climate control SUBARU OUTBACK 2009 5.G User Guide

4-4Climate control
! Temperature control dial
This dial regulates the temperature of air
flow from the air outlets over a range from
the blue side (cool) to red side (warm). !Fan speed control dial
The fan operates only when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON ”position. The
fan speed control dial is used to select
four fan speeds. ! Air flow control dial
This dial has the following five positions:
: Air flows through the instrument panel
outlets.
: Air flows through the instrument panel
outlets and the foot outlets.
: Air flows through the instrument panel
outlets, the foot outlets, and some through
the windshield defroster outlets.
: Air flows through the instrument panel
outlets, the windshield defroster outlets,
and the foot outlets.
: Air flows through the instrument panel
outlets and the windshield defroster out- lets. NOTE
In a vehicle equipped with an air
conditioner, when the dial is placed in the “
”position or “”position the
air conditioner compressor automati-
cally operates to quickly defog the
windshield. However the indicator on
the air conditioner button will not
illuminate. At the same time, the air
inlet selection is automatically set to“ outside air ”mode.
In this state, you cannot select “recir-
culation ”mode by manually pressing
the air inlet selection button.
Also, you cannot stop the air condi-
tioner compressor by pressing the air
conditioner button.

!Air conditioner button
The air conditioner operates only when
the engine is running.
Push the air conditioner button while the
fan is in operation to turn on the air
conditioner. The indicator light will illumi-nate.
Push it again to turn off the air conditioner. !
Air inlet selection buttonON position (Recirculation): Interior air is
recirculated inside the vehicle.
Push the air inlet button to the ON
position. The indicator light will illuminate.
Place this button in the ON position when
you wish to cool the cabin quickly (in a
vehicle with an air conditioner) or are
driving on a dusty road.
OFF position (Outside air): Outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment.
Push the air inlet button again to the OFF
position. The indicator light will go off.
Place this button in the OFF position when
you reach a road that is not dusty and
when you wish to achieve a comfortable
temperature in the cabin.
WARNING
Continued operation in the ON posi-
tion may fog up the windows. Switch
to the OFF position as soon as the
outside dusty condition clears.
& Heater operation
! Defrosting or defogging the wind-shield
To direct warm air to the windshield and
front door windows:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Turn the temperature control dial all
the way to the right.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
highest speed.
NOTE . In a vehicle equipped with an air
conditioner, when the dial is placed in the “
”position or “”position the
air conditioner compressor automati-
cally operates to quickly defog the
windshield. However the indicator on
the air conditioner button will not Climate control
4-5
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4-6Climate control
illuminate. At the same time, the air
inlet selection is automatically set to“ outside air ”mode.
In this state, you cannot select “recir-
culation ”mode by manually pressing
the air inlet selection button.
Also, you cannot stop the air condi-
tioner compressor by pressing the air
conditioner button.. Warm air also comes out from the
right and left air outlets. To stop warm
air flow from these outlets, turn the
corresponding wheel to the “
”posi-
tion. ! Heating and defrosting
To direct warm air toward the floor and the windshield:
1. Set the air inlet selection lever to the “ OFF ”position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
most comfortable level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
NOTE . In a vehicle equipped with an air
conditioner, when the dial is placed in the “
”position or “”position the air conditioner compressor automati-
cally operates to quickly defog the
windshield. However the indicator on
the air conditioner button will not
illuminate. At the same time, the air
inlet selection is automatically set to“
outside air ”mode.
In this state, you cannot select “recir-
culation ”mode by manually pressing
the air inlet selection button.
Also, you cannot stop the air condi-
tioner compressor by pressing the air
conditioner button.. Warm air also comes out from the
right and left air outlets. To stop warm
air flow from these outlets, turn the
corresponding wheel to the “
”posi-
tion. ! Heating
To direct warm air toward the floor:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
most comfortable level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed. NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right
and left air outlets. To stop warm air
flow from these outlets, turn the corre-
sponding wheel to the
“
”position.
! Bi-level heating
This setting allows you to direct air of
different temperatures from the instrument
panel and foot outlets. The air from the
foot outlets is slightly warmer than from
the instrument panel outlets.
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the
desired temperature level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
Setting the temperature control dial fully
turned to the red area or blue area
decreases the temperature difference
between the air from the instrument panel
outlets and the air from the foot outlets. ! Ventilation
To force outside air through the instrument
panel outlets:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position.

