low fuel SUBARU OUTBACK 2016 6.G User Guide

Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause damage to the
engine and/or fuel system.
&Fuel requirements
The engine is designed to operate using
unleaded gasolinewith an octane rating
of87 AKI (90 RON) or higher.
!Fuel octane rating
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.
!RON
This octane rating is the Research Octane
Number.!AKI
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).
!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 returningyour vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service. The CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator light 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 light 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
Starting and operating/Fuel
–CONTINUED–7-3

Starting and operating/Fuel
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.
Do not use any gasoline that contains
more than 10% ethanol, including from
any pump labeled E15, E30, E50 or E85
(which are only some examples of fuel
containing more than 10% ethanol).
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 the
following.
.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
ONLYif it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixtureANDif 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 methanolEXCEPT
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.
1. Stop the vehicle and turn off the
engine.
2. To open the fuel filler lid, pull the lid
release lever up. The lever is on the floor
at the left of the driver’s seat.
7-4

1) Legacy
2) Outback
3. Open the fuel filler lid.
WARNING
Before opening the fuel filler cap,
first touch the vehicle body or a
metal portion of the fuel pump or
similar object to discharge any
static electricity that may be present
on your body. If your body is carry-
ing an electrostatic charge, there is
a possibility that an electric spark
could ignite the fuel, which could
burn you. To avoid acquiring a new
static electric charge, do not get
back into the vehicle while refueling
is in progress.
1) Open
2) Close
4. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it
slowly counterclockwise.
WARNING
.Gasoline vapor is highly flam-
mable. Before refueling, always
first stop the engine and close all
vehicle doors and windows.
Make sure that there are no
lighted cigarettes, open flames
or electrical sparks in the adja-
cent area. Refueling must be
performed outside. Quickly wipe
up any spilled fuel.
.When opening the cap, grasp it
firmly and turn it slowly to theleft. Do not remove the cap
quickly. Fuel may be under pres-
sure and spray out of the fuel
filler neck, especially in hot
weather. If you hear a hissing
sound while you are removing
the cap, wait for the sound to
stop and then slowly open the
cap to prevent fuel from spraying
out and creating a fire hazard.
5. Set the fuel filler cap on the cap holder
inside the fuel filler lid.
WARNING
.When refueling, insert the fuel
nozzle securely into the fuel filler
pipe. If the nozzle is lifted or not
fully inserted, its automatic stop-
Starting and operating/Fuel
–CONTINUED–7-5

Starting and operating/Fuel
ping mechanism may not func-
tion, causing fuel to overflow the
tank and creating a fire hazard.
.Stop refueling when the auto-
matic stop mechanism on the
fuel nozzle activates. If you con-
tinue to add fuel, temperature
changes or other conditions
may cause fuel to overflow from
the tank and create a fire hazard.
6. Stop filling the tank after the fuel filler
pump automatically stops. Do not add any
more fuel.
7. Put the cap back on, turn it clockwise
until you hear a clicking noise. Be certain
not to catch the tether under the cap while
tightening.
CAUTION
Make sure that the cap is tightened
until it clicks to prevent fuel spillage
in the event of an accident.
8. Close the fuel filler lid completely.
CAUTION
If you spill any fuel on the painted
surface, rinse it off immediately.
Otherwise, the painted surfacecould be damaged.
NOTE
.You will see the“”sign in the fuel
gauge. This indicates that the fuel filler
door (lid) is located on the right side of
the vehicle.
.If the fuel filler cap is not tightened
until it clicks or if the tether is caught
under the cap, the CHECK ENGINE
warning light/malfunction indicator
light may illuminate. Refer to“CHECK
ENGINE warning light/Malfunction in-
dicator light”F3-15.
CAUTION
.Never add any cleaning agents to
the fuel tank. The addition of a
cleaning agent may cause da-
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
7-6

as a result of an empty tank
could cause damage to the en-
gine. Continuing to operate your
vehicle at an extremely low fuel
level may result in a reduction of
engine performance.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 stateshave 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.
Starting and operating/State emission testing (U.S. only)
–CONTINUED–7-7

