2000-2004 Subaru Outback SUV Climate control User Manual
MyCarUserManual.com
USER MANUALS FOR EVERY MAKE & MODEL

Climate control for Your Subaru Outback SUV Second Generation (2000-2004)

4
Climate control
Ventilator 4-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual heating and air conditioning system 4-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Heater operation 4-7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Air conditioner operation 4-10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic climate control system (if equipped) 4-12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operating tips for heater and air conditioner 4-20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Air filtration system (if equipped) 4-22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4-2
Ventilator
B Center and side ventilators
HB5001BB
B Adjustable side defroster grille (for driver’s side only)
HB5003BBHB5002BB
Normal position
Side defroster grille
Fin
Windshield
defrost assist
position
The driver’s side defroster grille is adjustable. The normal position as
shown in the diagram directs warm air to the side glass. When more
rapid defrosting of the windshield is desired, the air flow can be
directed temporarily toward the windshield to assist the windshield
defroster. If this is done, the driver’s side grille should always be
returned to its normal position so that the warm air flow can then be
used to defrost the driver’s side window.
4
Climate control
4-3
– CONTINUED –
B Air flow selection
HB5006CA
HB5006BA
HB5006EA
HB5006DA
HB5006FA
4-4
Manual heating and air conditioning system
B Control panel
HB5004BC
1. Temperature control dial
2. Fan speed control dial
3. Air flow control dial
4. Air conditioner button
5. Air inlet selection button
6. Rear window defogger button (Refer to “Rear window defogger” in
chapter 3.)
n Temperature control dial
This dial regulates the temperature of air flow from the air outlets over
a range from the blue area (cool) to red area (warm).
n Fan speed control dial
The fan operates only when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position. The fan speed control dial is used to select four fan speeds.
n Air flow control dial
This dial has the following five positions:
: Air flows through the instrument panel outlets.
: Air flows through the instrument panel outlets and the foot
outlets.
4
Climate control
4-5
– CONTINUED –
: Air flows through the foot outlets and some through the wind-
shield defroster outlets.
: Air flows through the windshield defroster outlets and foot
outlets.
: Air flows through the windshield defroster outlets.
NOTE
When the dial is placed in the “
” or “ ”position, the air
conditioner compressor operates automatically regardless of the
position of the air conditioner button to defog the windshield
quickly. At the same time, the air inlet selection is automatically
set to “Outside air” mode.
In this state, you cannot select “recirculation” mode by manually
pressing the air inlet selection button.
n Air conditioner button
HB5010BB
The air conditioner operates only when the engine is running.
Push the air conditioner button while the fan is in operation to turn on
the air conditioner. The indicator light will come on.
Push it again to turn off the air conditioner.
4-6
n Air inlet selection button
WARNING
Continued operation in the ON position may fog up the windows.
Switch to the OFF position as soon as the outside dusty condi-
tion clears.
HB5008BB
ON position (Recirculation): Interior air is recirculated inside the ve-
hicle. Push the air inlet selection button to the ON position. The indi-
cator light will come on.
OFF position (Outside Air): Outside air is drawn into the passenger
compartment. Push the air inlet selection button again to the OFF
position. The indicator light will go off.
4
Climate control
4-7
– CONTINUED –
J Heater operation
B Defrosting or defogging the windshield
HB5011AA
To direct warm air to the windshield and front door windows:
1. Set the air flow control dial to the “
” position.
2. Turn the temperature control dial all the way to the right.
3. Set the fan speed control dial to the highest speed.
NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right and left air outlets. To
stop warm air flow from these outlets, turn the corresponding
thumb-wheel to the “
” position.
B Heating and defrosting
HB5012AA
4-8
To direct warm air toward the floor and the windshield:
1. Set the air flow control dial to the “
” position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the most comfortable level.
3. Set the fan speed control dial to the desired speed.
NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right and left air outlets. To
stop warm air flow from these outlets, turn the corresponding
thumb-wheel to the “
” position.
B Heating
HB5013AA
To direct warm air toward the floor:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the “OFF” position
2 Set the air flow control dial to the “
” position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the most comfortable level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the desired speed.
NOTE
Warm air also comes out from the right and left air outlets. To
stop warm air flow from these outlets, turn the corresponding
thumb-wheel to the “
” position.
