brake SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owner's Guide

Starting and operating
7-29
– CONTINUED –Vehicle Dynamics Control
system (if equipped)y Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
y If at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair. Always use the utmost care in driv-
ing – overconfidence because you
are driving with a Vehicle Dynamics
Control system equipped vehicle
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
y Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control,
winter tires or snow chains
should be used when driving on
snow-covered or icy roads; in ad-
dition, vehicle speed should be re-
duced considerably. Simply hav-
ing a Vehicle Dynamics Control
system does not guarantee that
the vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation. y Activation of the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system is an indica-
tion that the ro ad being travelled
on has a slippery surface; since
having Vehicle Dynamics Control
is no guarantee that full vehicle
control will be maintained at all
times and under all conditions, its
activation should be seen as a
sign that the speed of the vehicle
should be reduced considerably.
y Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or an
axle are removed from a vehicle
equipped with Vehicle Dynamics
Control, have an authorized
SUBARU dealer perform an in-
spection of that system.
y The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is operating properly:
– All four wheels should be fitted
with tires of the same size, type,
and brand. Furthermore, the
amount of wear should be the
same for all four tires.

7-30 Starting and operating
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system ad-
justs the engine’s output and the wheels’
respective braking forces to help maintain
traction and directional control.
y Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on
slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is shown by
steady illumination of the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control operation indicator light.
y Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels’ tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.
NOTE
y Slight twitching of the brake pedal may be felt when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system operates; a small de-
gree of vehicle or st eering wheel shak-
ing may also be noticed in this situa-
tion. These are normal characteristics
of Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
and are no cause for alarm.
y When driving off immediately after
starting the engine, a short-lived oper-
ation noise may be noticed coming
from the engine compartment. This
noise is generated as a result of a
check being performed on the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and is nor-
mal.
y Depending on the timing of activa-
tion of the brakes, certain situations
may occur just after driving off where
the brake pedal seems to exhibit a jolt-
ing motion. This too is a consequence
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tional check and is normal.
y In the circumstances listed in the fol-
lowing, the vehicle may be more unsta-
ble than it feels to the driver. The Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control System may
therefore operate. Such operation does
not indicate a system fault.
y on gravel-covered or rutted roads
y on unfinished roads
y when the vehicle is towing a trailer
y when the vehicle is fitted with snow tires or winter tires
y Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly dif-
ferent compared to that for normal con-
ditions.
y Even if the vehicle is equipped with a
Vehicle Dynamics Control system, it is
important that winter tires be used
when driving on snow-covered or icy
roads. (All four wheels should be fitted
with tires of the same size and brand).
Furthermore, if snow chains are to be
used, they should be fitted on the front
wheels. When a vehicle is fitted with
snow chains, however, the effective-
ness of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is reduced and this should be
taken into account when driving the ve-
hicle in such a condition.
y It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control.
y All four wheels shou ld be fitted with
tires of the same size, type, and brand;
furthermore, the amount of wear
should be the same for all four tires. If
these precautions are not observed
and non-matching tires are used, it is
quite possible that the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system will be unable to op-– Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the
driver’s side door pillar.

7-32 Starting and operating
tems.
Because the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system controls each brake through the
ABS, whenever the ABS stops operating
due to a malfunction in that electrical sys-
tem, the Vehicle Dynamics Control will
also become unable to control all four
brakes. Thus Vehicle Dynamics Control
system operation halt s and the warning
light turns on. Although both the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and the ABS
will be inoperable in this situation, it will
still be possible to stop the vehicle using
normal braking. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and the ABS do not ad-
versely 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 authorized
SUBARU dealer carry out an inspection of
those systems at the first available oppor-
tunity.
NOTE When the warning light turns on and
off in the following way, it indicates
that the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem is operating normally.
y Although turning on after the engine
has been started, the warning light
quickly turns off and stays off.
y The warning light turns on when the vehicle is being driven; it then turns off
and stays off.
V Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indi-
cator light
This light comes on to indicate that the Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control system is in non-
operation mode. This does not constitute
failure of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system.
NOTE y The indicator light may stay on for a
while after the engine has been started,
especially in cold weather. This occurs
because the engine has not yet
warmed up and is completely normal.
The light will turn off when the engine
has reached a suitable operating tem-
perature.
y When an engine problem occurs and
the malfunction indicator lamp turns
on, the indicator light will also come
on.
The following two situations could indicate
malfunction of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system; if either should occur, have an
authorized SUBARU dealer carry out an
inspection of that syst em at the first avail-
able opportunity.
y The indicator light does not turn on
when the ignition switch is turned to the ON position.
y The indicator light fail s to turn off after
the engine is started, even when several
minutes have passed to allow the engine
to heat up sufficiently.
„ Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch
Pressing the switch to deactivate the Ve-
hicle Dynamics Contro l system can facili-
tate the following operations:
y a standing start on a steeply sloping
road with a snowy, grav el-covered, or oth-
erwise slippery surface
y extrication of the vehicle when its
wheels are stuck in mud or deep snow
When the switch is pressed during engine
operation, the indicator light illuminates. 700114

