air condition SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owner's Manual

4-8 Climate control
„ Control panel
1) AUTO button
2) Temperature control dial (driver’s side)
3) Defroster button
4) Temperature control dial (passenger’s
side)
5) Rear window defogger button (Refer to
the “Rear window defogger button” sec-
tion in chapter 3.)
6) Air conditioner button
7) Air flow mode selection button
8) Fan speed control button
9) Air inlet selection button
10) OFF button T AUTO button
AUTO mode operation:
When the “AUTO” button is pressed, the
indicator light “AUTO” on the display
comes on. In this state, fan speed, air flow
distribution, air-inlet control, and air condi-
tioner compressor o peration are automat-
ically controlled.
Manual mode operation:
If you operate any of the buttons on the
control panel other than the “OFF” button
and temperature control dial during auto-
matic mode operation, the indicator light
“AUTO” on the control panel will go out.
You can then manually control the system
as desired using t he button you operated.
To change the system back to the AUTO
mode, press the “AUTO” button. T OFF button
The Automatic Clim ate Control system
turns off (the air conditioner compressor
and fan turn off) when the “OFF” button is
pressed.
When the “OFF” button is pressed, the
outside air introduction mode (air inlet se-
lection OFF) is automatically selected.12
10 9 8 7 6 5 34
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Climate control
4-9
– CONTINUED –T Temperature control dial
Driver’s side
Passenger’s side
It is possible to make separate tempera- ture settings for the driver’s side and pas-
senger’s side. Each temperature setting is
shown on the display. With the dial set at
your desired temperature, the system au-
tomatically adjusts the temperature of air
supplied from the outlets such that the de-
sired temperature is achieved and main-
tained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise,
the system gives maximum cooling perfor-
mance. If the dial is turned fully clockwise,
the system gives ma ximum heating per-
formance.
T – Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows, push the defrost-
er button “ ”. When the “ ” button
is pushed, regardless whether the air con- ditioner is operating or not, outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment,
the air conditioner compressor turns on,
air flow is directed towards the windshield
and front door windows, and the indicator
light on the button comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, return t he climate control sys-
tem to the AUTO mode by pushing the
“AUTO” button or turn off by pushing the
“OFF” button.
Alternatively, push the “ ” button
again to return the system to the setting
that was selected before you activated the
defroster.
T Fan speed control button
The fan speed control button has 6 differ-
ent fan speed positions.400583
400584 400585
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4-10 Climate control
The fan speed is shown by the display.
T A/C – Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the cli-
mate control system is operated in the
AUTO mode, push the air conditioner but-
ton “A/C” to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pushed, the air condi-
tioner compressor turns on and the indica-
tor light “A/C” on the display comes on. Af-
ter eliminating the fogging from the wind-
shield, set the syst em back to the AUTO
mode by pushing the “AUTO” button.
NOTE The air conditioner compressor does
not operate when the outside air tem-
perature is below 32 ° F (0 ° C). T Air flow mode selection button
Select the desired air flow mode by push-
ing the air flow mode selection button. The
selected air flow mode is shown by the
display.
(Ventilation): Air flows through the in-
strument panel outlets.
(Bi-level): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets a nd the foot outlets.
(Heat): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets, the foot outlets, and
some through the windshield defroster
outlets.
(Heat-def): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets, the windshield defrost- er outlets, and the foot outlets.
T Air inlet selection button
Select air flow by pushing the air inlet se-
lection button “ / ”.
The selected air inlet setting is shown on
the control panel.
(Recirculation): In terior air recircu-
lates inside the passenger compartment.
Use this position when quickly cooling
down the passenger compartment or to
prevent outside air from entering the pas-
senger compartment. When the recircula-
tion mode is selected, a “ ” indicator
light appears on the display.
(Outside air): Outside air is drawn
into the passenger compartment. When
the climate control sy stem is operated in
the “AUTO” mode, this position is selected400586 400587
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Climate control
4-11automatically. (There is one exception:
When the temperature control dial is
turned fully counterclockwise, the recircu-
lation mode is automatically selected.)
When the outside air mode is selected, a
“ ” indicator light appears on the
display.
NOTE When driving on a dusty road or be-
hind a vehicle that emits unpleasant
exhaust gases, set the air inlet selec-
tion button to the “ ” position.
From time to time, return the air inlet
selection button to the “ ” posi-
tion to draw outsid e air into the pas-
senger compartment. „ Temperature sensors
1) Solar sensor
2) Interior air temperature sensor
The automatic climate control system em-
ploys several sensors. These sensors are
delicate. If they are treated incorrectly and
become damaged, the system may not be
able to control the interior temperature
correctly. To avoid damaging the sensors,
observe the following precautions:
– Do not subject the sensors to impact.
– Keep water away from the sensors.
– Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are located as follows:
– Solar sensor: beside windshield de-
froster grille
– Interior air temperature sensor: on the side of the driver-si de part of the center
panel
– Outside temperature sensor: behind
front grille.
Continued operation in the “ ”
position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the “ ” position as
soon as the outside dusty condition
clears. 1
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4-12 Climate control
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner „ Cleaning ventilator grille
Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille
free of snow, leaves, or other obstructions
to ensure efficient heating and defrosting.
Since the condenser is located in front of
the radiator, this area should be kept
clean because cooling performance is im-
paired by any accumulation of insects and
leaves on the condenser.
„ Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to al- low outside air to circulate into the heated
interior. This results in quicker cooling by
the air conditioner. Keep the windows
closed during the operation of the air con-
ditioner for maximum cooling efficiency.
„ Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit Operate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil.
„ Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-
son Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper op-
eration each spring. Have your SUBARU
dealer perform this check.
„ Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather condition Under certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.)
a small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate any problem with the air conditioning sys-
tem.
„ Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded To improve acceleration and gas mileage,
the air conditioner compressor is de-
signed to temporarily shut off during air
conditioner operation whenever the accel-
erator is fully depressed such as during
rapid acceleration or when driving on a
steep upgrade.
„ Refrigerant for your climate
control system Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly
refrigerant HFC134a. Therefore, the
method of adding, changing or checking
the refrigerant is diffe rent from the method
for CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a
result of using the wrong refrigerant are
not covered under warranty.400590