2. Set the air flow control dial to the“”
position.
3. Set the temperature control dial all the
way left.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the
desired speed.
When driving on a dusty road, set the air
inlet control button to the ON position.
WARNING
Continued operation in the ON posi-
tion may fog up the windows. Switch
to the OFF position as soon as the
outside dusty condition clears.
& Air conditioner operation
! Cooling or dehumidifying
For cooling and dehumidification of the
passenger compartment, air flows through
the instrument panel outlets:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the
OFF position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
”
position.
3. Set the air conditioner button to the “ ON ”position.
4. Set the temperature control dial to the
blue side.
5. Set the fan speed control dial at the desired speed. !
Defrosting or defogging
To direct warm air to the windshield and
front door windows:
1. Set the air outlet control dial to the “
” position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the
red side.
3. Set the fan speed control dial at the
highest speed. NOTE
In a vehicle equipped with an air
conditioner, when the dial is placed inthe “
”position or “”position the
air conditioner compressor automati-
cally operates to quickly defog the
windshield. However the indicator on
the air conditioner button will not
illuminate. At the same time, the air
inlet selection is automatically set to“ outside air ”mode.
In this state, you cannot select “recir-
culation ”mode by manually pressing
the air inlet selection button.
Also, you cannot stop the air condi-
tioner compressor by pressing the air
conditioner button. Automatic climate control
system (if equipped) NOTE .
Operate the automatic climate con-
trol system when the engine is running. . The blower fan rotates at a low
speed when the engine coolant tem-
perature is low.
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button.. Even when cooling is not necessary,
setting the temperature much lower
than the current outlet air temperature
turns on the air conditioner compres-
sor automatically and the “A/C ”indi-
cator light on the control panel illumi-nates.
The automatic climate control system
automatically controls outlet air tempera-
ture, fan speed, air flow distribution air-
inlet control, and air conditioner compres-
sor operation. It activates when the“ AUTO ”button is pressed, and is used to
maintain a constant, comfortable climate
within the passenger compartment.
The temperature can be set within a range
of 65 to 85 8F (18 to 32 8C).
Climate control
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4-8Climate control
& Control panel
1) AUTO button
2) Temperature control dial (driver ’s side)
3) Defroster button
4) Temperature control dial (passenger ’s
side)
5) Rear window defogger button (Refer to the“Rear window defogger button ”sec-
tion in chapter 3.)
6) Air conditioner button
7) Air flow mode selection button
8) Fan speed control button
9) Air inlet selection button
10) OFF button !
AUTO button
AUTO mode operation:
When the “AUTO ”button is pressed, the
indicator light “AUTO ”on the display
illuminates. In this state, fan speed, air
flow distribution, air-inlet control, and air
conditioner compressor operation are
automatically controlled.
Manual mode operation:
If you operate any of the buttons on the
control panel other than the “OFF ”button
and temperature control dial during auto-
matic mode operation, the indicator light“ AUTO ”on the control panel will go out.
You can then manually control the system
as desired using the button you operated.
To change the system back to the AUTO
mode, press the “AUTO ”button. !
OFF button
The Automatic Climate Control system
turns off (the air conditioner compressor
and fan turn off) when the “OFF ”button is
pressed.
When the “OFF ”button is pressed, the
outside air introduction mode (air inlet
selection OFF) is automatically selected.

