four wheel drive SUBARU OUTBACK 2012 5.G Owners Manual

Ignition switch
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
“ LOCK ”while the vehicle is
being driven or towed because
that will lock the steering wheel,
preventing steering control. And
when the engine is turned off, it
takes a much greater effort than
usual to steer.
. Before leaving the vehicle, al-
ways remove the key from the
ignition switch for safety and
never allow an unattended child
to remain in the vehicle. Failure
to follow this procedure could
result in injury to a child or
others. Children could operate
the power windows, the moon-
roof or other controls or even
make the vehicle move.
CAUTION
Do not attach a large key holder or
key case to either key. If it banged
against your knees or hands while
you are driving, it could turn the
ignition switch from the “ON ”posi- tion to the
“Acc ”or “LOCK ”posi-
tion, thereby stopping the engine.
Also, if the key is attached to a
keyholder or to a large bunch of
other keys, centrifugal force may act
on it as the vehicle moves, resulting
in unwanted turning of the ignitionswitch.
The ignition switch has four positions:
LOCK, Acc, ON and START.
NOTE . Keep the ignition switch in the
“ LOCK ”position when the engine is
not running. . Using electrical accessories for a
long time with the ignition switch in the“ ON ”or “Acc ”position can cause the
battery to go dead. .
If the ignition switch will not move
from the “LOCK ”position to the “Acc ”
position, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left and right as you turn
the ignition switch. & LOCK
The key can only be inserted or removed
in this position. The ignition switch will lock
the steering wheel when you remove the
key.
If turning the key is difficult, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the right and left
as you turn the key.
The key can be turned from “Acc ”to
“ LOCK ”only when the key is pushed in
while turning it (all models) and the select
lever is in the “P ” position (AT and CVT
models). Instruments and controls
3-3
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3-16Instruments and controls
ally reducing speed. Then slowly
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and serious
personal injury could occur.
If this light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the Low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU dealer
to have the system inspected.CAUTION
The tire pressure monitoring system
is NOT a substitute for manually
checking tire pressure. The tire
pressure should be checked peri-
odically (at least monthly) using a
tire gauge. After any change to tire
pressure(s), the tire pressure mon-
itoring system will not re-check tire
inflation pressures until the vehicle
is first driven more than 20 mph (32
km/h). After adjusting the tire pres-
sures, increase the vehicle speed to
at least 20 mph (32 km/h) to start the
TPMS re-checking of the tire infla-
tion pressures. If the tire pressures
are now above the severe low
pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should turn
off a few minutes later. Therefore, be
sure to install the specified size for
the front and rear tires.
& ABS warning light
CAUTION
. If any of the following conditions
occur, we recommend that you
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by your SUBARU dealer. –
The warning light does not
illuminate when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.
– The warning light illuminates
when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position,
but it does not turn off even
when the vehicle speed ex-
ceeds approximately 12 km/h
(8 mph).
– The warning light illuminates
during driving.
– The warning light flashes.
. When the warning light is on (and
brake system warning light is
off), the ABS function shuts
down; however, the conventional
brake system continues to oper-
ate normally.
. When the warning light is flash-
ing, the ABS system may be
malfunctioning. However, the
conventional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally.
The ABS warning light illuminates to-
gether with the brake system warning light
if the EBD system malfunctions. For
further details of the EBD system mal-

