brake fluid SUBARU OUTBACK 2012 5.G User Guide

7-26Starting and operating
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 turn off, the EBD system
may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain illuminated after the engine
has been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level. Refer to “Brake fluid ”
F 11-25.
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.
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. Vehicle Dynamics Control system
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with a Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a ser-
ious accident.
CAUTION
. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, winter tires should be
used when driving on snow-cov-
ered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reduced
considerably. Simply having a
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem does not guarantee that the
vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
. Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-
namics Control is no guarantee

.Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain. . Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and
the like. . Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or
down slopes that are too steep. . Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds. . Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the
outside of the rim. . If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle ’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never
attempt to drive through rushing water;
regardless of its depth, it can wash away
the ground from under your tires, resulting
in possible loss of traction and even
vehicle rollover. .
Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads. . Do not drive or park over or near
flammable materials such as dry grass or
fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after the
engine stops. This could create a firehazard. . After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. . Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle
’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the shift lever/
select lever back and forth between “1 ”/
“ D ” and “R ” repeatedly. Do not race the
engine. For the best possible traction,
avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle. . When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT, AT and CVT).
For AT and CVT models, refer to “Selec-
tion of manual mode ”F 7-21.
. Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual. . Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. . Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle
under hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the “Warranty and Mainte- Driving tips
8-7
– CONTINUED –

a different concentration from the one
used previously, purge the old fluid from
the piping between the reservoir tank and
washer nozzles by operating the washer
for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if
the concentration of the fluid remaining in
thepipingistoolowfortheoutside
temperature, it may freeze and block thenozzles.
CAUTION
. Adjust the washer fluid concen-
tration appropriately for the out-
side temperature. If the concen-
tration is inappropriate, sprayed
washer fluid may freeze on the
windshield and obstruct your
view, and the fluid may freeze in
the reservoir tank.
. State or local regulations on
volatile organic compounds may
restrict the use of methanol, a
common windshield washer anti-
freeze additive. Washer fluids
containing non-methanol anti-
freeze agents should be used
only if they provide cold weather
protection without damaging
your vehicle ’s paint, wiper blades
or washer system. !
Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery and
driving dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before
driving, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has
accumulated under the fenders to avoid
making steering difficult. During severe
winter driving, stop when and where it is
safe to do so and check under the fenders
periodically. ! Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the enginerunning.
Do not use the parking brake when
parking for long periods in cold weather
since it could freeze in that position.
Instead, you should observe the followingtips. 1. Place the shift lever in
“1 ” or “R ”for MT
models, or the select lever in “P ” for AT
models and CVT models.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked
after use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-ness. ! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty. Driving tips
8-9
– CONTINUED –

engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the coolant temperature high
warning light (for all models) and AT OIL
TEMP warning light (for AT and CVT
models) because the engine and trans-
mission are relatively prone to overheating
under these conditions. If the coolant
temperature high warning light and/or the
AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates,
immediately turn off the air conditioner and
stop the vehicle in the nearest safe
location. For further instructions and addi-
tional information, refer to the followingsections.
–“If you park your vehicle in an
emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-13
–“ Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light ”F 3-13 –“
AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT and
CVT models) ”F 3-14
. For AT and CVT models, avoid using
the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat. ! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake. You should not park on
a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or “P ” (AT and CVT models) and
shut off the engine. Driving tips
8-27

10-2Appearance care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or a mal-
function of the power steering.
. Do not use any organic solvents
when washing the surface of the
bulb assembly cover. However, if
a detergent with organic solvents
is used to wash the cover sur-
face, completely rinse off the
detergent with water. Otherwise,
the cover surface may be da-maged.
. Outback: Since your vehicle is
equipped with a rear wiper, auto-
matic car-wash brushes could become tangled around it, dama-
ging the wiper arm and other
components. Ask the automatic
car-wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. !
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to damage brake
hoses, sensor harnesses, and

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment (2.5 L non-turbo models) .. ........... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-5
Maintenance tips ................................................ 11-5
Removing and reinstalling clips .......................... 11-5
Removing air intake duct .................................... 11-7
Pulling off the fender lining ................................ 11-7
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-7
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-9
2.5 L non-turbo models ...................................... 11-9
2.5 L turbo models ........................................... 11-10
3.6 L models .................................................... 11-11
Engine oil .......................................................... 11-12
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-12
Changing the oil and oil filter ............................ 11-14
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-16
Synthetic oil ..................................................... 11-16
Cooling system ................................................ 11-16
Cooling fan, hose and connections ................... 11-17
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-17
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-18
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-18
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-20
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-20
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-21 Manual transmission oil
.................................. 11-21
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-21
Automatic transmission fluid .......................... 11-21
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-21
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-22
Continuously variable transmission fluid ...... 11-23
Front differential gear oil (AT and CVT models) .......................................................... 11-23
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-23
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-24
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-24
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-24
Power steering fluid ........................................ 11-24
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-24
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-25
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-25
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-26
Clutch fluid (MT models) ................................. 11-26
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-27
Brake booster .................................................. 11-27
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-28
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-28
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-28
Clutch pedal (MT models) ............................... 11-29
Checking the clutch function ............................ 11-29
Checking the clutch pedal free play .................. 11-29
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-29
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-30 Maintenance and service
11

11-4Maintenance and service
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water.
. Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seat-
belt pretensioner system, or at-
tempt to take its connectors
apart, as that may activate the
system or it can render it inop-
erative. NEVER use a circuit
tester for these wiring. If your
SRS airbag or seatbelt preten-
sioner needs service, consult
your nearest SUBARU dealer. &
Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
WARNING
. Always stop the engine and apply
the parking brake to prevent the
vehicle from moving.
. Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after
the engine is stopped.
. Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
. Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position,
thecoolingfanmayoperate
suddenly even when the engine
is stopped.
. Before performing any servicing
on a vehicle equipped with a
remote engine start system tem-
porarily place that system in the
service mode to prevent it from
unexpectedly starting the engine. &
When checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
(2.5 L non-turbo models)
CAUTION
Do not contact the belt cover while
checking the components in the
engine compartment. Doing so may
cause your hand to slip off the belt
cover and result in an unexpected
injury.

Engine compartment overview &2.5 L non-turbo models1) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
2) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
3) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
4) Fuse box (page 11-44)
5) Battery (page 11-43)
6) Windshield washer tank (page 11-37)
7) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-12)
8) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-17)
9) Radiator cap (page 11-17)
10) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-12)
11) Air cleaner case (page 11-18) Maintenance and service
11-9
– CONTINUED –

11-10Maintenance and service
& 2.5 L turbo models
1) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
2) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
3) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
4) Fuse box (page 11-44)
5) Battery (page 11-43)
6) Windshield washer tank (page 11-37)
7) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-12)
8) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-17)
9) Radiator cap (page 11-17)
10) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-12)
11) Air cleaner case (page 11-18)

&3.6 L models1) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
2) Differential gear oil level gauge (page 11-23)
3) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-21)
4) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
5) Fuse box (page 11-44)
6) Battery (page 11-43)
7) Windshield washer tank (page 11-37)
8) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-12)
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-17)
10) Radiator cap (page 11-17)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-12)
12) Air cleaner case (page 11-18) Maintenance and service
11-11