fuel SUBARU OUTBACK 2010 5.G User Guide

at a safe and level location, and then
check the engine oil level. When the
engine oil level is not within the normal
range, refill with engine oil if necessary.
Refer to“Engine oil ”F 11-12.
If the warning light does not turn off after
refilling with engine oil or the warning light
illuminates even though the engine oil
level is within the normal range, have the
system checked by a SUBARU dealer.
NOTE . The engine low oil level warning
light will not turn off immediately even
if you replace or add engine oil. It will
turn off only when the vehicle is idling
and the engine is warmed up comple-
tely.. When the vehicle is considerably
inclined on an uphill or steep slope, the
warning light may illuminate tempora-
rily due to the movement of engine oil
in the engine. & AT OIL TEMP warning
light (AT and CVT mod-els)
The AT oil temperature warning light “AT
OIL TEMP ”illuminates when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON ”position and
turns off after approximately 2 seconds. If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the transmis-
sion fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light illuminates while driving, im-
mediately stop the vehicle in a safe place
and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off. !
Transmission control system warn- ing
If the “AT OIL TEMP ”warning light flashes
after the engine has started, it may
indicate that the transmission control
system is not working properly. Contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer 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 illuminate for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will go out.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for thosetires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should
stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle
’s handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com- Instruments and controls
3-15
– CONTINUED –

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
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
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. ! Electronic parking brake system warning
The brake system warning light flashes
when the electronic parking brake system
is malfunctioning. If the warning light
flashes, promptly park in a safe location
as soon as possible and contact your
SUBARU dealer.
The brake system warning light remains
illuminated when the parking brake cannot
be released even if the parking brake
switch is pulled. For details, refer to“ Electronic parking brake ”F 7-34.
! Parking brake apply inhibit warning
The brake system warning light flashes for
10 seconds and a chirp sound will be
heard if the parking brake switch is
operated when the parking brake cannot be applied. !
Frequent operation warning
The brake system warning light flashes for
20 seconds and a chirp sound will be
heard if the parking brake switch is
operated too frequently. In this case, the
operation of the parking brake switch is
restricted to protect the electronic parking
brake system.
NOTE
Wait until the warning light turns off. ! Emergency released warning
The brake system warning light flashes
when the parking brake is automatically
released in case of an emergency. & Hill Holder indicator light
WARNING
If the Hill Holder indicator light does
not illuminate even when the Hill
Holder switch is pressed to activate
the Hill Holder function, the electro-
nic parking brake system may be
malfunctioning. Immediately stop
the vehicle in a safe location and
contact your SUBARU dealer. The light illuminates when the ignition
switch is turned to the
“ON ”position and
turns off after approximately 2 seconds.
The light illuminates when the Hill Holder
switch is pressed to activate the Hill
Holder function.
& Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light illuminates
when the tank is nearly empty approxi-
mately 2.6 US gal (10.0 liters, or 2.2 Imp
gal). It only operates when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position.
NOTE
This light does not turn off unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 3.7 US
gal (14 liters, 3.1 Imp gal).
CAUTION
Promptly put fuel in the tank when-
ever the low fuel warning light
illuminates. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine. Instruments and controls
3-19
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3-22Instruments and controls
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably malfunctioning under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. . The light does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.. The light does not turn off even after a
period of approximately 2 seconds after
the ignition switch has been turned to the“ ON ”position.
& Security indicator light
This indicator light shows the status of the
alarm system. It also indicates operation
of the immobilizer system. !Alarm system
It blinks to show the driver the operational
status of the alarm system. For detailed
information, refer to “Alarm system ”F 2-
16. ! Immobilizer system
This light blinks approximately 60 seconds
after the ignition switch is turned from“ ON ”position to the “Acc ”or “LOCK ”
position or immediately after the key is
pulled out. Refer to “Immobilizer ”F 2-3.
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 illumi- nates.
& Select lever/gear position in- dicator
This indicator shows the position of the
shift lever (MT models) or select lever (AT
and CVT models). ! AT and CVT models
When the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator (which shows the
current gear selection) and the upshift/
downshift indicator light up. Refer to “
Automatic transmission/Continuously
variable transmission ”F 7-18.
! MT models
The shift-up indicator light illuminates and
informs the driver about the upshift timing
for fuel-efficient driving.
The gear position indicator light and the
shift-up indicator can be activated or
deactivated by performing the followingprocedure.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position.
2. Press the trip knob to show “
”or
“” on the trip meter display.
The display can be switched as shown in
the following illustration by pressing the
trip knob.
*1: “” or “”and “”or “”cannot
be displayed when the ignition switch is
in the “ON ”position.
*
2: MT models only

