sport mode SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owners Manual

19
– CONTINUED –„ Warning and indicator light Mark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-14
Front passenger’s
seatbelt warning light 3-14
SRS airbag system
warning light 3-16
CHECK ENGINE
warning light/Malfunc-
tion indicator lamp 3-17
Charge warning light 3-18
Oil pressure warning
light 3-18
AT OIL temperature
warning light (if
equipped) 3-18
or
ABS warning light 3-20
or
Brake system warning
light 3-20
Door open warning
light 3-22 Low fuel warning light 3-21
All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light (if equipped) 3-22
Vehicle Dynamics
Control operation indi-
cator light (if equipped) 3-22
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator
light (if equipped) 3-22
Security indicator light 3-23
Turn signal indicator
lights 3-24
High beam indicator
light 3-25
Cruise control indica-
tor light (if equipped) 3-25
Cruise control set indi-
cator light (if equipped) 3-25
Light indicator light 3-25Mark Name Page
Low tire pressure
warning light (if
equipped) 3-18
or Passenger airbag ON
indicator light 3-17
or Passenger airbag OFF
indicator light 3-17
SPORT mode indica-
tor light (if equipped) 3-24Mark Name Page

3
Instruments and controlsIgnition switch .................................................... 3-3 LOCK ....................................................................... 3-3
ACC .......................................................................... 3-4
ON ............................................................................ 3-4
START ...................................................................... 3-4
Key reminder chime ............................................... 3-5
Ignition switch light ................................................ 3-5
Hazard warning flasher ...................................... 3-5
Meters and gauges (Tur bo models) ................. 3-5Combination meter illumination ............................ 3-5
Canceling the function for meter/gauge needle
movement and combination meter sequential
illumination upon turning on the ignition
switch .................................................................... 3-6
Speedometer ........................................................... 3-6
Odometer ................................................................. 3-7
Double trip meter .................................................... 3-7
Tachometer ............................................................. 3-8
Fuel gauge ............................................................... 3-8
Temperature gauge ................................................ 3-9
Meters and gauges (Non-turbo models) .......... 3-10 Combination meter illumination ............................ 3-10
Canceling the function for meter/gauge needle
movement upon turning on the ignition
switch .................................................................... 3-10
Speedometer ........................................................... 3-10
Odometer ................................................................. 3-11
Double trip meter .................................................... 3-11
Tachometer ............................................................. 3-12
Fuel gauge ............................................................... 3-12 Temperature gauge ................................................ 3-13
Warning and indicator lights ............................. 3-14 Seatbelt warning light and chime .......................... 3-14
SRS airbag system warning lig ht ............. ............. 3-16
Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators .............................................................. 3-17
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction
indicator lamp ....................................................... 3-17
Charge warning light .............................................. 3-18
Oil pressure warning light ..................................... 3-18
AT OIL TEMPerature warning light (AT
vehicles) ................................................................ 3-18
Low tire pressure warning light (if equipped) ...... 3-18
ABS warning light ................................................... 3-20
Brake system warning light ................................... 3-20
Low fuel warning light ............................................ 3-21
Door open warning light ........................................ 3-22
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT vehicles) ......... 3-22
Vehicle Dynamics Contro l operation indicator
light (if equipped) ................................................. 3-22
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light (if
equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF
indicator light (if equipped) ................................. 3-22
Security indicator light ........................................... 3-23
SPORT mode indicator light (AT vehicles) ........... 3-24
Selector lever position indicator (AT vehicles) .... 3-24
Gear position indicator (AT vehicles) ................... 3-24
Turn signal indicator lights .................................... 3-24
High beam indicator light ....................................... 3-25
Cruise control indicator light ................................. 3-25

