instrument panel SUBARU FORESTER 2021 Getting Started Guide

PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
WELCOME................. 4
IMPORTANT SAFETY
INFORMATION.............. 4
OWNER’S RESOURCES....... 4
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY..... 5
TOWING YOUR ALL-WHEEL
DRIVE SUBARU............. 6
ENTRY AND EXIT
KEYLESS ENTRY............ 7
KEYLESS ACCESS WITH PUSH
BUTTON START............. 9
POWER REAR GATE (PRG)....11
INSTRUMENT PANEL........14
GETTING COMFORTABLE
SEATING...................16
TILT AND TELESCOPIC STEERING
COLUMN...................18
POWER EXTERIOR MIRRORS . . 18
REAR VIEW MIRROR.........19
POWER WINDOWS..........20
POWER MOONROOF........20
CLIMATE CONTROL..........21
ACCESSORY CONNECTIONS . . 27
CONTROLS
INSTRUMENT PANEL SWITCHES
(LOWER LEFT)..............28
AUDIO CONTROLS...........28
ADVANCED ADAPTIVE CRUISE
CONTROL.................29
I/SET SWITCH...............29
INFO SWITCH...............30
LIGHT CONTROLS...........30
TURN SIGNALS.............31
WINDSHIELD WIPERS........32
REAR WINDOW WIPER.......32
OVERHEAD CONSOLE........33
GAUGES AND WARNING
LIGHTS
COMBINATION METER.......34
WARNING AND INDICATOR
LIGHTS....................34
OPERATING THE VEHICLE
IGNITION SWITCH...........35
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION
SWITCH...................35
STARTING THE VEHICLE......35
DRIVING THE VEHICLE.......36
TABLE OF CONTENTS

POWER REAR GATE (PRG)(if equipped)
The Power Rear Gate allows automatic opening even when your arms are full, and a single
touch on the gate button lets it close and lock the entire vehicle. The opening height can
also be adjusted for spaces where clearance is limited.
Power Rear Gate Button
Opening the Power Rear Gate
Press and hold the Power Rear
Gate Button on the instrument
panel to automatically open the
rear gate. Two chirps sound and
the hazard warning lights flash
twice.
Stopping the Power Rear Gate
If you briefly press the Power
Rear Gate Button while the rear
gate is opening, it will stop. Press
and briefly hold the button again
to close the rear gate.
Closing the Power Rear Gate
Press and hold the Power Rear Gate Button on the instrument panel to close the rear gate.
If you briefly press the button while the rear gate is closing, it will open.
The operation is the same using the Power Rear Gate Button on the access key fob or
transmitter.
NOTE: This button only functions to open the PRG when the doors are unlocked. If the
doors are locked, you will hear three rapid beeps from the vehicle.
Power Rear Gate Button
ENTRY AND EXIT
11

1Power Windows (p. 20)
2Power Exterior Mirrors (p. 18)
3Instrument Panel Switches (p. 28)
4I/Set Switch (p. 29)
5Audio Controls (p. 28)
6Light Controls (p. 30)
7Combination Meter (p. 34)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
14

8Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control (p. 29)
9Multi-Function Display (MFD) (p. 30)
10Windshield Wipers (p. 32)
11STARLINK
®Multimedia Touchscreen (p. 54)
12Climate Control System (p. 21)
13CVT Select Lever (p. 36)
INSTRUMENT PANEL
15

4MAX A/C Button:Press this button for quickest cooling.
5Airflow Mode Selection Dial:Turn the dial to select the desired airflow mode. The
selected mode – ventilation, ventilation 2, bi-level, feet, or feet-defrost – is shown on
the display.
ICON MODE FUNCTION
Ventilation
Instrument panel outlets
Ventilation 2Instrument panel outlets and less foot outlets than
bi-level
Bi-Level
Instrument panel outlets and foot outlets
FeetFoot outlets, both side outlets of the instrument panel
and some through windshield defroster outlets
Feet-DefrostWindshield defroster outlets, foot outlets and both
side outlets of the instrument panel
DefrostWindshield defroster outlets and both side outlets of
the instrument panel
NOTE: The defroster button is used to activate the defrost airflow mode.
6Fan Speed Control Dial:Turn the fan speed control dial to increase or decrease fan
speed.
7Recirculated/Outside Air Button:Press this button to prevent outside air from
entering your Subaru. Press the button again to allow outside air into your Subaru.
NOTE: To prevent windshield fogging, do not remain in the recirculated mode for an
extended period of time.
8Defroster Button:Press this button to defrost or dehumidify the windshield and front
door windows.
NOTE: The air conditioning may turn on to defrost the windshield more quickly.
However, the indicator on the air conditioner button will not illuminate.
GETTING COMFORTABLE
22

