Subaru Forester: Automatic transmission

Subaru Forester / Subaru Forester Owner's Manual / Starting and operating / Automatic transmission

The automatic transmission is electronically controlled and provides 4 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has a manual mode and a SPORT mode.

Do not shift from the “P” or “N”

Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into the “D” or “R” position while depressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause the vehicle to jump forward or backward.

- Shift into the “P” or “R” position

- Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting while the vehicle is moving may cause damage to the transmission.

- Do not race the engine for more than 5 seconds in any position except the “N” or “P” position when the brake is set or when chocks are used in the wheels.

This may cause the automatic transmission fluid to overheat.

- Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving positions into the “R” position or vice versa until the vehicle has completely stopped. Such shifting may cause damage to the transmission.

- When parking the vehicle, first securely apply the parking brake and then place the select lever in the “P” position. Avoid parking for a long time with the select lever in any other position as doing so could result in a dead battery.

NOTE
- When the engine coolant temperature is still low, the automatic transmission will upshift to higher engine speeds than when the coolant temperature is sufficiently high in order to shorten the warm-up time and improve driveability. The gearshift timing will automatically shift to the normal timing after the engine has warmed up.

- Immediately after ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic transmission operation is somewhat unusual.

This results from invalidation of data which the on-board computer has collected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most appropriate times for the current condition of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored as the vehicle continues to be driven for a while.

Driving tips

Do not drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to hold your vehicle at a standstill on an upgrade. Either of those actions may cause clutch damage. Do not d ...

Select lever

: Shifting is possible with the brake pedal depressed. : Shifting is possible whether the brake pedal is depressed or not. However, while the ignition switch is in the “LOCK” ...