SUBARU OUTBACK 2009 5.G Owners Manual

6-18Interior equipment
storing recesses.
Under-floor storage compart- ment
The subfloor storage compartment is
located under the floor of the trunk or
cargo area and can be used to store small
items. To open the lid, pull the tab or
handle up. NOTE
When storing a flat tire, put the sub-
floor storage in the trunk or cargo area.
CAUTION
. Always keep the lid of the sub-
floor storage compartment
closed while driving to reduce
the risk of injury in the event of
sudden stop or an accident.
. Do not store spray cans, contain-
ers with flammable or corrosive
liquids or any other dangerous
items in the subfloor storagecompartment.Sedan
Station wagon
Hang the hook provided on the underside
of the lid on the rear edge of the roof to
keep the lid open.

HomeLink®Wireless Control
System (if equipped)
1) HomeLink® buttons
2) Indicator light
3) Hand-held transmitter* * Not part of your vehicle ’s remote
keyless entry system but of a
HomeLink®-compatible device.
The HomeLink® Wireless Control System,
located on the driver ’s sun visor, is a
handy way to operate, from inside of your
vehicle, up to three remote-controlled
indoor and outdoor devices, such as
garage door openers, entrance gates,
door locks, home lighting, and security
systems. There are three HomeLink®
buttons on the sun visor, each of which
you can program for operation of one desired device. For details on the device
types which can be operated by this
system, consult the HomeLink website at
www.homelink.com or call 1-800-355-3515.
Note the following about this system:
Ifyourvehicleisequippedwiththe
HomeLink® Wireless Control System, it
complies with Part 15 of the Federal
Communication Commission Rules in the
U.S. and the RSS-210 of Industry Canada
in Canada. Its operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, includ-
ing interference that may cause undesiredoperation.
Changes and modifications to this system
by anyone other than an authorized
service facility could void authorization to
use this equipment.
HomeLink and the HomeLink house are
registered trademarks of Johnson Con-
trols, Inc.
WARNING
. When programming the
HomeLink ®Wireless Control
System, you may be operating a garage door opener or other
device. Make sure that people
and objects are out of the way
of the garage door opener or
other device to prevent potential
harm or damage.
. Do not use the HomeLink ®Wire-
less Control System with any
garage door opener that lacks
the safety stop and reverse fea-
ture as required by applicable
safety standards. A garage door
opener which cannot detect an
object, signaling the door to stop
and reverse, does not meet these
safety standards. Using a garage
door opener without these fea-
tures increases risk of serious
injury or death. For more infor-
mation, consult the HomeLink
website at www.homelink.com
or call 1-800-355-3515.
CAUTION
When programming the HomeLink ®
Wireless Control System to operate
a garage door opener or an entrance
gate, unplug the device ’s motor
from the outlet during programming
to prevent motor burnout. Interior equipment
6-19
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6-20Interior equipment
NOTE . After programming your HomeLink ®
Wireless Control System for the de-
sired devices, retain the hand-held
transmitters for further programming
or device testing in the event of aproblem.. It is recommended that you insert a
new battery in the hand-held transmit-
ter of a device to ensure correctprogramming.
& Garage door opener pro-
gramming in the U.S.A.
NOTE
When programming the HomeLink ®
Wireless Control System for a garage
door opener, it is suggested that you
park the vehicle outside the garage.
1. Unplug the motor of the garage door
opener from the outlet.
2. Press and hold the two outside
HomeLink® buttons until the indicator light
begins to flash (after 20 seconds). Re-
lease both buttons. NOTE
If any of the HomeLink ®buttons are
already programmed for other devices,
skip step 2 because it clears the
memory of all the three buttons.
3. Hold the end of the garage door opener ’s hand-held transmitter between
1 and 3 inches (25 and 76 mm) away from
the HomeLink® buttons on the driver ’s
sun visor, keeping the indicator light in
view.4. Using both hands, simultaneously
push the hand-held transmitter button
and the desired HomeLink® button. DO
NOT release the buttons until step 5 has
been completed.
5. Hold down both buttons until the
HomeLink® indicator light flashes, first
slowly then rapidly. When the indicator
light flashes rapidly, both buttons may be
released. (The rapidly flashing light indi-
cates successful programming of the new
frequency signal.)
6. Press and hold the programmed but-
ton and check the HomeLink® indicator
light. If the indicator light stays on con-
tinuously, your garage door should acti-
vate and the programming is completed.
If the indicator light flashes rapidly for 2
seconds and then stays on continuously,

