ECU SUBARU FORESTER 2017 SJ / 4.G Owners Manual

When possible, you should share the
driving with others.
&Modification of your vehicle
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified
other than with genuine SUBARU
parts and accessories. Other types
of modifications could affect its
performance, safety or durability,
and may even violate governmental
regulations. In addition, damage or
performance problems resulting
from modification may not be cov-
ered under warranties.
&Car phone/cell phone and
driving
CAUTION
Do not use a car phone/cell phone
while driving; it may distract your
attention from driving and can lead
to an accident. If you use a car
phone/cell phone, pull off the road
and park in a safe place before
using your phone. In some States/
Provinces, only hands-free phones may legally be used while driving.
&
Driving vehicles equipped
with navigation system
WARNING
Do not allow the monitor to distract
your attention from driving. Also, do
not operate the controls of the
navigation system while driving.
The loss of attention to driving
could lead to an accident. If you
wish to operate the controls of the
navigation system, first take the
vehicle off the road and stop it in a
safe location.
&Driving with pets
Unrestrained pets can interfere with your
driving and distract your attention from
driving. In a collision or sudden stop,
unrestrained pets or cages can be thrown
around inside the vehicle and hurt you or
your passengers. Besides, the pets can
be hurt under these situations. It is also for
their own safety that pets should be
properly restrained in your vehicle. Re-
strain a pet with a special traveling
harness which can be secured to the rear seat with a seatbelt or use a pet carrier
which can be secured to the rear seat by
routing a seatbelt through the carrier
’s
handle. Never restrain pets or pet carriers
in the front passenger ’s seat. For further
information, consult your veterinarian,
local animal protection society or pet
shop.
& Tire pressures
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the spare)
at least once a month and before any long
journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are
cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust the
tire pressures to the values shown on the
tire placard. For detailed information, refer
to“Tires and wheels” F11-23.
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
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7

&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.
& Attaching accessories
WARNING
. Do not attach any accessories,
labels or stickers (other than
properly placed inspection stick-
ers) to the windshield. Such
items may obstruct your view.
. If it is necessary to attach an
accessory (such as an electronic
toll collection (ETC) device or
security pass) to the windshield,
consult your SUBARU dealer for
details on the proper location.
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.
8

&Warning and indicator lights
Mark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-14
Front passenger’s
seatbelt warning light 3-14
SRS airbag system
warning light3-15
/Front passenger
’s
frontal airbag ON indi-
cator 3-16
/Front passenger
’s
frontal airbag OFF in-
dicator 3-16
CHECK ENGINE
warning light/Malfunc-
tion indicator light3-16
Coolant temperature
low indicator light/
Coolant temperature
high warning light3-17
Charge warning light 3-18
Oil pressure warning
light
3-18
Engine low oil level
warning light3-18Mark Name Page
AT OIL TEMP warning
light (CVT models)
3-19
ABS warning light 3-21
Brake system warning
light
3-21
Door open warning
light3-23
AWD warning light
(CVT models)
3-23
Power steering warn-
ing light3-23
Hill start assist warn-
ing light/Hill start assist
OFF indicator light3-23
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Vehicle Dynamics
Control operation indi-
cator light3-24
Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator
light
3-25
Turn signal indicator
lights
3-32Mark Name Page
High beam indicator
light
3-32
High beam assist indi-
cator light (if equipped)3-32
Automatic headlight
beam leveler warning
light (if equipped)3-32
Steering Responsive
Headlight warning
light/Steering Respon-
sive Headlight OFF
indicator light (if
equipped)3-99
Front fog light indicator
light (if equipped)
3-33
Access key warning
light (if equipped)3-25
Security indicator light 3-30
Headlight indicator
light (if equipped)
3-33
Cruise control indica-
tor light3-32
Cruise control set in-
dicator light3-32
– CONTINUED –
23

