Get Starting and operating -> Fuel Guide for Subaru Forester SUV 2024

^Fuel303

SUBARU dealer for service. If it is deter-

mined that the condition is caused by the

type of fuel used, repairs may not be

covered by your warranty.

! RON

7-1. Fuel

This octane rating is the Research Octane

Number.

CAUTION

! AKI

! Gasoline for cleaner air

Use of a fuel which is low in

quality or use of an inappropriate

fuel additive may cause damage

to the engine and/or fuel system.

This octane rating is the average of the

Research Octane and Motor Octane num-

bers and is commonly referred to as the

Anti Knock Index (AKI).

Your use of gasoline with detergent ad-

ditives will help prevent deposits from

forming in your engine and fuel system.

This helps keep your engine in tune and

your emission control system working

properly, and is a way of doing your part

for cleaner air. If you continuously use a

high-quality fuel with the proper detergent

and other additives, you should never

need to add any fuel system cleaning

agents to your fuel tank.

Some gas stations, particularly

those in high altitude areas, offer

fuels posted as regular octane

gasoline with an octane rating

below 87 AKI (90 RON). Use of

those fuels is not recommended.

! Unleaded gasoline

The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed

to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler

nozzle. Under no circumstances should

leaded gasoline be used because it will

damage the emission control system and

may impair driveability and fuel economy.

& Fuel requirements

The engine is designed to operate using

unleaded gasoline with an octane rating

of 87 AKI (90 RON) or higher.

Many gasolines are now blended with

materials called oxygenates. Use of these

fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.

Oxygenated blend fuels, such as ethanol

(ethyl or grain alcohol) may be used in your

vehicle, but should contain no more than

15% ethanol for the proper operation of

your SUBARU.

! Reformulated gasoline

SUBARU supports the use of reformulated

gasoline when available. Reformulated

gasoline has been blended to burn more

cleanly and reduce vehicle emissions.

! Fuel octane rating

! MMT

Using a gasoline with a lower octane rating

can cause persistent and heavy knocking,

which can damage the engine. Do not be

concerned if your vehicle sometimes

knocks lightly when you drive up a hill or

when you accelerate. Contact your

SUBARU dealer if you use a fuel with the

specified octane rating and your vehicle

knocks heavily or persistently.

Some gasoline contains an octane-enhan-

cing additive called MMT (Methylcyclo-

pentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If

you use such fuels, your emission control

system performance may deteriorate and

the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-

function indicator light may turn on. If this

happens, return to your authorized

Do not use any gasoline that contains

more than 15% ethanol, including from any

pump labeled, E30, E50 or E85 (which are

only some examples of fuel containing

more than 15% ethanol).

In addition, some gasoline suppliers are

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Fuel

304

now producing reformulated gasolines,

which are designed to reduce vehicle

emissions. SUBARU approves the use of

reformulated gasoline.

SUBARU dealer.

! Refueling

Fuel system damage or driveability

problems which result from the use of

improper fuel are not covered under the

SUBARU Limited Warranty.

Only one person should be involved in

refueling. Do not allow others to approach

the area of the vehicle near the fuel filler

pipe while refueling is in progress.

Be sure to observe any other precautions

that are posted at the service station.

If you are not sure what the fuel contains,

you should ask your service station op-

erators if their gasolines contain deter-

gents and oxygenates and if they have

been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-

sions.

CAUTION

Do not let fuel spill on the exterior

surfaces of the vehicle. Because fuel

may damage the paint, be sure to

wipe off any spilled fuel quickly.

Paint damage caused by spilled fuel

is not covered under the SUBARU

Limited Warranty.

1. Before refueling, stop the vehicle, then

turn off the ignition switch to turn off all

the electrical components. At this time,

the fuel filler lid also unlocks.

As additional guidance, only use fuels

suited for your vehicle as explained in the

following description.

NOTE

When you lock the door, the fuel filler

lid also locks. To unlock the fuel filler

lid, perform one of the operations

below.

Fuel should be unleaded and have an

octane rating no lower than that speci-

fied in this manual.

& Fuel filler lid and cap

Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is

sometimes mixed with unleaded gaso-

line. Methanol can be used in your

vehicle ONLY if it does not exceed 5%

of the fuel mixture AND if it is accom-

panied by sufficient quantities of the

proper cosolvents and corrosion inhibi-

tors required to prevent damage to the

fuel system. Do not use fuel containing

methanol EXCEPT under these condi-

tions.

– Press the unlock button on the

key fob.

– Press the unlock side of the

power door locking switch.

! Locations of the fuel filler lid

2. Push the rear side of the fuel filler lid.

3. The fuel filler lid opens automatically.

Open it further by hand.

