Starting and operating/Fuel
Fuel
S07AA
CAUTION
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.
& Fuel requirements
S07AA01
The engine is designed to operate using
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating
of 87 AKI (90 RON) or higher.
! Fuel octane rating
S07AA0103
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. See your dealer or a
qualified service technician if you use a
fuel with the specified octane rating and
your vehicle knocks heavily or persistently.
! RON
S07AA010301
This octane rating is the Research Octane
Number.
! AKI
S07AA010302
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).
! Unleaded gasoline
S07AA0104
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.
! California fuel
S07AA0105
If your vehicle was certified to California
Emission Standards as indicated on the
underhood tune-up label, it is designed to
optimize engine and emission control
system performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or
smell. SUBARU recommends that you try
a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
7-3
your vehicle to an authorized dealer for
service. The CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator light may also
turn on. If this occurs, return to your
authorized SUBARU dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty.
! MMT
S07AA0106
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
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be
covered by your warranty.
! Gasoline for cleaner air
S07AA0107
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels con-
taining alcohol may cause paint
damage, which is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Your use of gasoline with detergent ad-
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