transmission SUBARU OUTBACK 2012 5.G User Guide

7-6Starting and operating
mage to the fuel system.
. After refueling, turn the cap to the
right until it clicks to ensure that
it is fully tightened. If the cap is
not securely tightened, fuel may
leak out while the vehicle is being
driven or fuel spillage could
occur in the event of an accident,
creating a fire hazard.
. Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Because
fuel may damage the paint, be
sure to wipe off any spilled fuel
quickly. Paint damage caused by
spilled fuel is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
. Always use a genuine SUBARU
fuel filler cap. If you use the
wrong cap, it may not fit, and
your fuel tank and emission con-
trol system may be damaged. It
could also lead to fuel spillage
and a fire.
. Immediately put fuel in the tank
whenever the low fuel warning
light illuminates. Engine misfires
as a result of an empty tank
could cause damage to the en-gine. State emission testing (U.S. only)
WARNING
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive model
must NEVER be performed on a
single two-wheel dynamometer. At-
tempting to do so will result in
uncontrolled vehicle movement and
may cause an accident or injuries to
persons nearby.
CAUTION
. At state inspection time, remem-
ber to tell your inspection or
service station in advance not to
place your SUBARU AWD vehicle
on a two-wheel dynamometer.
Otherwise, serious transmission
damage will result.
. Resultant vehicle damage due to
improper testing is not covered
under the SUBARU Limited War-
ranty and is the responsibility of
the state inspection program or
its contractors or licensees.
California and a number of federal states
have Inspection/Maintenance programs to inspect your vehicle
’s emission control
system. If your vehicle does not pass this
test, some states may deny renewal of
your vehicle ’s registration.
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer
that monitors the performance of the engine ’s emission control system. Certi-
fied emission inspectors will inspect the
On-Board Diagnostic (OBDII) system as
part of the state emission inspection
process. The OBDII system is designed
to detect engine and transmission pro-
blems that might cause the vehicle emis-
sions to exceed allowable limits. OBDII
inspections apply to all 1996 model year
and newer passenger cars and trucks.
Over 30 states plus the District of Colum-
bia have implemented emission inspec-
tion of the OBDII system. . The inspection of the OBDII system
consists of a visual operational check of the “CHECK ENGINE ”warning light/mal-
function indicator light (MIL) and an
examination of the OBDII system with an
electronic scan tool. . A vehicle
passes the OBDII system
inspection if proper operation of the “ CHECK ENGINE ”warning light is ob-
served, there are no stored diagnostic
trouble codes, and the OBDII readiness
monitors are all complete.

3. Remove the circuit board from the
bottom half of the case and remove the
batteries and replace with new ones. Be
sure to observe the (+) sign on the old
batteries before removing them to ensure
that the new batteries are inserted prop-
erly (battery“+ ” should be pointed away
from the transmitter circuit board on bothbatteries).
4. Carefully snap the case halves back
together, reinstall the Phillips type screw
and test the remote engine start system. NOTE . This device complies with Part 15 of
the FCC Rules and with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful inter- ference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause
undesired operation.
Changes or modifications not ex-
pressly approved by the party respon-
sible for compliance could void theuser
’s authority to operate the equip-
ment and void warranty.. To comply with the FCC RF expo-
sure compliance requirements, no
change to the antenna or the device is
permitted. Any change to the antenna
or the device could result in the device
exceeding the RF exposure require-
ments and void user ’s authority to
operate the device. Manual transmission
WARNING
. Do not drive the vehicle with the
clutch disengaged (i.e., when the
clutch pedal is depressed) or
with the shift lever in the neutral
position. Engine braking has no
effect in either of these condi-
tions and the risk of an accident
is consequently increased.
. Do not engage the clutch (i.e.,
release the clutch pedal) sud-
denly when starting the vehicle.
By doing so the vehicle might
unexpectedly accelerate or the
transmission could malfunction. Starting and operating
7-15
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7-16Starting and operating
The manual transmission is a fully syn-
chromeshed, 6-forward-speed and 1-re-
verse-speed transmission.
The shift pattern is shown on the shift
lever knob. &Selecting reverse gear
CAUTION
Shift into reverse ONLY when the
vehicle has completely stopped. It
may cause damage to the transmis-
sion to try shifting into reverse when
the vehicle is moving.
1) Slider
You must raise the slider and hold it in that
position before you can move the shift
lever to the “R ”position.
To change gears, fully depress the clutch
pedal, move the shift lever, and gradually
let up on the clutch pedal.
If it is difficult to shift into gear, put the
transmission in neutral, release the clutch
pedal momentarily, and then try again.
& Shifting speeds
! Recommended shifting speeds
The best compromise between fuel econ-
omy and vehicle performance during
normal driving is ensured by shifting up
at the speeds listed in the following table. Shift up mph (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40) 3rd to 4th 40 (64)4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th to 6th 50 (80)
! Maximum allowable speeds
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to
observe this precaution can lead to
engine over-revving and this in turn
can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine brakes when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accidentincreased.
The following table shows the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear. The tachometer ’s needle will