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
Front seats
WARNING
.Never adjust the seat while driv-
ing to avoid loss of vehicle con-
trol and personal injury.
. Before adjusting the seat, make
sure the hands and feet of rear
seat passengers and cargo are
clear of the adjusting mechan-
ism.
. After adjusting the seat, push it
slightly to make sure it is se-
curely locked. If the seat is not
securely locked, it may move or
the seatbelt may not operate
properly.
. Do not put objects under the front
seats. They may interfere with
front seat locking and cause an
accident.
. Seatbelts provide maximum re-
straint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat.
To reduce the risk of sliding
under the seatbelt in a collision,
the front seatbacks should be
always used in the upright posi-
tion while the vehicle is running.
If the front seatbacks are not used in the upright position in a
collision, the risk of sliding under
the lap belt and of the lap belt
sliding up over the abdomen will
increase, and both can result in
serious internal injury or death.
. The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
WARNING
Place children in the rear seat
properly restrained at all times. The
SRS airbag deploys with consider-
able speed and force and can injure
or even kill children, especially if
they are not restrained or impro-
perly restrained. Because children
are lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater. For that rea-
son, we strongly recommend that
ALL children (including those in
child seats and those that have
outgrown child restraint devices)
sit in the REAR seat properly re-
strained at all times in a child
restraint device or in a seatbelt,
1-2

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Front seats
&Manual seat
! Forward and backward adjustment
Pull the lever upward and slide the seat to
the desired position. Then release the
lever and try to move the seat back and
forth to make sure that it is securely locked
into place. !
Reclining the seatback
Pull the reclining lever up and adjust the
seatback to the desired position. Then
release the lever and make sure the
seatback is securely locked into place.
The seatback placed in a reclined position
can spring back upward with force when
the lever is pulled. While operating the
lever to return the seatback, hold the
seatback lightly so that it may be raised
back gradually. !
Seat height adjustment (driver ’s
seat)1) When the lever is pushed down, the seat is lowered.
2) When the lever is pulled up, the seat rises.
The height of the seat can be adjusted by
moving the seat adjustment lever up and
down.
1-4

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
&Head restraint adjustment
Both the rear window side seats and the
rear center seat are equipped with head
restraints.
WARNING
. Never drive the vehicle with the
head restraints removed because
they are designed to reduce the
risk of serious neck injury in the
event that the vehicle is struck
from the rear. Therefore, when
you have removed the head re-
straints, you must reinstall all
head restraints to protect vehicle
occupants.
. All occupants, including the dri-
ver, should not operate a vehicle
or sit in a vehicle ’s seat until the
head restraints are placed in their
proper positions in order to mini-
mize the risk of neck injury in the
event of a crash. !
Rear windows side seating position
1) Head restraint
2) Release button
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that
are located on the top of the seatback until
the head restraint locks. Press and hold
the release button to lower the head
restraint.
After installing the head restraint, make
sure it is securely locked. !
Rear center seating position
CAUTION
The head restraint is not intended to
be used at the lowest position.
Before sitting on the seat, raise the
head restraint to the extended posi-
tion.
1) When not used (retracted position)
2) When used (extended position)
1-12

1) Head restraint
2) Release button
To raise:
Pull the head restraint up.
To lower:
Push the head restraint down while
pressing the release button on the top of
the seatback.
To remove:
While pressing the release button, pull out
the head restraint.
To install:
Install the head restraint into the holes that
are located on the top of the seatback until
the head restraint locks. Press and hold
the release button to lower the head
restraint.When the rear-center seating position is
occupied, raise the head restraint to the
extended position. When the rear center
seating position is not occupied, lower the
head restraint to improve rearward visibi-
lity.
&
Folding down the rear seat-
back
WARNING
. When you fold down the seat-
back, check that there are no
passengers or objects on the
rear seat. Not doing so creates
a risk of injury or property da-
mage if the seatback suddenly
folds down.
. Never allow passengers to ride
on the folded rear seatback or in
the cargo area. Doing so may
result in serious injury or death.
. Secure all objects and especially
long items properly to prevent
them from being thrown around
inside the vehicle and causing
serious injury during a sudden
stop, a sudden steering maneu-
ver or a rapid acceleration.
. When you return the seatback to
its original position, shake the seatback slightly to confirm that
it is securely fixed in place. If the
seatback is not securely fixed in
place, the seatback may sud-
denly fold down in the event of
sudden braking, or objects may
move out from the cargo area,
which could cause serious injury
or death.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
–CONTINUED –1-13

