SUBARU WRX 2016 Owners Manual

Starting and operating/SI – DRIVE (except STI: CVT models)
& Sport Sharp (S#) mode! For maximum performance driving
For sports-minded drivers, the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode offers an exhilarating
level of engine performance and control.
The throttle becomes more responsive
regardless of the engine speed. Delivering
maximum driving enjoyment, this mode is
ideal for tackling twisting roads and for
merging or overtaking other vehicles on
the freeway with confidence.
When you select the Sport Sharp (S#)
mode while the select lever is in the “ D ”
position, the transmission gear ratio will
shift from variable speed to eight-speed.
The select lever/gear position indicator
display will change from “ D ” to the gear
position. When selecting Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
the following controls will be applied.
Uphill control: Prevents unnecessary
shift-up/shift-down during ascent.
Cornering control: While turning, if there
is a large centrifugal force, shift-up will not
occur: during re-acceleration.
Braking control: At the beginning of
corners etc., heavy application of the
brake pedal will cause automatic down-
shift and gently re-accelerate.
Sudden acceleration return control:
During acceleration, if acceleration pedal
is returned suddenly (for example, at
corners etc.), shift-up will not be applied. & SI-DRIVE switches
NOTE If any of the SI-DRIVE indicators blink,
the SI-DRIVE system may be malfunc-
tioning. Contact your SUBARU dealer.
SI-DRIVE switches
To select the Intelligent (I) mode, perform
either of the following procedures.
. Press the “ S/I ” switch when the Sport
(S) mode is selected
. Press the “ S#/I ” switch when the Sport
Sharp (S#) mode is selected
To select the Sport (S) mode, press the “ S/
I ” switch when any mode other than Sport
(S) mode is selected.
To select the Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
press the “ S#/I ” switch when any mode7-32

other than Sport Sharp (S#) mode is
selected.
NOTE . The next time you turn on the
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode, the SI-
DRIVE mode changes to the Sport (S)
mode.
. The next time you turn on the
engine, after you turned off the engine
in the Sport (S) mode or Intelligent (I)
mode, the SI-DRIVE mode will stay in
the same mode as when the engine
was turned off.
. While the engine is running, if the
CHECK ENGINE warning light/malfunc-
tion indicator light illuminates, the SI-
DRIVE mode changes to the Sport (S)
mode. In this case, it is not possible to
change to another mode.
. If there is a possibility that the
engine could overheat because of a
temperature increase of the engine
coolant, it is not possible to change to
the Sport Sharp (S#) mode. While the
vehicle is in the Sport Sharp (S#) mode,
it changes to the Sport (S) mode when
the engine coolant temperature in-
creases.
. While the engine is cool, you cannot
change to Sport Sharp (S#) mode. Limited slip differential (LSD)
(STI) The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in
revolutions between the right and left
wheels that may be caused by certain
driving conditions, thereby improving driv-
ing stability on snow-covered, muddy or
other slippery roads or when high speed
driving.
CAUTION. Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the
vehicle may move.
. If one tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely
affect the LSD.
. If you use a temporary spare tire
to replace a flat tire, be sure to
use the original temporary spare
tire stored in the vehicle. Using
other sizes will adversely affect
the LSD. Power steering & STI The vehicle is equipped with a hydraulic
power steering system. The power steer-
ing system operates only when the engine
is running.
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort.
CAUTIONDo not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than 5 seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump.
NOTE Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is
normal. It does not indicate power
steering system trouble.Starting and operating/Limited slip differential (LSD) (STI)
– CONTINUED –7-33

