warning light SUBARU OUTBACK 2005 4.G Owner's Guide

3-30
Instruments and controls
!
Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on when the brake fluid level has
dropped to near the “MIN” level of the brake fluid res-
ervoir with the ignition switch in the “ON” position and
with the parking brake fully released. If the brake system warning light should come on while
driving (with the parking brake fully released and with
the ignition switch positioned in “ON”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn brake pads.
If this occurs, immediately stop the vehicle at the near-
est safe place and check the brake fluid level. If the flu-
id level is below the “MIN” mark in the reservoir, do not
drive the vehicle. Have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair. ! Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) sys-
tem warning
The brake system warning light also illuminates if a
malfunction occurs in the EBD system. In that event, it
comes on together with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be faulty if the brake system
warning light and ABS warning light illuminate simulta-
neously during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conventional braking
system will still function. However, the rear wheels will
be more prone to locking when the brakes are applied
harder than usual and the vehicle’s motion may there- fore become somewhat harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously, take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both warning lights go
out, the EBD system may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again and stay illu-
minated after the engine has been restarted, shut
down the engine again, apply the parking brake, and
check the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “MIN” mark,
the EBD system may be faulty. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the system inspect-
ed.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “MIN” mark, DO
NOT drive the vehicle. Instead, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair. !
Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when the tank is
nearly empty about 2.6 US gal (10.0 liters, or 2.2 Imp
gal). It only operates when the ignition switch is in the“ON” position.

3-31
Instruments and controls
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NOTE
This light does not go out unless the tank is re-
plenished up to an internal fuel quantity of about
3.7 US gal (14 liters, 3.1 Imp gal). !Door open warning light
When any of the doors or the rear gate (Station wag-
on) or trunk lid (Sedan) is not fully closed, it is indicat-
ed by the corresponding part of the door warning light.
Always make sure this light is out before you start to
drive. ! All-wheel drive warning light
(AT vehicles)
Continued driving with the AWD warning light
flashing can lead to powertrain damage. If the
AWD warning light flashes, promptly park in a
safe place then check whether all four tires are
the same diameter and whether any of the tires
has a puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason. The all-wheel drive warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes
out after the engine has started. !
For 5 speed automatic transmission vehicles
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters fitted on its wheels or with the air
pressure excessively low in any of its tires. ! For 4 speed automatic transmission vehicles
This light comes on when All Wheel Drive is disen-
gaged and the drive mechanism is switched to Front
Wheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters fitted on its wheels or with the air
pressure excessively low in any of its tires. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light (if equipped)
This light comes on when the ignition switch is ON and
goes out about 2 seconds later.
It blinks when the skid suppression function is activat-
ed. It illuminates when only the traction control func-
tion is operating.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably
faulty under any of the following conditions. Have your

3-32
Instruments and controls
vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer immediately. "
The light does not come on when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position. " The light does not go out even after a period of
about 2 seconds after the ignition switch has been
turned to the “ON” position. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control warn-
ing light (if equipped)/Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF indicator
light (if equipped)
This warning light has the function of indicating faults
in the Vehicle Dynamics Control system and the func-
tion of indicating that the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system has been deactivated.
It comes on in the event of a fault in the system and is
on when the system is not operating.
This warning light comes on when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after the
engine has started. It indicates that the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is in normal operation. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably in-
operative under any of the following conditions. Have
your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer immediate- ly."
The warning light does not come on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position. " The warning light comes on while the vehicle is run-
ning. " If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system itself becomes faulty, the warning light only
comes on. At this time, the ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem) remains fully operational. " The warning light comes on when the electronic
control system of the ABS/Vehicle Dynamics Control
system becomes faulty.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system provides its
ABS control through the electrical circuit of the ABS
system. Accordingly, if the ABS is inoperative, the Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control system becomes unable to
provide ABS control. As a result, the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system also becomes inoperative, causing
the warning light to come on. Though both the Vehicle
Dynamics Control and ABS systems are inoperative in
this case, the ordinary functions of the brake system
are still available. You will be safe while driving with
this condition, but have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as shown below,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system may be con-

3-33
Instruments and controls
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sidered normal. "The warning light comes on right after the en-
gine is started but goes out immediately, remain-
ing off. " The warning light comes on after engine startup
and goes off while the vehicle is subsequently be-
ing driven. " The warning light comes on during driving, but
it goes out immediately and remains off. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light
" It comes on when the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch is pressed. " It also comes on when the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is deactivated.
NOTE " The light may stay on for a while after the engine
has been started, especially in cold weather. This
does not indicate the existence of a problem. The
light should go out as soon as the engine has
warmed up. " The indicator light comes on when the engine
has developed a problem and the Malfunction in-
dicator light is on.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably
faulty under the following condition. Have your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible."
The light does not go out even after the lapse of sev-
eral minutes (the engine has warmed up) after the en-
gine has started. ! Security indicator light
This indicator light shows the status of the alarm sys-
tem. If your vehicle is equipped with an immobilizer, it
also indicates operation of the immobilizer system. ! Alarm system
It blinks to show the driver the operational status of the
alarm system. For detailed information, refer to the
“Alarm system” in Chapter 2. ! Immobilizer system (if equipped)
This light blinks about 60 seconds after the ignition
switch is turned from “ON” position to the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position or immediately after the key is pulled
out. (Refer to the “Door locks” section in chapter 2.)
If the indicator light does not flash, it may indicate that
immobilizer system may be faulty. Contact your near-
est SUBARU dealer immediately.
In the event that an unauthorized key (for example, an
unauthorized duplicate) is used, the security indicator
light comes on.

