check engine SUBARU OUTBACK 2008 4.G Owners Manual

6
&Engine exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
. Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
. Always properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. 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.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
. If at any time you suspect that
exhaust fumes are entering the vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the trunk lid or rear gate
closed while driving to prevent
exhaust gas from entering thevehicle.
& Drinking and driving
WARNING
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Alcohol in the blood-
stream delays your reaction and
impairs your perception, judgment
and attentiveness. If you drive afterdrinking –even if you drink just a
little –it will increase the risk of
being involved in a serious or fatal
accident, injuring or killing yourself,
your passengers and others. In
addition, if you are injured in the
accident, alcohol may increase the
severity of that injury.
Please don ’t drink and drive. Drunken driving is one of the most
frequent causes of accidents. Since alco-
hol affects all people differently, you may
have consumed too much alcohol to drive
safely even if the level of alcohol in your
blood is below the legal limit. The safest
thing you can do is never drink and drive.
However if you have no choice but to
drive, stop drinking and sober up comple-
tely before getting behind the wheel.
& Drugs and drivingWARNING
There are some drugs (over the
counter and prescription) that can
delay your reaction time and impair
your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness. If you drive after taking
them, it may increase your, yourpassengers ’and other persons ’risk
of being involved in a serious or
fatal accident.
If you are taking any drugs, check with
your doctor or pharmacist or read the
literature that accompanies the medication
to determine if the drug you are taking can
impair your driving ability. Do not drive
after taking any medications that can
make you drowsy or otherwise affect your
ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. If

8
vehicle control could lead to an accident.
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the spare)
at least once a month and before any long
journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
Use a pressure gauge to adjust the tire
pressures to the values shown on the tireplacard.
Refer to the “Tires and wheels ”section in
chapter 11 for detailed information. &
California proposition 65 warning
WARNING
Engine exhaust, some of its consti-
tuents, and certain vehicle compo-
nents contain or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. In addi-
tion, certain fluids in vehicles and
certain components of product wear
contain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.

&Warning and indicator lights
Mark Name Page
Seatbelt warning light 3-29
Front passenger ’s seat-
belt warning light 3-29
SRS airbag system
warning light3-30
CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator lamp3-31
Charge warning light 3-32
Oil pressure warning light
3-32
AT OIL temperature
warning light (AT mod- els)3-32
/ABS warning light 3-34
/Brake system warning light
3-35
/Door open warning light
3-36Mark Name Page
/Low fuel warning light 3-35
All-Wheel Drive warning
light (AT models)
3-36
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol operation indicator
light (if equipped)3-36
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light (if
equipped)/Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF in-
dicator light (if equipped)3-37
Security indicator light 3-38
Turn signal indicator lights
3-39
High beam indicator light3-40
Cruise control indicator light
3-40
Cruise control set indi-
cator light3-40
Headlight indicator light 3-40 Mark Name Page
Low tire pressure warn-
ing light (if equipped)
3-32
/Front passenger
’s fron-
tal airbag ON indicator light 3-31
/Front passenger
’s fron-
tal airbag OFF indicator light 3-31
SPORT mode indicator
light (AT models) (if
equipped)
3-38
Shift-up indicator light
(MT models) (if
equipped)3-38
S# PREP indicator light
(if equipped)
3-3821
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Ignition 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 (Vehicle with SI-DRIVE) ...... 3-5
Combination meter illumination ........................... 3-5
Speedometer ....................................................... 3-6
Tachometer ......................................................... 3-6
Fuel gauge .......................................................... 3-6
Temperature gauge ............................................. 3-7
ECO gauge ......................................................... 3-8
Multi-information display (Vehicle with SI-DRIVE) .................................... 3-9
Display ............................................................... 3-9
Operation switch ................................................. 3-9
Odometer and trip meter .................................... 3-10
Current and average fuel consumption ............... 3-11
Outside temperature and journey time ................ 3-12
Driving range on remaining fuel .......................... 3-14
Clock (Vehicle with Navigation System) ............... 3-15
SI-DRIVE display ................................................ 3-15
Meter settings .................................................... 3-15
Warning messages and driver ’s information ........ 3-20
Meters and gauges (Vehicle without SI-DRIVE) ............................. 3-24
Combination meter illumination .......................... 3-24 Canceling the function for meter/gauge needle
movement upon turning on the ignition switch ............................................................. 3-24
Speedometer ..................................................... 3-24
Odometer .......................................................... 3-25
Double trip meter ............................................... 3-25
Tachometer ....................................................... 3-26
Fuel gauge ........................................................ 3-26
Temperature gauge ............................................ 3-27
Warning and indicator lights ............................. 3-28
Seatbelt warning light and chime ....................... 3-29
SRS airbag system warning light ........................ 3-30
Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators ........................................................ 3-31
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp ................................................. 3-31
Charge warning light .......................................... 3-32
Oil pressure warning light .................................. 3-32
AT OIL TEMPerature warning light (AT models) ..................................................... 3-32
Low tire pressure warning light (U.S.-spec. models) ........................................................... 3-32
ABS warning light .............................................. 3-34
Brake system warning light ................................ 3-35
Low fuel warning light ....................................... 3-35
Door open warning light .................................... 3-36
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT models) ..... ..... 3-36
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light (if equipped). ............................................ 3-36
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light (if equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF
indicator light (if equipped) .............................. 3-37
Instruments and controls
3

