several of the warning and indicator lights
illuminate when the ignition switch is
initially turned to the
“ON ”position. This
permits checking the operation of thebulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the
ignition switch to the “ON ”position. For
the system check, the following lights
illuminate and turn off after several sec-
onds or after the engine has started.
: Seatbelt warning light (The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the driver fastens theseatbelt.)
: Front passenger ’s seatbelt warning
light
(The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the front seat passenger
fastens the seatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
ON /
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator light
/: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal- function indicator light
: Coolant temperature high warning light
(if equipped)
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT models)
: Low tire pressure warning light(U.S.- spec. models)
/: ABS warning light
/: Brake system warning light
: Low fuel warning light
: Hill start assist warning light (MT models)
: Door open warning light
: AWD warning light (AT models)
: Automatic headlight beam leveler warning light (models with HID head- lights)
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warninglight/Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indica-tor light

&Front passenger ’s frontal
airbag ON and OFF indica- tors
ON /: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
indicator
/: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator
The front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicators show you the status of
the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag.
The indicators are located next to the
clock in the center portion of the dash-board.
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position, both the ON and OFF
indicators illuminate for 6 seconds during
which time the system is checked. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators turn
off for 2 seconds. After that, one of the indicators illuminates depending on the
status of the front passenger
’s SRS frontal
airbag determined by the SUBARU ad-
vanced frontal airbag system monitoring.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is activated, the passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator will illuminate while the OFF
indicator will remain off.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is deactivated, the passenger ’sfrontal
airbag ON indicator will remain off while
the OFF indicator will illuminate.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON ”
position, if both the ON and OFF indica-
tors remain illuminated or off simulta-
neously even after the system check
period, the system is malfunctioning.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately for an inspection. &
CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator light
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE light illumi-
nates while you are driving, have
your vehicle checked/repaired by
your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible. Continued vehicle opera-
tion without having the emission
control system checked and re-
paired as necessary could cause
serious damage, which may not be
covered by your vehicle ’s warranty.
If this light illuminates steadily or blinks
while the engine is running, it may indicate
that there is a problem or potential
problem somewhere in the emission con-
trol system. ! If the light illuminates steadily
If the light illuminates steadily while driving
or does not turn off after the engine starts,
an emission control system malfunction
has been detected.
You should have your vehicle checked by
an authorized SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. Instruments and controls
3-15
– CONTINUED –

3-16Instruments and controls
NOTE
This light also illuminates when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator light coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and make sure nothing is
interfering with the sealing of the cap, then
retighten the cap until it clicks. Tightening
the cap will not make the CHECK EN-
GINE warning light turn off immediately. It
may take several driving trips. If the light
does not turn off, take your vehicle to your
SUBARU dealer immediately. !If the light is blinking
If the light is blinking while driving, an
engine misfire condition has been de-
tected which may damage the emission
control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do thefollowing. . Reduce vehicle speed.
. Avoid hard acceleration.
. Avoid steep uphill grades.
. Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.
The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and illuminate steadily after several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately.
& Coolant temperature
low indicator light (if
equipped)/Coolant tem-
perature high warning
light (if equipped)
CAUTION
. After turning the ignition switch
to the “ON ”position, if this
indicator light/warning light
shows any of the following con-
ditions, the electrical system may
be malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for
an inspection. – It remains blinking in RED.
– It remains illuminated in RED
for more than 2 seconds.
– It remains blinking in RED and
BLUE alternately.
. While driving, if this indicator
light/warning light shows any of
the following conditions, take the
specified appropriate measure
listed below. – Blinking or illuminated in RED:
Safely stop the vehicle as
soon as possible, and refer
to the emergency steps for the
engine overheating. After-
ward, have the system
checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer. Refer to
“En-
gine overheating ”F 9-13.
– Blinking in RED and BLUE
alternately:
The electrical system may be
malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspec-tion.
This coolant temperature low indicator
light/coolant temperature high warning
light has the following three functions. . Illumination in BLUEindicates insuffi-
cient warming up of the engine. Blinking in REDindicates that the
engine is close to overheating. Illumination in REDindicates overheat-
ing condition of the engine
For the system check, this indicator light/
warning light illuminates in REDfor
approximately 2 seconds when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON ”position.
After that, this indicator light/warning light
changes to BLUEand maintains illumina-