7-34 Starting and operating
If the low tire pressure warning light
comes on while driving, never brake
suddenly and keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing
speed. Then slowly pull off the road
to a safe place. Otherwise an acci-
dent involving serious vehicle dam-
age and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the tire plac-
ard on the door pillar on the driver’s
side. Even when the vehicle is driven a
very short distance, the tires get
warm and their pressures increase
accordingly. Be sure to let the tires
cool thoroughly before adjusting
their pressures to the standard val-
ues shown on the tire placard. (Re-
fer to the “Tires and wheels” section
in chapter 11.) The tire pressure
monitoring system does not func-
tion when the vehicle is stationary.
After adjusting the tire pressures,
increase the vehicle speed to at
least 20 mph (32 km /h) to start the
TPMS re-checking of the tire infla-
tion pressures. If the tire pressures
are now above the severe low pres-
sure threshold, the low tire pressure
warning light should go off a few
minutes later. If this light still comes on while driv-
ing after adjusting the tire pressure,
a tire may have significant damage
and a fast leak that causes the tire to
lose air rapidly. If you have a flat tire,
replace it with a spare tire as soon
as possible. When a spare tire is
mounted or a wheel rim is replaced
without the original pressure sen-
sor/transmitter being transferred,
the low tire pressure warning light
will flash. This indicates the TPMS is
unable to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU deal-
er as soon as possible for tire and
sensor replacement and/or system
resetting.
Do not inject any tire liquid or aero-
sol tire sealant into the tires, as this
may cause a malfunction of the tire
pressure sensors. If the light flash-
es, promptly contact a SUBARU
dealer to have the system inspect-
ed.

Starting and operating
7-35
– CONTINUED –NOTE This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules and with RSS-210 of In-
dustry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two co nditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including in-
terference that may cause undesired
operation.
Changes or modifications not express-
ly approved by the party responsible
for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment. Parking your vehicle To set the parking brake, press the brake
pedal firmly and hold it down while fully
pulling up the parking brake lever.
To release the parking brake, pull the le-
ver up slightly, press the release button,
then lower the lever while keeping the but-
ton pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the
engine is running, the parking brake warn-
ing light comes on. After starting the vehi-Do not place metal film or any metal
parts under the driver’s seat. This
may cause poor reception of the sig-
nals from the tire pressure sensors,
and the tire pressure monitoring
system will not function properly. y Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot or
sunny days, the temperature in a
closed vehicle could quickly be-
come high enough to cause se-
vere or possibly fatal injuries to
them.
y Do not park the vehicle over flam-
mable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
y Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If engine
exhaust gas enters the passenger
compartment, occupants in the
vehicle could die from carbon
monoxide (CO) contained in the
exhaust gas. Never drive while the parking brake
is set because this will cause unnec-
essary wear on the brake linings.
Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.
700116

7-36 Starting and operating
cle, be sure that the warning light has
gone out before the vehicle is driven. Re-
fer to the “Warning and indicator lights”
section (chapter 3).
When parking your vehicle, always set the
parking brake firmly and put the shift lever
in the “1” (1st) for an upgrade or “R” (Re-
verse) for a downgrade for manual trans-
mission vehicles, or in the “P” (Park) posi-
tion for automatic transmission vehicles.
Always set the parking brake firmly when
parking your vehicle. Never rely on the
transmission alone to hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is head-
ed up the hill, the front wheels should be
turned away from the curb. When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb. Cruise control Cruise control enables you to maintain a
constant vehicle speed without holding
your foot on the accelerator pedal and it is
operative when the vehicle speed is 25
mph (40 km/h) or more. Make sure the
main switch is turned “OFF” when the
cruise control is not in use to avoid unin-
tentionally setting the cruise control.
NOTE If you move the cruise control lever or
press the main switch button while
turning the ignition switch “ON”, the
cruise control function is deactivated
and the “CRUISE” indicator light flash-
es. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch back
to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position, and
then turn it again to the “ON” position.
700117 700118
Do not use the cruise control under
any of the following conditions. This
may cause loss of vehicle control:
y driving up or down a steep grade
y driving on slippery or winding
roads
y driving in heavy traffic