NOTE
The outside temperature indication
may differ from the actual outside
temperature. The indication“OUT
TEMP 37 8F(3 8C) ” should be treated
only as a guide. Be sure to check the
condition of the road surface beforedriving. ! Journey time
U.S.-spec. models
Canada-spec. models
1) Outside temperature
2) Journey time
The journey time shows the time that has
elapsed since the ignition switch was
turned to the “START ”position.
After 2 hours have passed for the journey
time, the display indication flashes “E/T
2:00 ”at the center of the display for 3
seconds and gives a notice to the driver to
take a rest. After 3 seconds, it returns to its
original indication of the outside tempera-
ture and journey time.
If you continue to drive your vehicle
without stopping the engine, the display
flashes the journey time for 3 seconds at
the center of the display after each
additional hour has elapsed.
If the display shows an indication other
than the journey time, the display switches
to the journey time for 3 seconds for each
additional hour that has elapsed after the
first 2 hours. After 3 seconds, it returns to
its original indication. However, if the
journey time indication overlaps with an-
other indication, the journey time indica-
tion is shortened.
NOTE
The journey time is reset when the
ignition switch is turned to the “LOCK ”
position. It is also reset if the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK ”or
“ Acc ”position prior to restarting of
the engine. Instruments and controls
3-13
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3-28Instruments and controls
We recommend that you drive moderately
until the pointer of the temperature gauge
reaches near the middle of the range.
Engine operation is optimum with the
engine coolant at this temperature range.
Also, high revving operation while the
engine is not sufficiently warmed up
should be avoided.
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Refer to “In case of emergency ”in
chapter 9. 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
ignition switch to the “ON ”position. The
following 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 theseatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal- function indicator lamp
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: AT OIL temperature warning light (ATmodels)
/: ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light (if equipped)
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
(if equipped)/Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light (if equipped)
/: Brake system warning light
: All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT
models)
: Low tire pressure warning light (if equipped)
: SPORT mode indicator light (AT models) (if equipped)
/: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator light
/: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator light
or: Low fuel warning light
or: Door open warning light
: Cruise control indicator light
: Cruise control set indicator light
: Shift-up indicator light (MT models) (if equipped)
: S# PREP indicator light (if equipped)
If any lights fail to come on, it indicates a
burned-out bulb or a malfunction of the

