flat tire SUBARU OUTBACK 2016 6.G Owners Manual

Chapter 4: Climate control
This chapter informs you how to operate
the climate control.
Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate
your audio system.
Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate
interior equipment.
Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and
operate your SUBARU.
Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your
SUBARU in various conditions and ex-
plains some safety tips on driving.
Chapter 9: In case of emergency
This chapter informs you what to do if you
have a problem, such as a flat tire or
engine overheating.
Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your
SUBARU looking good.
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need
to take your SUBARU to the dealer for
scheduled maintenance and informs you
how to keep your SUBARU running
properly.Chapter 12: Specifications
This chapter informs you about the dimen-
sions and capacities of your SUBARU.
Chapter 13: Consumer information and
Reporting safety defects
This chapter informs you about Tire
information, Uniform tire quality grading
standards and Reporting safety defects.
Chapter 14: Index
This is an alphabetical listing of all that’sin
this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
&Safety warnings
You will find a number of WARNINGs,
CAUTIONs and NOTEs in this manual.
These safety warnings alert you to poten-
tial hazards that could result in injury to
you or others.
Please read these safety warnings as well
as all other portions of this manual care-
fully in order to gain a better understand-
ing of how to use your SUBARU vehicle
safely.
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious injury or death could
result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which injury or damage to your
vehicle, or both, could result if the
caution is ignored.
NOTE
A NOTE gives information or sugges-
tions how to make better use of your
vehicle.
&Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it
in this manual. This symbol means“Do
not”,“Do not do this”,or“Do not let this
happen”, depending upon the context.
2

Illustrated index
&Exterior
1) Engine hood (page 11-7)
2) Headlight (page 3-44)
3) Bulb replacement (page 11-40)
4) Front wiper (page 3-52)
5) Moonroof (page 2-48)
6) Roof rail with integrated crossbars and
rope hook (page 8-14)
7) Door locks (page 2-6)
8) Outside mirrors (page 3-62)
9) Tire pressure (page 11-27)
10) Flat tires (page 9-5)
11) Fog light (page 3-49)
12) Tie-down hooks (page 9-14)
13) Towing hook (Outback) (page 9-14)
10

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
!How to contact the vehicle manu-
facturer concerning modifications
for persons with disabilities that
may affect the advanced airbag
system
Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, seatbelts, front bumper, front side
frame, instrument panel, combination me-
ter, steering wheel, steering column, tire,
suspension or floor panel can affect the
operation of the SUBARU advanced air-
bag system. If you have any questions,
you may contact the following SUBARU
distributors:
of Columbia>
Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer Dealer Services Department
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)

Subaru Hawaii
2850 Pukoloa Street, Suite 202,
Honolulu, HI 96819-4467
808-839-2273
Shen’s Corporation dba Prestige Automo-
bile
491, East Marine Corps Drive, Route 1
Dededo, Guam 96921-6255
671-633-2698

Trebol Motors
P.O. Box 11204, San Juan, Puerto Rico
00910
787-793-2828

Subaru Canada, Inc.
Consumer Support Department
560 Suffork Court, Mississauga, Ontario
L5R 4J7
1-800-894-4212
There are currently no SUBARU distribu-
tors in any other U.S. territories. If you are
in such an area, please contact the
SUBARU distributor or dealer from which
you bought your vehicle.&System operation
CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS airbag system
components with bare hands right
after deployment. Doing so can
cause burns because the compo-
nents can be very hot as a result of
deployment.
The SRS airbags can function only when
the ignition switch is in the“ON”position.
When the SRS airbag(s) deploy(s), a
sudden, fairly loud inflation noise will be
heard and some smoke will be released.
These occurrences are a normal result of
the deployment. This smoke does not
indicate a fire in the vehicle.
1-56

by the indicator.
.Front sub sensor
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Airbag control module (including im-
pact sensors and rollover sensors)
.Frontal airbag module
–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side
.Center pillar impact sensor
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Front door impact sensor
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Side airbag module
–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side
.Rear wheel house impact sensor
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Curtain airbag module
–Right-hand side
–Left-hand side
.Seat cushion airbag module
–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side
.Seatbelt pretensioner
–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side.Seatbelt buckle switch
–Driver’s side
–Front passenger’s side
.Front passenger’s occupant detection
system sensor and control module
.Front passenger’s seatbelt tension
sensor
.Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicator
.All related wiring
WARNING
If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, there may
be a malfunction in the seatbelt
pretensioners and/or SRS airbag
system.
.Flashing or flickering of the warn-
ing light
.No illumination of the warning
light when the ignition switch is
first turned to the“ON”position
.Continuous illumination of the
warning light
.Illumination of the warning light
while driving
Immediatelytakeyourvehicleto
your nearest SUBARU dealer to
have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, theseatbelt pretensioners and/or SRS
airbags will operate improperly (e.g.
SRS airbags may inflate in a very
minor collision or not inflate in a
severe collision), which may in-
crease the risk of injury.
&SRS airbag system servicing
WARNING
.When discarding an airbag mod-
ule or scrapping the entire vehi-
cle damaged by a collision, con-
sult your SUBARU dealer.
.The SRS airbag has no user-
serviceable parts. Do not use
electrical test equipment on any
circuit related to the SRS airbag
system. For required servicing of
the SRS airbag, consult your
nearest SUBARU dealer. Tamper-
ing with or disconnecting the
system’s wiring could result in
accidental inflation of the SRS
airbag or could make the system
inoperative, which may result in
serious injury.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags/*SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag)
–CONTINUED–1-69

