2000 SUBARU FORESTER service

ii
How to use this owner’s manual
Using your Owner’s manual
Before you op erate your vehic le, c arefully read thi s manual. To p rotec t
yourself and extend the servic e life of your vehic l e, follow the instruc tions
in this manual. Failure to ob serve these instruc tio ns may result in serious
injury and d amag e to your vehic le.
This manual is c omp osed of thirteen c hap ters. Eac h c hap ter b eg ins with
a b rief tab le of c ontents, so you c an usually tell at a g lanc e if that c hap -
ter c ontains the information you want. Chapter 1: Doors and Locks
This c hap ter informs you how to op erate the keys, l oc ks and wind ows.
Chapter 2: Seat, seat belt and SRS airbag
This c hap ter informs you how to use the seat and se at b elt and c ontains
p rec autions for the SRS airb ag .Chapter 3: Instruments and controls
This c hap ter informs you ab out the op eration of ins trument p anel ind ic a-
tors and how to use the instruments and other switc hes.
Chapter 4: Climate Control
This c hap ter informs you how to op erate the c limate c ontrol.
Chapter 5: Audio
This c hap ter informs you how to op erate your aud io system.
Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This c hap ter informs you how to op erate interior eq uip ment.
Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This c hap ter informs you how to start and op erate y our SUBARU.
Chapter 8: In case of emergency
This c hap ter informs you what to d o if you have a p rob lem while d riving ,
suc h as a flat tire or eng ine overheating .Chapter 9: Appearance care
This c hap ter informs you how to keep your SUBARU lo oking g ood .
Chapter 10: Maintenance and service
This c hap ter informs you how to keep your SUBARU ru nning p rop erly.

Doors and locks
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbag
Instruments and controls
Climate control
2
3
4
Audio
Interior equipment
Starting and operating
In case of emergency
5 67 8
Appearance care
Maintenance and service
Specifications
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects12
Index139
10
11
1
xi
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CONTINUED –
Table of contents

2-38
SRS airbag system servicing
WARNING
When discarding an airbag module or scrapping the entire car
damaged by a collision, consult your SUBARU dealer. The SRS airbag has no user-serviceable parts. Do not use
electrical test equipment on any circuit related to the SRS airbag
system. For required servicing of the SRS airbag, see your near-
est SUBARU dealer. Tampering with or disconnecting the sys-
tem’ s wiring could result in accidental inflation of the SRS airbag
or could make the system inoperative, which may result in seri-
ous injury. The wiring harnesses of the SRS airbag system arecovered with yellow insulation and the system connectors areyellow for easy identification.
CAUTION
If you need service or repair in areas listed below, we recommend
that you have an authorized SUBARU dealer perform the work. The
SRS airbag control module, impact sensors and airbag modules
are stored in these areas.
Under the center console
Inside each front fender
Steering wheel and column and nearby areas
Instrument panel and nearby areas
In the event that the SRS airbag is deployed, replacement of the sys-
tem should be performed only by an authorized SUBARU dealer.When the components of the SRS airbag system are replaced, useonly genuine SUBARU parts.
To ensure their long -term reliab ility, the SRS airb ag s must b e insp ec ted
b y a SUBARU d ealer ten years after the d ate of manu fac ture, whic h is
shown on the c ertific ation lab el attac hed to the d r iver’s d oor.

7-6
At state inspection time, remember 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 willresult.
Some states have started using d ynamometers in thei
r state insp ec tion
p rog rams in ord er to meet their ob lig ation und er fe d eral law to imp lement
stric ter vehic le emission stand ard s to red uc e air p ollution from c ars. A
d ynamometer is a tread mill or roller-like testing d evic e that allows your
c ar ’s wheels to turn while the c ar remains in one p lac e . Dep end ing on
the severity of a state ’s air p ollution p rob lems, the states must ad op t
either a “b asic ” or “enhanc ed ” vehic le emission insp ec tion test. Nor-
mally, a p ortion of the b asic emission test c onsist s of an emission
insp ec tor inserting an analyzer p rob e into the exha ust p ip e of an id ling
vehic le for a short p eriod of time. States with mor e severe air p ollution
p rob lems are req uired to ad op t an enhanc ed vehic le emission test. This
test simulates ac tual d riving c ond itions on a d ynam ometer and p ermits
more ac c urate measurement of tailp ip e emitted p ollu tion than the b asic
emission test.
The U.S. Environmental Protec tion Ag enc y (EPA) and states using two-
wheel d ynamometers in their emission testing p rog ra ms have
EXEMPTED Sub aru AWD vehic les from the p ortion of the testin g p ro-
g ram that involves a two-wheel d ynamometer.
There are some states that use four-wheel d ynamomet ers in their testing
p rog rams. When p rop erly used , that eq uip ment will n ot d amag e an AWD
Sub aru vehic le.
Und er no c irc umstanc es should the rear wheels b e ja c ked off the
g round , nor should the d riveshaft b e d isc onnec ted f or state emission
testing .

