Subaru Forester (2022 year). Manual in english

(169,1)

Combination meter settings

Meter and vehicle settings can be set on
the combination meter.

Type A combination meter

Various adjustments can be made, such
as switching units shown on the combina-
tion meter and adjusting the warning tone
volume.
While the ignition switch is in the “OFF”
position, each press of TRIP RESET
switch results in items shown in the table
below being switched.

Item

Combination

meter display

Possible

settings

A trip

—

B trip

—

Gauge
needle

sweep

function

On/Off

Changing

the unit*

mile/km

Warning

volume*

Lv. 1/Lv. 2/Lv. 3

*: If available

NOTE

If you switch the units on the combi-

nation meter, the units on the multi-
function display (black and white) also
switches accordingly.

If either of the following conditions

is met, the combination meter setting
mode will be canceled.

– The driver’s door is opened.
– The TRIP RESET switch is not
operated for approximately 10 sec-
onds or more.

Switching method

1. Push the ignition switch in the “OFF”
position.

TRIP RESET switch

2. Press the TRIP RESET switch repeat-
edly until the item you want to change is
displayed.
3. Press and hold the TRIP RESET
switch while the item to be changed is
displayed, the setting of the item will be
switched.

Type B combination meter

Meter and vehicle settings can be set on
the combination meter display (color
LCD). Refer to “Menu screens”

P200.

Meters and gauges

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3-5. Illumination brightness
control

The illumination brightness of the instru-
ment panel illuminates under the following
conditions.

The light switch is in the “

” or “

”

position when the ambient light is dark.

The light control switch is in the “AUTO”

position and the headlights illuminate
automatically.

You can adjust the illumination brightness
for better visibility.

To brighten, turn the control dial upward.
To darken, turn the control dial downward.

NOTE

When the control dial is turned fully

upward, the illumination brightness
becomes the maximum and the auto-
matic dimming function does not work
at all.

The brightness setting is not can-

celed even when the ignition switch is
turned to the “LOCK”/“OFF” position.

Auto dimmer cancel function

When the ambient light is bright, the
illumination brightness is set to the max-
imum regardless of the position of the
control dial. In this case, you cannot adjust
the illumination brightness by using the
control dial. When the ambient light is dark,
you can dim the illumination brightness as
described above.

The operational/non-operational setting
and sensitivity of the auto dimmer cancel
function can be changed by your SUBARU
dealer. Contact your SUBARU dealer for
details.

3-6. Warning and indicator

Initial illumination for system
check

Several of the warning and indicator lights
illuminate when the ignition switch is
initially turned to the “ON” position. This
permits checking the operation of the
bulbs.

Apply the parking brake and turn the
ignition switch to the “ON” position. For
the system check, several of the following
lights illuminate and then turn off after
several seconds or after the engine has
started.

: Seatbelt warning light (The seatbelt

warning light turns off only when the
driver fastens the seatbelt.)/Front pas-
senger’s seatbelt warning light (The
seatbelt warning light turns off only
when the front seat passenger fastens
the seatbelt.)

: Rear seatbelt warning light (if

equipped)

: SRS airbag system warning light

: Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON

indicator light

: Front passenger’s frontal airbag

OFF indicator light

Illumination brightness control

168

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: CHECK ENGINE warning light/

Malfunction indicator light

: Coolant temperature low indicator

light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light

: Charge warning light

: Oil pressure warning light

: Engine low oil level warning light

: Windshield washer fluid warning light

: AT OIL TEMP warning light

: Low tire pressure warning light (U.S.-

spec. models)

: ABS warning light

: Brake system warning light

: Electronic parking brake light

: Low fuel warning light

: Door open warning light

: AWD warning light

: Power steering warning light

: Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light/

Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light

: Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator

light

: Automatic headlight beam leveler

warning light (if equipped)

: Auto Start Stop warning light/Auto Start

Stop OFF indicator light (yellow)

: Auto Start Stop No Activity Detected

indicator light

If any lights fail to illuminate, it indicates a
burned-out bulb or a malfunction of the
corresponding system.
Consult your authorized SUBARU dealer
for repair.

Seatbelt warning light
and chime

Your vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt
warning device at the driver’s and passen-
ger’s seats, as required by current safety
standards.