tion inBLUE. This BLUE illuminated light
turns off when the engine is warmed up
sufficiently.
If the engine coolant temperature in-
creases over the specified range, the
indicator light/warning light blinks in RED . At this time, the engine is close to
overheating.
If the engine coolant temperature in-
creases further, the indicator light/warning
light illuminates in REDcontinuously. At
this time, the engine may be overheating.
When the indicator light/warning light
blinks in REDor illuminates in RED, safely
stop the vehicle as soon as possible, and
refer to the emergency steps for the
engine overheating. Refer to “Engine
overheating ”F 9-13. Afterward, have the
system checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer.
Also, if the indicator light/warning light
often blinks in RED, the electrical system
may be malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspection. NOTE
If the engine is restarted after a certain
driving condition, this indicator light/
warning light may illuminate in RED.
However, this is not a malfunction if the indicator light/warning light turns off
after a short time.
& Charge warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good
condition but the light remains on, contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. &Oil pressure warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remains on,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately.
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. Instruments and controls
3-17
– CONTINUED –

pressure, a tire may have signifi-
cant damage and a fast leak that
causes the tire to lose air rapidly.
If you have a flat tire, replace it
with a spare tire as soon aspossible.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
illuminate steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute.
This indicates the TPMS is un-
able to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
CAUTION
. The tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem is NOT a substitute for
manually checking tire pressure.
The tire pressure should be
checked periodically (at least
monthly) using a tire gauge.
. After any change to tire pressure
(s), the tire pressure monitoring
system will not re-check tire inflation pressures until the vehi-
cle is first driven more than 20
mph (32 km/h). After adjusting
the tire pressures, increase the
vehicle speed to at least 20 mph
(32 km/h) to start the TPMS re-
checking of the tire inflation
pressures. If the tire pressures
are now above the severe low
pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should
turn off a few minutes later.
Therefore, be sure to install the
specified size for the front and
rear tires.
& ABS warning light
CAUTION
. If any of the following conditions
occur, we recommend that you
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by
your SUBARU dealer. – The warning light does not
illuminate when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.
– The warning light illuminates
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”position,
but it does not turn off even
when the vehicle speed ex-
ceeds approximately 8 mph
(12 km/h).
– The warning light illuminates
during driving.
. When the warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is
off), the ABS function shuts
down. However, the conventional
brake system continues to oper-
ate normally.
The ABS warning light illuminates to-
gether with the brake system warning light
if the EBD system malfunctions. For
further details of the EBD system mal-
function warning, refer to “Brake system
warning light ”F 3-20.
NOTE
If the warning light behaves as follows,
the ABS system may be considerednormal. . The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off.. The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it
turns off when the vehicle speed
reaches approximately 8 mph (12 Instruments and controls
3-19
– CONTINUED –

3-20Instruments and controls
km/h). .The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may illumi-
nate. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will turn off. & Brake system
warning light
WARNING
. Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains illuminated,
have the brakes inspected by a
SUBARU dealer immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair.
This light has the following functions. !
Parking brake warning
The light illuminates with the parking
brake applied while the ignition switch is
in the “ON ”position. It turns off when the
parking brake is fully released. ! Brake fluid level warning
This light illuminates when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the “MIN ”level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
switch in the “ON ”position and with the
parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should
illuminate while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in “ON ”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the “MIN ”mark in the
reservoir, do not drive the vehicle. Have
the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU
dealer for repair. ! Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
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 fails, the conven- tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are
applied harder than usual and the vehi-cle
’s motion may therefore become some-
what 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 place.
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.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “ MIN ”mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.