&Outside temperature indica- tor
1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
The outside temperature indicator shows
the outside temperature in a range from 22 to 122 8F( 30 to 50 8C).
The indicator can give a false reading
under any of the following conditions: . When there is too much sun.
. During idling; while running at low
speeds in a traffic jam; when the engine
is restarted immediately following a shut- down. . When the actual outside temperature
falls outside the specified indicator range. !
Road surface freeze warning indi- cation1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
When the outside temperature drops to 37 8F(3 8C) or lower, the temperature
indication flashes to show that the road
surface may be frozen.
If the outside temperature drops to 37 8F
(3 8C) or lower while the display is giving
an indication other than the outside
temperature, the display switches to the
outside temperature indication and flashes
for 5 seconds before returning to its
original indication.
If the display is already indicating an
outside temperature of 37 8F(3 8C) or lower
when the ignition switch is turned to the “
ON ”position, the indication does not
flash.
NOTE
The outside temper ature indication
may differ from the actual outside
temperature. The road surface freeze
warning indication should be treated
only as a guide. Be sure to check the
condition of the road surface beforedriving. & Average fuel consumption
1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
This indication shows the average rate of
fuel consumption since the trip meter was
last reset. Instruments and controls
3-25
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3-26Instruments and controls
Pressing the trip knob toggles the indica-
tion between the average fuel consump-
tion corresponding to the A trip meter
indication and the average fuel consump-
tion corresponding to the B trip meterindication.
When either of the trip meter indications is
reset, the corresponding average fuel
consumption value is also reset. NOTE . The indicated values vary in accor-
dance with changes in the vehicle ’s
running conditions. Also, the indicated
values may differ slightly from the
actual values and should thus be
treated only as a guide.. When either trip meter indication is
reset, the average fuel consumption
corresponding to that trip meter indica-
tion is not shown until the vehicle has
subsequently covered a distance of 1
mile (or 1 km). &
Current fuel consumption
1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
This indication shows the rate of fuel
consumption at the present moment. &
Driving range on remaining fuel
1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
The driving range indicates the distance
that can be driven taking into account the
amount of fuel remaining in the tank and
the average rate of fuel consumption.
When the low fuel warning light illumi-
nates, the driving range indication flashes
for 5 seconds. (The display first switches
to the driving range indication if it was
originally giving some other indication.)