Starting and operating
7-37
– CONTINUED –„ To set cruise control 0
1. Push the main switch button.
The “ ” indicator light on the com-
bination meter will come on.
2. Depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle reaches the desired speed.
3. Push the control lever downward in the
“SET/COAST” direction and release it.
Then release the accelerator pedal.
At this time, the “ ” indicator light is il-
luminated in the combination meter. The vehicle will maintain the desired
speed.
Vehicle speed can be temporarily in-
creased while driving with the cruise con-
trol activated. Simply depress the acceler-
ator pedal to accelerate the vehicle. When
the accelerator pedal is released, the ve-
hicle will return to and maintain the previ-
ous cruising speed.
„ To temporarily cancel the
cruise control There are five ways to cancel the cruise
control temporarily:
y Pull the control lever in the “CANCEL”
direction.
y Depress the brake pedal.300332
300210 300333
300212 700161

Starting and operating
7-39T To decrease the speed (by control
lever)
Push the control lever downward in the
“SET/COAST” direction and hold it until
the vehicle reaches the desired speed.
Then, release the control lever. The vehi-
cle speed at that moment will be memo-
rized and treated as the new set speed.
When the difference between the actual
vehicle speed and the set speed is less
than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the set speed can
be lowered 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time by
pressing the control lever downward in the
“SET/COAST” direction quickly within
0.25 second. T To decrease the speed (by brake
pedal)
1. Depress the brake pedal to release
cruise control temporarily.
2. When the speed decreases to the de-
sired speed, press the control lever down-
ward in the “SET/COAST” direction once.
Now the desired speed is set and the ve-
hicle will keep running at that speed with-
out depressing the accelerator pedal.
„ Cruise control indicator light
The cruise control indicator light comes on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position and goes out after approxi-
mately three seconds.
The light comes on when the “CRUISE”
main switch is pressed. If you move the cruise control lever or
press the main switch button while turning
the ignition switch “ON”, the cruise control
function is deactivated and the “CRUISE”
indicator light flashes. To reactivate the
cruise control function, turn the ignition
switch back to the “ACC” or “LOCK” posi-
tion, and then turn it again to the “ON” po-
sition.
„ Cruise control set indicator
light
The cruise control set indicator light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after approximately three seconds.
The light comes on when vehicle speed
has been set.300333
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8-2 Driving tips Driving tips
New vehicle break-in driving
– the first 1,000 miles (1,600
km) The performance and long life of your ve-
hicle are dependent on how you handle
and care for your vehicle while it is new.
Follow these instructions during the first
1,000 miles (1,600 km):
y Do not race the engine. And do not al-
low engine speed to exceed 4,000 rpm ex-
cept in an emergency.
y Do not drive at one constant engine or
vehicle speed for a long time, either fast or
slow.
y Avoid starting suddenly and rapid accel-
eration, except in an emergency.
y Avoid hard braking, except in an emer-
gency.
The same break-in procedures should be
applied to a newly installed or overhauled
engine or when brake pads or brake lin-
ings are replaced with new ones. Fuel economy hints The following suggestions will help to
save your fuel.
y Select the proper gear position for the
speed and road conditions.
y Avoid sudden acceleration or decelera-
tion. Always accelerate gently until you
reach the desired speed. Then try to main-
tain that speed for as long as possible.
y Do not pump the accelerator and avoid
racing the engine.
y Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
y Keep the engine properly tuned.
y Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure shown on the tire placard, which
is located under the door latch on the driv-
er’s side. Low pressure will increase tire
wear and fuel consumption.
y Use the air conditioner only when nec-
essary.
y Keep the front and rear wheels in prop-
er alignment.
y Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or
cargo. Engine exhaust gas (Carbon
monoxide) y Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains car-
bon monoxide, a colorless and
odorless gas which is dangerous,
or even lethal, if inhaled.
y Always properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from entering
the vehicle.
y Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
y Avoid remaining in a parked vehi-
cle for a lengthy ti me while the en-
gine is running. If that is unavoid-
able, then use th e ventilation fan
to force fresh air into the vehicle.
y Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system always
works properly.

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