ABS SUBARU OUTBACK 2017 6.G User Guide

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 location.
2. Apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine.
3. Restart the engine.
4. Release the parking brake.
Even if both warning lights turn off:
The EBD system may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain illuminated after restarting
the engine:
1. Turn off the engine again.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Check the brake fluid level. For details
about checking the brake fluid level, refer
to“Checking the fluid level ”F 11-20.
. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“MIN ”mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
. If the brake fluid level is below the
“MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING
.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair.
Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with a Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a ser-
ious accident.
CAUTION
. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, winter tires should be
used when driving on snow-cov-
ered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reduced
considerably. Simply having a
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem does not guarantee that the
vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
. Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-
Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
–CONTINUED –7-35

snow tires or winter tires
. Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly
different compared to that for normal
conditions.
. It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with
Vehicle Dynamics Control.
. Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire as failure to do so may
render the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system unable to operate correctly.
& Vehicle Dynamics Control
system monitor
Refer to “Vehicle Dynamics Control warn-
ing light/Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light ”F 3-24 and “Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light ”F 3-
25.
& Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch
Pressing the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch deactivates the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system.
Creating an adequate driving wheel slip by
deactivating the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system temporarily may help to escape
from the following situations. Use the
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch as
necessary.
. a standing start on a steeply sloping
road with a snowy, gravel-covered, or
otherwise slippery surface
. extrication of the vehicle when its
wheels are stuck in mud or deep snow
When the switch is pressed during engine operation, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light on the combination
meter illuminates. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will be deactivated. When
the switch is pressed again to reactivate
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator
light turns off.
You should not deactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system except under
the above-mentioned situations.
CAUTION
The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem helps prevent unstable vehicle
motion such as skidding using con-
trol of the brakes and engine power.
Do not turn off the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system unless it is abso-
lutely necessary. If you must turn off
the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem, drive very carefully based on
the road surface condition.
NOTE
.
When the switch has been pressed
to deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system automatically reacti-
vates itself the next time the ignition
switch is turned to the “LOCK ”/“ OFF ”
Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
–CONTINUED –7-37

Starting and operating/X–mode (Outback CVT models)
position and the engine is restarted.
. If the switch is held down for 30
seconds or longer, the indicator light
turns off, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is activated, and the system
ignores any further pressing of the
switch. To make the switch usable
again, turn the ignition switch to the
“ LOCK ”/“ OFF ”position and restart the
engine.
. Whentheswitchispressedto
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.X-mode (Outback CVT mod-
els)
WARNING
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving a vehicle
with X-mode could easily lead to
a serious accident.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving a vehicle
with hill descent control function
could easily lead to a serious
accident. Be especially careful,
and depress the brake pedal if
necessary when driving on ex-
tremely steep downhill, frozen,
muddy or sandy roads. Failure
to control the vehicle ’sspeed
may cause a loss of control and
result in a serious accident.
CAUTION
. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with X-mode, winter tires should
be used when driving on snow-
covered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reduced considerably. Simply having X-
mode does not guarantee that
the vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
. Activate the X-mode when you
encounter a very slippery surface
at low speed. However, having X-
mode is no guarantee that full
vehicle control will be maintained
at all times and under all condi-
tions. When activating X-mode,
the speed of the vehicle should
be reduced considerably.
. Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle, have the system in-
spected by an authorized
SUBARU dealer.
. Observe the following precau-
tions in order to ensure that the
X-mode 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
label attached to the vehicle ’s
7-38