10
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule10-3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance precautions 10-3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine compartment overview 10-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil 10-7
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cooling system 10-12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine coolant 10-13
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Air cleaner element 10-16
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spark plugs 10-17
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drive belts 10-18
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual transmission oil 10-19
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission fluid 10-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front differential gear oil (Automatic transmission vehicles) 10-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear differential gear oil 10-23
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Power steering fluid 10-25
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake fluid 10-26
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Clutch fluid 10-28
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake booster 10-29
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Battery 10-29
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshield washer fluid 10-31
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacement of windshield wiper blades 10-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pedal 10-35
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Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) 10-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacement of brake pad and lining 10-37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake stroke 10-38
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tires and wheels 10-39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire pressure 10-39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire rotation 10-40
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aluminum wheels (If equipped) 10-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuses 10-42
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Main fuse and fusible link 10-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installation of accessories 10-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing bulbs 10-46
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Headlight 10-47
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Maintenance and service10-3
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CONTINUED –
Maintenance schedule
The sc hed uled maintenanc e items req uired to b e serv
ic ed at reg ular in-
tervals are shown in the “Warranty and Maintenanc e Booklet ”.
For d etails of your maintenanc e sc hed ule, read the sep arate “Warranty
and Maintenanc e Booklet ”.
Maintenance precautions
When maintenanc e and servic e are req uired , it is re c ommend ed that all
work b e d one b y an authorized SUBARU d ealer.
If you p erform maintenanc e and servic e b y yourself, you should familiar-
ize yourself with the information p rovid ed in this sec tion on g eneral main-
tenanc e and servic e for your SUBARU.
Inc orrec t or inc omp lete servic e c ould c ause imp rop e r or unsafe vehic le
op eration. Any p rob lems c aused b y imp rop er maintena nc e and servic e
p erformed b y you are not elig ib le for warranty c ove rag e.
WARNING
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle must NEVER be per-
formed on a single two-wheel dynamometer or similar apparatus nor should you install the FWD fuse in the engine compartment.Attempting to do so will result in transmission damage and inuncontrolled vehicle movement and may cause an accident or
injuries to persons nearby. Always select a safe area when performing maintenance on
your vehicle. Always be very careful to avoid injury when working on the ve-
hicle. Remember that some of the materials in the vehicle may behazardous if improperly used or handled, for example, batteryacid. Your vehicle should only be serviced by persons fully compe-
tent to do so. Serious personal injury may result to persons not
experienced in servicing vehicles.

10-4
Always use the proper tools and make certain that they are
well maintained. Never get under the vehicle supported only by a jack. Always
use a safety stand to support the vehicle. Never keep the engine running in a poorly ventilated area,
such as a garage or other closed areas. Do not smoke or allow open flames around the fuel or battery.
This will cause a fire. Wear adequate eye protection to guard against getting oil or
other fluids in your eyes. If something does get in your eyes,
thoroughly wash it out with clean water. Because the fuel system is under pressure, replacement of the
fuel filter should be performed only by your SUBARU dealer. The SRS airbag has no user-serviceable parts. Tampering with
or disconnecting the system ’s wiring could result in accidental
inflation of the airbag or could make the system inoperative,
which may result in serious injury. The wiring harnesses of theSRS airbag system are covered with yellow insulation and the
connectors of the system are yellow, for easy identification. Donot use electrical test equipment on any circuit related to the SRSairbag system. For required servicing of the SRS airbag, see your
nearest SUBARU dealer. Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment
Always stop the engine and set the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving. Always let the engine cool down. Engine parts become very
hot when the engine is running and remain hot for some time af-ter the engine is stopped. Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components. This may cause a fire. Always remove the key from the ignition switch. When the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position, the cooling fan may oper-
ate suddenly even when the engine is stopped.

Maintenance and service10-5
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CONTINUED –

When you do checking or servicing in the engine
compartment while the engine is running
A running engine can be dangerous. Keep your fingers, hands, clothing, hair and tools away from the cooling fan, belts and anyother moving engine parts. Removing rings, watches and ties isadvisable.