warning light SUBARU OUTBACK 2002 3.G Service Manual

7-24
leave ample distance from other vehicles. When you feel the ABS system operating, you should maintain
constant brake pedal pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal
since doing so may defeat the operation of the ABS system.
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which may occur during
sudden braking or braking on slippery road surfaces. This helps prevent
the loss of steering control and directional stability caused by wheellock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a chattering noise or
feel a slight vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal when the ABSoperates. The ABS system will not operate when the vehicle speed is below
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and hear the operating
sound of ABS from the engine compartment just after the vehicle is
started. This is caused by an automatic functional test of the ABS sys-
tem being carried out and does not indicate any abnormal condition. ABS warning light
HB4010GA
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after about two seconds.

Starting and operating7-25
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This is an indication that the ABS system is working properly.
CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as follows, the ABS system may not
be working properly.When the warning light is on, the ABS function shuts down; how-
ever, the conventional brake system continues to operate normal-
ly. The warning light does not come on when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position.
The warning light comes on when the ignition switch is turned
to the “ON” position, but it does not go out even when the vehicle
speed exceeds approximately 8 mph (12 km/h). The warning light comes on during driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system repaired at the first available
opportunity by your SUBARU dealer.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as described below, the ABS sys- tem may be considered normal. The warning light comes on right after the engine is started
but goes out immediately, remaining off. The warning light remains on after the engine has been
started, but it goes out when the vehicle speed reaches about 8mph (12 km/h). The warning light comes on during driving, but it goes out
immediately and remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery voltage such as when the en-
gine is jump started, the ABS warning light may come on. This is due
to the low battery voltage and does not indicate a malfunction. When
the battery becomes fully charged, the light will go out.

Starting and operating7-29
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warning light turns on, the VDC OFF indicator light will also turn on. The following two situations could indicate malfunction of the VDC
system; if either should occur, have an authorized SUBARU dealer
carry out an inspection of that system at the first available opportunity.The VDC OFF indicator light does not turn on when the ignition key
is turned to the ON position. The VDC OFF indicator light fails to turn off after the engine is
started, even when several minutes have passed to allow the engine
to heat up sufficiently. n VDC operation indicator light
The VDC operation indicator light turns on when the ignition key is
turned to the ON position; it turns off approximately two seconds later.
This indicator light flashes during activation of the skid suppression
function and is illuminated steadily during activation of the traction
control function. The following two situations could indicate a malfunction of the VDC
system; if either should occur, have an authorized SUBARU dealer
carry out an inspection of that system at the first available opportunity. The VDC operation indicator light does not turn on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ON position. The VDC operation indicator light does not turn off approximately
two seconds after the ignition key has been turned to the ON position. n VDC warning light
The VDC warning light turns on when the ignition key is turned to the
ON position and off when the engine is started. This lighting pattern
indicates that the VDC system is operating normally. The following situations could indicate a malfunction of the VDC sys-
tem; if any should occur, have an authorized SUBARU dealer carry
out an inspection of the system at the first available opportunity. The VDC warning light does not turn on when the ignition key is
turned to the ON position. The VDC warning light does not turn off either when the engine is

7-30
started or when the vehicle reaches a speed of approximately 8 mph (12 km/h).The VDC warning light turns on while the vehicle is being driven.
When a malfunction has occurred in the VDC electrical system,
only the VDC warning light will turn on. In such an event, the ABS will
still be operating normally. The VDC warning light will also turn on when a problem occurs
with the ABS or VDC electronic control systems.
Because the VDC system controls each brake through the ABS,
whenever the ABS stops operating due to a malfunction in that electri-
cal system, the VDC will also become unable to control all four
brakes. Thus VDC system operation halts and the VDC warning light
turns on. Although both the VDC system and the ABS will be inoper-able in this situation, it will still be possible to stop the vehicle using
normal braking. The VDC system and the ABS do not adversely affect
operation of the vehicle in any way when they are inoperable; how-
ever should such a situation occur, drive with care and have an autho-
rized SUBARU dealer carry out an inspection of those systems at the
first available opportunity. NOTE
When the VDC warning light turns on and off in the following way,
it indicates that the VDC system is operating normally. Although turning on after the engine has been started, the
warning light quickly turns off and stays off. The warning light turns on after the engine is started and does
not turn off until the vehicle reaches a speed of 8 mph (12 km/h). The warning light turns on when the vehicle is being driven; it
then turns off and stays off.

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the VDC system except under above-mentioned situations. NOTE When the VDC switch has been pressed to deactivate the VDC
system, the VDC system automatically reactivates itself the next time the ignition key is turned to the OFF position and the engine isrestarted. If the VDC OFF switch is held down for 10 seconds or longer, the
VDC OFF indicator light goes off, the VDC system is activated, and
the system ignores any further pressing of the VDC OFF switch. Tomake the VDC OFF switch usable again, turn the ignition key to theOFF position and restart the engine.
Parking your vehicle
WARNING
Never leave unattended children or pets in the vehicle. They
could accidentally injure themselves or others through inadver- tent operation of the vehicle. Also, on hot or sunny days, the tem-perature in a closed vehicle could quickly become high enoughto cause severe or possibly fatal injuries to them. Do not park the vehicle over flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as they may burn easily if they comenear hot engine or exhaust system parts. Be sure to stop the engine if you take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the passenger compartment, occu-pants in the vehicle could die from carbon monoxide (CO) con-tained in the exhaust gas.
CAUTION
Never drive while the parking brake is set because this will cause
unnecessary wear on the brake linings. Before starting to drive,always make sure that the parking brake has been fully released.