3-14 Instruments and controls
Warning and indicator lights Several of the warning and indicator lights
come on momentarily and then go out
when the ignition switch is initially turned
to the “ON” position. This permits check-
ing the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the igni-
tion switch to the “ON” position. The fol-
lowing lights come on:
: Seatbelt warning light
(The seatbelt warning light goes out only
when the driver fastens the seatbelt.)
: Front passenger’s seatbelt warning
light
(The seatbelt warning light goes out only
when the front seat passenger fastens the
seatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light /
Malfunction indicator lamp
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: AT OIL temperature warning light
(AT vehicles) / : ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light (if equipped)
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light (if equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol OFF indicator light (if equipped)
/ : Brake system warning light
: AWD warning light (AT vehicles)
: Low tire pressure warning light (if
equipped)
: SPORT mode indicator light (AT
vehicles)
/ : Front passenger’s frontal airbag
ON indicator light
/ : Front passenger’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator light
: Low fuel warning light
: Door open warning light
: Cruise control indicator light (if equipped)
: Cruise control set indicator light (if
equipped)
If any lights fail to co me on, it indicates a
burned-out bulb or a malfunction of the
corresponding system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU dealer
for repair.
„ Seatbelt warning light
and chime Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt
warning device at the driver’s and front
passenger’s seat, as required by current
safety standards.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, this device reminds the driver
and front passenger to fasten their seat-
belts by illuminating the warning lights in
the locations indicated in the following il-
lustration and sounding a chime.

3-24 Instruments and controls
chapter 2.)
If the indicator light does not flash, it may
indicate that immobilizer system may be
faulty. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately.
In the event that an unauthorized key (for
example, an unauthorized duplicate) is
used, the security indicator light comes
on.
„ SPORT mode indicator
light (AT vehicles)This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and
goes out after the engine has started.
When the selector lever is moved to the
manual gate, the SPORT mode is select-
ed and the indicator light comes on. (Refer
to the “Automatic transmission – 4-speed”
or “Automatic transmission – 5-speed”
section in chapter 7.)
T Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts,
it may indicate that the automatic trans-
mission control system is not working
properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately. „ Selector lever position indi-
cator (AT vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the
selector lever. „ Gear position indicator (AT
vehicles)
When the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator (which shows the
current gear selectio n) and the upshift/
downshift indicator light up. (Refer to the
“Automatic transmission – 4-speed” or
“Automatic transmission – 5-speed” sec-
tion in chapter 7.)
„ Turn signal indicator
lights These lights show the operation of the
turn signal or lane change signal.
If the indicator lights do not blink or blink
rapidly, the turn signal bulb may be
burned out. Replace the bulb as soon as 300192 300266

7Starting and operatingFuel ...................................................................... 7-2 Fuel requirements .................................................. 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap .............................................. 7-4
State emission testing (U .S. only) .................... 7-6
Preparing to drive .............................................. 7-7
Starting the engine ............................................. 7-8 Manual transmission vehicle ................................. 7-8
Automatic transmission vehicle ............................ 7-8
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-9
Manual transmission ......................................... 7-9 Shifting speeds ....................................................... 7-10
Driving tips .............................................................. 7-11
Automatic transmission – 4- speed ................... 7-11Selector lever .......................................................... 7-12
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ............ 7-13
Selection of manual mode ..................................... 7-14
Maximum speeds .................................................... 7-15
Driving tips .............................................................. 7-16
SPORT mode ........................................................... 7-16
Shift lock release . ........................................... ........ 7-16
Automatic transmission – 5- speed ................... 7-17Selector lever .......................................................... 7-18
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ............ 7-19
Selection of manual mode ..................................... 7-20
Maximum speeds .................................................... 7-22
Driving tips .............................................................. 7-23
SPORT mode ........................................................... 7-23
Shift lock release . ........................................... ........ 7-23 Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD)
(if equipped) ..................................................... 7-24
Power steering .................................................... 7-25
Braking ................................................................ 7-25 Braking tips ............................................................. 7-25
Brake system .......................................................... 7-25
Disc brake pad wear warning in dicators .... .......... 7-26
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-26 ABS system self-check ......... ............................. .... 7-26
ABS warning light ................................................... 7-27
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
system .............................................................. 7-28 Steps to take if EBD system fails .......................... 7-28
Vehicle Dynamics Control system
(if equipped) ..................................................... 7-29 Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor .......... 7-31
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ................. 7-32
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
(if equipped) ..................................................... 7-33
Parking your vehicle .......................................... 7-35
Cruise control ..................................................... 7-36 To set cruise control .............................................. 7-37
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-37
To turn off the cruise control ................................. 7-38
To change the cruising speed ............................... 7-38
Cruise control indicator light ................................. 7-39
Cruise control set indicator light .......................... 7-39

Starting and operating
7-11
– CONTINUED –Never exceed posted speed limits.
„ Driving tipsDo not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to
hold your vehicle at a standstill on an up-
grade. Either of those actions may cause
clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to la-
bor.
y On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as
necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking
effect. Remember, if you “ride” (over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
y The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate a
fault.
y A slight reduction in output torque may occur in the models with a 2.5-liter turbo
engine before the engine warms up.
Automatic transmission – 4-
speed The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 4 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has
a manual mode and a SPORT mode.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” po-
sition into the “D ” or “R” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle to
jump forward or backward.
y Shift into the “P” or “R” position
only after the vehic le is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause dam-
age to the transmission.
y Do not race the engine for more
than five seconds in any position
except the “N” or “P” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.