2. Set the preferred temperature using the temperature control dial.
If you operate any of the buttons other than “ON/OFF”, rear window defogger, “SYNC”, or
the temperature control dial, the “FULL” indicator light will turn off. The “AUTO” light will
remain illuminated. You can then manually control the system as desired. Press the
“AUTO” button to change back to “FULL AUTO” mode.
4Air Conditioner Button:Press this button to activate or deactivate the air
conditioning.
5MAX A/C Button:Press this button for quickest cooling.
6Airflow Mode Selection Button:Press the button to select the desired airflow mode.
The selected mode – ventilation, ventilation 2, bi-level, feet, feet-defrost or defrost – is
shown on the display.
ICON MODE FUNCTION
Ventilation
Instrument panel outlets
Ventilation 2Instrument panel outlets and less foot outlets than
bi-level
Bi-Level
Instrument panel outlets and foot outlets
FeetFoot outlets, both side outlets of the instrument panel
and some through windshield defroster outlets
Feet-DefrostWindshield defroster outlets, foot outlets and both
side outlets of the instrument panel
DefrostWindshield defroster outlets and both side outlets of
the instrument panel
NOTE: The defroster button is used to activate the defrost airflow mode.
7Fan Speed Control Dial:Turn the fan speed control dial to increase or decrease fan
speed.
GETTING COMFORTABLE
24

INSTRUMENT PANEL SWITCHES (LOWER LEFT)
The switches in the lower left of the instrument panel allow you to control several
convenient and important features. Knowing their location and function will improve your
driving experience.
1Power Rear Gate (if
equipped, p. 11)
2Steering Responsive
Headlights OFF (p. 94)
3Power Rear Gate Memory
Height (if equipped, p. 105)
4Illumination Brightness
(p. 31)
5Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF (if equipped, p. 42)
6Auto Start-Stop OFF (p. 38)
7Blind Spot Detection/Rear
Cross Traffic Alert OFF (if equipped, p. 94)
8Driver Monitoring System OFF (if equipped, p. 100)
For more information, please refer to your EyeSight®and vehicle Owner’s Manuals.
AUDIO CONTROLS
1Presets/Skip
2Volume
3Source
4INFO
5Call/Voice Recognition
For more information about your audio
system and controls, please refer to page 57
or the SUBARU STARLINK
®Owner’s Manual.
CONTROLS
28

INFO SWITCH
Press the INFO switch to cycle through useful
information in the Multi-Function Display
(MFD). Navigate to the guidance screen and
hold the INFO switch to access the settings
menu and adjust a number of MFD settings.
For more information, please refer to
page 97 or “Multi-Function Display” in your
Subaru Owner’s Manual.
LIGHT CONTROLS
1AUTO:Rotate the end of the lever to set
your headlights to automatically turn on
or off, depending on the level of light
outside.
NOTE: The sensitivity of the automatic
headlights can be adjusted through the
STARLINK
®multimedia display.
2Parking Lights:Rotate the end of the
lever to turn on the instrument panel
lights, parking lights, side marker lights,
tail lights, and license plate lights.
3Headlights:Rotate the end of the lever to turn on the headlights, instrument panel
lights, parking lights, side marker lights, tail lights, and license plate lights.
4High Beams:Push the lever forward to change from low beam to high beam. When
set to the “AUTO” position, pushing the lever forward also activates the High Beam
Assist (HBA) system. Pull the lever back to center to return to low beam.
5Fog Lights:If equipped, rotate the dial to turn on the fog lights when the headlights
are on low beams in the
” or “AUTO” position.
CONTROLS
30

Illumination Brightness
When the light controls are on (in
the
,, or “AUTO”
position), and ambient light is low,
rotating the illumination
brightness dial on the instrument
panel upward will make the
instrument panel illumination
brighter. When the dial is fully
rotated upward (dots aligned), the
instrument panel illumination
stays at full brightness. Rotating
the dial downward dims the
instrument panel illumination.
When the ambient light is bright,
the illumination brightness is set
to the maximum regardless of the position of the control dial.
Daytime Running Lights
The daytime running lights automatically turn on when the engine is running, the parking
brake is released, the select lever is out of the “P” position, and the light switch is set to
Off, “AUTO”, or “
”. Always turn on the headlights when it’s dark outside by rotating
the dial to the “
” or “AUTO” position.
TURN SIGNALS
Push fully up for the right turn signal and fully
down for left turn signal. Your Subaru also has
a one-touch lane changer feature: push slightly
up and release to signal a right lane change or
push slightly down and release to signal a left
lane change.
Illumination Brightness Dial
CONTROLS
31

Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)
This function detects a vehicle approaching from
either side as you reverse and provides audible and
visual warnings. Warnings will appear in the upper
corner of the Rear-Vision Camera display and side
mirrors, and audible beeping will sound.
BSD/RCTA can be turned on or off by pressing the
BSD/RCTA OFF switch in the instrument panel. When
this function is off, a yellow BSD/RCTA OFF indicator
will be displayed in Combination Meter.
HIGH BEAM ASSIST (HBA)
This function uses the EyeSight®cameras to automatically switch
the headlights between high and low beam settings when an
oncoming vehicle is detected, enhancing safety for both you and
other drivers on the road.
To activate High Beam Assist, set the headlight control switch to the
“AUTO” position and push the headlight lever forward to the high beam position. The
green HBA indicator will illuminate on the Combination Meter Display (CMD). When vehicle
speed is above approximately 20 mph, HBA will automatically switch between high and
low beams. When the high beams are activated, the blue high beam indicator will be
displayed in the Combination Meter.
STEERING RESPONSIVE HEADLIGHTS (SRH)
The Steering Responsive Headlights (SRH) system aims the headlight beams in the
direction you are steering, improving visibility at corners and intersections when driving at
night. Although the system is normally on, you can turn the system off using the SRH OFF
switch located on the lower left console.
DRIVER ASSIST TECHNOLOGIES
94