Starting and operating/X–mode (Outback CVT models)
(40 km/h) or more while the X-mode is
activated, a buzzer will sound once and
the X-mode will be deactivated.
. While the engine is running, if any of
the following conditions is met, the X-
mode will be deactivated. In this case, it
is not possible to activate the X-mode.
–The CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator light illu-
minates.
– The AT OIL TEMP warning light
flashes.
– The ABS warning light illumi-
nates.
– The Vehicle Dynamics Control
warning light illuminates.
. If the engine could overheat be-
cause of a temperature increase of the
engine coolant, it may not be possible
to activate the X-mode. Even while the
X-mode is activated, the X-mode will be
deactivated when the engine coolant
temperature increases.
& Hill descent control function
The hill descent control function will be in
standby mode when the X-mode is acti-
vated and the vehicle speed is less than
approximately 12 mph (20 km/h).
The function will operate when the vehicle
speed is less than approximately 12 mph (20 km/h) and the accelerator ratio is less
than approximately 10%.
The function will turn off when the vehicle
speed is more than approximately 12 mph
(20 km/h) and the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
CAUTION
The braking power of the hill des-
cent control function may not be
sufficient when strong braking
power is needed (e.g., when towing
a trailer (Outback)).
NOTE
.
Even while the hill descent control
function is operating, you can vary the
vehicle speed by using the brake pedal
or accelerator pedal.
. During braking by the hill descent
control function, the hill descent con-
trol indicator will flash.
. The hill descent control function is
operable regardless of the gradient of
the road.
. The hill descent control function
may be considered normal when the
following conditions occur.
–An operating sound is heard
briefly from the engine compart-
ment while the hill descent control function is operating.
–
The sensation of depressing the
brake pedal is different, (harder
than usual etc.) when the brake
pedal is depressed during hill des-
cent control function operation.
! Hill descent control indicator
This indicator appears while the hill
descent control function is in the standby
mode. It flashes while the function is
operating. It will disappear when the
function is in the disabled mode. When
this function is changed from operational
to non-operational, it will disappear when
the vehicle speed reaches more than
approximately 18 mph (30 km/h).
7-40

ing condition or modification
– Ice, snow or mud is adhered
to the rear bumper near the
sonar sensor
– The rear bumper is exposed to
strong impact, or the rear
bumper is deformed
. On a steep hill, the system ’s
automatic braking ability will be
reduced.
. The system is designed to avoid
collisions by automatic hard
braking when the vehicle ’s rever-
sing speed is less than approxi-
mately 3 mph (5 km/h). However,
the system does not guarantee
that the vehicle will be able to
avoid collisions in any situation.
. If the vehicle is reversed at an
extremely slow speed, the dri-
ver ’s operation may be priori-
tized. In this case, automatic
braking will not operate.
. The system may not be able to
detect the following objects
– Sharp or thin objects such as
poles, fences and ropes which
may not reflect the sound
wave emitted from the sonar
sensor –
Objects that are too close to
the rear bumper when the
select lever is set to the “R ”
position
– Objects with a surface which
may not reflect the sound
wave emitted from the sonar
sensor such as a chain link
fence
. Objects the system is not de-
signed to detect
– Pedestrians
– Moving objects including
moving vehicles
– Objects which absorbs sound
waves such as cloth or snow
– Objects whose surface has a
diagonal angle
– Objects that are low to the
ground such as parking
blocks
– Objects that are high above
the ground such as objects
hanging from above
. When reversing the vehicle, the
system may not be able to prop-
erly detect objects or may cause
a system malfunction if the fol-
lowing conditions exist
High frequency sound from other sources are nearby
–
Horn sound from another ve-
hicle
– Engine sound from other ve-
hicles
– Sound of an air brake
– Vehicle detection equipment
or a sonar from another vehi-
cle
– A sound wave with a fre-
quency similar to the vehicle ’s
system is transmitted near by
– A vehicle equipped with the
same system is reversing to-
ward your reversing direction
Weather conditions – Extremely high or extremely
low temperatures in which the
area near the sonar sensor
becomes too hot or too cold
to operate
– The rear bumper near the
sonar sensors are exposed
to heavy rain or a significant
amount of water
– Fog, snow or sandstorm, etc.
– Air

is moving rapidly such as
when a strong wind is blowing
Parts attached to the rear bumper
Starting and operating/Reverse Automatic Braking System
–CONTINUED –7-65

Driving tips/Winter driving
–When the vehicle has been left
parked during a snowstorm
Check for snow or ice buildup on the suspension, disc brakes and
brake hoses underneath the ve-
hicle. If there is caked snow or
ice, remove it, being careful not
to damage the disc brakes and
brake hoses and ABS harness.
When parking for long periods in cold
weather, you should observe the following
tips.
1. For MT models, place the shift lever in
the “1”or “R”position. For CVT models,
place the select lever in the “P”position.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used
for an extended period, it is best to have the fuel tank filled to capacity.
&
Driving on snowy and icy
roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine ’sintakesystemandmay
hinder the airflow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.) Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle
’s braking perfor-
manceonsnowyandicyroads.For
information about braking on slippery
surfaces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) ”F 7-33 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system ”F 7-35.
! Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blade rubbers are not frozen to
the windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blade rubbers are frozen to the
windshield or rear window, perform the
following procedure.
. To thaw the windshield wiper blade
rubbers, use the defroster with the airflow
selection in “
”and the temperature set
for maximum warmth until the wiper blade
rubbers are completely thawed. Refer to
“Climate control ”F 4-1.
. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper
deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blade rubbers. Refer to
“Defogger and deicer ”F 3-61.
. To thaw the rear wiper blade rubbers,
use the rear window defogger. Refer to
“Defogger and deicer ”F 3-61.
8-10