4
Climate control
4-9
– CONTINUED –
B Bi-level heating
HB5014AA
This setting allows you to direct air of different temperatures from the
instrument panel and foot outlets. The air from the foot outlets is
slightly warmer than from the instrument panel outlets.
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the “OFF” position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
” position.
3. Set the temperature control dial to the desired temperature level.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the desired speed.
Setting the temperature control dial fully turned to the red area or blue
area decreases the temperature difference between the air from the
instrument panel outlets and the air from the foot outlets.
B Ventilation
WARNING
Continued operation in the “ON” position may fog up the win-
dows. Switch to the “OFF” position as soon as the outside dusty
condition clears.
4-10
HB5015AA
To force outside air through the instrument panel outlets:
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the “OFF” position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
” position.
3. Set the temperature control dial all the way left.
4. Set the fan speed control dial to the desired speed.
When driving on a dusty road, set the air inlet control lever to the “ON”
position.
J Air conditioner operation
B Cooling or dehumidifying
HB5016BB
For cooling and dehumidification of the passenger compartment, air
flows through the instrument panel outlets:
4
Climate control
4-11
– CONTINUED –
1. Set the air inlet selection button to the “OFF” position.
2. Set the air flow control dial to the “
” position.
3. Set the air conditioner button to the “ON” position.
4. Set the temperature control dial to the blue area.
5. Set the fan speed control dial at the highest speed.
B Defrosting or defogging
HB5011BB
To direct warm air to the windshield and front door windows:
1. Set the air outlet control dial to the “ ” position.
2. Set the temperature control dial to the red area.
3. Set the fan speed control dial at the highest speed.
4-12
Automatic climate control system (if equipped)
NOTE
D Operate the automatic climate control system when the engine is
running.
D When the engine coolant is cold, for instance in cold weather, the
air flows through the windshield defroster outlets and the blower
runs at the lowest speed to prevent cold air from blowing directly
against the driver and front passenger.
D In the “AUTO” mode, if the air temperature in the passenger
compartment is cooled down to the specified temperature, the air
conditioner compressor stops automatically. For efficient defogging
or dehumidifying in cold weather, press the “A/C” switch on.
D Even when cooling is not necessary, setting the temperature
much lower than the current outlet air temperature turns on the air
conditioner compressor automatically and the “A/C” indicator light
on the control panel comes on.
The automatic climate control system automatically controls outlet air
temperature, fan speed, air flow distribution air-inlet control, and air con-
ditioner compressor operation. It activates when the “AUTO” switch is
pressed, and is used in conjunction with the Temperature control dial to
maintain a constant, comfortable climate within the passenger compart-
ment.
The temperature can be set within a range of 65 – 85°F (18 – 32°C).
NOTE
The temperature is shown in units of Fahrenheit for US model and in
Centigrade for Canadian model.
4
Climate control
4-13
– CONTINUED –
B Control panel
HB4031BC
1. AUTO switch
2. OFF switch/BRIGHT
3. Outside air temperature switch
4. Defroster switch
5. Rear window defogger switch (Refer to the “Rear window defog-
ger” in chapter 3.)
6. Fan speed control switch
7. Air conditioner switch
8. Air flow control switch
9. Air inlet selection switch
10. Temperature control dial
11. In-vehicle temperature sensor.
n AUTO switch
AUTO mode operation:
The Automatic Climate Control system automatically controls the air
temperature of the passenger compartment in the AUTO mode. When
the “AUTO” switch is pressed, the indicator light “AUTO” on the con-
trol panel comes on. In this state, outlet air temperature, fan speed, air
flow distribution, air-inlet control, and air conditioner compressor op-
eration are automatically controlled.
4-14
ECON (economy) mode:
When you press the “AUTO” switch while the system is in the AUTO
mode, it selects the ECON (economy) mode, turning on the
“
ECON
” indicator light. In the ECON mode, the compressor runs to
be thrifty with energy consumption. Interior windows tend to fog in this
energy-saving operation. It is therefore recommended that the AUTO
mode be used only in high humidity conditions.
Manual mode operation:
When the Automatic Climate Control system is operating in the AUTO
mode, pressing the “
”, “ ”, “MODE”, “A/C” or
“
” switch shifts the operation into the “MANUAL” mode and the
indicator light “AUTO” on the control panel will go out.