1) U.S.-spec. models
2) Except U.S.-spec. models
If the driving range is shown as “
”,
there is only a tiny amount of fuel left in the
tank. You must refuel the vehicle immedi-
ately.
NOTE
The driving range on remaining fuel is
only a guide. The indicated value may
differ from the actual driving range on
remaining fuel, so you must immedi-
ately fill the tank when the low fuel
warning light illuminates. Light control switch
The light control switch only operates
when the key is inserted into the ignitionswitch.
Regardless of the position of the light
control switch, the illuminated lights are
turned off when the key is removed from
the ignition switch. NOTE .
Even if the key is removed from the
ignition switch, the lights can be illu-
minated by operating the light control
switch position from “OFF ”to “
”
and/or “”.
. If the driver ’s door is opened while
the lights are illuminated and the key is
removed from the ignition switch, the
chirp sound informs the driver that the
lights are illuminated.
CAUTION
. Use of any lights for a long period
of time while the engine is not
running can cause the battery todischarge.
. Before leaving the vehicle, make
sure that the light control switch
is turned to the “OFF ”position. If
the vehicle is left unattended for a long time with the light control
switch set to a position otherthan
“OFF ”, the battery may be
discharged.
& Headlights
To turn on the headlights, turn the knob on
the end of the turn signal lever.
first position
Instrument panel illumination, tail lights,
front side marker lights and license plate
lights are on.
second position
Headlights, instrument panel illumination,
front side marker lights, tail lights and
license plate lights are on. Instruments and controls
3-27
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The indicator light located on the combi-
nation meter will illuminate when the front
fog lights are on.Wiper and washer
WARNING
In freezing weather, do not use the
windshield washer until the wind-
shield is sufficiently warmed by the
defroster.
Otherwise the washer fluid can
freeze on the windshield, blocking
your view.
CAUTION
. Do not operate the washer con-
tinuously for more than 10 sec-
onds, or when the washer fluid
tank is empty. This may cause
overheating of the washer motor.
Check the washer fluid level
frequently, such as at fuel stops.
. Do not operate the wipers when
the windshield or rear window is
dry. This may scratch the glass,
damage the wiper blades and
cause the wiper motor to burn
out. Before operating the wiper
on a dry windshield or rear
window, always use the wind-
shield washer. .
In freezing weather, be sure that
the wiper blades are not frozen to
the windshield or rear window
before switching on the wipers.
Attempting to operate the wiper
with the blades frozen to the
window glass could cause not
only the wiper blades to be
damaged but also the wiper mo-
tor to burn out. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the window
glass, be sure to operate the
defroster, wiper deicer (if
equipped) or rear window defog-
ger before turning on the wiper.
. If the wipers stop during opera-
tion because of ice or some other
obstruction on the window, the
wiper motor could burn out even
if the wiper switch is turned off. If
this occurs, promptly stop the
vehicle in a safe place, turn the
ignition switch to the “LOCK ”
position and clean the window
glass to allow proper wiper op-eration.
. Use clean water if windshield
washer fluid is unavailable. In
areas where water freezes in
winter, use SUBARU Windshield
Washer Fluid or the equivalent.
Refer to “Windshield washer
Instruments and controls
3-31
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Fuel...................................................................... 7-2
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-3
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-6
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-7
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-8
MT models .......................................................... 7-8
AT and CVT models ............................................. 7-9
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-10
Remote engine start system (dealer option) ................................................. 7-10
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-11
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-11
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-12
Remote start confirmation transmitter feature ............................................................. 7-12
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-13
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-13
Service mode ..................................................... 7-14
Remote transmitter program ............................... 7-14
System maintenance .......................................... 7-14
Manual transmission .......................................... 7-16
Selecting reverse gear ........................................ 7-16
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-17
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-17
Automatic transmission/Continuously variable transmission ..................................... 7-18
Select lever ........................................................ 7-19 Shift lock function
............................................. 7-20
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-21
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-23
Power steering ................................................... 7-23
Braking ............................................................... 7-23
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-23
Brake system .................................................... 7-24
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-24
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-25
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-25
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-25
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-26
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions ..... ..... 7-27
Vehicle Dynamics Control system .................... 7-28
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor..... ..... 7-29
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ................ 7-31
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-32
Parking your vehicle ......................................... 7-33
Electronic parking brake .................................... 7-34
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-37
Cruise control .................................................... 7-38
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-38
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-39
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-39
To change the cruising speed .. .......................... 7-40
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-41
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 7-41
Starting and operating
7

7-2Starting and operating
Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause engine damage.
& Fuel requirements
! Non-turbo models
The non-turbo engine is designed to
operate using unleadedgasoline with an
octane rating of 87 AKI or higher .
! Turbo models
The engine is designed to operate at
maximum performance using unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI
or higher . If 93 AKI fuel is not readily
available in your area, unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 91 AKI may be
used with no detriment to engine durability
or driveability. However, you may notice a
slight decrease in maximum engine per-
formance while using 91 AKI fuel. Use of
91 AKI fuel will not affect your warranty
coverage. 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 turbo
engine model. If other gasoline (lower
than 91 AKI) is used, knocking, re-
duced output and poor accelerator
response will result. ! 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
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. . Fuel system damage or driveability
problems which result from the use of
improper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
& Fuel filler lid and cap
! Refueling
Only one person should be involved in
refueling. Do not allow others to approach
the area of the vehicle near the fuel filler
pipe while refueling is in progress.
Be sure to observe any other precautions
that are posted at the service station. Starting and operating
7-3
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