Subaru 2004 Forester X - Manual (Page 255)

7-14
Starting and operating
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is recon-
nected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is re-
placed, you may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
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.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
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 five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or the tires are on
blocks. This may cause the automatic transmis-
sion fluid to overheat.
Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such
shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.