SUBARU TRIBECA 2008 Owners Manual

The warning light(s) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
steady illumination and flashing at
15-second intervals. The chime will
not sound.
.At speeds higher than approxi-
mately 9 mph (15 km/h)
The warning light(s) for unfastened
seatbelt(s) will alternate between
flashing and steady illumination at
15-second intervals and the chime
will sound while the warning light(s)
is/are flashing.
. It is possible to cancel the warning
operation that follows the 6-second
warning after turning ON the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is
turned ON next time, however, the
complete sequence of the warning
operation resumes. For further details
about canceling the warning operation,
please contact your SUBARU dealer.
If there is no passenger on the front
passenger ’s seat, the seatbelt warning
device for the front passenger ’s seat will
be deactivated. The front passenger ’s
occupant detection system monitors
whether or not there is a passenger on
the front passenger ’s seat. Observe the
following precautions. Failure to do so
may prevent the device from functioning
correctly or cause the device to fail. .
Do not install any accessory such as a
table or TV onto the seatback.
. Do not store a heavy load in the
seatback pocket.
. Do not allow the rear seat occupant to
place his/her hands or legs on the front
passenger ’s seatback, or allow him/her to
pull the seatback.
If the seatbelt warning device for the front
passenger ’s seat does not function cor-
rectly (e.g., it is activated even when the
front passenger ’s seat is empty or it is
deactivated even when the front passen-
ger has not fastened his/her seatbelt),
take the following actions.
. Ensure that no article is placed on the
seat other than a child restraint system
and its child occupant.
. Ensure that there is no article left in the
seatback pocket.
If still the seatbelt warning device for front
passenger ’s seat does not function cor-
rectly after taking relevant corrective ac-
tions described above, immediately con-
tact your SUBARU dealer for an inspec-
tion.
&
SRS airbag system
warning light
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”position, the SRS airbag system
warning light will come on for approxi-
mately 6 seconds and go out. This shows
the SRS frontal airbag and SRS side
airbag and SRS curtain airbag and seat-
belt pretensioners are in normal operation.
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. Immediately take your vehi-
cle to your nearest SUBARU dealer
to have the system checked. Unless
checked and properly repaired, the
seatbelt 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.
. 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
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3-12
Instruments and controls
.Continuous illumination of the
warning light
. Illumination of the warning light
while driving& Front passenger ’s frontal
airbag ON and OFF indica-
tors
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
indicator: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator
The front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
and OFF indicators show you the status of
the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag.
The indicators are located in the center
portion of the dashboard. When the ignition switch is turned to the
“
ON ”position, both the ON and OFF
indicators illuminate for 6 seconds during
which time the system is checked. Follow-
ing the system check, both indicators
extinguish for 2 seconds. After that, one
of the indicators illuminates depending on
the status of the front passenger ’s SRS
frontal airbag determined by the Subaru
advanced frontal airbag system monitor-
ing.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is activated, the passenger ’s frontal airbag
ON indicator will illuminate while the OFF
indicator will remain extinguished.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is deactivated, the passenger ’sfrontal
airbag ON indicator will remain extin-
guished while the OFF indicator will
illuminate.
If both the ON and OFF indicators remain
lit or extinguished simultaneously, the
system is faulty. Contact your SUBARU
dealer immediately for an inspection.
&
CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator lamp
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE light comes
on while you are driving, have your
vehicle checked/repaired by your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-
ble. Continued vehicle operation
without having the emission control
system checked and repaired as
necessary could cause serious da-
mage, which may not be covered by
your vehicle ’s warranty.
If this light comes on steadily or blinks
while the engine is running, it may indicate
that there is a problem or potential
problem somewhere in the emission con-
trol system.
! If the light comes on steadily:
If the light comes on steadily while driving
or does not go out after the engine starts,
an emission control system malfunction
has been detected.
You should have your vehicle checked by
an authorized SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.
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NOTEThis light also comes on when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator lamp coming on
could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.
Remove the cap and retighten it until it
clicks. Make sure nothing is interfering
with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the
cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE
warning light turn off immediately. It may
take several driving trips. If the light does
not go out, take your vehicle to your
authorized SUBARU dealer immediately.
!If the light is blinking:
If the light is blinking while driving, an
engine misfire condition has been de-
tected which may damage the emission
control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do the
following.
. Reduce vehicle speed.
. Avoid hard acceleration.
. Avoid steep uphill grades.
. Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.
. Stop towing a trailer as soon as
possible. The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and come on steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately.