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remains
illuminated, contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer immediately.
&Engine low oil level
warning indicator
This indicator appears when the engine oil
level decreases to the lower limit.
If the engine low oil level warning indicator
appears while driving, park the vehicle 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. Refer to“Engine oil”F11 -
11 .
If the warning indicator does not disappear
after refilling with engine oil or the warning
indicator appears even though the engine
oil level is within the normal range, have
the system checked by a SUBARU dealer.
NOTE
.After replacing or adding the engine
oil, if the engine oil level is within the
normal range when restarting the en-gine on a level surface, the warning
indicator will be off.
.The warning indicator may appear
temporarily in the following conditions
because a low oil level may be detected
as a result of significant oil movement
in the engine.
–when the vehicle is considerably
inclined on an uphill or steep slope
–when the vehicle has continu-
ously accelerated and decelerated
–when the vehicle is continuously
turned
–when the vehicle is driven on a
road that alternates continuously
between uphill and downhill
&AT OIL TEMP warning
light (CVT models)
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 mayindicate 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 those
tires.)
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-
3-16

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-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the
malfunction indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety ofreasons, including the installation of re-
placement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your
vehicle to ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
Should the warning light illuminate stea-
dily after blinking for approximately one
minute, have the system inspected by
your nearest SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible.
WARNING
If this light does not illuminate
briefly after the ignition switch is
turned ON or the light illuminates
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute, you should have
your Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
If this light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep
driving straight ahead while gradu-
ally reducing speed. Then slowly
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and seriouspersonal 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-
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED–3-17

Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
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 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
after starting the vehicle.
–The warning light illuminates
during driving.
.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.
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-
function warning, refer to“Brake system
warning light”F3-18.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following conditions,
the ABS may be considered normal.
.The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off.
.The warning light remains illumi-
nated after the engine has been started,
but it turns off while driving.
.The warning light illuminates duringdriving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may illumi-
nate. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will turn off.
&Brake system
warning light
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 illuminated,
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.
.If the brake system warning light
illuminates, the electronic park-
ing brake system may be mal-
functioning. Immediately stop
3-18

your vehicle in a safe location,
use tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving
and contact your SUBARU deal-
er. For details, refer to“Electro-
nic parking brake”F7-42.
NOTE
.Even if the brake system warning
light illuminates, if the warning light
behavior is as described in the follow-
ing examples, the electronic parking
brake system is not malfunctioning.
–The warning light turns off when
the electronic parking brake is ap-
plied or released.
–The warning light turns off when
the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON”position again.
.The brake system warning light may
illuminate immediately after the engine
is started. However, it is not malfunc-
tioning if the warning light turns off
after the electronic parking brake is
released.
.The brake system warning light may
illuminate after the electronic parking
brake is frequently applied and re-
leased. However, the electronic parking
brake system is not malfunctioning if
the light turns off after a short period oftime.
.When the engine is started while the
electronic parking brake is applied/
released, the system may judge an
abnormal situation and the warning
light may illuminate. If the warning light
illuminates, turn the ignition switch
once to the“LOCK”/“OFF”position
and then restart the engine. Then,
apply/release the electronic parking
brake. If the warning light turns off,
the system will be restored.
This light has the following functions.
!Brake fluid level warning
This light illuminates when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the“MIN”level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
switch in the“ON”position and with the
parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should
illuminate while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in“ON”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the“MIN”mark in the
reservoir, do not drive the vehicle. Have
the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU
dealer for repair.!Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also
illuminates if a malfunction occurs in the
EBD system. In that event, it illuminates
together with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are
applied harder than usual and the vehi-
cle’s motion may therefore become some-
what harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps.
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake and 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
Instruments and controls/Warning and indicator lights
–CONTINUED–3-19

Interior equipment/Under–floor storage compartment
storing recesses.Under-floor storage compart-
ment
The subfloor storage compartment is
located under the floor of the trunk or
cargo area and can be used to store small
items. To open the lid, pull the tab or
handle up.
NOTE
When storing a flat tire, put the sub-
floor storage in the trunk or cargo area.
CAUTION
.Always keep the lid of the sub-
floor storage compartment
closed while driving to reduce
the risk of injury in the event of
sudden stop or an accident.
.Do not store spray cans, contain-
ers with flammable or corrosive
liquids or any other dangerous
items in the subfloor storage
compartment.
Legacy
Outback
For Outback, hang the hook provided on
the underside of the lid on the rear edge of
the roof to keep the lid open.
6-20

Starting and operating/Preparing to drive
.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 proper
inflation.
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.
10. Check that no small animals enter the
engine compartment.
7-8