traction control SUBARU IMPREZA WRX 2012 4.G User Guide

Activation of this function is shown by
flashing the Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light. .Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels ’tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light. NOTE . The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem may be considered normal when
the following conditions occur.
–Slight twitching of the brake
pedal is felt. – The vehicle or steering wheel
shakes to a small degree.– An operating sound from the
engine compartment is heard
briefly when starting the engine
and when driving off after starting
the engine. – The brake pedal seems to jolt
when driving off after starting the engine.
. In the following circumstances, the
vehicle may be less stable than it feels
to the driver. The Vehicle Dynamics Control System may therefore operate.
Such operation does not indicate a
system malfunction.
–on gravel-covered or rutted
roads – on unfinished roads
– when the vehicle is fitted with
snow tires or winter tires
. Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly
different compared to that for normalconditions. . It is always important to reduce
speed when appro aching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with
Vehicle Dynamics Control. . Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire as failure to do so may
render the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system unable to operate correctly.
& Vehicle Dynamics Control
system monitor
Refer to “Vehicle Dynamics Control warn-
ing light/Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light ”F 3-20 and “Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light/
Traction Control OFF indicator light (STI) ”
F 3-21. &
Vehicle Dynamics Control
mode switch (STI)
Indicator light
Vehicle Dynamics Control mode switch
When the switch is pressed briefly or for
more than approximately 3 seconds dur- Starting and operating
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7-30Starting and operating
ing engine operation, the mode of the
Vehicle Dynamics Control System will bechanged. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control mode
When the ignition switch is on, this mode
is selected.
This mode enables all controls for ABS,
the Traction Control System, and the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system. Select
this mode for most driving situations.
When this mode is selected, the indicator
light on the combination meter turns off. ! Traction mode
This mode restricts the functions of the
Traction Control System and Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and thus delays
utilizing their functions as a reaction to
vehicle behavior in comparison with the
Vehicle Dynamics Control mode. This
mode should be used in driving situations
where the vehicle dynamic performance
will improve without decreasing engine
torque control.
When the switch is pressed briefly during
engine operation, the indicator light on the
combination meter illuminates in green.
When the switch is pressed again to
reactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, the indicator light turns off. !
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFFmode
This mode allows only the ABS control.
This mode should be used in an emer-
gency situation such as getting out of
snow or mud.
When the switch is pressed for more than
approximately 3 seconds during engine
operation, the indicator light on the com-
bination meter illuminates in yellow. When
the switch is pressed again to reactivate
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system, the
indicator light turns off.
NOTE . The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem will be activated automatically
when the engine is started.. If the switch is held down for 10
seconds or longer, the indicator light
turns off, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is activated, and the system
ignores any further pressing of the
switch. To make the switch usable
again, turn the ignition switch to the“ LOCK ”position and restart the en-
gine.. When the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF mode is selected, the vehicle ’s
running performan ce is comparable
with that of a vehicle that does not
have a Vehicle Dynamics Control sys- tem. Do not deactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system except when
absolutely necessary..
Even when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF mode is selected, compo-
nents of the brake control system may
still activate. When the brake control
system is activated, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator
light illuminates. & Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch (except STI)
Indicator light

Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch
Pressingtheswitchtodeactivatethe
Vehicle Dynamics Control system can
facilitate the following operations: . a standing start on a steeply sloping
road with a snowy, gravel-covered, or
otherwise slippery surface . extrication of the vehicle when its
wheels are stuck in mud or deep snow
When the switch is pressed during engine
operation, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light on the combination
meter illuminates. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will be deactivated and the
vehicle will behave like a model not
equipped with the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system. When the switch is pressed
again to reactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Control system, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator light turns off.
With the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
deactivated, traction and stability en-
hancement offered by Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is unavailable. Therefore
you should not deactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system except under
above-mentioned situations.
NOTE . The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem will be activated automatically
when the engine is started.. If the switch is held down for 10
seconds or longer, the indicator light
turns off, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is activated, and the system
ignores any further pressing of the
switch. To make the switch usable
again, turn the ignition switch to the“ LOCK ”position and restart the en-
gine.. When the switch is pressed to
deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system, the vehicle ’s running per-
formance is comparable with that of a
vehicle that does not have a Vehicle
Dynamics Control system. Do not de-
activate the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system except when absolutely neces-
sary. .
Even when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is deactivated, compo-
nents of the brake control system may
still activate. When the brake control
system is activated, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator
light illuminates. Starting and operating
7-31