Starting and operating/Starting and stopping the engine (models without push–button ignition switch)
when using the remote engine
start system).
NOTE
.Avoid rapid racing and rapid accel-
eration immediately after the engine
has started.
.For a short time after the engine has
started, the engine speed is kept high.
When the warm-up is completed, the
engine speed lowers automatically.
.On rare occasions, it may be difficult
to start the engine depending on the
fuel and the usage condition (repeated
driving of a distance in which the
engine has not warmed up sufficiently).
In such a case, it is recommended that
you change to a different brand of fuel.
.On rare occasions, transient knock-
ing may be heard from the engine when
the accelerator is operated rapidly
such as a rapid start-up and a rapid
acceleration. This is not a malfunction.
.The engine starts more easily when
the headlights, air conditioner and rear
window defogger are turned off.
.After the engine starts, the engine
speed will be kept high until the engine
has warmed up sufficiently.!MT models
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac-
cessories.
3. Depress the clutch pedal to the floor
and shift the shift lever into neutral. Hold
the clutch pedal to the floor while starting
the engine. The starter motor will only
operate when the clutch pedal is de-
pressed fully to the floor.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the“ON”
position and check the operation of the
warning and indicator lights. Refer to
“Warning and indicator lights”F3-12.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the“START”
positionwithoutdepressing the accelera-
tor pedal. Release the key immediately
after the engine has started.
If the engine does not start, perform the
following procedure.
(1) Turn the ignition switch to the
“LOCK”position and wait for at least
10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is applied, turn the
ignition switch to the“START”position
while depressing the accelerator pedal
slightly (approximately a quarter of the
full stroke). Release the accelerator
pedal as soon as the engine starts.
(2) If this fails to start the engine, turn
the ignition switch back to the“LOCK”position and wait for at least 10
seconds. Then fully depress the accel-
erator pedal and turn the ignition
switch to the“START”position. If the
engine starts, quickly release the
accelerator pedal.
(3) If this does not start the engine,
turn the ignition switch again to the
“LOCK”position. After waiting for 10
seconds or longer, turn the ignition
switch to the“START”position without
depressing the accelerator pedal.
(4) If the engine still refuses to start,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
for assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have turned off after the engine has
started. The fuel injection system auto-
matically lowers the idle speed as the
engine warms up.
!CVT models
CAUTION
If you restart the engine while the
vehicle is moving, shift the select
lever into the“N”position. Do not
attempt to place the select lever of a
moving vehicle into the“P”posi-
tion.
7-10

1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac-
cessories.
3. Shift the select lever to the“P”or“N”
position (preferably“P”position). The
starter will only operate when the select
lever is at the“P”or“N”position.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the“ON”
position and check the operation of the
warning and indicator lights. Refer to
“Warning and indicator lights”F3-12.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the“START”
positionwithoutdepressing the accelera-
tor pedal. Release the key immediately
after the engine has started.
If the engine does not start, perform the
following procedure.
(1) Turn the ignition switch to the
“LOCK”position and wait for at least
10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is applied, turn the
ignition switch to the“START”position
while depressing the accelerator pedal
slightly (approximately a quarter of the
full stroke). Release the accelerator
pedal as soon as the engine starts.
(2) If this fails to start the engine, turn
the ignition switch back to the“LOCK”
position and wait for at least 10
seconds. Then fully depress the accel-
erator pedal and turn the ignition
switch to the“START”position. If theengine starts, quickly release the
accelerator pedal.
(3) If this fails to start the engine, turn
the ignition switch again to the“LOCK”
position. After waiting for 10 seconds
or longer, turn the ignition switch to the
“START”position without depressing
the accelerator pedal.
(4) If the engine still refuses to start,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
for assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have turned off after the engine has
started. The fuel injection system auto-
matically lowers the idle speed as the
engine warms up.
While the engine is warming up, make
sure that the select lever is at the“P”or
“N”position and that the parking brake is
applied.
&Stopping the engine
WARNING
Do not stop the engine when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause
loss of power to the power steering
and the brake booster, making steer-
ing and braking more difficult. It
could also result in accidental acti-
vation of the“LOCK”position on theignition switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling.
&Steering lock (models with-
out“keyless access with
push-button start system”)
After stopping the engine and the key is
removed from ignition switch, the steering
wheel will be locked due to the steering
lock function.
When the engine is restarted, the steering
lock will be automatically canceled.
!When the steering lock cannot be
released
When you cannot restart the engine due to
the steering lock, perform the following
steps.
!MT models
1. Check that the parking brake is ap-
plied.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac-
cessories.
3. Depress the clutch pedal to the floor
and shift the shift lever into neutral. Hold
the clutch pedal to the floor while starting
the engine.
Starting and operating/Starting and stopping the engine (models without push–button ignition switch)
–CONTINUED–7-11

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.
The manual transmission is a full synchro-
mesh, 6-forward-speed and 1-reverse-
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.
Starting and operating/Manual transmission
–CONTINUED–7-23

Starting and operating/Manual transmission
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 6th50 (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 accident
increased.
The following table shows the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear. The tachometer’s needle willenter 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
1st 30 (49) 30 (48)
2nd 57 (92) 56 (90)
3rd
Legal speed limit
(Posted limit speed) 4th
5th
6th
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 thetransmission 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.
7-24

Continuously variable trans-
mission
The continuously variable transmission is
electronically controlled and provides an
infinite number of forward speeds and 1
reverse speed. It also has 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 lurch 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
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.
.Do not shift from the“D”positioninto the“R”position or vice
versa until the vehicle has com-
pletely stopped. Such shifting
may cause damage to the trans-
mission.
.When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever in
the“P”position. Do not park for
a long time with the select lever
in any other position as doing so
could result in a dead battery.
NOTE
.When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, the transmission will
upshift to higher engine speeds than
when the coolant temperature is suffi-
ciently high in order to shorten the
warm-up time and improve driveability.
The gearshift timing will automatically
shift to the normal timing after the
engine has warmed up.
.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 currentcondition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.
.When driving under continuous hea-
vy 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 noise
may be heard that is characteristic of
this type of system.
Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
–CONTINUED–7-25