When the “
”, “ ”, “MODE”, “A/C” or “ ”
switch is pressed, the corresponding function can be controlled inde-
pendently, while automatic control of the other functions are main-
tained.
To change the system back to the AUTO mode, press the “AUTO”
switch.
n OFF switch
The Automatic Climate Control system turns off (the air conditioner
compressor and fan turn off) when the “OFF” switch is pressed.
When the “OFF” switch is pressed, the outside air introduction mode
(“
” position) is automatically selected.
NOTE
Display illumination dimness cancellation (BRIGHT):
Setting the light switch to the “p” or “a” position causes the
illuminating icons on the display panel to dim. When traveling
with the lights on in gloomy daylight or in twilight, press the OFF
switch for 1 second or longer if you feel it is too hard to identify
the icons clearly. The brightness comes back to normal.
If you wish to dim the icons again, hold down the OFF switch
again or if you can safely do so, turn the light switch OFF and
then place it in the “p” or “a” position.
4
Climate control
4-15
– CONTINUED –
n OUT.TEMP switch
To check the outside air temperature, push the “OUT.TEMP” switch.
The outside air temperature will be displayed for five seconds, and
then the display automatically changes back to the inside air temper-
ature.
The display changes over from the inside air temperature to the out-
side air temperature as its normal indication if you keep the switch
pressed for more than 2 seconds.
NOTE
D The outside air temperature display shows the outside air tem-
perature in a range from –22°F to 131°F (–30°C to 55°C).
D You can check the outside air temperature even when the Au-
tomatic Climate Control is off. (The ignition switch should be in
the “ON” position.)
D In the following cases, the display can indicate a higher tem-
perature than the actual outside air temperature:
– In direct sunlight
– When the vehicle is parked for a long period of time with the
engine kept running.
– During stop and go driving
n
— Defroster switch
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield and side window, push the
defroster switch “
”. When the “ ” switch is pushed, re-
gardless whether the air conditioner is operating or not, outside air is
drawn into the passenger compartment, the air conditioner compres-
sor turns on, air flow is directed towards the windshield and side win-
dows, and the indicator light “
” on the control panel comes on.
Even with the defroster switch pushed, you can turn the air condition-
er ON/OFF and select interior air recirculation or outside air introduc-
tion as desired.
After eliminating the fogging from the windshield, set the air condition-
er back in the AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO” switch or turn off
by pushing the “OFF” switch or “
” switch.
4-16
n
— Fan speed control switch
HB5021BB
The fan speed control switch has the 5 positions: AUTO position and
4 different fan speed positions.
With the fan speed control switch in the AUTO position, the fan speed
changes automatically corresponding to various conditions: air tem-
perature inside and outside of the passenger compartment, intensity
of the sunlight, etc.
Use this switch to select desired fan speed. Fan speed increases with
each press of the switch and returns to the AUTO position.
n A/C — Air conditioner switch
NOTE
The air conditioner compressor does not operate when the out-
side air temperature is below 32°F (0°C).
If the windshield starts to fog when the air conditioner is operated in
the AUTO mode, push the air conditioner switch “A/C” to defog and
dehumidify.
When this switch is pushed, the air conditioner compressor turns on
and the indicator light “A/C” on the control panel comes on. After
eliminating the fogging from the windshield, set the air conditioner
back in the AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO” switch.
4
Climate control
4-17
– CONTINUED –
n MODE — Air flow control switch
(Ventilation) : Air flows through the instrument panel outlets.
(Bi-level) : Air flows through the instrument panel outlets
and the foot outlets.
(Heat) : Air flows through the foot outlets and some
through the windshield defroster outlets.
(Heat-def) : Air flows through the windshield defroster out-
lets and foot outlet.
NOTE
When the “
” mode is selected, the air conditioner compres-
sor operates automatically regardless of the position of the air
conditioner button to defog the windshield quickly. At the same
time, the air inlet selection is automatically set to “
” mode.
Even with this mode selected, you can turn the air conditioner
ON/OFF and select interior air recirculation or outside air
introduction as desired.
n Air inlet selection switch
WARNING
Continued operation in the “
” position may fog up the win-
dows. Switch to the “
” position as soon as the outside
dusty condition clears.
4-18
HB4032BB
Select the air inlet by pushing the air inlet selection switch.
: Interior air recirculates inside the passenger’s compartment.