Driver’s and front passenger’s seats

With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, this device reminds the driver and
front passenger to fasten their seatbelts by
illuminating the warning lights in the loca-
tions indicated in the following illustration
and sounding a chime.

Driver’s seat

Front passenger’s seat

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Operation

When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the driver’s and/or front
passenger’s warning light will illuminate,
then it will blink for several seconds. If the
seatbelt of the driver’s seat is not fastened,
the warning chime may make a peep
sound.

NOTE

If the driver’s and/or front passen-

ger’s seatbelt(s) are/is not fastened
while driving, the seatbelt warning
system operates as follows according
to the vehicle speed.

– The warning light will illuminate
when driving approximately 4 mph
(6 km/h) or less.
– The warning light will blink, and
the warning chime will make a peep
sound when driving between ap-
proximately 4 mph (6 km/h) and 13
mph (20 km/h). The warning chime
will stop when the vehicle stops.
– The warning light will blink, and
the warning chime will sound loudly
when 15 seconds have elapsed
while driving between approxi-
mately 4 mph (6 km/h) and 13 mph
(20 km/h).
– The warning light will blink, and
the warning chime will sound loudly

when driving approximately more
than 13 mph (20 km/h).

The warning light will turn off and the

warning chime will stop when the
seatbelt is fastened.

The seatbelt warning system can be

cancelled. However, when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position
after it is turned to the “OFF” position,
the warning system settings will be
restored. For details about the warning
cancellation, contact a SUBARU dealer.

If there is no passenger on the front
passenger’s seat, the seatbelt warning
system for the front passenger’s seat will
be deactivated. The front passenger’s
seatbelt warning system monitors whether
or not there is a passenger on the front
passenger’s seat.

CAUTION

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 seat-
back.

Do not store a heavy load in the

seatback pocket.

Do not allow the rear seat occu-

pant to place his/her hands or
legs on the front passenger’s
seatback, or allow him/her to pull
the seatback.

Do not use front seats with their

backward-forward position and
seatback not being locked into
place securely. If any of them are
not locked securely, adjust them
again. For adjusting procedure,
refer to “Manual seat”

P35.

If the seatbelt warning system 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, although we strongly
recommend that all children sit in the rear
seat properly restrained.

Ensure that there is no article left in the

seatback pocket.

Ensure that the backward-forward po-

sition and seatback of front passenger’s
seat are locked into place securely by
moving the seat back and forth.

Warning and indicator

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If still the seatbelt warning system 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.

Rear passenger’s seats (if
equipped)

Rear left seat

Rear center seat

Rear right seat

With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, the seatbelt warning light and
chime reminds the rear passenger to
fasten their seatbelt by illuminating the
warning lights in the locations indicated in
the above illustration and sounding a
chime.

WARNING

The driver must check that the all

passengers have fastened their
seatbelts properly since the seat-
belt warning system may not
detect passengers under the fol-
lowing circumstances.

– When cushions or child re-

straint systems, etc., are used

– When a child or small adult is

sitting in the seat

Observe the following precau-

tions

– Do not apply any strong im-

pact to the rear seat.

– Do not fold the seatback for-

ward when objects are on the
seat.

– Do not spill liquid on the rear

seat. If liquid is spilled, wipe it
off immediately.

– Do not remove or disassemble

the rear seat.

NOTE

The seatbelt warning system of the

rear seat detects if the seat is occupied
by a passenger. Heavy cargo or large

pets on the rear seat may result in the
activation of the passenger seatbelt
warning light and chime. Fastening
the rear seatbelt prior to loading cargo
or large pets will avoid activating the
passenger seatbelt warning light and
chime.

When folding the rear seat, ensure

that the seat is empty prior to folding.
Items caught between the seat bottom
and seatback, when folded, may da-
mage the seat surface or activate the
passenger seatbelt warning light and
chime.

Operation

If passengers in the rear seats do not
fasten their seatbelts while the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position, the
seatbelt warning lights will illuminate or
blink to indicate that their seatbelts are not
fastened.

NOTE

If the rear passenger’s seatbelt(s)

are/is still not fastened while driving,
the seatbelt warning system operates
as follows according to the vehicle
speed.