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
1) Securing hook
WARNING
When the seatback is returned to its
original position, observe the follow-ing precautions. Failure to do so
may lead to serious injury or an
accident because the operation effi-
ciency of the seatbelt is inhibited.
.
Be careful to prevent the seatbelt
from running off the belt guide.
. The seatbelt should not be
caught in the seatback and it
should be fully visible.
. The seatbelt should not pass
behind the securing hook for
the seatback.
CAUTION
. Do not hang luggage etc. on the
securing hook. The possibility
exists that the seatback may not
be able to be fixed firmly in place.
This could lead to unexpected
accidents.
. While driving, if something hits
the release latch, it is possible
that the seatback will fold down.
Be careful that no luggage etc.
hits the latch.
1. Lower the head restraint of the rear
center seating position.
Release knob
Release latch on both sides of the cargo
area (if equipped)
2. Unlock the seatback by pulling the lock
release knob or release latch (if equipped)
and then fold the seatback down.
1-14

To return the seatback to its original
position, raise the seatback until it locks
into place and make sure that it is securely
locked referring to the following descrip-
tion.
Lock release knob
1) Unlocked
2) Locked
A) Unlocking marker in red
When the seatback is locked, the lock
release knob is automatically pulled into
the seatback and the unlocking marker,
which is red colored and attached to the
bottom of the lock release knob, will no
longer be visible.
WARNING
After returning the seatback to its
original position, confirm that the
unlocking marker of the lock release
knob is no longer visible. Failure to
do so could lead to serious injury or
death in the event of an accident.
When you return the seatback to its
original position, shake the seat-
back slightly to confirm that it is
securely fixed in place.
&Reclining the seatback (if
equipped)
WARNING
To prevent the passenger from slid-
ing under the seatbelt in the event of
a collision, observe the following
precautions:
. Keep the seatback in the upright
position while the vehicle is in
motion.
. Do not place objects such as
cushions between the passenger
and the seatback.
Otherwise, the risk of sliding under
the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding
up over the abdomen will increase,
and both can result in serious inter-
nal injury or death.
CAUTION
If your vehicle is equipped with a
cargo area cover, observe the fol-
lowing precautions.
. Be careful not to pinch your hand
between the head restraint and
the cargo area cover when you
recline the rear seat.
. Move the front cover of the cargo
area cover backward so that the
cover is not damaged by the
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Rear seats
–CONTINUED –1-15

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/Seatbelts
reclined seatback. Refer to“Car-
go area cover ”F 6-14.
Pull the strap and adjust the seatback to
the desired position.
Then release the strap and make sure the
seatback is securely locked into place.
Seatbelts
& Seatbelt safety tips
WARNING
. All persons in the vehicle should
fasten their seatbelts BEFORE
the vehicle starts to move. Other-
wise, the possibility of serious
injury becomes greater in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-
dent.
. All belts should fit snugly in order
to provide full restraint. Loose
fitting belts are not as effective in
preventing or reducing injury.
. Each seatbelt is designed to
support only one person. Never
use a single belt for two or more
persons –even children. Other-
wise, in an accident, serious
injury or death could result.
. Replace all seatbelt assemblies
including retractors and attach-
ing hardware worn by occupants
of a vehicle that has been in a
serious accident. The entire as-
sembly should be replaced even
if damage is not obvious.
. Place children in the rear seat properly restrained at all times.
The SRS airbag deploys with
considerable speed and force
and can injure or even kill chil-
dren, especially if they are not
restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater. For that
reason, we strongly recommend
that ALL children (including
those in child seats and those
that have outgrown child re-
straint devices) sit in the REAR
seat properly restrained at all
times in a child restraint device
or in a seatbelt, whichever is
appropriate for the child
’s height
and weight.
Secure ALL types of child re-
straint devices (including for-
ward facing child seats) in the
REAR seats at all times.
NEVER INSTALL A FORWARD
OR REARWARD FACING CHILD
SEAT IN THE FRONT SEAT.
DOING SO RISKS SERIOUS IN-
JURY OR DEATH TO THE CHILD
BY PLACING THE CHILD ’S HEAD
TOO CLOSE TO THE SRS AIR-
BAG.
1-16