Subaru Impreza Manuals 2017 Impreza Owner's Manual | Page 290

7-24 Starting and operating/Continuously variable transmission 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 transmission fluid is replaced, you may feel that the 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. . When driving a CVT model under continuous heavy load conditions such as when climbing a long, steep hill, the engine speed or the vehicle speed may automatically be reduced. This is not a malfunction. This phenomenon results from the engine control function main- taining the cooling performance of the vehicle. The engine and vehicle speed will return to a normal speed when the engine is able to maintain the optimum cooling performance after the heavy load decreases. Driving under a heavy load must be performed with extreme care. Do not try to pass a vehicle in front when driving on an uphill slope while under heavy load conditions. . The continuously variable transmis- sion is a chain type system that provides superior transmission effi- ciency for maximum fuel economy. At times, depending on varying driving conditions, a chain operating sound may be heard that is characteristic of this type of system. & Select lever ! Select lever positions 1) 2) Models with “L” position Models with manual mode : With the brake pedal depressed, shift while pressing the select lever button in. : Shift while pressing the select lever button in. : Shift without pressing the select lever button. The select lever has four positions, “P”, “R”, “N”, “D” and it also has an “L” or “M” gate. 1) Select lever button NOTE For some models, to protect the engine while the select lever is in the “P” or “N” position, the engine is controlled so that the engine speed may not become too high even if the accelerator