enter the red area if these speeds are exceeded.
With the exception of cases where sudden
acceleration is required, the vehicle
should not be driven with the tachometer’s
needle inside the red area. Failure to
observe this precaution can lead to
excessive engine wear and poor fuel
economy. mph (km/h)
Gear Legacy
Outback
Non-turbo
models Turbo
models
1st 32 (52) 35 (56) 32 (52)
2nd 57 (92) 62 (100) 57 (92)
NOTE
Never exceed posted speed limits. & Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to
hold your vehicle at a standstill on an
upgrade. Either of those actions may
cause clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners, or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to
labor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 5th, 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear
as necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking
effect. Remember, if you
“ride ”(over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock
when the vehicle rapidly accelerates or
rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This
phenomenon does not indicate a problem. Automatic transmission/Con-
tinuously variable transmis-sion
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. The con-
tinuously variable transmission is electro-
nically controlled and provides an infinite
number of forward speeds and 1 reversespeed.
Both the automatic transmission and
continuously variable transmission have
a manual mode.
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ”
position into the “D ” or “R ” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle
to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
. Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is comple-
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
. Do not race the engine for more Starting and operating
7-17
– CONTINUED –

7-18Starting and operating
than 5 seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is applied or
when chocks are used in the
wheels. This may cause the
transmission fluid to overheat.
. Avoid shifting from one of the
forward driving positions into the“ R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever inthe “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the select
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
NOTE . For AT models, when the engine
coolant temperature is still low, the
transmission will upshift to higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in order
to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor- mal timing after the engine has warmedup..
Immediately after transmission fluid
is replaced, you may feel that the
transmission operation is somewhat
unusual. This results from invalidation
of data which the on-board computer
has collected and stored in memory to
allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.. When driving a vehicle that is
equipped with CVT under continuous
heavy load conditions such as towing a
camper or climbing a long, steep hill,
the engine speed or the vehicle speed
may automatically be reduced. This is
not a malfunction. This phenomenon
results from the engine control func-
tion maintaining the cooling perfor-
mance of the vehicle. The engine and
vehicle speed will return to a normal
speed when the engine is able to
maintain the optimum cooling perfor-
mance after the heavy load decreases.
Driving under a heavy load must be
performed with extreme care. Do not
try to pass a vehicle in front when
driving on an uphill slope while towing.. The continuously variable transmis-
sion is a chain type system that provides superior transmission effi-
ciency for maximum fuel economy. At
times, depending on varying driving
conditions, a chain operating sound
may be heard that is characteristic of
this type of system.
& Select lever
: With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while pressing the button in
: Shift while pressing the button in: Shift without pressing the button
The select lever has four positions, “P ”,
“ R ”, “N ”, “D ”and also has a manual gate
for using the manual mode. ! P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine.

In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically locked to prevent the vehicle
from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first apply the
parking brake, then shift into the“P ”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the transmission.
To shift the select lever from the “P ”to any
other position, you should depress the
brake pedal fully then move the select
lever. This prevents the vehicle from
lurching when it is started. NOTE
To protect the engine while the “P ”
position is selected, the engine is
controlled such that the engine speed
may not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is depressed hard. ! R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N ” to “R ”position, stop
the vehicle completely then move the
lever to the “R ”position.
! N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalledengine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is applied.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
NOTE . To protect the engine while the “N ”
position is selected, the engine is
controlled such that the engine speed
may not become too high even if the
accelerator pedal is depressed hard.. If the select lever is in the “N ”
position when you stop the engine for
parking, you may not subsequently be
able to move it to the “R ” and “P ”
positions. If this happens, turn the
ignition switch to the “ON ”position.
You will then be able to move the select
lever to the “P ” position.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
select lever in the “N ” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no
effect in this condition and the risk
of an accident is consequently in-creased. !
D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving. The
transmission automatically shifts into a
suitable gear according to the vehicle
speed and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, depress the accelerator pedal
fully to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift.
When you release the pedal, the transmis-
sion will return to the original gear posi-tion.
To use the manual mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate.
NOTE (AT models only)
Automatic downshifts to 4th or 3rd may
occur even when driving on a level
road depending on conditions, such as
how hard you depress the brake pedal. ! While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift is
prevented from taking place when the
accelerator is released. This minimizes
the chance of subsequent downshifting to
a lower gear when accelerating again.
This prevents repeated upshifting and
downshifting resulting in a smoother op-
eration of the vehicle. Starting and operating
7-19
– CONTINUED –