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

Starting and operating
7-13
– CONTINUED –NOTE If the selector lever is in the “N” posi-
tion when you stop the engine for park-
ing, you may not subsequently be able
to move it to the “R” and “P” positions.
If this happens, turn the ignition switch
to the “ON” position. You will then be
able to move the selector lever to the
“P” position.
T D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automa tically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 4th according to
the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the a ccelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to
the original gear position.
To use the “SPORT” mode, move the le- ver from this position into the manual gate.
To use the manual mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate
then move it toward the “+” and “–” ends.
V While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to
4th gear is prevented from taking place
when the accelerator is released. This
minimizes the chance of subsequent
downshifting to a lower gear when accel-
erating again. This prevents repeated up-
shifting and downshifting resulting in a
smoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTE The transmission may downshift to
2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way
the accelerator pedal is pressed to ac-
celerate the vehicle again.
V While going down a hill
When you are descending a hill or any
other slope while braking with the
“SPORT” mode selected, the transmis-
sion may downshift to 3rd or 2nd gear de-
pending on how hard you depress the
brake pedal, causing engine braking to
work. Reacceleration for a short time will
cause the transmission to upshift normal-
ly. NOTE y A 4th-to-3rd automa tic downshift will
not occur at speeds above 50 mph (80
km/h) and a 3rd-to-2nd automatic
downshift will not occur at speeds
above 24 mph (38 km/h).
y Automatic downshifts to 3rd or 2nd
may occur even when driving on a level
road depending on conditions, such as
how hard you depress the brake pedal.
„ Selector lever reverse inhibit-
ing function This function prevents accidental move-
ment of the selector lever to the “R” posi-
tion while the vehicle is moving.
The function becomes operational when
the vehicle reaches a speed of approxi-
mately 6 mph (10 km/h). Once operation-
al, it prevents the selector lever from being
moved from the “N” position to the “R” po-
sition. When the vehicle speed drops be-
low 6 mph (10 km/h), the function is can-
celed. The selector lever can then be
moved to the “R” and “P” positions.
When the ignition switch has been turned
to the “OFF” position, movement of the se-
lector lever from the “N ” position to the “R”
position is possible for a limited time peri-
od and then becomes impossible. Also,
the selector lever cannot be moved to theDo not drive the vehicle with the se-
lector lever in the “N” (neutral) posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition and the risk of an ac-
cident is consequently increased.

7-16 Starting and operating
mph (km/h)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
„ Driving tipsy On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill (safely and easily) by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manual
mode.
y Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D” or
“R” position.
y Always set the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the vehi-
cle with only the transmission.
y Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the
“D” position. Use the brake instead.
y The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate a
fault. „ SPORT mode
SPORT mode is used when power is
needed for rapid acceleration or for uphill
driving. To select this mode, move the se-
lector lever from the “D” position to the
manual gate. When selected, the SPORT mode indica-
tor light on the instrument panel will turn
on.
To deselect SPORT mode, move the se-
lector lever to the “D” position or select
manual mode.
To subsequently reselect SPORT mode,
move the selector lever to the “D” position
and from there to the manual gate.
In this mode, the transmission shifts up at
higher vehicle speeds and shifts down
more responsively than in normal mode.
„ Shift lock release If the selector lever does not move from
the “P” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the ignition switch in the “ON”
position, perform the following steps:Position 2.5-liter non-turbo models
1 34 (55)
2 64 (103)
3 99 (160) 700112 700113

Starting and operating
7-17
– CONTINUED –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 key 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. Automatic transmission – 5-
speed The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has
a manual mode and a SPORT mode.
700346 700347
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” po-
sition into the “D ” or “R” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle to
jump forward or backward.
y Shift into the “P” or “R” position
only after the vehic le is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause dam-
age to the transmission.
y Do not race the engine for more
than five seconds in any position
except the “N” or “P” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.