warning SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Workshop Manual

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

Starting and operating
7-33
– CONTINUED –The Vehicle Dynamics Control system will
be deactivated and the vehicle will behave
like a model not equipped with the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system. When the
switch is pressed again to reactivate the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system, the in-
dicator light goes off.
With the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem deactivated, traction and stability en-
hancement offered by Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is unavailable. Therefore
you should not deactivate the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control syst em except under
above-mentioned situations.
NOTE y When the switch has been pressed
to deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system automatically reacti-
vates itself the next time the ignition
switch is turned to the OFF position
and the engine is restarted.
y If the switch is held down for 10 sec-
onds or longer, the indicator light goes
off, the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem is activated, and the system ig-
nores any further pressing of the
switch. To make the switch usable
again, turn the igni tion switch to the
OFF position and restart the engine.
y When the switch is pressed to deac- tivate the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, the vehicle’s running perfor-
mance is comparable with that of a ve-
hicle that does not have a Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system. Do not deacti-
vate the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem except when absolutely neces-
sary.
Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low.
The tire pressure mo nitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 20 mph (32 km/h). Also,
this system may not react immediately to
a sudden drop in tire pressure (for exam-
ple, a blow-out caused by running over a
sharp object). 700352

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.

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

Driving tips
8-9
– CONTINUED –buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-
ness.
T Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and t he risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weath-
er.
Use only additives that are specifically de-
signed for this purpose. When an anti-
freeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used for
an extended period, it is best to have the
fuel tank filled to capacity.
„ Driving on snowy and icy
roads To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the en-
gine brake effectively to control the vehi-
cle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when
necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behav-
ior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhanc-
es your vehicle’s braking performance on
snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System)” and “Vehicle
Dynamics Control system (if equipped)”
section in chapter 7 for information on
braking on slippery surfaces. T Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster with the airflow
control button/dial in the “ ” position
and the temperature control dial set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely thawed out. If your vehicle
is equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful
to thaw the windshield wiper blades. To
thaw out the rear wiper blade, use the rear
window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow
starts to stick on th e surface of the wind-
shield despite wiper operation, use the de-
froster with the airflow control button/dial
in “ ” and the temperature control dial
set for maximum warmth. After the wind-
shield gets warmed enough to melt the
frozen snow on it, wash it away using the
windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effe ctively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing typeDo not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of vehi-
cle control. Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine’s intake system and may
hinder the air flow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.

Driving tips
8-27
– CONTINUED –T Before starting out on a trip
y Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer.
y Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable.
y Check that the tire pressures are cor-
rect.
y Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
– the trailer tongue is connected prop-
erly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connect-
ed properly and trailer’s brake lights illu-
minate when the vehicle’s brake pedal
is pressed, and that the trailer’s turn sig-
nal lights flash when the vehicle’s turn
signal lever is operated.
– the safety chains are connected prop-
erly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safe-
ty in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rear-
ward field of view without a significant
blind spot.
y Sufficient time should be taken to learn the “feel” of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up.
T Driving with a trailer
y You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may re-
sult in skidding or jackknifing and loss of
control.
y Avoid abrupt starts and sudden acceler-
ations. If your vehicle has a manual trans-
mission, always start out in first gear and
release the clutch at moderate engine rev-
olution.
y Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.
y Slow down before turning. Make a long-
er than normal turning radius because the
trailer wheels will be closer than the vehi-
cle wheels to the inside of the turn. In a
tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle.
y Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing 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 im-
mediately but gradually.
y When passing other vehicles, consider-
able distance is required because of the added weight and length caused by at-
taching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
y Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing 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.
y If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed im-
mediately by the nearest SUBARU dealer.
T Driving on grades
y Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces- 1
2
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8-28 Driving tips
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.
y When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.
y When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature 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 condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates, immediately switch off the air con-
ditioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest
safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing” section in chapter 9, and “Warning
and indicator lights” section in chapter 3.
NOTE With AT vehicles, the temperature of
engine coolant is less likely to rise to
the OVERHEAT zone in the “D” posi-
tion than in the manual mode position.
y If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, avoid using the accelerator pedal
to stay stationary on an uphill slope in-
stead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to overheat.
T Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehi-
cle 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 take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, re-
lease the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then ap-
ply the parking brake; slowly release the
regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual
transmission) or “P” (automatic transmis-
sion) and shut off the engine.

9-2 In case of emergency In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an
emergency
The hazard warning flasher should be
used in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switch po-
sition.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pushing the switch again.
NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on, the turn signals do not work.
Temporary spare tire300177 y Never tow a trailer when the tem-
porary spare tire is used. The tem-
porary spare tire is not designed
to sustain the towing load. Use of
the temporary spare tire when
towing can result in failure of the
spare tire and/or less stability of
the vehicle and may lead to an ac-
cident.
y When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
flash. This indicates the tire pres-
sure monitoring system (TPMS) is
unable to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for tire
and sensor replacement and/or
system resetting.

In case of emergency
9-3
The temporary spare tire is smaller and
lighter than a conventional tire and is de-
signed for emergency use only. Remove
the temporary spare tire and re-install the
conventional tire as soon as possible be-
cause the spare tire is designed only for
temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tempo-
rary spare tire periodically to keep the tire
ready for use. The correct pressure is 60
psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm 2
) .
When using the temporary spare tire, note
the following.
y Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
y Do not put a tire chain on the temporary
spare tire. Because of the smaller tire
size, a tire chain will not fit properly.
y Do not use two or more temporary
spare tires at the same time.
y Do not drive over obstacles. This tire
has a smaller diameter, so road clearance
is reduced. 1) Tread wear indicator bar
2) Indicator location mark
y When the wear indicator appears on the
tread, replace the tire.
y The temporary spare tire must be used
only on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tire
gets punctured, replace the wheel with a
rear wheel and install the temporary spare
tire in place of the removed rear wheel. NOTE If your vehicle is an AWD type with an
automatic transmission but is neither a
Turbo model nor a 3.0-liter model, de-
activate its All-Wheel-Drive capability
as follows: Before driving your vehicle
with the temporary spare tire, put a
spare fuse inside the FWD connector
located in the engi ne compartment and
confirm that the “ ” warning
light comes on. The All-Wheel-Drive
capability of the vehicle has now been
deactivated. After re -installing the con-
ventional tire, remove the spare fuse
from the FWD connector in order to re-
activate All-Wheel Drive.Never use any temporary spare tire
other than the original. Using other
sizes may result in severe mechani-
cal damage to the drive train of your
vehicle. 1
2 900209
600121

9-4 In case of emergency
Flat tires If you have a flat tire while driving, never
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place.
„ Changing a flat tire 1. Park on a hard, level surface, whenev-
er possible, then stop the engine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and
shift a manual transmission vehicle in re-
verse or an automatic transmission vehi-
cle in the “P” (Park) position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher and
have everyone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire diagonally opposite the flat tire. Sedan
1) Jack handle
2) Spare tire
3) Jack and tool buckety Do not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface.
The jack can come out of the jack-
ing point or sink into the ground
and this can result in a severe ac-
cident.
y Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get un-
der the vehicle while supporting
the vehicle with this jack. y Always turn off the engine before
raising the flat ti re off the ground
using the jack. Never swing or
push the vehicle supported with
the jack. The jack can come out of
the jacking point due to a jolt and
this can result in a severe acci-
dent.
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