– The warning light will illuminate
when driving approximately 4 mph
(6 km/h) or less.

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– When driving approximately be-
tween 4 mph (6 km/h) and 13 mph
(20 km/h), if the seatbelts are not
fastened for 50 seconds, the seat-
belt warning lights will blink and a
warning chime will sound.
The chime will make a peep sound
for 15 seconds, and it then will
become louder and continue for 35
seconds. The warning light will
blink for 50 seconds, then it will
illuminate steadily and the chime
will stop.
– When driving more than approxi-
mately 13 mph (20 km/h), if seatbelts
are not fastened for 35 seconds, the
warning lights of the unfastened
seatbelts will blink and a chime will
sound loudly. If the rear seatbelts
are not fastened after 35 seconds,
the blinking warning light will illu-
minate steadily and the chime will
stop. The warning lights will con-
tinue to illuminate until their seat-
belts are fastened.

The warning light will turn off and the

warning chime will stop when the
seatbelt is fastened.

The seatbelt warning light can be

cancelled. However, when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position
after it is turned to the “OFF” position,

the warning system settings will be
restored. For details about the warning
cancellation, contact a SUBARU dealer.

SRS airbag system
warning light

WARNING

If the warning light exhibits any of
the following conditions, immedi-
ately stop the vehicle in a safe place,
and consult a SUBARU dealer. Un-
less a technician checks and repairs
the system as needed, the seatbelt
pretensioners and/or the SRS airbag
will not operate properly in the event
of a collision, which may result in
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

Continuous illumination of the

warning light

Illumination of the warning light

while driving

For details about the components mon-
itored by the warning light, refer to “SRS

airbag system monitors”

P106.

Front passenger’s frontal air-
bag ON and OFF indicators

: 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 indicator is displayed near the map
lights.
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

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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’s frontal
airbag ON indicator will remain off while
the OFF indicator will illuminate.
With the ignition switch turned to the “ON”
position, if both the ON and OFF indicators
remain illuminated or off simultaneously
even after the system check period, the
system is malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for an in-
spection.

CHECK ENGINE warn-
ing light/Malfunction
indicator light

CAUTION

If the CHECK ENGINE warning light/
Malfunction indicator 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 at least one problem or
potential problem somewhere in the emis-
sion control 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 warn-

ing light turn off immediately. It may take
several driving trips. If the light does not
turn off, take your vehicle to your author-
ized 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 illuminate steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately.

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Coolant temperature
low indicator light/
Coolant temperature
high warning light

CAUTION

After turning the ignition switch

to the “ON” position, if this
indicator light/warning light be-
haves in any of the following
ways, the electrical system may
be malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer immediately for
an inspection.

– It remains blinking in RED.

– It remains illuminated in RED

for more than 2 seconds.

– It remains blinking in RED and

BLUE alternately.

While driving, if this indicator

light/warning light behaves in
any of the following ways, take
the specified appropriate mea-
sure listed below.

– Blinking or illuminated in

RED:
Safely stop the vehicle as
soon as possible, and refer to
the emergency steps to take in
the case of engine overheat-

ing. After that, have the sys-
tem checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer. Refer to “En-
gine overheating”

P446.

– Blinking in RED and BLUE

alternately:
The electrical system may be
malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspec-
tion.

This coolant temperature low indicator
light/coolant temperature high warning
light has the following three functions.

Illumination in

BLUE

indicates insuffi-

cient warming up of the engine.

Blinking in

RED

indicates that the

engine is close to overheating.

Illumination in

RED

indicates overheat-

ing condition of the engine.

For a system check, this indicator light/
warning light illuminates in

RED

for ap-

proximately 2 seconds when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position. After
that, this indicator light/warning light
changes to

BLUE

and maintains illumina-

tion in

BLUE

. This

BLUE

illuminated light

turns off when the engine is warmed up
sufficiently.

If the engine coolant temperature in-
creases over the specified range, the
indicator light/warning light blinks in

RED

At this time, the engine is close to over-
heating.

If the engine coolant temperature in-
creases further, the indicator light/warning
light illuminates in

RED

continuously. At

this time, the engine may be overheating.