WARNING

If undesirable driveability problems are

experienced and you suspect they may

be fuel related, try a different brand of

gasoline before seeking service at your

Before opening the fuel filler cap,

first touch the vehicle body or a

metal portion of the fuel pump or

similar object to discharge any sta-

^Fuel305

tic electricity that may be present on

your body. If your body is carrying

an electrostatic charge, there is a

possibility that an electric spark

could ignite the fuel, which could

burn you. To avoid acquiring a new

static electric charge, do not get

back into the vehicle while refueling

is in progress.

WARNING

Gasoline vapor is highly flam-

mable. Before refueling, always

turn the ignition switch to the

“LOCK”/“OFF” position first and

then close all vehicle doors and

windows. Make sure that there

are no lighted cigarettes, open

flames or electrical sparks in the

adjacent area. Only handle fuel

outdoors. Quickly wipe up any

spilled fuel.

5. Set the fuel filler cap on the cap holder

inside the fuel filler lid.

When opening the cap, grasp it

firmly and turn it slowly to the left.

Do not remove the cap quickly.

Fuel may be under pressure and

spray out of the fuel filler neck,

especially in hot weather. If you

hear a hissing sound while you

are removing the cap, wait for the

sound to stop and then slowly

open the cap to prevent fuel from

spraying out and creating a fire

hazard.

WARNING

When refueling, insert the fuel

nozzle securely into the fuel filler

pipe. If the nozzle is lifted or not

fully inserted, its automatic stop-

ping mechanism may not func-

tion, causing fuel to overflow the

tank and creating a fire hazard.

Open

4. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it

slowly counterclockwise.

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Fuel

306

Stop refueling when the auto-

matic stop mechanism on the

fuel nozzle activates. If you con-

tinue to add fuel, temperature

changes or other conditions

may cause fuel to overflow from

the tank and create a fire hazard.

mage to the fuel system.

NOTE

After refueling, turn the cap to the

right until it clicks to ensure that

it is fully tightened. If the cap is

not securely tightened, fuel may

leak out while the vehicle is being

driven or fuel spillage could oc-

cur in the event of an accident,

creating a fire hazard.

You will see the “

” sign in the fuel

gauge. This indicates that the fuel

filler door (lid) is located on the right

side of the vehicle.

If the fuel filler cap is not tightened

until it clicks or if the tether is caught

under the cap, the CHECK ENGINE

warning light/malfunction indicator

light may illuminate. Refer to

“CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-

function indicator light” �P172.

To lock the fuel filler lid, perform one

of the operations below. However if

these operations are performed

when the fuel filler lid is open, the

fuel filler lid will not lock when it is

subsequently closed.

6. Stop filling the tank after the fuel filler

pump automatically stops. Do not add

any more fuel.

7. Put the cap back on and turn it clock-

wise until you hear a clicking noise. Be

certain not to catch the tether under the

cap while tightening.

Do not let fuel spill on the exterior

surfaces of the vehicle. Because

fuel may damage the paint, be

sure to wipe off any spilled fuel

quickly. Paint damage caused by

spilled fuel is not covered under

the SUBARU Limited Warranty.

CAUTION

Always use a genuine SUBARU

fuel filler cap. If you use the

wrong cap, it may not fit or have

proper venting and your fuel tank

and emission control system

may be damaged. It could also

lead to fuel spillage and a fire.

Make sure that the cap is tightened

until it clicks to prevent fuel spillage

in the event of an accident.

– Press the lock/arm button on the

key fob.

– Press the lock side of the power

door locking switch.

8. Close the fuel filler lid completely.

When the doors are locked or un-

locked using the automatic door

lock system, the fuel filler lid will be

locked or unlocked at the same time.

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.

Continuing to operate your vehi-

cle at an extremely low fuel level

may result in a reduction of

If you spill any fuel on the painted

surface, rinse it off immediately.

Otherwise, the painted surface

could be damaged.

CAUTION

Never add any cleaning agents to

the fuel tank. The addition of a

cleaning agent may cause da-

^{State emission testing (U.S. only)}307

engine performance.

7-2. State emission testing

(U.S. only)

! If the fuel filler lid cannot be opened

If the fuel filler lid cannot be opened due to

malfunction or a dead battery, it can be

opened from the cargo area.

WARNING

Only use a four-wheel dynamometer

when testing an All-Wheel Drive

model.

Testing of an AWD model must

NEVER be performed on a single

two-wheel dynamometer. Attempt-

ing to do so will result in uncon-

trolled vehicle movement and may

cause an accident or injuries to

persons nearby.

Clip

2. Remove the orange knob from the clip.

CAUTION

1. Remove the access cover at the right-

side of the cargo area trim using flat-

head screwdriver.

At state inspection time, remem-

ber to tell your inspection or

service station in advance not to

place your SUBARU AWD vehicle

on a two-wheel dynamometer.

Otherwise, serious transmission

damage will result.

Resultant vehicle damage due to

improper testing is not covered

under the SUBARU Limited War-

ranty and is the responsibility of

the state inspection program or

3. Pull the orange knob to unlock the fuel

filler lid.

– CONTINUED –

Starting and operating -> Fuel for Your Subaru Forester SUV 2024

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