Use this position when quickly warming up the passenger
compartment or cooling it down or when preventing outside
air from entering the passenger compartment from the out-
side air. The indicator light “
” on the control panel
comes on when this switch is pushed.
: Outside air is drawn into the passenger compartment. When
the air conditioning system is operated in the “AUTO” mode,
this position is selected automatically. The indicator light
“
” on the control panel comes on when this switch is
pushed.
n Temperature control dial
HB4033BB
4
Climate control
4-19
– CONTINUED –
NOTE
The temperature setting remains even after the ignition switch is
turned to the “OFF”. However, if the battery cables are discon-
nected, the temperature will be set to 77°F (25°C) automatically.
Set desired temperature by turning the temperature control dial; turn
the dial clockwise to raise the temperature setting and turn it counter-
clockwise to lower it.
The temperature can be set in increments of 1°F within a range of 65
– 85°F for US models and in increments of 0.5°C within a range of 18
– 32°C for Canadian models.
Even when quick cooling or warming is necessary, you do not have to
change the temperature setting. The Automatic Climate Control sys-
tem operates at maximum performance until the air in the passenger
compartment reaches to the specified temperature.
B Temperature sensors
This Automatic Climate Control system employs the several sensors.
These are very delicate parts. Therefore, if these sensors are dam-
aged, it is possible that the Automatic Climate Control system will not
properly control the air temperature in the passenger compartment.
To prevent possible damage to the sensors, please observe the fol-
lowing:
– Do not allow anything to impact the sensors.
– Be careful not to let water contact the sensors.
– Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are found at the following locations:
– Sun-load sensor (beside the windshield defroster grille)
– In-vehicle temperature sensor (beside the temperature control
dial.)
– Ambient sensor (at the under side of the bumper)
4-20
HB4034BBHB5024BB
Operating tips for heater and air conditioner
B Cleaning ventilator grille
HB5019BC
Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille free of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions to ensure efficient heating and defrosting. Since the
condenser is located in front of the radiator, this area should be kept
clean because cooling performance is impaired by any accumulation
of insects and leaves on the condenser.
B Efficient cooling after parking in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with the windows open for a few
minutes to allow outside air to circulate into the heated interior. This
results in quicker cooling by the air conditioner. Keep the windows
4
Climate control
4-21
– CONTINUED –
closed during the operation of the air conditioner for maximum cool-
ing efficiency.
B Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at a low engine speed (at idle
or low driving speeds) a few minutes each month during the off-sea-
son to circulate its oil.
B Checking air conditioning system before summer season
Check the air conditioner unit for refrigerant leaks, hose conditions,
and proper operation each spring. This check is best performed by
your SUBARU dealer.
B Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and low tempera-
ture weather condition
Under certain weather conditions (high relative humidity, low tempera-
tures, etc.) a small amount of water vapor emission from the air outlets
may be noticed. This condition is normal and does not indicate any
problem with the air conditioning system.
B Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily
loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage, the air conditioner com-
pressor is designed to temporarily shut off during air conditioner op-
eration whenever the accelerator is fully depressed such as during
rapid accerelation or when driving on a steep upgrade.
B Refrigerant for your climate control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly refrigerant HFC134a. There-
fore, the method of adding, changing or checking the refrigerant is
different from the method for CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a result of using the wrong
refrigerant are not covered under warranty.
4-22
Air filtration system (if equipped)
If your vehicle’s air conditioning system is equipped with a optional air
filtration system, replace the filter element according to the replacement
schedule shown below. This schedule should be followed to maintain the
filter’s dust collection ability. Under extremely dusty conditions, the filter
should be replaced more frequently. Since the filter element is a viscous
type, it is unnecessary to clean or wash the element. Have your filter
checked or replaced by your SUBARU dealer.
Replacement schedule:
Every 12 months or 9,300 miles (15,000 km) whichever comes first
NOTE
The filter can influence the air conditioning, heating and defroster
performance if not properly maintained.

Related Topics

Ventilator Manual heating and air conditioning system Heater operation Air conditioner operation Automatic climate control system Operating tips for heater and air conditioner Air filtration system

Popular Owner Manuals

Audi
Audi
BMW
BMW
Citroen
Citroen
Ford
Ford
Honda
Honda
Peugeot
Peugeot