lead to loss of vehicle control.
. You must install four tires that are
of the same size, circumferences,
construction, manufacturer,
brand (tread pattern), degree of
wear, speed symbol and load
index. Mixing tires of other sizes,
circumferences or constructions
may result in severe mechanical
damage to the drive train of your
vehicle and may affect ride,
handling, braking and speed-
ometer/odometer calibration. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.
CAUTION
If you use a temporary spare tire to
replace a flat tire, be sure to use the
original temporary spare tire stored
in the vehicle. Using other sizes may
result in severe mechanical damage
to the drive train of your vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine
power to all four wheels. AWD models
provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt and sand.
By shifting power between the front and
rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also
provide added traction during acceleration
and added engine braking force duringdeceleration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging
the AWD system, you should keep the
following tips in mind. . An AWD model is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles. .
Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom-
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver ’s side.
. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle in
hard driving conditions such as steep hills
or dusty roads will necessitate more
frequent replacement of engine oil, brake
fluid and transmission oil than that speci-
fied in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet ”.
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detailed information, refer to “Towing ”
F 9-12. Driving tips
8-5

Uniform tire quality grading standards
This information indicates the rela-
tive performance of passenger car
tires in the area of treadwear,
traction, and temperature resis-
tance. This is to aid the consumer
in making an informed choice in the
purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall be-
tween tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tem-
perature A
The quality grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on passen-
ger cars. However, they do not
apply to deep tread, winter type
snow tires, space-saver or tempor-
ary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 12 inches
or less, or to some limited produc-
tion tires.
All passenger car tires must con-form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades.
& Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1-
1/2) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate. & Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire ’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spe- cified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perfor- mance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include accel-
eration, cornering, hydroplan-
ing, or peak traction charac-teristics.
& Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing thetire ’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled con-
ditions on a specified indoor labora-
tory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-15
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14-6Index
I
Ignition switch .............................................................. 3-3
Light ....................................................................... 3-4
Illumination brightness control ...................................... 3-31
Immobilizer. ................................................................. 2-2
Indicator light (security indicator light) ....................... 3-23
Indicator light Cruise control ........................................................ 3-24
Cruise control set ................................................... 3-24
Front fog light ........................................................ 3-24
Headlight .............................................................. 3-24
High beam ............................................................ 3-24
Hill start assist OFF ................................................ 3-20
Immobilizer. ........................................................... 3-23
REV ..................................................................... 3-25Security ................................................................ 3-23
Shift-up ................................................................. 3-23
SI-DRIVE .............................................................. 3-23
Traction control OFF ............................................... 3-21
Turn signal ............................................................ 3-24
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF ................................ 3-21
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation ................. 3-20, 3-21
Information display ..................................................... 3-26
Inside mirror .............................................................. 3-37
Interior lights ............................................................... 6-2
Internal trunk lid release handle ................................... 2-24
iiPod
®operations ........................................................ 5-26 J
Jack and jack handle
................................................... 9-4
Jack-up point .............................................................. 9-5
Jump starting .............................................................. 9-9
K
Key............................................................................ 2-2 Number .................................................................. 2-2
Reminder chime ...................................................... 3-4
Replacement. .......................................................... 2-3
L
Leather seat materials ................................................. 10-5
License plate light ..................................................... 11-45
Light
Back-up (4-door) .................................................. 11-43
Back-up (5-door) .................................................. 11-45
Brake/Tail and rear side marker (4-door) .................. 11-43
Cargo area ............................................................. 6-2
Control switch ........................................................ 3-29
Dome ..................................................................... 6-2
Front fog ..................................................... 3-33, 11-42
Front position ......................................................... 3-29
High mount stop ................................................... 11-47
Ignition switch ......................................................... 3-4
License plate ....................................................... 11-45
Map .............................................................. 6-3, 11-46
Rear combination ................................................. 11-43
Trunk .................................................................. 11-47
Turn signal ........................................ 3-30, 11-42, 11-43
Limited slip differential (LSD). ....................................... 7-24