&
Charge warning light
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does
not go out after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good
condition but the light remains on, contact
your nearest SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately.&
Oil pressure warning
light
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light on. This
may cause serious engine damage.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly. If the light comes on while driving or does
not go out 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 on,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately.
&
AT OIL TEMPerature
warning light
The AT oil temperature warning light
comes on when the ignition switch is
turned to the
“ON”position and goes out
after approximately 2 seconds.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving,
immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place and let the engine idle until the
warning light goes off.
! Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it
may indicate that the automatic transmis-
sion control system is not working prop-
erly. Contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er for service immediately.
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3-14
Instruments and controls
&
Rear differential oil
temperature warning
light
CAUTION
Reduce vehicle speed and park the
vehicle in a safe place as soon as
possible if the R.DIFF TEMP light
comes on. Continued driving with
this light on can damage the rear
differential and other parts of the
powertrain.
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the rear
differential oil temperature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, reduce
vehicle speed and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place.
Park the vehicle for several minutes. After
the light goes out, you can start driving.
If the light does not go out, contact the
nearest SUBARU dealer for service.NOTE. If the tire pressures are not correct
and/or the tires are not all the same
size and brand, the rear differential will
be heavily loaded when the vehicle is
driven, resulting in an abnormally high
oil temperature. .
The rear differential oil will deterio-
rate if its temperature increases en-
ough for the rear differential oil tem-
perature warning light to come on. It is
advisable to have the rear differential
oil replaced as soon as possible.
&
Low tire pressure
warning light
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will come on 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 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- 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 of
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reasons, 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 come on briefly
after the ignition switch is turned ON
or the light illuminates steadily after
blinking for approximately one min-
ute, you should have your Tire
Pressure Monitoring System
checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
If this light comes on 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 comes on 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 illuminates
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). Therefore, 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
low pressure threshold, the low tire
pressure warning light should go off
a few minutes later. Therefore, be
sure to install the specified size for
the front and rear tires.
&
ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”
position and goes out after approximately
2 seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system
is working properly.
CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as
follows, the ABS system may not
work properly.
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3-16
Instruments and controls
When the warning light is on, the
ABS function shuts down; however,
the conventional brake system con-
tinues to operate normally.
.The warning light does not come
on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position.
. The warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is turned to
the “ON ”position, but it does not
go out even when the vehicle
speed exceeds approximately 8
mph (12 km/h).
. The warning light comes on dur-
ing driving.
If any of these conditions occur,
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by
your SUBARU dealer.
The ABS warning light comes on together
with the brake system warning light if the
EBD system becomes faulty. For further
details of the EBD system fault warning,
refer to “Brake system warning light ”.NOTEIf the warning light behavior is as
described in the following, the ABS
system may be considered normal.
.The warning light comes on right after the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.
.
The warning light remains on after
the engine has been started, but it goes
out when the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 8 mph (12 km/h).
. The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately and
remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may come
on. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will go out.
&
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 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.
This light has the following three functions:
! Parking brake warning
The light comes on with the parking brake
applied while the ignition switch is in the
“ ON ”position. It goes out when the
parking brake is fully released.
! Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on 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
come on 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.
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!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 comes on
together with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be faulty 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 go out, the EBD system
may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated after the engine has been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“MIN
”mark, the EBD system may be
faulty. Drive carefully to the nearest
SUBARU dealer and have the system
inspected.
6. 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.
&
Low fuel warning light
CAUTION
Immediately put fuel in the tank
whenever the low fuel warning light
illuminates. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
The low fuel warning light illuminates
when the tank is nearly empty approxi-
mately 2.6 US gal (10 liters, or 2.2 Imp
gal). It only operates when the ignition
switch is in the “ON”position. When this
light illuminates, fill the fuel tank immedi-
ately.
NOTEThis light does not go out unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal).& Door open warning lightThe indicators are located in the center
portion of the dashboard.
When any of the doors or the rear gate is
not fully closed, it is indicated by the
corresponding part of the door open
warning light.
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive.
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3-18
Instruments and controls
&
Windshield washer
fluid warning light
This light comes on when the fluid level in
the windshield washer fluid tank falls to
the lower limit (approximately 0.6 US qt,
0.6 liter, 0.5 Imp qt).&
All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light
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.
The All-Wheel Drive warning light comes
on when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ”position and goes out after the
engine has started.
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 operation indi-
cator light
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is ON and goes out approximately
2 seconds later.
