automatic transmission SUBARU OUTBACK 2000 3.G User Guide

Starting and operating7-15
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CONTINUED –

Selector lever for automatic transmission
HB7021BB
HB7010AA
The selec tor lever has seven p ositions.
P (Park)
This p osition is for p arking the vehic le and starti ng the eng ine.
In this p osition, the transmission is mec hanic ally loc ked to p revent the
vehic le from rolling freely.
When you p ark the vehic le, first set the p arking b r ake fully, then shift
into the “P ” p osition. Do not hold the vehic le with only the tr ansmis-
sion.
A shift interloc k func tion is emp loyed in the autom atic transmission
system to ensure safe starting of the vehic le.
To shift the selec tor lever from the “P ” to the any other p osition, you
have to d ep ress the b rake p ed al fully when the ig ni tion switc h is in the
“ ON ” p osition. This p revents the vehic le from lurc hing when it is
started .
If the shift lever d oes not move from the “P ” p osition with the b rake
p ed al d ep ressed , refer to the “Shift loc k release ” sec tion in this c hap -
ter. R (Reverse)
This p osition is for b ac king the vehic le.
To shift from the “N ” to “R ” p osition, first stop the vehic le c omp letely
then move the lever to the “R ” p osition.

7-16
N (Neutral)
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever in the “N” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no effect in this condition and the risk of an accident is consequently increased.
This p osition is for restarting a stalled eng ine.
In this p osition the wheels and transmission are no t loc ked . In this
p osition, the transmission is neutral; the vehic le will roll freely, even on
the slig htest inc line unless the p arking b rake or f oot b rake is on.
D (Drive)
This p osition is for normal d riving .
The transmission automatic ally shifts into a suitab le g ear from 1st to
4th ac c ord ing to the vehic le sp eed and the ac c elera tion you req uire.
When more ac c eleration is req uired in this p osition , p ress the ac c eler-
ator p ed al fully to the floor and hold that p ositio n. The transmission
will automatic ally d ownshift to 3rd , 2nd or 1st g ea r. When you release
the p ed al, the transmission will return to the orig inal g ear p osition.
n While climbing a grade
When d riving up a hill, und esired up shift to 4th g e ar is p revented from
taking p lac e when the ac c elerator is released . This minimizes the
c hanc e of sub seq uent d ownshifting to a lower g ear w hen ac c elerat-
ing ag ain. This p revents rep eated up shifting and d o wnshifting result-
ing in a smoother op eration of the vehic le. NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal is pressed to accelerate the vehicleagain. n While going down a hill
When d esc end ing a steep hill, d ep ressing the b rake p ed al will c ause
the transmission to d ownshift to 3rd g ear, thus ap p lying eng ine b rak-
ing . Reac c eleration for a short time will c ause the transmission to up -

Starting and operating7-17
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shift normally. NOTE In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a downhill grade
does not result in an automatic downshift to 3rd gear. This canhappen when the automatic transmission fluid temperature is
very low, for example, during driving shortly after the vehicle has
been parked for an extended period of time. When the ATF tem-perature has risen to a certain level, automatic downshift normal-ly takes place. In the meantime, downshift manually for enginebraking as required.Also, downshifting when braking downhill will not occur at
speeds above approximately 50 mph (80 km/h).
3 (Third)
This p osition is for using eng ine b raking when g oin g d own a hill or for
c limb ing a g rad e.
The transmission automatic ally shifts into a suitab le g ear from 1st to
3rd ac c ord ing to the vehic le sp eed and the ac c elera tion you req uire.
When more ac c eleration is req uired in this p osition , p ress the ac c eler-
ator p ed al fully to the floor and hold that p ositio n. The transmission
will automatic ally d ownshift to 2nd or 1st g ear. Wh en you release the
p ed al, the transmission will return to the orig inal g ear p osition.
2 (Second)
This p osition is for using eng ine b raking when g oin g d own a hill or for
c limb ing a steep g rad e.
In this p osition, the transmission hold s in the 2nd g ear.
Use this p osition when starting off from a stand sti ll on slip p ery road
surfac es suc h as mud or snow. It will ensure g reate r trac tion.
1 (First)
This p osition is for d riving up or d own very steep g rad es, or d riving
throug h mud or sand , or on slip p ery surfac es. In th is p osition, the
transmission hold s in the 1st g ear.