!Temperature control dial
Driver ’s side
Passenger ’s side
It is possible to make separate tempera-
ture settings for the driver ’s side and passenger
’s side. Each temperature
setting is shown on the display. With the
dial set at your desired temperature, the
system automatically adjusts the tempera-
ture of air supplied from the outlets such
that the desired temperature is achieved
and maintained.
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise,
the system gives maximum cooling per-
formance. If the dial is turned fully clock-
wise, the system gives maximum heatingperformance. !
– Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows, push the defros-
ter button “
”. When the “”button is
pushed, outside air is drawn into the
passenger compartment, air flow is direc-
ted towards the windshield and front door windows, and the indicator light on the
button illuminates.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, return the climate control
system to the AUTO mode by pushingthe
“AUTO ”button or turn off by pushing
the “OFF ”button.
Alternatively, push the “
”button again
to return the system to the setting that was
selected before you activated the defros-
ter. ! Fan speed control button
The fan speed control button has 6
different fan speed positions.
The fan speed is shown by the display. Climate control
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4-10Climate control
! A/C –Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the
climate control system is operated in the
AUTO mode, push the air conditionerbutton “A/C ”to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pushed, the air
conditioner compressor turns on and the
indicator light “A/C ”on the display illumi-
nates. After eliminating the fogging from
the windshield, set the system back to the
AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO ”
button.
NOTE
The air conditioner compressor does
not operate when the outside air tem-
perature is below 32 8F(0 8C). !
Air flow mode selection buttonSelect the desired air flow mode by
pushing the air flow mode selection
button. The selected air flow mode is
shown by the display.
(Ventilation): Air flows through the
instrument panel outlets.
(Bi-level): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets and the foot outlets.
(Heat): Air flows through the instrument
panel outlets, the foot outlets, and some
through the windshield defroster outlets.
(Heat-def): Air flows through the instru-
ment panel outlets, the windshield defros-
ter outlets, and the foot outlets. !
Air inlet selection button
Select air flow by pushing the air inlet
selection button “/”.
The selected air inlet setting is shown on
the control panel.
(Recirculation): Interior air recirculates
inside the passenger compartment. Use
this position when quickly cooling down
the passenger compartment or to prevent
outside air from entering the passenger
compartment. When the recirculation
mode is selected, a “
”indicator light
appears on the display.
(Outside air): Outside air is drawn into
the passenger compartment. When the
climate control system is operated in the“ AUTO ”mode, this position is selected
automatically. (There is one exception:

When the temperature control dial is
turned fully counterclockwise, the recircu-
lation mode is automatically selected.)
When the outside air mode is selected, a“
”indicator light appears on the dis-
play.
WARNING
Continued operation in the “
”
position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the “
”position as soon
as the outside dusty condition clears.
NOTE
When driving on a dusty road or behind
a vehicle that emits unpleasant exhaust
gases, set the air inlet selection button
to the “
”position.
From time to time, return the air inlet
selection button to the “
”position
to draw outside air into the passenger compartment. &
Temperature sensors
1) Solar sensor
2) Interior air temperature sensor
The automatic climate control system
employs several sensors. These sensors
are delicate. If they are treated incorrectly
and become damaged, the system may
not be able to control the interior tempera-
ture correctly. To avoid damaging the
sensors, observe the following precau-tions: – Do not subject the sensors to impact.
– Keep water away from the sensors.
– Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are located as follows:– Solar sensor: beside windshield
defroster grille –
Interior air temperature sensor: on the
side of the driver-side part of the center panel – Outside temperature sensor: behind
front grille. Climate control
4-11

4-12Climate control
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner &Cleaning ventilator grille
Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille
free of snow, leaves, or other obstructions
to ensure efficient heating and defrosting.
Since the condenser is located in front of
the radiator, this area should be kept clean
because cooling performance is impaired
by any accumulation of insects and leaves
on the condenser. &Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to
allow outside air to circulate into the heated interior. This results in quicker
cooling by the air conditioner. Keep the
windows closed during the operation of
the air conditioner for maximum cooling
efficiency.
& Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil. & Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-son
Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper
operation each spring. Please have the air
conditioning system checked by your
SUBARU dealer. & Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather condition
Under certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.) a
small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate
any problem with the air conditioning system. &
Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage,
the air conditioner compressor is designed
to temporarily shut off during air condi-
tioner operation whenever the accelerator
is fully depressed such as during rapid
acceleration or when driving on a steepupgrade. & Refrigerant for your climate
control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly
refrigerant HFC134a. Therefore, the meth-
od of adding, changing or checking the
refrigerant is different from the method for
CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a
result of using the wrong refrigerant are
not covered under warranty.

Air filtration system
Your vehicle’s air conditioning system is
equipped with an air filtration system.
Replace the air filter element according
to the replacement schedule shown in the
following table. This schedule should be
followed to maintain the filter ’s dust
collection ability. Under extremely dusty
conditions, the filter should be replaced
more frequently. Have your filter checked
or replaced by your SUBARU dealer. For
replacement, use only a genuine
SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule: Every 12 months or 9,300 miles (15,000
km) whichever comes first
CAUTION
Contact your SUBARU dealer if the
following occurs, even if it is not yet
time to change the filter: . Reduction of the air flow through
the vents.
. Windshield gets easily fogged or
misted. NOTE
The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor-
mance if not properly maintained.
Climate control
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