7-20Starting and operating
NOTE
The transmission may downshift, de-
pending on the way the accelerator
pedal is depressed to accelerate the
vehicle again. & Shift lock function
The shift lock function helps prevent the
improper operation of the select lever. . The select lever cannot be operated
unless the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position and the brake pedal is
depressed. . The select lever cannot be moved from
the “P ” position to any other position
before the brake pedal is depressed.
Depress the brake pedal first, and then
operate the select lever. . Only the “P ”position allows you to turn
the key from the “Acc ”position to the
“ LOCK ”position and remove the key from
the ignition key cylinder.. If the ignition switch is turned to the
“ LOCK ”position while the select lever is in
the “N ”position, the select lever may not
be moved to the “P ”position after a period
of time. Therefore, move the select lever
to the “P ” position with the brake pedal
depressed soon after the ignition switch is
turned to the “LOCK ”position. !
Shift lock release
If the select lever cannot be operated, turn
theignitionswitchbacktothe “ON ”
position then move the select lever to the“ P ” position with the select lever button
pressed and brake pedal depressed.
If the select lever does not move after
performing the above procedure, perform
the following steps. . When the select lever cannot be
shifted from “P ” to “N ”:
Refer to “Shift lock release using the shift
lock release button ”F 7-20.
. When the select lever cannot be
shifted from “N ” to “R ”, “P ”:
Within 60 seconds after placing the igni-
tion switch in the “Acc ”position, move the
select lever to the “P ” position with the
select lever button pressed and brake
pedal depressed.
If you must perform the above procedure,
the shift lock system (or the vehicle control
system) may be malfunctioning. Contact a
SUBARU dealer for an inspection as soon
as possible.
If the select lever does not move after
performing the above procedure, refer to“ Shift lock release using the shift lock
release button ”F 7-20. !
Shift lock release using the shift
lock release button
Perform the following procedure to release
the shift lock.
1. Apply the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Remove the shift lock cover using a
flat-head screwdriver.

7-22Starting and operating
turns off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the
paddle shift switch behind the steeringwheel.
Pull the “+ ” of the paddle shift to upshift
one level. Also pull the “ ” of the paddle
shift to downshift one level.
To deselect the manual mode, return the
select lever to the “D ”position from the “M ”
position.
While driving with the select lever in the “ D ” position, if you change gears by
paddle shifting, the gear position indicator
light illuminates and shows the current
gear condition.
CAUTION
Do not place or hang anything on
the paddle shift levers. Doing so
may result in accidental gear shift-ing.
NOTE
Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode. . If you attempt to shift down when
the engine speed is too high, i.e., when
a downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible.. If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond.. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the paddle switch twice in rapid suc-cession.. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stopsmoving.. If the temperature of the transmis-
sion fluid becomes too high, the “AT
OIL TEMP ”warning light will illuminate.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and let the engine idle until the
warning light turns off. &
Driving tips
. On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill safely and easily by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manualmode. . Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”or
“ R ”position.
. Always apply the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the
vehicle with only the transmission. . Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the “ D ”position. Use the brake instead.
. The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate amalfunction. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 2.5 L turbo or
3.6 L engine before the engine warms up.

7-34Starting and operating
!Electronic parking brake system warning
CAUTION
If the brake system warning light
flashes, the electronic parking brake
system may be malfunctioning. Im-
mediately stop your vehicle in the
nearest safe location and contact
your SUBARU dealer.
If a malfunction occurs in the electronic
parking brake system, the brake system
warning light flashes. Refer to “Electronic
parking brake system warning ”F 3-18. &
Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always per-
form the following items. . Apply the parking brake.
. For MT models, put the shift lever in the
“ 1 ” (1st) for upgrade or “R ”(Reverse) for a
downgrade.. For AT and CVT models, put the select
lever in the “P ”(Park) position.
Never rely on the transmission alone to
hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel as described here. When
the vehicle is headed up the hill, the front
wheels should be turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.

.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
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