7-18
Maximum speeds
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the vehicle is not travel- ling at a speed exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speed for thegear which is about to be selected. Failure to observe this pre-caution can lead to engine over-revving and this in turn canresult in engine damage.In addition, sudden application of engine brakes when the vehicleis travelling on a slippery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost and the risk ofan accident increased.
The following tab les show the maximum sp eed s that a re p ossib le with
eac h d ifferent g ear. The tac hometer ’s (if so eq uip p ed ) need le will
enter the red area if these sp eed s are exc eed ed .
When shifting d own a g ear, it is imp ortant to c onfi rm that the c urrent
vehic le sp eed is not in exc ess of the Maximum Allow ab le Sp eed of
the g ear whic h is ab out to b e selec ted .
Exc eed ing the Maximum Allowab le Sp eed s will result in over-revving
of the eng ine. In ad d ition a p owerful eng ine b rake will eng ag e and
c ontrol of the vehic le may b e lost.
mph (km/h)
Vehicle type
PositionBrighton, LGTOUTBACK
133 (53)27 (43)29 (47)
264 (103)57 (92)62 (100)
3102 (164)97 (156)104 (167)
NOTE In order to prevent over-revving during acceleration of the
vehicle, the transmission will automatically shift to the next high- est gear if the Maximum Allowable Speed for the current gear isexceeded.

7-26while fully p ulling up the p arking b rake lever.
HB4001BA
To release the p arking b rake, p ull the lever up sli
g htly, p ress the release
b utton, then lower the lever while keep ing the b utt on p ressed .
When the p arking b rake is set while the eng ine is r unning , the p arking
b rake warning lig ht c omes on. After starting the ve hic le, b e sure that the
warning lig ht has g one out b efore the vehic le is d r iven. Refer to the
“ Warning and ind ic ator lig hts ” sec tion (c hap ter 3).
When p arking your vehic le, always set the p arking b rake firmly and p ut
the shift lever in the “1 ” (1st) for an up g rad e or “R ” (Reverse) for a d own-
g rad e for manual transmission vehic les, or in the “P ” (Park) p osition for
automatic transmission vehic les. Always set the p ar king b rake firmly
when p arking your vehic le. Never rely on the transm ission alone to hold
the vehic le.
HB4015AA
HB4014AA

7-283. Push the c ontrol lever d ownward in the
“SET, COAST ” d irec tion
and release it. Then release the ac c elerator p ed al.
The vehic le will maintain the d esired sp eed .
Vehic le sp eed c an b e temp orarily inc reased while d r iving with the
c ruise c ontrol ac tivated . Simp ly d ep ress the ac c ele rator p ed al to ac -
c elerate the vehic le. When the ac c elerator p ed al is released , the ve-
hic le will return to and maintain the p revious c rui sing sp eed .
To temporarily cancel the cruise control
There are four ways to c anc el the c ruise c ontrol te mp orarily:
Dep ress the b rake p ed al.
Pull the c ontrol lever in the “CANCEL ” d irec tion. (if so eq uip p ed )
Dep ress the c lutc h p ed al (manual transmission vehic les only).
Shift the selec tor lever into the “N ” p osition (automatic transmis-
sion vehic les only).
To resume the c ruise c ontrol after it has b een temp orarily c anc eled
and with vehic le sp eed of ab out 20 mp h (32 km/h) or more, p ush the
c ontrol lever up ward in the “ACCEL, RESUME ” d irec tion to return to
the orig inal c ruising sp eed automatic ally. To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the c ruise c ontrol:
Push the main switc h ag ain.
Turn the ig nition switc h to the “ACC ” p osition (b ut only when the
vehic le is c omp letely stop p ed ).
To change the cruising speed
n To increase the speed
1. Push the c ontrol lever up ward in the “ACCEL, RESUME ” d irec tion
and hold it until the vehic le reac hes the d esired s p eed .
When the d ifferenc e b etween the ac tual vehic le sp ee d and the set
sp eed is less than 4 mp h (6.8 km/h), the set sp eed c an b e inc reased
1 mp h (1.6 km/h) eac h time b y p ressing the c ontrol lever up ward in
the “ACCEL, RESUME ” d irec tion q uic kly within a half sec ond .
2. Push the c ontrol lever d ownward in the “SET, COAST ” d irec tion

8-2
New vehicle break-in driving
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the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
The p erformanc e and long life of your vehic le are d ep end ent on how you
hand le and c are for your vehic le while it is new. F ollow these instruc tions
d uring the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km): Do not rac e the eng ine. Break-in engine speed limit
Vehic le with tac hometer
Never exc eed 4,000 rp m eng ine sp eed exc ep t for b rie f ac c eleration
in an emerg enc y. Vehic le without tac hometer (for manual transmission )
Do not exc eed the sp eed limits b elow for eac h g ear p osition exc ep t
for b rief ac c eleration in an emerg enc y.
mph (km/h)
1st
2nd3rd4th
22 (35)37 (60)50 (80)65 (105)
Vehic les without tac hometer (for automatic transmis sion)
Try to d rive at mod erate sp eed s while ac c elerating and b raking
smoothly. Prop er g ears are selec ted automatic ally a c c ord ing to the
d riving c ond itions.
Do not d rive at one c onstant eng ine or vehic le sp ee d for a long time,
either fast or slow. Avoid starting sud d enly and rap id ac c eleration, exc ep t in an emer-
g enc y. Avoid hard b raking , exc ep t in an emerg enc y.
The same b reak-in p roc ed ures should b e ap p lied to a newly installed or
overhauled eng ine or when b rake p ad s or b rake linin g s are rep lac ed
with new ones.