When the indicator light/warning light
blinks in

RED

or illuminates in

RED

, safely

stop the vehicle as soon as possible, and
refer to the emergency steps to take in the
case of engine overheating. Refer to
“Engine overheating”

P446. After that,

have the system checked by your nearest
SUBARU dealer.

Also, if the indicator light/warning light
often blinks in

RED

, the electrical system

may be malfunctioning. Contact your
SUBARU dealer for an inspection.

NOTE

If the engine is restarted after a certain
driving condition, this indicator light/
warning light may illuminate in RED.
However, this is not a malfunction if the
indicator light/warning light turns off
after a short time.

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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

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
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately.

CAUTION

Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light illumi-
nated. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.

Engine low oil level
warning light

This light illuminates when the engine oil
level decreases to the lower limit.
If the warning light illuminates, check the
engine oil level on a level surface. When
the engine oil level is not within the normal
range, refill with engine oil. Refer to
“Engine oil”

P474. After adding or chan-

ging the engine oil, warm up the engine
and stop it on a level surface, then start the
engine after a lapse of 1 minute or more.
Confirm that the warning light has turned
off after the engine has started. If the
warning light does not turn off after refilling
the engine oil, or the light illuminates even
though the engine oil level is within the
normal range, have the vehicle checked by
a SUBARU dealer.

NOTE

The oil level will be detected by the

system just after turning the ignition
switch to the OFF position. If the oil
level is below the lower limit when the
ignition switch is turned to the ON
position, the engine low oil level warn-
ing light will turn on.

When the vehicle is parked on a

steep slope, the engine low oil level
warning light may not illuminate even if
the oil level is below the lower limit to
avoid erroneous lighting.

Windshield washer
fluid warning light

This light illuminates when the fluid level in
the windshield washer fluid tank de-
creases to the lower limit (approximately
0.6 US qt (0.6 liters, 0.5 Imp qt)).

AT OIL TEMP warning
light

If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the transmis-
sion fluid temperature is too hot.

If the light illuminates while driving, im-
mediately stop the vehicle in a safe place
and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off.

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Transmission control system warn-
ing

If the “AT OIL TEMP” warning light flashes
after the engine has started, it may indicate
that the transmission control system is not
working properly. Contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer for service immediately.

Rear differential oil
temperature warning
light (if equipped)

CAUTION

If the R.DIFF TEMP warning light
illuminates, reduce vehicle speed
and stop the vehicle in a safe loca-
tion as soon as possible. Continuing
to drive with this light illuminated
may 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 in the
nearest safe location. Park the vehicle for
several minutes. After the light turns off,
you can start driving.
If the light does not turn off, 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 illuminate. It is
advisable to have the rear differential
oil replaced as soon as possible.

Low tire pressure
warning light (U.S.-
spec. models)

When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will illuminate for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will turn off.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on the

vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label, you should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)

As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates
a low tire pressure telltale when one or
more of your tires is significantly under-
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

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minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low
tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunc-
tions may occur for a variety of reasons,
including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning prop-
erly. 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 steadily
after blinking for approximately one min-
ute, have the system inspected by your
nearest SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible.

WARNING

If this light does not illuminate
briefly after the ignition switch is
turned ON or the light illuminates
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute, you should have
your Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem checked at a SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.

If this light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep
driving straight ahead while gradu-
ally reducing speed. Then slowly
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and serious
personal injury could occur.

If this light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have
a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible.

When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the Low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.

If the light illuminates steadily after
blinking for approximately one min-
ute, 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). After adjusting the tire pres-
sures, increase the vehicle speed to
at least 20 mph (32 km/h) to start the
TPMS re-checking of the tire infla-
tion pressures. If the tire pressures
are now above the severe low pres-
sure threshold, the low tire pressure
warning light should turn off a few
minutes later. Therefore, be sure to
install the specified size for the front
and rear tires.

ABS warning light

CAUTION

If any of the following conditions

occur, we recommend that you
have the ABS repaired at the first
available opportunity by your

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SUBARU dealer.

– The warning light does not

illuminate when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON”
position.

– The warning light illuminates

when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position,
but it does not turn off even
after the vehicle is started.