1) Left turn
2) Right turn
.Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.
. If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
! Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’
s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.
. When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.
. When driving uphill in hot weather,
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating, pay atten-
tion to the following items.
–Temperature gauge
– AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVT
models)
. If any of the following conditions occur,
immediately turn off the air conditioner and
stop the vehicle in the nearest safe
location. Refer to “If you park your vehicle
in an emergency ”F9-2 and “Engine
overheating ”F 9-13.
– Temperature gauge needle ap-
proaches the OVERHEAT zone. Refer
to “Temperature gauge ”F 3-12.
– AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates (CVT models). Refer to “AT OIL
TEMP warning light (CVT models) ”
F 3-17.
. For CVT models, do not use the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat. !
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake. You should not park on
a hill or slope. If parking on a hill or slope
cannot be avoided, you should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or “P”(CVT models) and shut
off the engine.
Driving tips/Trailer towing (Outback)8-29

using a flat-head screwdriver or a similar
tool. Then the rear gate will open.Power rear gate - if power
rear gate does not operate
properly
&When the power rear gate is
deactivated
CAUTION
When operating the power rear gate
manually, do not use excessive
force. Doing so may cause a mal-
function.
NOTE
While the power rear gate is tempora-
rily deactivated, if it is struck by body
parts or objects and sustains a strong
impact, the temporary deactivation
may be canceled. The purpose of this
is to absorb the impact of the collision
and it is not a malfunction. In this case,
the rear gate will not open or close
automatically.
If the power rear gate senses a malfunc-
tion, an electronic chirp will sound and the
rear gate will stop opening or closing.
In order for the rear gate to open and close
automatically, carry out the following
operation. If the rear gate does not open and close automatically after carrying out
this operation, we recommend that you
have the vehicle checked at a SUBARU
dealer.
!
When the rear gate is closed
1. Press and hold the rear gate opener
button. If the rear gate does not open,
perform the procedure described in “Rear
gate (Outback) –if the rear gate cannot be
opened ”F 9-20.
2. Gently close the rear gate by hand
until it reaches the half-shut position.
3. Operate the power rear gate to confirm
it is recovered.
In case of emergency/Power rear gate –if power rear gate does not operate properly
–CONTINUED –9-21

Maintenance and service/Brake fluid
Brake fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
. Never let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake
fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with
clean water. For safety, when
performing this work, wearing
eye protection is advisable.
. Brake fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause a dangerous loss
of braking performance.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
CAUTION
. When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
. Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts. Alcohol contained in the brake
fluid may damage them.
. Be careful not to spill brake fluid
when adding it. If brake fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If brake fluid gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe it
off.
The reservoir has two chambers, one for
clutch fluid and the other for brake fluid.
Each fluid level must therefore be checked
in the appropriate chamber. Check the
fluid level on the outside of the reservoir
monthly.
3.6 L models
1) “MAX ”level line
2) “MIN ”level line
A) The brake fluid level must be checked in this area.
For 3.6 L models, be sure to check the
brake fluid level on the outboard side of
the reservoir (shaded area in the illustra-
tion). It cannot be checked on the inboard
side of the reservoir. If the fluid level is
below “MIN”, add the recommended brake
fluid to “MAX”. Use only brake fluid from a
sealed container.
11-20

2.5 L models
1)“MAX ”level line
2) “MIN ”level line
A) The brake fluid level must be checked in this area.
For 2.5 L models, be sure to check the
brake fluid level at the front part of the
reservoir (shaded area in the illustration).
If the fluid level is below “MIN”, add the
recommended brake fluid to “MAX”. Use
only brake fluid from a sealed container.
& Recommended brake fluid
Refer to “Fluids”F 12-8.
CAUTION
Never use different brands of brake
fluid together. Also, avoid mixing
DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluids even if
they are the same brand.
Clutch fluid (MT models)
& Checking the fluid level
WARNING
Never let clutch fluid contact your
eyes because clutch fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If clutch fluid
gets in your eyes, immediately flush
them thoroughly with clean water.
For safety, when performing this
work, wearing eye protection is
advisable.
CAUTION
. Clutch fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause improper clutch
operation.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
. When clutch fluid is added, be
careful not to allow any dirt into
the tank.
. Never splash the clutch fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.
Maintenance and service/Clutch fluid (MT models)
–CONTINUED –11-21