Climate control
4-13
Air filtration system (if
equipped) If your vehicle’s air conditioning system is
equipped with an air filtration system, re-
place the filter element according to the
replacement schedule shown in the fol-
lowing. This schedule should be followed
to maintain the filter’s dust collection abili-
ty. Under extremely dusty conditions, the
filter should be replaced more frequently.
Have your filter checked or replaced by
your SUBARU dealer. For replacement,
we recommend the use of a genuine
SUBARU air filter kit. Replacement schedule:
Every 12 months or 9,300 miles (15,000
km) whichever comes first NOTE The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor-
mance if not properly maintained.
Contact your SUBARU dealer if the
following occurs, even if it is not yet
time to change the filter:
– Reduction of the air flow through
the vents.
– Windshield gets easily fogged or
misted.

7-2 Starting and operating Starting and operating
Fuel
„ Fuel requirementsT 2.5-liter non-turbo models
The 2.5-liter non-turbo engine is designed
to operate using unleaded gasoline with
an octane rating of 87 AKI or higher.
T 2.5-liter turbo models and 3.0-liter
models
The 2.5-liter turbo engine and 3.0-liter en-
gine are designed to operate using premi-
um unleaded gasoline with an octane rat-
ing of 91 AKI or higher. If premium unlead-
ed gasoline is not available, regular un-
leaded gasoline with an octane rating of
87 AKI or higher may be temporarily used.
For optimum engine performance and
driveability, it is required (for 2.5-liter turbo
models), and recommended (for 3.0-liter
models) that you use premium grade un-
leaded gasoline.
NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded gas- oline of 91 AKI or higher for a 2.5-liter
turbo engine model. If other gasoline
(lower than 91 AKI) is used, knocking,
reduced output and poor accelerator
response will result.
T Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane num-
bers and is commonly referred to as the
Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane rat-
ing can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle some-
times knocks lightly when you drive up a
hill or when you accelerate. See your
dealer or a qualified service technician if
you use a fuel with the specified octane
rating and your vehicle knocks heavily or
persistently.
T Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel f iller pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will
damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy.
T California fuel
If your vehicle was certified to California
Emission Standards as indicated on the underhood tune-up label, it is designed to
optimize engine and emission control sys-
tem performance with gasoline that meets
the clean burning low-sulfur California
gasoline specifications. If you live in any
other state than Calif ornia, your vehicle
will operate on gasoline meeting Federal
specifications. Gasoline sold outside Cali-
fornia is permitted 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. SUBARU recomm ends that you try
a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service. The CHECK ENGINE warning
light/Malfunction indicator lamp may also
turn on. If this occurs, return to your autho-
rized SUBARU dealer for diagnosis. If it is
determined that the condition is caused by
the type of fuel us ed, repairs may not be
covered by your warranty.
T MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If
you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel addi-
tive may cause engine damage.

