2006 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 207

7-12 Starting and operating sure safe starting of the vehicle. To shift the selector lever from the "P" to the any other position, you have to depress the brake pedal fully when the ignition switch is in the "ON" position. This prevents the vehicle from lurching when it is started. If the shift lever does not move from the "P" position with the brake pedal depressed, refer to the "Shift lock release" section in this chapter. R (Reverse) This position is for backing the vehicle. To shift from the "N" to "R" position, first stop the vehicle completely then move the lever to the "R" position. N (Neutral) This position is for restarting a stalled engine. In this position the wheels and transmission are not locked. In this position, the transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll freely, even on the slightest incline unless the parking brake or foot brake is on. Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral. During coasting, there is no engine braking effect. NOTE If you stop the engine with the selector lever in the "N" position, move the selector lever to the "P" position immediately. Otherwise, you may find that the selector lever soon cannot be moved to the "P" position. If you find that the selector lever cannot be moved from the "N" position to the "P" position, turn the ignition switch to the "ON" position and try again. the original gear position. While climbing a grade When driving up hill, undesired upshift to 4th gear is prevented from taking place when the accelerator pedal is released. This minimizes the chances of subsequent downshifting to a lower gear when accelerating again. This prevents repeated upshifting and downshifting resulting in a smoother operation of the vehicle. NOTE Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever in the "N" (neutral) position. Engine braking has no effect in this condition and the risk of an accident is consequently increased. D (Drive) This position is for normal driving. The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable gear from 1st to 4th according to the vehicle speed and the acceleration you require. When more acceleration is required in this position, press the accelerator pedal fully to the floor and hold that position. The transmission will automatically downshift to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the pedal, the transmission will return to The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal is pressed to accelerate the vehicle again. While going down a hill When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake pedal will cause the transmission to downshift to 3rd gear, thus applying engine braking. Reacceleration for a short time will cause the transmission to upshift normally. NOTE In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a downhill grade does not result in an automatic downshift to 3rd gear. This can happen when the automatic transmission fluid temperature is very low, for example, during driving