– The warning light illuminates

during driving.

When the warning light is on (and

the brake system warning light is
off), the ABS function shuts
down. However, the conventional
brake system continues to oper-
ate normally.

The ABS warning light, Vehicle Dynamics
Control warning light, and brake system
warning light illuminate simultaneously if
the EBD system malfunctions. For further
details of the EBD system malfunction
warning, refer to “Electronic Brake Force
Distribution (EBD) system warning”

P179.

NOTE

If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following conditions,

the ABS may be considered normal.

The warning light illuminates when

the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position and turns off approximately 2
seconds after the engine has started.

The warning light illuminates right

after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off.

The warning light remains illumi-

nated after the engine has been started,
but it turns off while driving.

The warning light illuminates 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 warn-
ing light (red)

WARNING

Driving with the brake system

warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains illuminated,

have the brakes inspected by a
SUBARU dealer immediately.

If at all in doubt about whether the

brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.

The brake system warning light has the
following functions.

Brake fluid level warning

The 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 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 location and check the brake fluid
level. For details, refer to “Brake fluid”

P481. If the fluid level is below the “MIN”

mark in the reservoir, do not drive the
vehicle. We recommend that you have the
vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU
dealer for repair. For details, refer to
“Towing”

P447.

Warning and indicator

178

(181,1)

Vacuum pressure system warning
(models with the vacuum brake
booster)

The brake system warning light

will

illuminate when the vacuum pressure
sensor is malfunctioning or brake booster
pressure is decreasing.
If the brake warning light continues to
illuminate for several minutes after starting
the engine, there may be a malfunction in
the vacuum system. In this case, drive the
vehicle carefully and have the system
inspected by a SUBARU dealer.

Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning

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 vehicle’s
motion may therefore become somewhat
harder to control.

If the brake system warning light, Vehicle
Dynamics Control warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps.

1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat
location.
2. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake, and then restart it.
3. Fully release the parking brake.
4. Even if all the warning lights do not
come back on, the EBD system may have
a possible malfunction. Drive carefully to
the nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
5. If all the warning lights stay illuminated
or come back on after approximately 2
seconds, shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake and check the brake fluid
level. For details, refer to “Brake fluid”

P481.

If the brake fluid level is not below the

“MIN” mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. We recommend that you
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,
we recommend that you have the vehicle
towed to the nearest SUBARU dealer for
repair. For details, refer to “Towing”

P447.

Electronic parking
brake light

Parking brake indicator

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.

Electronic parking brake system
warning

WARNING

When you release the electronic

parking brake while the engine is
running, the electronic parking
brake indicator light will turn off.
However, if the light still illumi-
nates, stop the vehicle in a safe
place immediately and have the
system inspected by a SUBARU
dealer.

If at all in doubt about whether the

brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.

If the electronic parking brake

indicator light flashes, the elec-
tronic parking brake system may
be malfunctioning. Immediately
stop your vehicle in a safe loca-

– CONTINUED –

Warning and indicator

179

Instruments

and

controls

(182,1)

tion, use tire stops under the tires
to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing and contact your SUBARU
dealer. For details, refer to “Elec-
tronic parking brake”

P354.

NOTE

When the ignition switch is turned to

the “LOCK”/“OFF” position with the
electronic parking brake applied, the
electronic parking brake indicator light
remains illuminated for approximately
30 seconds and then turns off.

When the electronic parking brake

switch is pulled to apply the electronic
parking brake while the ignition switch
is in the “LOCK”/“OFF” position, the
electronic parking brake indicator light
illuminates, remains illuminated for
approximately 30 seconds and then
turns off.

Even if the electronic parking brake

indicator light flashes, if the warning
light behavior is as described in the
following examples, the electronic
parking brake system is not malfunc-
tioning.

– The indicator light turns off when
the electronic parking brake is re-
leased.

The electronic parking brake indica-

tor light may flash immediately after the
engine is started. However, it is not
malfunctioning if the indicator light
turns off after the electronic parking
brake is released.

The electronic parking brake indica-

tor light may flash after the electronic
parking brake is frequently applied and
released. However, the electronic park-
ing brake system is not malfunctioning
if the light turns off for a short period of
time.