&Front passenger ’s frontal
airbag ON and OFF indica- tors
or: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator
or: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag
OFF indicator
The front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicators show you the status of
the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag.
The indicators are located between the
map lights.
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position, both the ON and OFF
indicators illuminate for 6 seconds during
which time the system is checked. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators
extinguish for 2 seconds. After that, one of the indicators illuminates depending on
the status of the front passenger
’s SRS
frontal airbag determined by the Subaru
advanced frontal airbag system monitor-ing.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is activated, the passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator will illuminate while the OFF
indicator will remain extinguished.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is deactivated, the passenger ’sfrontal
airbag ON indicator will remain extin-
guished while the OFF indicator willilluminate.
If both the ON and OFF indicators remain
lit or extinguished simultaneously, the
system is faulty. Contact your SUBARU
dealer immediately for an inspection.
& CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction
indicator lamp
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
malfunction indicator lamp comes
on while you are driving, have your
vehicle checked/repaired by your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-
ble. Continued vehicle operation
without having the emission control system checked and repaired as
necessary could cause serious da-
mage, which may not be covered by
your vehicle
’s warranty.
If this light comes on steadily or blinks
while the engine is running, it may indicate
that there is a problem or potential
problem somewhere in the emission con-
trol system. ! If the light comes on steadily:
If the light comes on steadily while driving
or does not go out after the engine starts,
an emission control system malfunction
has been detected.
You should have your vehicle checked by
an authorized SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.
NOTE
This light also comes on when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator lamp coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and retighten it until it
clicks. Make sure nothing is interfering
with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the
cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE
warning light/malfunction indicator lamp Instruments and controls
3-31
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3-32Instruments and controls
turn off immediately. It may take several
driving trips. If the light does not go out,
take your vehicle to your authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately. !If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an
engine misfire condition has been de-
tected which may damage the emission
control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do thefollowing. . Reduce vehicle speed.
. Avoid hard acceleration.
. Avoid steep uphill grades.
. Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.. Stop towing a trailer as soon as
possible.
The CHECK ENGINE warning light/mal-
function indicator lamp may stop blinking
and come on steadily after several driving
trips. You should have your vehicle
checked by an authorized SUBARU deal-
er immediately. & Charge warning light
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly. If the light comes on while driving or does
not go out after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good
condition but the light remains on, contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.
& Oil pressure warning light
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does
not go out after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remains on,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately. &
AT OIL TEMPerature
warning light (AT mod- els)
The AT oil temperature warning light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position and goes out
after approximately 2 seconds.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving,
immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place and let the engine idle until the
warning light goes off. ! Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it
may indicate that the automatic transmis-
sion control system is not working prop-
erly. Contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er for service immediately. & Low tire pressure
warning light (U.S.-spec.models)
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will come on for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning

3-34Instruments and controls
the 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. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU dealer
to have the system inspected.
CAUTION
The tire pressure monitoring system
is NOT a substitute for manually
checking tire pressure. The tire
pressure should be checked peri-
odically (at least monthly) using a
tire gauge. After any change to tire
pressure(s), the tire pressure mon-
itoring system will not re-check tire
inflation pressures until the vehicle
is first driven more than 20 mph (32
km/h). After adjusting the tire pres-
sures, 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
pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should go
off a few minutes later. Therefore, be
sure to install the specified size for the front and rear tires.
& ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position and goes out after approximately
2 seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system
is working properly.
CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as
follows, the ABS system may not
work properly.
When the warning light is on, the
ABS function shuts down; however,
the conventional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally. . The warning light does not come
on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position.
. The warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned tothe “ON ”position, but it does not
go out even when the vehicle
speed exceeds approximately 8
mph (12 km/h).
. The warning light comes on dur-
ing driving. If any of these conditions occur,
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by
your SUBARU dealer.
The ABS warning light comes on together
with the brake system warning light if the
EBD system becomes faulty. For further
details of the EBD system fault warning,
refer to “Brake system warning light ”.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following, the ABS
system may be considered normal. . The warning light comes on right
after the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.. 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).. 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 warning 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.

&Brake system
warning light
WARNING
. 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.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair.
This light has the following three functions: ! Parking brake warning
The light comes on with the parking brake
applied while the ignition switch is in the“ ON ”position. It goes out when the
parking brake is fully released. ! Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the “MIN ”level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
switch in the “ON ”position and with the
parking brake fully released. If the brake system warning light should
come on while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in
“ON ”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the “MIN ”mark in the
reservoir, do not drive the vehicle. Have
the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU
dealer for repair. ! Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also
illuminates if a malfunction occurs in the
EBD system. In that event, it comes on
together with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be faulty if the
brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are
applied harder than usual and the vehi-cle ’s motion may therefore become some-
what harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously, take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights go out, the EBD system
may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated after the engine has
been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “
MIN ”mark, the EBD system may be
faulty. Drive carefully to the nearest
SUBARU dealer and have the systeminspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
& Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly empty approximately 2.6
US gal (10.0 liters, or 2.2 Imp gal). It only
operates when the ignition switch is in the“ON ”position. Instruments and controls
3-35
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