3-42
Instruments and controls
Canada-spec. vehicles
The driving range indicates the distance that can be
driven taking into account the amount of fuel remain-
ing in the tank and the average rate of fuel consump- tion.
When the low fuel warning light comes on, the driving
range indication flashes for five seconds. (The display
first switches to the driving range indication if it was
originally giving some other indication.) U.S.-spec. vehicles
UB3538AAUB3572AA

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Instruments and controls
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Canada-spec. vehicles
If the driving range is shown as “ ”, there is only
a tiny amount of fuel left in the tank. You must refuel
the vehicle immediately.
NOTE
The driving range on remaining fuel is only a
guide. The indicated value may differ from the ac-
tual driving range on remaining fuel, so you must
immediately fill the tank when the low fuel warning
light comes on. !
Journey time
The journey time shows the time that has elapsed
since the ignition switch was turned to the “START”
position.
UB3542AA
UB3539AA

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Instruments and controls
The journey time indication flashes each time a com-
plete hour has elapsed. If the display is giving an indi-
cation other than the journey time, the display switch-
es to the journey time, flashes for five seconds, and re-
turns to its original indication each time a complete
hour has elapsed.
NOTE
The journey time is reset when the ignition switch
is turned to the “OFF” position. It is also reset if
the ignition switch is turned to the “LOCK” or
“ACC” position prior to restarting of the engine.
Light control switch
To prevent battery discharge resulting from ac-
cidentally leaving your lights on when your ve-
hicle is parked, the light switch operates only
when the ignition switch is in the “ON” posi-
tion. In any other position, the vehicle’s lights
will be out.
If you park your vehicle on a roadside at night,
use the hazard warning flasher to alert the other
drivers.
The light switch operates only when the ignition switch
is in the “ON” position.UB3540AA

7-1
7
Starting and operating
Fuel ................................................................ 7-2 Fuel requirements ............................................. 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................ 7-4
State emission testing (U.S. only) ............... 7-8
Preparing to drive ......................................... 7-10
Starting the engine ....................................... 7-10 Manual transmission vehicle ........................... 7-10
Automatic transmission vehicle ...................... 7-11
Stopping the engine ..................................... 7-12
Manual transmission .................................... 7-13 Shifting speeds ................................................. 7-14
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-15
Automatic transmission – 4 speed ............. 7-16 Selector lever .................................................... 7-17
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ...... 7-19
Selection of manual mode ............................... 7-20
Maximum speeds .............................................. 7-21
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-23
SPORT mode ..................................................... 7-23
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-24
Automatic transmission – 5 speed ............. 7-25 Selector lever .................................................... 7-26
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ...... 7-28
Selection of manual mode ............................... 7-30
Maximum speeds .............................................. 7-32
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-33
SPORT mode ..................................................... 7-34
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-35
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .............................................. 7-36 Power steering .............................................. 7-36
Braking ........................................................... 7-37
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-37
Brake system .................................................... 7-37
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ........ 7-38
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ..................... 7-38 ABS system self-check .................................... 7-39
ABS warning light ............................................. 7-39
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ........................................................ 7-41Steps to take if EBD system fails .................... 7-41
Vehicle Dynamics Control system (if equipped) ............................................... 7-43Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor .... 7-45
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ........... 7-48
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) ............................................... 7-49
Parking your vehicle ..................................... 7-51
Cruise control ................................................ 7-53 To set cruise control ........................................ 7-53
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ....... 7-55
To turn off the cruise control ........................... 7-56
To change the cruising speed ......................... 7-56
Cruise control indicator light ........................... 7-57
Cruise control set indicator light .................... 7-58

7-3
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
Standards as indicated on the underhood tune-up la-
bel. It is designed to optimize engine and emission
control system performance with gasoline that meets
the clean burning low-sulfur California gasoline speci-
fications. If you live in any other state than California,
your vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting Federal
specifications. Gasoline sold outside California is per-
mitted to have higher sulfur levels, which may affect
the performance of your vehicle’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or smell. SUB-
ARU recommends that you try a different brand of un-
leaded gasoline having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning your vehicle to
an authorized dealer for service. The CHECK EN-
GINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp may
also turn on. If this occurs, return to your authorized
SUBARU dealer for diagnosis. If it is determined that
the condition is caused by the type of fuel used, re-
pairs may not be covered by your warranty. !MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-enhancing additive
called MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tri-
carbonyl). If you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and the CHECK
ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp 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
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of
the vehicle. Fuels containing alcohol may
cause paint damage, which is not covered un-
der the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
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 continu-
ously 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 con-
tain no more than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.

7-7
Starting and operating
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"You will see the “ ” sign in the combination
meter. This indicates that the fuel filler door (lid) is
located on the right side of the vehicle. " If the fuel filler cap is not tightened until it clicks
or if the tether is caught under the cap, the CHECK
ENGINE warning light may come on. Refer to the
“Warning and indicator lights” section located in
chapter 3.
(Turbo model only) Promptly put fuel in the tank
whenever the low fuel warning light comes on. If
the engine misfired as a result of an empty tank,
resulting catalyzer damage could cause damage
to the turbocharger.
" Never add any cleaning agents to the fuel
tank. The addition of a cleaning agent may
cause damage to the fuel system. " Make sure that the cap is tightened until it
clicks to prevent fuel spillage in the event of an
accident. " Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of
the vehicle. Fuels may cause paint damage,
which is not covered under the SUBARU Limit-
ed Warranty." Always use a genuine SUBARU fuel filler cap. If you use the wrong cap, it may not fit or have
proper venting, and your fuel tank and emis-
sion control system might be damaged.