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To set the parking brake, press the brake pedal firmly and hold it down
while fully pulling up the parking brake lever.
HB4001BA
To release the parking brake, pull the lever up slightly, press the release
button, then lower the lever while keeping the button pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the engine is running, the parking
brake warning light comes on. After starting the vehicle, be sure that the
warning light has gone out before the vehicle is driven. Refer to the“Warning and indicator lights ” section (chapter 3).
When parking your vehicle, always set the parking brake firmly and putthe shift lever in the “1” (1st) for an upgrade or “R” (Reverse) for a down-
grade for manual transmission vehicles, or in the “P” (Park) position for
automatic transmission vehicles. Always set the parking brake firmly
when parking your vehicle. Never rely on the transmission alone to holdthe vehicle.

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Connection of trailer lights to your vehicle’s electrical system requires
modifications to the vehicle ’s lighting circuit to increase its capacity
and accommodate wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights are
connected properly, please consult your SUBARU dealer. Check for
proper operation of the turn signals, the brake lights and parkinglights each time you hitch up. n Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not designed to sustain the towing load.
Use of the temporary spare tire when towing can result in failureof the spare tire and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle are properly inflated. OUTBACK: The recommended cold tire pressure under trailer
towing conditions is indicated on the tire placard located under thedoor striker on the driver ’s side. Adjust the rear tire pressure to the
recommended pressure shown on the tire placard when the tires
are cold. Normal pressure should be maintained in the front tires.Other models: It is recommended to inflate the rear tires to 3 psi
(20 kPa, 0.2 kg/cm 2
) above their normal operating pressure when
the tires are cold. Normal pressure should be maintained in the
front tires.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and proper inflation pressure
should be in accordance with the trailer manufacturer ’s specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire when towing a trailer, ask a
commercial road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your vehicle or trailer as a pre-
caution against getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare tire is firmly
secured.

8-38
nDriving with a trailer
You should allow for considerably more stopping distance when
towing a trailer. Avoid sudden braking because it may result in skid-
ding or jackknifing and loss of control. Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accelerations. If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, always start out in first gear and release the
clutch at moderate engine revolution. Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and rapid lane changes.
Slow down before turning. Make a longer than normal turning
radius because the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle
wheels to the inside of the turn. In a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. Crosswinds will adversely affect the handling of your vehicle and
trailer, causing sway. Crosswinds can be due to weather conditions or
the passing of large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the
steering wheel and slow down immediately but gradually. When passing other vehicles, considerable distance is required
because of the added weight and length caused by attaching the
trailer to your vehicle. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes practice. When back-
ing up with a trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly. When turning
back, grip the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand and turn it
to the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn.
Left turn Right turn
OM-H2791
If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle is in motion,
stop towing the trailer and have repairs performed immediately by the

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nearest SUBARU dealer. nDriving on grades
Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift into lower gear
(if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the engine braking effect
and prevent overheating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not make sud-
den downshifts. When driving uphill in hot weather, the air conditioner may turn off
automatically to protect the engine from overheating. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to the water tem-
perature gauge pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP warning
light (for AT vehicles) since the engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these conditions. If the water temperature
gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP
warning light illuminates, immediately switch off the air conditioner
and stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheat” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and indicator lights ”
section in chapter 3. If your vehicle has a automatic transmission, avoid using the accel-
erator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of using theparking brake or foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmis-sion, avoid driving with the gear selector lever in “D” when towing a
heavy trailer to prevent fluid overheating. n Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and trailer when parking.
Apply the parking brake firmly. You should not park on a hill or slope.But if parking on a hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should takethe following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the regular brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the parking brake; slowly
release the regular brakes.

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Temporary spare tire
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not designed to sustain the towing load.
Use of the temporary spare tire when towing can result in failureof the spare tire and/or less stability of the vehicle and may leadto an accident.
CAUTION
Never use any temporary spare tire other than the original. Usingother sizes may result in severe mechanical damage to the drivetrain of your vehicle.
The temporary spare tire is smaller and lighter than a conventional tire
and is designed for emergency use only. Remove the temporary spare
tire and re-install the conventional tire as soon as possible because the
spare tire is designed only for temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the temporary spare tire periodically to
keep the tire ready for use. The correct pressure is 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2
kg/cm 2
).
When using the temporary spare tire, note the following: Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
Do not put a tire chain on the temporary spare tire. Because of the
smaller tire size, a tire chain will not fit properly. Do not use two or more temporary spare tires at the same time.
Do not drive over obstacles. This tire has a smaller diameter, so
road clearance is reduced. When the wear indicator appears on the tread, replace the tire.