octane SUBARU FORESTER 2017 SJ / 4.G Owners Manual

&Abbreviation list
You may find several abbreviations in this
manual. The meanings of the abbrevia-
tions are shown in the following list.
Abbreviation Meaning
A/C Air conditioner
ALR/ELR Automatic locking retractor/
Emergency locking retractor
ABS Anti-lock brake system
AKI Anti knock index
ALR Automatic locking retractor
AWD All-wheel drive
BSD/RCTA Blind Spot Detection/Rear
Cross Traffic Alert
CVT Continuously variable trans-
mission
DRL Daytime running light
EBD Electronic brake force distri-
bution
ELR Emergency locking retractor
GAW Gross axle weight
GAWR Gross axle weight rating
GPS Global positioning system
GVW Gross vehicle weight
GVWR Gross vehicle weight rating
INT Intermittent Abbreviation
Meaning
LATCH Lower anchors and tethers for
children
LED Light emitting diode
MIL Malfunction indicator light
MMT Methylcyclopentadienyl man-
ganese tricarbonyl
MT Manual transmission
OBD On-board diagnostics
RAB Reverse Automatic Braking
RON Research octane number
SI-DRIVE SUBARU Intelligent Drive
SRF Steering responsive fog lights
system
SRH Steering Responsive Head-
light
SRS Supplemental restraint sys-
tem
TIN Tire identification number
TPMS Tire pressure monitoring sys-
tem
Vehicle symbols
There are some of the symbols you may
see on your vehicle.
For warning and indicator lights, refer to
“
Warning and indicator lights ”F 23.
Mark Name
WARNING
CAUTION
3

Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause damage to the
engine and/or fuel system.
&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 at
maximum performance using unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI
(98 RON) or higher . Unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON)
or higher may be used with no detriment to
engine durability or driveability. However,
you may notice a slight decrease in
maximum engine performance while using
91 AKI (95 RON) fuel.
Regular unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 AKI (90 RON) or higher may
also be used. Using regular unleaded gasoline will not be detrimental to engine
durability, nor will it affect your warranty
coverage. However, depending on your
driving habits and conditions, you may
notice a decrease in maximum engine
performance, fuel economy or slight en-
gine vibration or knocking. If you experi-
ence any of these conditions while using a
lower octane rated fuel, you may want to
return to using 91 AKI (95 RON) octane
rated fuel as soon as possible. Addition-
ally, if your vehicle knocks heavily or
persistently, or if you are driving with
heavy loads such as when towing a trailer,
the use of 91 AKI (95 RON) or higher
grade unleaded gasoline is required.
!
Fuel octane rating
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.
!RON
This octane rating is the Research Octane
Number. !
AKI
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).
! 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
Starting and operating/Fuel
–CONTINUED –7-3

Starting and operating/Fuel
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service.
!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 light 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.
! Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner. Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol
(ethyl or grain alcohol) may be used in
your vehicle, but should contain no more
than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
Do not use any gasoline that contains
more than 10% ethanol, including from
any pump labeled E15, E30, E50 or E85
(which are only some examples of fuel
containing more than 10% ethanol).
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines,
which are designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains,
you should ask your service station
operators if their gasolines contain deter-
gents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-
sions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in the
following description.
.
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual.
. Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline. Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY
if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture ANDif it is accompanied by
sufficient quantities of the proper cosol-
vents and corrosion inhibitors required to
prevent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT
under these conditions.
. If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a different brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer.
. Fuel system damage or driveability
problems which result from the use of
improper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Because
fuel may damage the paint, be sure
to wipe off any spilled fuel quickly.
Paint damage caused by spilled fuel
is not covered under the SUBARU
Limited Warranty.
7-4

GAS STATION REFERENCE
&
Fuel:
! Non-turbo models
Use only unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 AKI
(90 RON) or higher .
! Turbo models
Unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI (98 RON)
or higher is recommended. Unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 91 AKI (95 RON) or higher may be used with no
detriment to engine durability or driveability. However, you may
notice a slight decrease in maximum engine performance while
using 91 AKI (95 RON) fuel. If unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 91 AKI (95 RON) is not available, refer to “Fuel
requirements ”F 7-3.
&Fuel octane rating:
! RON
This octane rating is the Research Octane Number.
! AKI
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).
&Fuel capacity:
15.9 US gal (60 liters, 13.2 Imp gal)
&Engine oil:
Use only the following oils.
. API classification SN with the words “RESOURCE CON-
SERVING ”
. or ILSAC GF-5, which can be identified with the ILSAC
certification mark (Starburst mark)
For the complete viscosity requirements, refer to “Engine oil”
F 12-4.
&Engine oil capacity:
Non-turbo models: 5.1 US qt (4.8 liters, 4.2 Imp qt)
Turbo models: 5.4 US qt (5.1 liters, 4.5 Imp qt)
The indicated oil quantity is only a guideline and is estimated
based on a case when the engine oil is changed with an oil
filter. After refilling the engine with oil, the oil level should be
checked using the oil level gauge. For more details about
maintenance and service, refer to “Engine oil”F 11-10.
&Cold tire pressure:
Refer to “Tires ”F 12-10.