check engine SUBARU TRIBECA 2012 1.G Owners Manual

6
at all times in a child restraint
device or in a seatbelt. The SRS
airbag deploys with considerable
speed and force and can injure or
even kill children, especially if
they are 12 years of age and
under and are not restrained or
improperly restrained. Because
children are lighter and weaker
than adults, their risk of being
injured from deployment is great-
er.
. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD
FACING CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN
THE FRONT SEAT. DOING SO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR
DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-
CING THE CHILD ’S HEAD TOO
CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
. Always use the child safety locks
whenever a child rides in the
rear. Serious injury could result
if a child accidentally opened the
door and fell out. Refer to “Child
safety locks ”F 2-21.
. Always lock the passenger ’s win-
dows using the lock switch when
children are riding in the vehicle.
Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child
operating the power window. Re-
fer to “Power windows ”F 2-21. .
Never leave unattended children
in the vehicle. They could acci-
dentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, temperature
in a closed vehicle could quickly
become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries
to them.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections. . For the seatbelt system, refer to “Seat-
belts ”F 1-17.
. For the child restraint system, refer to
“ Child restraint systems ”F 1-29.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ”F 1-45.
& Engine exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
. Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless
and odorless gas which is dan-
gerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
. Always properly maintain the en- gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from enter-
ing the vehicle.
. Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
. Avoid remaining in a parked
vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is
unavoidable, then use the venti-
lation fan to force fresh air into
the vehicle.
. Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system al-
ways works properly.
. If at any time you suspect that
exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.

22
&Warning and indicator lights
Mark Name Page
Driver ’s seatbelt warning
light 3-10
Front passenger
’s seat-
belt warning light 3-10
SRS airbag system
warning light 3-11
CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction indi-
cator light3-12
Charge warning light 3-13
Oil pressure warning light 3-13
AT OIL TEMP warning light
3-13
/ABS warning light 3-15
/Brake system warning light
3-16
Door open warning light
3-17Mark Name Page
Low fuel warning light 3-17
AWD warning light 3-18
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light (U.S.-
spec. models and
Canada-spec. models)/
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol operation indicator
light (all models)
3-18
Traction Control system
OFF indicator light (U.S.-
spec. models and
Canada-spec. models)
3-19
Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light (Latin
America-spec. models)/
Traction Control system
OFF indicator light (Latin
America-spec. models) 3-19
Security indicator light 3-21
Turn signal indicator lights
3-21
High beam indicator light 3-22
Front fog light indicator light3-22Mark Name Page
Headlight indicator light 3-22
Cruise control indicator light
3-22
Cruise control set indica-
tor light
3-22
Low tire pressure warn-
ing light3-14
Passenger airbag ON in-
dicator light
3-12
Passenger airbag OFF
indicator light3-12
SPORT mode indicator light3-21
Windshield washer fluid
warning light3-17
Rear differential oil tem-
perature warning light3-13

Ignition switch..................................................... 3-3
LOCK .................................................................. 3-3
Acc..................................................................... 3-4
ON...................................................................... 3-4
START ................................................................ 3-4
Key reminder chime ............................................ 3-4
Ignition switch light ............................................. 3-4
Hazard warning flasher ....................................... 3-5
Meters and gauges. ............................................. 3-5
Combination meter illumination ........................... 3-5
Canceling the function for meter needle/gauge movement and combination meter sequential
illumination upon turning on the ignition switch ............................................................... 3-5
Speedometer ....................................................... 3-6
Odometer ............................................................ 3-6
Double trip meter ................................................ 3-7
Tachometer ......................................................... 3-7
Fuel gauge .......................................................... 3-8
Temperature gauge ............................................. 3-8
Warning and indicator lights .............................. 3-9
Seatbelt warning light and chime ........................ 3-10
SRS airbag system warning light ........................ 3-11
Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON and OFF
indicators ......................................................... 3-12
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator light ................................................... 3-12
Charge warning light .......................................... 3-13
Oil pressure warning light .................................. 3-13
AT OIL TEMP warning light ................................. 3-13 Rear differential oil temperature warning
light ................................................................ 3-13
Low tire pressure warning light .......................... 3-14
ABS warning light .............................................. 3-15
Brake system warning light ................................ 3-16
Low fuel warning light ....................................... 3-17
Door open warning light .................................... 3-17
Windshield washer fluid warning light ................ 3-17
All-Wheel Drive warning light ... .......................... 3-18
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light (U.S.- spec models and Canada-spec. models)/Vehicle
Dynamics Control operation indicator light (allmodels) ........................................................... 3-18
Traction Control system OFF indicator light (U.S.-spec models and Canada-spec.models) ........................................................... 3-19
Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light (Latin America-spec. models)/Traction Control OFF
indicator light (Latin America-spec. models) ..... 3-19
Security indicator light ....................................... 3-21
SPORT mode indicator light ............................... 3-21
Select lever/Gear position indicator .................... 3-21
Turn signal indicator lights ................................. 3-21
High beam indicator light ................................... 3-22
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 3-22
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 3-22
Headlight indicator light ..................................... 3-22
Front fog light indicator light .............................. 3-22
Clock .................................................................. 3-22
Outside temperature indicator .......................... 3-23
Low outside temperature warning ...................... 3-24
Instruments and controls
3

CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible.
Refer to “Engine overheating ”F9-
14. Warning and indicator lights
Several of the warning and indicator lights
illuminate momentarily and then turn off
when the ignition switch is initially turned
to the
“ON ”position. This permits check-
ing the operation of the bulbs.
Apply the parking brake and turn the
ignition switch to the “ON ”position. For
the system check, the following lights
illuminate and turn off after several sec-
onds or after the engine has started:
: Driver ’s seatbelt warning light
(The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the driver fastens the seatbelt.)
: Front passenger ’s seatbelt warning
light
(The seatbelt warning light turns off
only when the front seat passenger
fastens the seatbelt.)
: SRS airbag system warning light
: CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal- function indicator light
: Charge warning light
: Oil pressure warning light
: AT OIL TEMP warning light
/: ABS warning light
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light(U.S.-spec. models and Canada-spec.
models)/Vehicle Dynamics Control op-
eration indicator light (all models)
: Traction Control system OFF indicator light (U.S.-spec. models and Canada-
spec. models)
: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
(Latin America-spec. models)/Traction
Control system OFF indicator light
(Latin America-spec. models)
/: Brake system warning light
: AWD warning light
: Low tire pressure warning light
: SPORT mode indicator light
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag ON
indicator light
: Front passenger ’s frontal airbag OFF
indicator light
: Low fuel warning light
: Cruise control indicator light
: Cruise control set indicator light
: Rear differential oil temperature warn-
ing light
: Windshield washer fluid warning light Instruments and controls
3-9
– CONTINUED –

3-12Instruments and controls
&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 turn
off 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 ad-
vanced frontal airbag system monitoring.
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 off.
If the front passenger ’s SRS frontal airbag
is deactivated, the passenger ’sfrontal
airbag ON indicator will remain off while
the OFF indicator will illuminate.
If both the ON and OFF indicators remain
illuminated or off simultaneously, the
system is malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for an in-spection.
& CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction in-
dicator light
CAUTION
If the CHECK ENGINE light illumi-
nates while you are driving, have
your vehicle checked/repaired by
your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible. Continued vehicle opera-
tion without having the emission
control system checked and re-
paired as necessary could cause
serious damage, which may not be covered by your vehicle
’s warranty.
If this light illuminates 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 illuminates steadily
If the light illuminates steadily while driving
or does not turn off 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.
NOTE
This light also illuminates 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 light illuminating
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 turn off, 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 thefollowing. . 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 illuminate steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately. & Charge warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system 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 alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good condition but the light remains illuminated,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately.
& Oil pressure warning light
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light illumi-
nated. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
If this light illuminates 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 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. & AT OIL TEMP warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission 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. !
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. & 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
illuminates. Continued driving with
this light illuminated can damage
the rear differential and other parts
of the powertrain.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the rear
differential oil temperature is too hot.
If the light illuminates while driving, reduce
vehicle speed and stop the vehicle at the Instruments and controls
3-13
– CONTINUED –