your garage door opener may be pro-
tected by a rolling code feature. In this
case you need to perform the additional
steps for“Programming rolling-code-pro-
tected garage door openers in the U.S.A. ”
described in the following. NOTE
Rolling-code-protected garage door
openers are manufactured after 1996.
See the instruction manual of your
garage opener for confirmation.
7. Reconnect the motor of your garage
door opener to the outlet.
8. Test your garage door opener by
pressing the programmed HomeLink®button. & Programming rolling-code-
protected garage door open-
ers in the U.S.A.
If your garage door opener has a rolling
code feature, program the HomeLink®
Wireless Control System for it by following
steps 1 through 5 in the "Programming
garage door openers in the U.S.A." sec-
tion above and then continuing with the
following steps. NOTE
The assistance of a second person
may make the programming quicker
and easier.
1. Locate the training button on the
garage door opener motor head unit.
The exact location and color of the button
may vary by brand of garage door opener.
If it is difficult to locate the training button,
refer to your garage door opener
’s instruc-
tion manual.
1) Training button
2. Press the training button on the
garage door opener motor head unit
(which activates the “training light ”on the
unit). Proceed to step 3 within 30 seconds.
3. Inside the vehicle, firmly press and
release the HomeLink® button that was
programmed in the section above. Press
and release the button a second time to
complete the programming procedure. NOTE
Some garage door openers may re-
quire you to do the above procedure a
third time to complete the program-ming.
4. The garage door opener should now
recognize the HomeLink® Wireless Con- Interior equipment
6-21
– CONTINUED –

6-22Interior equipment
trol System and your garage door opener
should activate when the HomeLink®
button is pressed. & Programming for entrance
gates and garage door open-
ers in Canada
1. Unplug the motor of the entrance gate
or garage door opener from the outlet.
2. Press and hold the two outside buttons
until the HomeLink® indicator light begins
to flash (after 20 seconds). Release bothbuttons. NOTE
If any of the HomeLink ®buttons are
already programmed for other devices,
skip step 2 because it clears the memory of all three buttons.
3. Hold the end of the entrance gate
’s/
garage door opener ’s hand-held transmit-
ter between 1 and 3 inches (25 and 76
mm) away from the HomeLink® buttons
on the driver ’s sun visor, keeping the
indicator light in view.
4. Press and hold the desired
HomeLink® button.
5. Press and release ( “cycle ”) the hand-
held transmitter button every 2 seconds
until step 6 is complete.
6. When the indicator light flashes slowly
and then rapidly after several seconds,
release both buttons.
7. Plug the motor of the entrance gate/
garage door opener to the outlet.
8. Test your entrance gate/garage door opener by pressing the programmed
HomeLink® button. &
Programming other devices
To program other devices such as door
locks, home lighting and security systems,
contact HomeLink at www.homelink.com
or call 1-800-355-3515. & Operating the HomeLink ®
Wireless Control System
Once programmed, the HomeLink® Wire-
less Control System can be used to
remote-control the devices to which its
buttons are programmed. To activate a
device, simply press the appropriate but-
ton. The indicator light illuminates, indicat-
ing that the signal is being transmitted. & Reprogramming a single HomeLink ®button
1. Press and hold the HomeLink® button
you wish to reprogram. DO NOT release
the button until step 4 has been com-pleted.
2. When the HomeLink® indicator light
begins to flash slowly (after 20 seconds),
position the hand-held transmitter of the
device for which you wish to program the
button at 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76 mm) away
from the HomeLink® button surface.

3. Press and hold the hand-held trans-
mitter button. The HomeLink® indicator
light will flash, first slowly and then rapidly.
4. When the indicator light begins to flash
rapidly, release both buttons.
The programming for the previous device
is now erased and the new device can be
operated by pushing the HomeLink®button. &Erasing HomeLink ®button
memory
NOTE . Performing this procedure erases
the memory of all the preprogrammed
buttons simultaneously. The memory
of individual buttons cannot be erased.. It is recommended that upon the
sale of the vehicle, the memory of all
programmed HomeLink ®buttons be
erased for security purposes.
1. Press and hold the two outside buttons
until the indicator light begins to flash
(after 20 seconds).
2. Release both buttons. &
In case a problem occurs
If you cannot activate a device using the
corresponding HomeLink® button after
programming, contact HomeLink at
www.homelink.com or call 1-800-355-
3515 for assistance. Interior equipment
6-23