The electronic parking brake indicator light
flashes when the electronic parking brake
system is malfunctioning. If the indicator
light flashes, promptly park in a safe
location as soon as possible and contact
your SUBARU dealer.
The electronic parking brake indicator light
remains illuminated when the parking
brake cannot be released even if the
parking brake switch is pushed. For de-
tails, refer to “Electronic parking brake”

P354.

Parking brake apply inhibit warn-
ing

The electronic parking brake indicator light
flashes for 10 seconds and a chirp sound
will be heard if the parking brake switch is
operated when the parking brake cannot
be applied.

Frequent operation warning

The electronic parking brake indicator light
flashes for 10 seconds and a chirp sound
will be heard if the parking brake switch is
operated too frequently. In this case, the
operation of the parking brake switch is
restricted to protect the electronic parking
brake system.

NOTE

Wait until the indicator light turns off.

Auto Vehicle Hold ON
indicator light

CAUTION

If the Auto Vehicle Hold ON indicator
light does not illuminate even when
the Auto Vehicle Hold switch is
pressed to activate the Auto Vehicle
Hold function, the electronic parking
brake system may be malfunction-
ing.

This indicator light illuminates when the
Auto Vehicle Hold is activated. For details,
refer to “Auto Vehicle Hold function”

P356.

Warning and indicator

180

(183,1)

Auto Vehicle Hold op-
eration indicator light

This indicator light illuminates while the
vehicle is stopped by the Auto Vehicle Hold
function. For details, refer to “Auto Vehicle
Hold function”

P356.

Depress brake indicator
light (if equipped)

This light illuminates if the brake pedal is
not depressed in the following conditions.

The Auto Vehicle Hold switch is

pressed to deactivate the Auto Vehicle
Hold function while the vehicle is stopped
by the Auto Vehicle Hold function.

The electronic parking brake is re-

leased.

Low fuel warning light

The low fuel warning light illuminates when
the tank is nearly empty, at approximately
2.5 US gal (9.5 liters, 2.1 Imp gal). It only
operates when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position.

CAUTION

Promptly put fuel in the tank when-
ever the low fuel warning light
illuminates. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause

damage to the engine.

Door open warning
light

The warning light illuminates if any door or
the rear gate is not fully closed. This
function is effective even if the ignition
switch is in the “LOCK”/“OFF” or “ACC”
position, or the key is removed from the
ignition switch.

For some models, only the open doors are
indicated by the warning lights.

Always make sure this light is not illumi-
nated before you start to drive.

Engine hood open
warning light

The warning light illuminates if the engine
hood is not fully closed. This function is
effective even if the ignition switch is in the
“LOCK”/“OFF” or “ACC” position, or the
key is removed from the ignition switch.

Always make sure this light is not illumi-
nated before you start to drive.

All-Wheel Drive warn-
ing light

This light blinks if the vehicle is driven with
tires of differing diameters fitted on the
wheels or with an excessively low air
pressure in any of the tires.

WARNING

If the AWD warning light flashes,
promptly park in a safe location 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.
Continuing to drive with the AWD
warning light flashing can lead to
powertrain damage.

NOTE

If the temporary spare tire is used, the
AWD warning light may flash. Use of the
temporary spare tire should therefore
be restricted to the minimum time
necessary. Replace the temporary
spare tire with a conventional tire as
soon as possible.

– CONTINUED –

Warning and indicator

181

Instruments

and

controls

(184,1)

Power steering warning
light

While the engine is running, this warning
light illuminates when a malfunction has
been detected in the electric power steer-
ing system.

CAUTION

When 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 frequently,
that may result in a malfunction of the
power steering control system.

Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol warning light/Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control
operation indicator
light

Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light

CAUTION

The Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem provides its ABS control
through the electrical circuit of the
ABS. 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.
Although both the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and ABS 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, the warning light only 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 system
malfunctions.

The Vehicle Dynamics Control warn-

ing light, ABS warning light, and brake
system warning light illuminate simul-
taneously if the EBD system malfunc-
tions. For further details of the EBD

Warning and indicator

182

Subaru Forester (2022 year). Manual in english - page 11