3-16Instruments and controls
malfunction warning, refer to “Brake sys-
tem warning light ”F 3-16.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following, the ABS
system 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 when the vehicle speed
reaches approximately 8 mph (12km/h).. The warning light illuminates during
driving, 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 illuminated is dan-
gerous. This indicates your brake
system may not be working
properly. If the light remains
illuminated, have the brakes in-
spected 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 illuminates with the parking
brake applied while the ignition switch is
in the “ON ”position. It turns off when the
parking brake is fully released. ! 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
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
malfunctioning. 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.
NOTE
This light does not turn off 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 light
The 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. & Windshield washer
fluid warning light
This light illuminates 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). Instruments and controls
3-17
– CONTINUED –

after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off..The warning light illuminates after
the engine has started and turns off
while the vehicle is subsequently beingdriven.. The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off. ! Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light
U.S.-spec. models and Canada-spec.models:
The indicator light flashes during activa-
tion of the skid suppression function and
during activation of the traction controlfunction. NOTE . The light may remain illuminated for
a short period of time after the engine
has been started, especially in cold
weather. This does not indicate the
existence of a problem. The light
should turn off as soon as the engine
has warmed up.. The indicator light illuminates when
the engine has developed a problem
and the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
malfunction indicator light is on. Latin America-spec. models:
The indicator light flashes when the skid
suppression function is activated. It illumi-
nates when only the traction control
function is operating.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably malfunctioning under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible . .
The light does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.. The light does not turn off even after
the lapse of several minutes (the engine
has warmed up) after the engine has
started (U.S.-spec. models and Canada-
spec. models)/even after a period of
approximately 2 seconds after the ignition
switch has been turned to the “ON ”
position (Latin America-spec. models).
& Traction Control sys-
tem OFF indicator light
(U.S.-spec models and
Canada-spec. models)
This light illuminates when the Traction
Control system OFF switch is pressed to
deactivate the Traction Control system.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably malfunctioning under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. .
The light does not illuminate when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position.. The light does not turn off even after a
period of approximately 2 seconds after
the ignition switch has been turned to the“ ON ”position.
& Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light
(Latin America-spec.
models)/Traction Con-
trol OFF indicator light
(Latin America-spec.models)
This warning light functions to indicate
malfunctions in the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system as well as to indicate that
the Traction Control system has beendeactivated.
It illuminates in the event of a malfunction
in the system and is on when the system
is not operating. Instruments and controls
3-19
– CONTINUED –

3-20Instruments and controls
!Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light
CAUTION
The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem provides its ABS control
through the electrical circuit of the
ABS system. Accordingly, if the ABS
is inoperative, the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system becomes unable to
provide ABS control. As a result, the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system
also becomes inoperative, causing
the warning light to illuminate.
Though both the Vehicle Dynamics
Control and ABS systems are inop-
erative in this case, the ordinary
functions of the brake system are
still available. You will be safe while
driving with this condition, but drive
carefully and have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
NOTE . If the electrical circuit of the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system itself mal-
functions, only the warning light illumi-
nates. At this time, the ABS (Anti-lock
Brake System) remains fully opera-tional. .
The warning light illuminates when
the electronic control system of the
ABS/Vehicle Dynamics Control systemmalfunctions.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably inoperative under any of the
following conditions. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately. . The warning light does not illuminate
when the ignition switch is turned to the “ ON ”position.
. The warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is running.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following conditions,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
may be considered normal. . The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off.. The warning light illuminates after
engine startup and turns off while the
vehicle is subsequently being driven.. The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off. !
Traction Control OFF indicator light
. It illuminates when the Traction Control
OFF switch is pressed. . It also illuminates when the Traction
Control system is deactivated. NOTE . The light may remain illuminated 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 turn off as
soon as the engine has warmed up.. The indicator light illuminates when
the engine has developed a problem
and the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
Malfunction indicator light illuminates.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is
probably malfunctioning under the listed
condition. Have your vehicle checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. . The light does not turn off even after
the lapse of several minutes (the engine
has warmed up) after the engine hasstarted.