Fuel...................................................................... 7-3
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-3
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-5
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-7
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-8
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-9
Manual transmission vehicle ................................ 7-9
Automatic transmission vehicle .......................... 7-10
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-11
Remote engine start system (dealer option) ................................................. 7-11
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-12
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-12
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-12
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-12
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-13
Service mode ..................................................... 7-13
Remote transmitter programming and programmable feature option ............................ 7-13
System maintenance .......................................... 7-14
Manual transmission –5 speeds ...................... 7-15
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-15
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-16
Manual transmission –6 speeds (2.5GT
spec.B) ............................................................. 7-17
Selecting reverse gear ........................................ 7-17
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-17
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-18 Automatic transmission
–4-speed ................... 7-18
Selector lever .................................................... 7-19
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ............ 7-20
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-21
Maximum speeds ............................................... 7-22
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-23
SPORT mode ..................................................... 7-23
Shift lock release ............................................... 7-24
Automatic transmission –5-speed ................... 7-24
Selector lever .................................................... 7-25
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ............ 7-26
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-27
Maximum speeds ............................................... 7-29
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-29
Shift lock release ............................................... 7-30
SI-DRIVE (turbo and 3.0 L models) .................. 7-31
Intelligent (I) mode ............................................. 7-31
Sport (S) mode .................................................. 7-32
Sport Sharp (S#) mode. ...................................... 7-32
SI-DRIVE selector .............................................. 7-32
SI-DRIVE Sport Sharp (S#) switch ...................... 7-33
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-33
Power steering ................................................... 7-34
Braking ............................................................... 7-34
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-34
Brake system .................................................... 7-34
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-35
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-35
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-35
Starting and operating
7

Starting and operatingABS warning light .............................................. 7-36
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-37
Steps to take if EBD system fails ........................ 7-37
Vehicle Dynamics Control system (if equipped) .................................................... 7-38
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor .......... 7-40
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ................. 7-42
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-43 Parking your vehicle
......................................... 7-44
Parking brake .................................................... 7-45
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-45
Cruise control .................................................... 7-46
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-46
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-47
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-48
To change the cruising speed ............................ 7-48
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-49
Cruise control set indicator light ... ..................... 7-50

Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause engine damage.
& Fuel requirements
! 2.5 L non-turbo models
The 2.5 L non-turbo engine is designed to
operate using unleadedgasoline with an
octane rating of 87 AKI or higher .
! 2.5 L turbo models
The 2.5 L turbo engine is designed to
operate using premium unleadedgaso-
line with an octane rating of 91 AKI or
higher . If premium unleaded gasoline is
not available, regular unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 87 AKI or higher
may be temporarily used. For optimum
engine performance and driveability, it is
required that you use premium grade
unleaded gasoline. NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded
gasoline of 91 AKI or higher for a 2.5
L turbo engine model. If other gasoline
(lower than 91 AKI) is used, knocking,
reduced output and poor accelerator
response will result. !
3.0 L models
The 3.0 L engine is designed to operate using unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 91 AKI or higher . Regular
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of 87 AKI or higher may be used. However
for optimum engine performance and
driveability, it is recommended that you
use 91 AKI or higher grade unleaded
gasoline. You may experience reduced
output, poor accelerator response, and
reduced fuel economy when using gaso-
line with an octane rating lower than 91
AKI, depending on your driving habits and
conditions. If you experience any of these
conditions while using a lower octane
rated fuel, you may want to return to using
91 AKI octane rated fuel as soon as
possible. Additionally, if your vehicle
knocks heavily or persistently, or if you
are driving with heavy loads such as when
towing a trailer, the use of 91 AKI or higher
grade unleaded gasoline is required. !
Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane
numbers and is commonly referred to as
the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane
rating can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly when you drive
up a hill or when you accelerate. See your
dealer or a qualified service technician if
you use a fuel with the specified octane
rating and your vehicle knocks heavily or
persistently. ! Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will
damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy. ! California fuel
If your vehicle was certified to California
Emission Standards as indicated on the
underhood tune-up label, it is designed to
optimize engine and emission control
system performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your Starting and operating
7-3
– CONTINUED –

7-4Starting and operating
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle ’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or
smell. SUBARU recommends that you try
a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service. The CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator lamp may also
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
authorized SUBARU dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty. ! MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If
you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/mal-
function indicator lamp may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty. !
Gasoline for cleaner air
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels con-
taining alcohol may cause paint
damage, which is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.
Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol
(ethyl or grain alcohol) may be used in
your vehicle, but should contain no more
than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now producing reformulated gasolines,
which are designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains,
you should ask your service station
operators if their gasolines contain deter-
gents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-sions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in thefollowing. .
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual. . Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline.
Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture ANDif it is accompanied by
sufficient quantities of the proper cosol-
vents and corrosion inhibitors required to
prevent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT
under these conditions. . If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a different brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer.