battery SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owner's Manual

6-2 Interior equipment Interior equipment
Interior light When leaving your vehicle, make sure the
light is turned off to avoid battery dis-
charge.
„ Dome light
The light switch has three positions:
: The light stays on continuously.
Middle position: The light comes on when
any door is opened. The light remains on
for several seconds and gradually goes
out after all doors are closed.
The light also can be turned on by use of
the remote keyless entry transmitter. See
the “Remote keyless entry system” sec-
tion in chapter 2 for detailed information. The setting of the period for which the light
stays on can be changed by a SUBARU
dealer.
Contact the nearest SUBARU dealer for
details.
: The light stays off.
„ Cargo area light (Station wag-
on)
The cargo area light switch has three po-
sitions:
DOOR: The light comes on only when the
rear gate is opened.
Middle position: The light stays off.
: The light stays on continuously. Map light
Vehicle with moonroof (Sedan)
Vehicle with moonroof (Station wagon)400254
600536 600494
600495

Interior equipment
6-3
– CONTINUED –Vehicle without moonroof
To turn on the map light, push the switch.
To turn it off, pu sh the switch again.
When leaving the vehicle, make sure the
light is turned off to avoid battery dis-
charge. Sun visors
To block out glare, swing down the visors.
To use the sun visor at a side window,
swing it down and move it sideways. „ Sun visor extension plate
With the sun visor positioned over the side
window, you can use the sun visor exten-
sion plate to prevent glare through the gap
between the sun visor and center pillar. To
use the extension plate, pull it toward the
rear of the vehicle. When you have fin-
ished using it, stow it by pushing it toward
the front of the vehicle.600496
400228 600407

6-8 Interior equipment
Accessory power outlets
Outlet beside front ashtray
Outlet in center console Outlet in cargo area
Accessory power outlets are provided be-
side the front ashtray, in the center con-
sole and in the cargo area. Electrical pow-
er (12V DC) from the battery is available at
any of the outlets w hen the ignition switch
is in either the “ACC” or “ON” position.
You can use an in-car electrical appliance
by connecting it to an outlet.
The maximum power rating of an appli-
ance that can be connected varies among
outlets as shown in the following. Do not
use an appliance which exceeds the indi-
cated wattage for each outlet.
Outlet beside front ashtray: 80W or less
Outlets in center console and cargo area:
120W or less
When using appliances connected to two or more outlets simultaneously, the total
power consumed by them must not ex-
ceed 120W.
600509
600209 600507
y Do not attempt to use a cigarette
lighter in the accessory power
outlet.
y Do not place any foreign objects,
especially metal ones such as
coins or aluminum foil, into the
accessory power outlet. That
could cause a short circuit. Al-
ways put the cap on the accesso-
ry power outlet when it is not in
use.
y Use only electrical appliances
which are designed for 12V DC.
The maximum power rating of an
appliance that can be connected
varies among outlets as shown in
the following. Do not use an appli-
ance which exceeds the indicated
wattage for each outlet.
Outlet beside front ashtray: 80W
or less
Outlets in center console and car-
go area: 120W or less

Interior equipment
6-9
– CONTINUED –NOTE When the lid of the center console is
closed, a gap remains between the
center console and the lid to allow the
power outlet in th e center console to
be used. Pass the electrical appli-
ance’s cord through this gap. Ashtray Fully close the ashtray after using it to help
reduce residual smoke.
„ Front ashtray
To open the ashtray, push lightly on the lid
below the climate controls.
Fully close the lid after using it to help re-
duce residual smoke.When using appliances connect-
ed to two or more outlets simulta-
neously, the total power con-
sumed by them must not exceed
120W. Overloading the accessory
power outlet can cause a short
circuit. Do not use double adapt-
ers or more than one electrical ap-
pliance.
y If the plug on your electric appli-
ance is either too loose or too
tight for the accessory power out-
let, this can result in a poor con-
tact or cause the plug to get stuck.
Only use plugs that fit properly.
y Use of an electric appliance in the
accessory power outlet for a long
period of time while the engine is
not running can cause battery dis-
charge.
y Before driving your vehicle, make
sure that the plug and the cord on
your electrical appliance will not
interfere with your shifting gears
and operating the accelerator and
brake pedals. If they do, do not
use the electrical appliance while
driving. 600508
Do not use ashtrays as waste recep-
tacles or leave a lighted cigarette in
an ashtray. This could cause a fire.
400220

6-18 Interior equipment
NOTE y After programming your HomeLink®
Wireless Control System for the de-
sired devices, retain the hand-held
transmitters for further programming
or device testing in the event of a prob-
lem.
y It is recommended that you insert a
new battery in the hand-held transmit-
ter of a device to ensure correct pro-
gramming.
„ Garage door opener pro-
gramming in the U.S.A.
NOTE When programming the HomeLink®
Wireless Control System for a garage
door opener, it is suggested that you
park the vehicle outside the garage.
1. Unplug the motor of the garage door
opener from the outlet. 2. Press and hold the two outside
HomeLink® buttons until the indicator light
begins to flash (after 20 seconds). Re-
lease both buttons.
NOTE If any of the HomeLink® buttons are al-
ready programmed for other devices,
skip step 2 because it clears the mem-
ory of all the three buttons.
3. Hold the end of the garage door open-
er’s hand-held transmitter between 1 and
3 inches (25 and 76 mm) away from the
HomeLink® buttons on the driver’s sun vi-
sor, keeping the indicator light in view. 4. Using both hands, simultaneously
push the hand-held transmitter button and
the desired HomeLink® button. DO NOT
release the buttons until step 5 has been
completed.
5. Hold down both buttons until the
HomeLink® indicator light flashes, first
slowly then rapidly. When the indicator
light flashes rapidly, both buttons may be
released. (The rapidly flashing light indi-
cates successful programming of the new
frequency signal.)
6. Press and hold the programmed button
and check the HomeLink® indicator light.
If the indicator light stays on continuously,
your garage door should activate and the
programming is completed.
If the indicator light flashes rapidly for two
seconds and then stays on continuously,When programming the HomeLink®
Wireless Control System to operate
a garage door opener or an entrance
gate, unplug the device’s motor
from the outlet during programming
to prevent motor burnout. 600430 600431

7-12 Starting and operating
NOTE y When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.
y Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has col-
lected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most
appropriate times for the current con-
dition of your vehicle. Optimized shift-
ing will be restored as the vehicle con-
tinues to be driven for a while.
„ Selector lever
: Shift possible with brake pedal de-
pressed
: Shift possible with brake pedal not
depressed
The selector lever has four positions, “P”,
“R”, “N”, “D” and also has manual gate for
using “SPORT” mode or manual mode.
T P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine. In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically locked to prevent the vehicle
from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the
parking brake fully, then shift into the “P”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to
any other position, you should depress the
brake pedal fully then move the selector
lever. This prevents the vehicle from
lurching when it is started.
T R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the le-
ver to the “R” position.
T N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled en-
gine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the
transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neu-
tral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.y Avoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the
“R” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
y When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery. 700107

7-18 Starting and operating
NOTE y When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.
y Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has col-
lected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most
appropriate times for the current con-
dition of your vehicle. Optimized shift-
ing will be restored as the vehicle con-
tinues to be driven for a while.
„ Selector lever
: Shift possible with brake pedal de-
pressed
: Shift possible with brake pedal not
depressed
The selector lever has four positions, “P”,
“R”, “N”, “D” and also has manual gate for
using “SPORT” mode or manual mode.
T P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine. In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically locked to prevent the vehicle
from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the
parking brake fully, then shift into the “P”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the transmission.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to
any other position, you should depress the
brake pedal fully then move the selector
lever. This prevents the vehicle from
lurching when it is started.
NOTE (3.0-liter models only) To protect the engine while the “P” po-
sition is selected, the engine is con-
trolled such that the engine speed
does not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is pressed hard.
T R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the le-
ver to the “R” position.
T N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled en-
gine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, they Avoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the
“R” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
y When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery. 700107

Starting and operating
7-27„ ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion and goes out after approximately two
seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system
is working properly.
NOTE If the warning light behavior is as de-
scribed in the following, the ABS sys-
tem may be considered normal.
y The warning light comes on right af-
ter the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.
y The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it goes
out when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 8 mph (12 km/h).
y 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 engine is jump
started, the ABS warn ing 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.
If the warning light behaves as fol-
lows, the ABS system may not be
working properly.
When the warning light is on, the
ABS function shuts down; however,
the conventional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally. 700348y The warning light does not come
on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position.
y 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).
y The warning light comes on dur-
ing driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system
repaired at the first available oppor-
tunity by your SUBARU dealer.

Driving tips
8-7
– CONTINUED –ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle
rollover.
y Always check your brakes for effective-
ness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads.
y Do not drive or park over or near flam-
mable materials such as dry grass or fall-
en leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the en-
gine is running and right after engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard.
y After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur.
y Secure all cargo carried inside the vehi-
cle and make certain that it is not piled
higher than the seatbacks. During sudden
stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could be
thrown around in the vehicle and cause in-
jury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof.
Those loads raise the vehicle’s center of
gravity and make it more prone to tip over. y If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelera-
tor pedal slightly and move the selector le-
ver back and forth between “D” and “R” re-
peatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the
wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
y When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
y Never equip your vehi cle with tires larg-
er than those specified in this manual.
y Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly.
y Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle un-
der hard-driving condit ions such as rough
roads or off roads will necessitate more
frequent replacement of engine oil, brake
fluid and transmission oil than that speci-
fied in the maintenance schedule de-
scribed in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Winter driving
„ Operation during cold weath-
er Carry some emergency equipment, such
as tire chains, a window scraper, a bag of
sand, flares, a small shovel, and jumper
cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold tem-
peratures reduce battery capacity. The
battery must be in good condition to pro-
vide enough power for cold winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and vis-
cosity for cold weather. Heavy summer oil
will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by 800015

9-10 In case of emergency
Jump starting
When your vehicle does not start due to a
run down (discharged) battery, the vehicle
may be jump started by connecting your
battery to another battery (called the
booster battery) with jumper cables. „ How to jump start 1. Make sure the booster battery is 12
volts and the negative terminal is ground-
ed.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehi-
cle, do not let the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and ac-
cessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in
the sequence illustrated.y Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID.
Do not let it come in contact with
the eyes, skin, clothing or the ve-
hicle.
If battery fluid gets on you, thor-
oughly flush the exposed area
with water immedi ately. Get medi-
cal help if the fluid has entered
your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally
swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water, and
obtain immediate medical help.
Keep everyone including children
away from the battery.
y The gas generated by a battery ex-
plodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or
light a match while jump starting.
y Never attempt jump starting if the
discharged battery is frozen. It
could cause the battery to burst or
explode. y Whenever working on or around a
battery, always wear suitable eye
protectors, and remove metal ob-
jects such as rings, bands or oth-
er metal jewelry.
y Be sure the jumper cables and
clamps on them do not have loose
or missing insulation.
Do not jump start unless cables in
suitable condition are available.
y A running engine can be danger-
ous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away from
the cooling fan, belts and any oth-
er moving engine parts. Remov-
ing rings, watches and ties is ad-
visable.
y Jump starting is dangerous if it is
done incorrectly. If you are unsure
about the proper procedure for
jump starting, consult a compe-
tent mechanic.