It blinks when the skid suppression func-
tion is activated. It illuminates when only
the traction control function is operating.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably faulty under any of the following
conditions. Have your vehicle checked at
a SUBARU dealer immediately.
. The light does not come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.
. The light does not go out even after a
period of approximately 2 seconds after
the ignition switch has been turned to the
“ON ”position.&
Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light/
Traction Control system
OFF indicator light
This warning light has both the function of
indicating faults in the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and the function of indicat-
ing that the Traction Control system has
been deactivated. It comes on in the event of a fault in the
system and is on when the system is not
operating.
This warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”
position and goes out after the engine
has started. It indicates that the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system is in normal
operation.
! Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light
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 come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON ”position.
. The warning light comes on while the
vehicle is running.
. If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system itself becomes
faulty, the warning light only comes on. At
this time, the ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem) remains fully operational.
. The warning light comes on when the
electronic control system of the ABS/
Vehicle Dynamics Control system be-
comes faulty.
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The Vehicle Dynamics Control system
provides its ABS control through the
electrical circuit of the ABS system.
Accordingly, if the ABS is inoperative, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system be-
comes unable to provide ABS control. As
a result, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system also becomes inoperative, caus-
ing the warning light to come on. Though
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 with this condition, but have your
vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.NOTEIf the warning light behavior is as
shown in the following, the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system may be con-
sidered normal.
.The warning light comes on right
after the engine is started but goes out
immediately, remaining off.
. The warning light comes on after
engine startup and goes off while the
vehicle is subsequently being driven.
. The warning light comes on during
driving, but it goes out immediately and
remains off. !
Traction Control system OFF indi-
cator light
. It comes on when the Traction Control
system OFF switch is pressed.
. It also comes on when the Traction
Control system is deactivated.
NOTE. The light may stay on for a while
after the engine has been started,
especially in cold weather. This does
not indicate the existence of a problem.
The light should go out as soon as the
engine has warmed up.
. The indicator light comes on when
the engine has developed a problem
and the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
Malfunction indicator lamp is on.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably faulty under the following condi-
tion. Have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
. The light does not go out even after the
lapse of several minutes (the engine has
warmed up) after the engine has started.
& Security indicator lightThe indicators are located in the center
portion of the dashboard.
This indicator light shows the status of the
alarm system. It also indicates operation
of the immobilizer system.
! Alarm system
It blinks to show the driver the operational
status of the alarm system. For detailed
information, refer to the “Alarm system”
section in chapter 2.
! Immobilizer system
This light blinks approximately 60 seconds
after the ignition switch is turned from
“ ON ”position to the “Acc ”or “LOCK ”
position or immediately after the key is
pulled out. (Refer to the “Door locks ”
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3-20
Instruments and controls
section in chapter 2.)
If the indicator light does not flash, it may
indicate that immobilizer system may be
faulty. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately.
In the event that an unauthorized key (for
example, an unauthorized duplicate) is
used, the security indicator light comes
on.&
SPORT mode indicator
light
This light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the“ON”position and
goes out after the engine has started.
When the selector lever is moved to the
manual gate, the SPORT mode is se-
lected and the indicator light comes on.
(Refer to the “Automatic transmission ”
section in chapter 7.)
& Selector lever/Gear position
indicatorThe selector lever/gear position indicator
shows the position of the selector lever.
When manual mode is selected, the gear
position indicator shows the current gear
position and the upshift/downshift indica-
tor illuminates. (Refer to the “Automatic
transmission” section in chapter 7.)&
Turn signal indicator
lights
These lights show the operation of the turn
signal or lane change signal.
If the indicator lights do not blink or blink
rapidly, the turn signal bulb may be burned
out. Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Refer to the“Replacing bulbs ”section in chapter 11.
&
High beam indicator
light
This light shows that the headlights are in
the high beam mode.
This indicator light also comes on when
the headlight flasher is operated.&
Cruise control indica-
tor light
The cruise control indicator light comes on
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON
”position and goes out after approxi-
mately 3 seconds.
This light comes on when the “CRUISE”
main switch is pressed.NOTE. If you move the cruise control lever
or press the main switch button while
turning the ignition switch “ON ”, the
cruise control function is deactivated
and the “CRUISE ”indicator light
flashes. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch back
to the “Acc ”or “LOCK ”position, and
then turn it again to the “ON ”position.
. If this indicator light and the CHECK
ENGINE warning light/malfunction in-
dicator lamp flash simultaneously dur-
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