Driving tips8-11
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Keep the d oor loc ks from freezing b y sq uirting them
with d eic er or
g lyc erin.
Forc ing a frozen d oor op en may d amag e or sep arate t he rub b er
weather strip s around the d oor. If the d oor is froz en, use hot water to
melt the ic e, and afterward s thoroug hly wip e the wa ter away.
Use a wind shield washer fluid that c ontains an anti freeze solution. Do
not use eng ine antifreeze or other sub stitutes b ec a use they may d am-
ag e the p aint of the vehic le.n Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehic le, remove any snow or ic e from your shoes
b ec ause that c ould make the p ed als slip p ery and d an g erous.
While warming up the vehic le b efore d riving , c hec k that the ac c elera-
tor p ed al, b rake p ed al, and all other c ontrols op er ate smoothly.
Clear away ic e and snow that has ac c umulated und er the fend ers to
avoid making steering d iffic ult. During severe wint er d riving , stop
when and where it is safe to d o so and c hec k und er the fend ers p eri-
od ic ally. n Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust pipe and from around your
vehicle if you park the vehicle in snow with the engine running.
Do not use the p arking b rake when p arking for long p eriod s in c old
weather sinc e it c ould freeze in that p osition. Ins tead , ob serve the fol-
lowing :
1. Plac e the shift lever in “1 ” or “R ” for manual transmission vehic les,
and in “P ” for automatic transmission vehic les.
2. Use tire stop s und er the tires to p revent the veh ic le from moving .
When the vehic le is p arked in snow or when it snows , raise the wip er
b lad es off the g lass to p revent d amag e to them.

Driving tips8-15
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Rocking the vehicle
If you must roc k the vehic le to free it from snow, sand , or mud , d ep ress
the ac c elerator p ed al slig htly and move the selec to r lever b ac k and forth
b etween “D ” and “R ” rep eated ly. Do not rac e the eng ine. For the b est
p ossib le trac tion, avoid sp inning the wheels when t rying to free the ve-
hic le.
When the road surfac e is extremely slip p ery, you c a n ob tain b etter trac -
tion b y starting the vehic le with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (b oth for
MT and AT).
Refer to the “Automatic transmission ” sec tion in c hap ter 7 for information
on hold ing the transmission in 2nd p osition.
Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on the folded rear seatback, in
the trunk or in the cargo area. Doing so may result in serious in-
jury. Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble forward and injure passengersin the event of a sudden stop or accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as possible. When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it when-
ever you can to prevent it from being thrown around inside the
vehicle during sudden stops, sharp turns or in an accident. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These loads raise the
vehicle’ s center of gravity and make it more prone to tip over.
Secure skis and other lengthy items properly to prevent them
from shooting forward and causing serious injury during a sud-den stop. Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss of control and cause personal

Driving tips8-37
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nearest SUBARU d ealer. n
Driving on grades
Before g oing d own a steep hill, slow d own and shift into lower g ear
(if nec essary, use 1st g ear) in ord er to utilize th e eng ine b raking effec t
and p revent overheating of your vehic le ’s b rakes. Do not make sud -
d en d ownshifts. When d riving up hill in hot weather, the air c ond iti oner may turn off
automatic ally to p rotec t the eng ine from overheatin g .
When d riving up hill in hot weather, p ay attention t o the water tem-
p erature g aug e p ointer (for all vehic les) and AT OI L TEMP warning
lig ht (for AT vehic les) sinc e the eng ine and transm ission are relatively
p rone to overheating und er these c ond itions. If the water temp erature
g aug e p ointer ap p roac hes the OVERHEAT zone or the A T OIL TEMP
warning lig ht illuminates, immed iately switc h off t he air c ond itioner
and stop the vehic le at the nearest safe p lac e. Ref er to the “Eng ine
overheat ” sec tion in c hap ter 9, and “Warning and ind ic ator lig hts ”
sec tion in c hap ter 3. If your vehic le has a automatic transmission, avoid using the ac c el-
erator p ed al to stay stationary on an up hill slop e instead of using the
p arking b rake or foot b rake. That may c ause the tra nsmission fluid to
overheat. Also, if your vehic le is eq uip p ed with an automatic transmis-
sion, avoid d riving with the g ear selec tor lever in “ D ” when towing a
heavy trailer to p revent fluid overheating . n Parking on a grade
Always b loc k the wheels und er b oth vehic le and trai ler when p arking .
Ap p ly the p arking b rake firmly. You should not p ark on a hill or slop e.
But if p arking on a hill or slop e c annot b e avoid ed , you should take
the following step s:
1. Ap p ly the b rakes and hold the p ed al d own.
2. Have someone p lac e wheel b loc ks und er b oth the ve hic le and
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel b loc ks are in p lac e, release the r eg ular b rakes
slowly until the b loc ks ab sorb the load .
4. Ap p ly the reg ular b rakes and then ap p ly the p arki ng b rake; slowly
release the reg ular b rakes.