3-20Instruments and controls
&All-Wheel Drive
warning light (AT and
CVT models)
WARNING
Continued driving with the AWD
warning light flashing can lead to
powertrain damage. If the AWD
warning light flashes, promptly park
in a safe place then check whether
all four tires are the same diameter
and whether any of the tires has a
puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason.
NOTE
If the temporary spare tire is used, the
AWD warning light may flash. Use of
the temporary spare tire should there-
fore be restricted to the minimum time
necessary. Replace the temporary
spare tire with a conventional tire as
soon as possible.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven
with tires of different diameters fitted on its
wheels or with the air pressure exces-
sively low in any of its tires. &
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol operation indicatorlight
!Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
CAUTION
The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem provides its ABS control
through the electrical circuit of the
ABS system. Accordingly, if the ABS
is inoperative, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system becomes unable to
provide ABS control. As a result, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system
becomes inoperative, causing the
warning light to illuminate. Although
both the Vehicle Dynamics Control
and ABS systems are inoperative in
this case, the ordinary functions of
the brake system are still available.
You will be safe while driving in this
condition, but drive carefully and
have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-ble. NOTE .
If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system itself mal-
functions, the warning light only illumi-
nates. At this time, the ABS (Anti-lock
Brake System) remains fully opera-tional.. The warning light illuminates when
the electronic control system of the
ABS/Vehicle Dynamics Control systemmalfunctions.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably inoperative under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. . The warning light does not illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position.
. The warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is running. NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following examples,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
may be considered normal. . The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off
immediately and remains off.. The warning light illuminates after
the engine has started and turns off

.A vehiclefails the OBDII inspection if
the “CHECK ENGINE ”warning light is not
properly operating (light is illuminated or is
not working due to a burned out bulb) or
there is one or more diagnostic trouble
codes stored in the vehicle ’s computer.
. A state emission inspection may reject
(not pass or fail) a vehicle if the number of
OBDII system readiness monitors “NOT
READY ”is greater than one. If the
vehicle ’s battery has been recently re-
placed or disconnected, the OBDII system
inspection may indicate that the vehicle is
not ready for the emission test. Under this
condition, the vehicle driver should be
instructed to drive his/her vehicle for a few
days to reset the readiness monitors and
return for an emission re-inspection. . Owners of rejected or failing vehicles
should contact their SUBARU Dealer for service.
Some states still use dynamometers in
their emission inspection program. A
dynamometer is a treadmill or roller-like
testing device that allows your vehicle ’s
wheels to turn while the vehicle remains in
one place. Prior to your vehicle being put
on a dynamometer, tell your emission
inspector
not to place your SUBARU
AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dynam-
ometer. Otherwise, serious transmis-
sion damage will result. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and states using two-wheel
dynamometers in their emission testing
program have EXEMPTED SUBARU
AWD vehicles from the portion of the
testing program that involves a two-wheel
dynamometer. There are some states that
use four-wheel dynamometers in their
testing program. When properly used, this
equipment should not damage a SUBARU
AWD vehicle.
Under no circumstances should the rear
wheels be jacked off the ground, nor
should the driveshaft be disconnected for
state emission testing.
Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks
and adjustments every day before you
start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and
lights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition
of the tires. Also check tires for properinflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk (Legacy)
and rear gate (Outback) are fully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside
and outside mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your
passengers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning
and indicator lights when the ignition
switch is turned to the
“ON ”position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warn-
ing lights after starting the engine. Starting and operating
7-7
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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.