Starting and operating/Power steering
& Except STI
Power steering warning light
The vehicle is equipped with an electric
power steering system. The power steer-
ing system operates only while the engine
is running. When the ignition switch is
turned to the “ ON ” position, the power
steering warning light on the combination
meter illuminates to inform the driver that
the warning system is functioning properly.
Then, if the engine started, the warning
light turns off to inform the driver that the
steering power assist is operational.
CAUTION
While the power steering warning
light is illuminated, there may be
more resistance when the steering wheel is operated. Drive carefully to
the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the vehicle inspected immedi-
ately.
NOTE If the steering wheel is operated in the
following ways, the power steering
control system may temporarily limit
the power assist in order to prevent the
system components, such as the con-
trol computer and drive motor, from
overheating.
. The steering wheel is operated fre-
quently and turned sharply while the
vehicle is maneuvered at extremely low
speeds, such as while frequently turn-
ing the steering wheel during parallel
parking.
. The steering wheel remains in the
fully turned position for a long period
of time.
At this time, there will be more resis-
tance when steering. However this is
not a malfunction. Normal steering
force will be restored after the steering
wheel is not operated for a while and
the power steering control system has
an opportunity to cool down. However,
if the power steering is operated in a
non-standard way which causes power assist limitation to occur too fre-
quently, this may result in a malfunc-
tion of the power steering control
system.
7-34

Braking & Braking tips WARNINGNever rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking.
! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep
driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place.
& Brake system ! Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit
brake systems. Each circuit works diag-
onally across the vehicle. If one circuit of
the brake system should fail, the other half
of the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer
to the floor than usual and you will need to
press it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop the
vehicle.
! Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to depress the pedal much
harder than normal and the braking dis-
tance will increase. ! Brake assist system
WARNINGDo not be overconfident about the
brake assist. It is not a system that
brings more braking ability to the
vehicle beyond its braking capabil-
ity. Always use the utmost care
when driving regarding vehicle
speed and safe distance.
CAUTIONWhen you need to brake suddenly,
continue depressing the brake pedal
strongly to obtain the effect of the
brake assist.
Brake assist is a driver assistance system.
It assists the brake power when the driver
cannot depress the brake pedal strongly
and the brake power is insufficient.
Brake assist generates the brake power
according to the speed at which the driver
depresses the brake pedal.
NOTE When you depress the brake pedal
strongly or suddenly, the following
phenomena occur. However, even
though these occur, they do not indi- Starting and operating/Braking
– CONTINUED –7-35

Starting and operating/ABS (Anti – lock Brake System)
cate any malfunctions, and the brake
assist system is operating properly.
. You might feel that the brake pedal
is applied by lighter force and gener-
ates a greater braking force.
. You might hear an ABS operating
noise from the engine compartment.
& Disc brake pad wear warning
indicators
The disc brake pad wear warning indica-
tors on the disc brakes give a warning
noise when the brake pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard
from the disc brakes while braking, im-
mediately have your vehicle checked by
your SUBARU dealer. ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem) The ABS prevents the lock-up of wheels
which may occur during sudden braking or
braking on slippery road surfaces. This
helps prevent the loss of steering control
and directional stability caused by wheel
lock-up.
When the ABS is operating, you may hear
a chattering noise or feel a slight vibration
in the brake pedal. This is normal when
the ABS operates.
The ABS will not operate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10
km/h).
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving a vehicle with the
ABS could easily lead to a serious
accident.
CAUTION
. The ABS does not always de-
crease stopping distance. You
should always maintain a safe following distance from other
vehicles.
. When driving on badly surfaced
roads, gravel roads, icy roads, or
over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be long-
er for a vehicle with the ABS than
one without. When driving under
these conditions, therefore, re-
duce your speed and leave ample
distance from other vehicles.
. When you feel the ABS operating,
you should maintain constant
brake pedal pressure. Do not
pump the brake pedal since
doing so may defeat the opera-
tion of the ABS system.
& ABS self-check Just after the vehicle is started, you may
feel on the brake pedal a vibration similar
to when the ABS operates, and you may
also hear the sound of the ABS working
from the engine compartment. This is
caused by an automatic functional test of
the ABS being carried out and does not
indicate any abnormal condition.7-36

& ABS warning light Refer to “ ABS warning light ” F 3-20.
Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) system The EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle ’ s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS and uses some of the ABS compo-
nents to perform its function of optimizing
the distribution of braking force. If any of
the ABS components used by the EBD
system malfunction, the EBD system also
stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. & Steps to take if EBD system
malfunctions
Brake and ABS warning light
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously.
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 malfunctions, the
conventional braking system will still func-
tion. However, the rear wheels will be
more prone to locking when the brakes
are applied harder than usual and the
vehicle ’ s motion may therefore become
somewhat harder to control.Starting and operating/Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system
– CONTINUED –7-37

Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
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 11-25.
. 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 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. Vehicle Dynamics Control
system WARNINGAlways use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving a vehicle with the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
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-7-38

namics Control is no guarantee
that full vehicle control will be
maintained at all times and under
all conditions, its activation
should be seen as a sign that
the speed of the vehicle should
be reduced considerably.
. Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle, have an inspection of
that system performed by an
authorized SUBARU dealer.
. The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system 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
vehicle placard attached to
the driver ’ s side door pillar.
– Use only the specified tem-
porary spare tire to replace a
flat tire. With a temporary
spare tire, the effectiveness of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is reduced and
this should be taken into ac-
count when driving the vehi-
cle in such a condition.
. If non-matching tires are used,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system may not operate cor-
rectly.
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control
system helps prevent unstable
vehicle motion such as skidding
using control of the brakes and
engine power. Do not turn off the
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem unless it is absolutely ne-
cessary. If you must turn off the
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem, drive very carefully accord-
ing to the road surface condition.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
adjusts the engine ’ s output and the
wheels ’ respective braking forces to help
maintain traction and directional control.
. Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is shown by
flashing the Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light.
. Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels ’ tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indi-
cator light
NOTE
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem may be considered normal whenStarting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
– CONTINUED –7-39

Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
the following conditions occur.
– Slight twitching of the brake
pedal is felt.
– The vehicle or steering wheel
shakes to a small degree.
– An operating sound from the
engine compartment is heard
briefly when starting the engine
and when driving off after starting
the engine.
– The brake pedal seems to jolt
when driving off after starting the
engine.
. In the circumstances shown in the
following list, the vehicle may be less
stable than it feels to the driver. The
Vehicle Dynamics Control System may
therefore operate. Such operation does
not indicate a system malfunction.
– on gravel-covered or rutted
roads
– on unfinished roads
– when the vehicle is fitted with
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 your vehicle is equipped with the Vehicle Dynamics Control system.
. Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire. 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 3-26 and “ Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light/
Traction mode indicator light ” F 3-27.& Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF switch
1) Traction mode indicator light
2) Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator
light7-40

Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch
When the switch is pressed briefly or for
more than approximately 2 seconds dur-
ing engine operation, the mode of the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system will be
changed.
! Vehicle Dynamics Control mode
When the ignition switch is on, this mode
is selected.
This mode enables all controls for ABS,
the Traction Control System, and the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system. Select
this mode for most driving situations.
When this mode is selected, both indicator
lights on the combination meter turn off. ! Traction mode
This mode restricts the functions of the
Traction Control System and Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and thus delays
utilizing their functions as a reaction to
vehicle behavior in comparison with the
Vehicle Dynamics Control mode. This
mode should be used in driving situations
where the vehicle dynamic performance
will improve without decreasing engine
torque control.
When the switch is pressed briefly during
engine operation, the traction mode in-
dicator light and the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF indicator light on the combi-
nation meter illuminate. When the switch
is pressed again to reactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system, the traction
mode indicator light and the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light turn
off.
! Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF
mode
This mode allows only the ABS control.
This mode should be used in an emer-
gency situation such as getting out of
snow or mud.
When the switch is pressed for more than
approximately 2 seconds during engine
operation, the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light on the combination meter illuminates. When the switch is
pressed again to reactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system, the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light
turns off.
NOTE . If the ignition switch is turned to the
“ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position with the Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control system deacti-
vated, the system will be automatically
reactivated the next time the engine is
started.
. If the switch is held down for 30
seconds or longer, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control OFF 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.
. When the Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF mode is selected, the vehicle ’ s
running performance is comparable
with that of a vehicle that does not
have a Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem. Do not deactivate the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system except when
absolutely necessary.
. Even when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF mode is selected, compo-Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
– CONTINUED –7-41