Starting and operating
7-3
– CONTINUED –function indicator lamp may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is deter-
mined that the condition is caused by the
type of fuel used, repairs may not be cov-
ered by your warranty.
T Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent addi-
tives will help prevent deposits from form-
ing 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 continuously 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 ma-
terials called oxygenates. Use of these fu-
els can also help keep the air cleaner. Ox-
ygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE (Me- thyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol (ethyl
or grain alcohol) may be used in your ve-
hicle, but should contain no more than
15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the proper
operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines,
which are designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains,
you should ask your service station oper-
ators if their gasolines contain detergents
and oxygenates and if they have been re-
formulated to reduce vehicle emissions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in the
following.
y Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual.
y Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline.
Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture AND if it is accompanied by suffi-
cient quantities of the proper cosolvents
and corrosion inhibitors required to pre-
vent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT un- der these conditions.
y If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a di fferent brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer.
y Fuel system damage or driveability
problems which result from the use of im-
proper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels con-
taining alcohol may cause paint
damage, which is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty.

7-6 Starting and operating
State emission testing (U.S.
only)
At state inspection time, remember to
tell your inspection or service station
in advance not to place your SUBARU
AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dyna-
mometer. Otherwise, serious transmis-
sion damage will result.
Some states have started using dyna-
mometers in their state inspection pro-
grams in order to meet their obligation un- der federal law to implement stricter vehi-
cle emission standards to reduce air pollu-
tion from vehicles. A dynamometer is a
treadmill or roller-like testing device that
allows your vehicle’s wheels to turn while
the vehicle remains in one place. Depend-
ing on the severity of a state’s air pollution
problems, the states must adopt either a
“basic” or “enhanced” vehicle emission in-
spection test. Normally, a portion of the
basic emission test consists of an emis-
sion inspector inserting an analyzer probe
into the exhaust pipe of an idling vehicle
for a short period of time. States with more
severe air pollution problems are required
to adopt an enhanced vehicle emission
test. This test simu lates actual driving
conditions on a dynamometer and permits
more accurate measurement of tailpipe
emitted pollution than the basic emission
test.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agen-
cy (EPA) and states using two-wheel dy-
namometers in their emission testing pro-
grams have EXEMPTED SUBARU AWD
vehicles from the portion of the testing
program that involves a two-wheel dyna-
mometer.
There are some states that use four-wheel
dynamometers in their testing programs.
When properly used, that equipment will
not damage an AWD SUBARU vehicle.y 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
emission control system might be
damaged.
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehi-
cle must NEVER be performed on a
single two-wheel dynamometer. At-
tempting to do so will result in un-
controlled vehicle movement and
may cause an accident or injuries to
persons nearby.
Resultant vehicle damage due to im-
proper testing is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty and
is the responsibility of the state in-
spection program or its contractors
or licensees.

7-24 Starting and operating
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the en-
gine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool
bucket.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the
edge with a flat-head screwdriver. 4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector leve r from the “P” to the
“N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start the en-
gine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately to have the system re-
paired. Rear viscous limited slip dif-
ferential (LSD) (if equipped)
The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in revo-
lutions between the right and left rear
wheels that may be caused by certain
driving conditions, thereby improving driv-
ing stability on snow-covered, muddy or
other slippery roads.700346 700347
y Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the
vehicle may move.
y If one rear tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely af-
fect the LSD.
y If a different size rear tire is tem-
porarily used (as in an emergen-
cy), it will adversely affect the
LSD. Always replace it with a reg-
ular size tire as soon as possible.