that full vehicle control will be
maintained at all times and under
all conditions, its activation
should be seen as a sign that
the speed of the vehicle should
be reduced considerably.
. Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle equipped with the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system, have
an inspection of that system
performedbyanauthorized
SUBARU dealer.
. The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is operating properly. – All four wheels should be
fitted with tires of the same
size, type, and brand. Further-
more, the amount of wear
should be the same for all
four tires.
– Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
vehicle placard attached to
the driver ’s side door pillar.
– Use only the specified tem-
porary spare tire to replace a
flat tire. With a temporary spare tire, the effectiveness of
the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is reduced and this
should be taken into account
when driving the vehicle in
such a condition.
. If non-matching tires are used,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system may not operate cor-
rectly.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
adjusts the engine ’s output and the
wheels ’respective braking forces to help
maintain traction and directional control. . Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on
slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is indicated by
flashing of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light. . Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels ’tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti- vation of this function is indicated by
flashing of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light.
NOTE . The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem may be considered normal when
the following conditions occur.
–Slight twitching of the brake
pedal is felt. – The vehicle or steering wheel
shakes to a small degree.– An operating sound from the
engine compartment is heard
briefly when starting the engine
and when driving off after starting
the engine. – The brake pedal seems to jolt
when driving off after starting the engine.
. In the following circumstances, the
vehicle may be less stable than it feels
to the driver. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control System may therefore operate.
Such operation does not indicate a
system malfunction.
–on gravel-covered or rutted
roads – on unfinished roads
– when the vehicle is towing a
trailer– when the vehicle is fitted with Starting and operating
7-27
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again, turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK ”position and restart the en-
gine.. When the switch is pressed to
deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system, the vehicle ’s running per-
formance is comparable with that of a
vehicle that does not have a Vehicle
Dynamics Control system. Do not de-
activate the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system except when absolutely neces-
sary.. Even when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is deactivated, compo-
nents of the brake control system may
still activate. When the brake control
system is activated, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator
light illuminates. Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven at
speeds above 20 mph (32 km/h). Also,
this system may not react immediately to a
sudden drop in tire pressure (for example,
a blow-out caused by running over a
sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, never
brake suddenly and keep driving
straight ahead while gradually redu-
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the tire
placard on the door pillar on thedriver ’s side.
Even when the vehicle is driven a
very short distance, the tires get
warm and their pressures increase
accordingly. Be sure to let the tires
cool thoroughly before adjusting
their pressures to the standard
values shown on the tire placard.
Refer to “Tires and wheels ”F 11-30.
The tire pressure monitoring system
does not function when the vehicle
is stationary. After adjusting the tire
pressures, increase the vehicle
speed to at least 20 mph (32 km/h)
to start the TPMS re-checking of the
tire inflation pressures. If the tire
pressures are now above the severe Starting and operating
7-29
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7-30Starting and operating
low pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should turn
off a few minutes later.
If this light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
Do not inject any tire liquid or
aerosol tire sealant into the tires,
as this may cause a malfunction of
the tire pressure sensors. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking for
approximately one minute, promptly
contact a SUBARU dealer to have
the system inspected.CAUTION
Do not place metal film or any metal
parts under the driver ’s seat. This
may cause poor reception of the
signals from the tire pressure sen-
sors, and the tire pressure monitor-
ing system will not function prop-
erly.
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. Parking your vehicle
WARNING
. Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, the tempera-
ture in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to
cause severe or possibly fatal
injuries to them.
. Do not park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
. Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occu-
pants in the vehicle could die
from carbon monoxide (CO) con-
tained in the exhaust gas.

Driving tips for AWD vehicles
WARNING
. Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden brak-
ing or under other similar condi-tions.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle could easily
lead to a serious accident.
. When replacing a tire, you must
use a tire that is of the same size,
circumference, construction,
brand (tread pattern), speed sym-
bol and load index as the original
tires listed on the tire placard.
Using tires of other sizes, cir-
cumferences or constructions
may result in severe mechanical
damage to the drive train of your
vehicle and may affect ride,
handling, braking, speedometer/
odometer calibration, and clear-
ance between the body and tires.
It also may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control.
. You must install four tires that are
of the same size, circumferences,
construction, manufacturer,
brand (tread pattern), degree of
wear, speed symbol and load
index. Mixing tires of other sizes,
circumferences or constructions
may result in severe mechanical
damage to the drive train of your
vehicle and may affect ride,
handling, braking and speed-
ometer/odometer calibration. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.
CAUTION
If you use a temporary spare tire to
replace a flat tire, be sure to use the
original temporary spare tire stored
in the vehicle. Using other sizes may
result in severe mechanical damage
to the drive train of your vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine
power to all four wheels. AWD vehicles
provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt and sand.
By shifting power between the front and
rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also
provide added traction during accelera-
tion, and added engine braking force
during deceleration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging
the AWD system, you should keep the
following tips in mind: . An AWD vehicle is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery Driving tips
8-5
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9-2In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an emergency
The hazard warning flasher should be
used in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switchposition.
Turn on the hazard warning by pressing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pressing the switch again. NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Temporary spare tire
WARNING
. Never tow a trailer when the
temporary spare tire is used.
The temporary spare tire is not
designed to sustain the towing
load. Use of the temporary spare
tire when towing can result in
failure of the spare tire and/or
less stability of the vehicle and
may lead to an accident.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
illuminate steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute.
This indicates the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is un-
able to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.