2000 SUBARU IMPREZA brake

7-34
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators
OM-H0163
The d isc b rake p ad wear warning ind ic ators on the d isc b rakes g ive a
warning noise when the b rake p ad s are worn.
If a sq ueaking or sc rap ing noise is heard from the d isc b rakes while
b raking , immed iately have your vehic le c hec ked b y y our SUBARU d eal-
er. ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) (if equipped)
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence because
you are driving with an ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
The ABS system does not always decrease stopping distance.
You should always maintain a safe following distance from othervehicles. When driving on badly surfaced roads, gravel roads, icy roads,
or over deep newly fallen snow, stopping distances may be long-er for a vehicle with the ABS system than one without. When driv-ing under these conditions, therefore, reduce your speed and

Starting and operating7-35
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leave ample distance from other vehicles.
When you feel the ABS system operating, you should maintain
constant brake pedal pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal
since doing so may defeat the operation of the ABS system.
The ABS system p revents the loc k-up of wheels whic h may oc c ur d uring
sud d en b raking or b raking on slip p ery road surfac es . This help s p revent
the loss of steering c ontrol and d irec tional stab il ity c aused b y wheel
loc k-up .
When the ABS system is op erating , you may hear a c h attering noise or
feel a slig ht vib ration in the b rake p ed al. This is normal when the ABS
op erates.
The ABS system will not op erate when the vehic le sp eed is b elow
ap p roximately 6 mp h (10 km/h).
ABS system self-checking
You may feel a slig ht shoc k in the b rake p ed al and hear the op erating
sound of ABS from the eng ine c omp artment just after the vehic le is
started . This is c aused b y an automatic func tional test of the ABS sys-
tem b eing c arried out and d oes not ind ic ate any ab n ormal c ond ition.
ABS warning light
HG0346
The ABS warning lig ht c omes on when the ig nition sw itc h is turned to
the “ON ” p osition and g oes out after ab out two sec ond s.
This is an ind ic ation that the ABS system is workin g p rop erly.

7-44Avoid shifting d own ab rup tly. Suc h b ehavior c an c au
se the wheel to
loc k, p ossib ly lead ing to loss of vehic le c ontrol.
Avoid loc king the front wheels b ec ause that c an lea d to a loss of
steering c ontrol. When b raking with a vehic le not e q uip p ed with an
Anti-Loc k Brake System (ABS), p ress the b rake p ed al rep eated ly at
short intervals to p revent the wheels from loc king . Then ap p ly the
b rakes softly to b ring the vehic le to a stop .
An ABS enhanc es your vehic le ’s b raking p erformanc e on snowy and
ic y road s. Refer to the “ABS (Anti-Loc k Brake System) ” in this c hap ter
for information on b raking on slip p ery surfac es in ABS eq uip p ed
vehic le. n Wiper operation when snowing
Before d riving in c old weather, make sure the wip er b lad es are not
frozen to the wind shield or rear wind ow. If the wip er b lad es are frozen
to the wind shield or rear wind ow, use the d efroster with the airflow
c ontrol d ial in the “
” p osition and the temp erature c ontrol d ial
turned fully to the rig ht until the wip er b lad es ar e c omp letely thawed
out. To thaw out the rear wip er b lad e, use the rear wind ow d efog g er.
When d riving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stic k on the surfac e of
the wind shield d esp ite wip er op eration, use the d ef roster with the air-
flow c ontrol d ial in “
” and the temp erature c ontrol d ial turned fully
to the rig ht. After the wind shield g ets warmed enou g h to melt the fro-
zen snow on it, wash it away using the wind shield w asher.
Snow stuc k on the wip er arm p revents the wip er from working effec -
tively. If snow is stuc k on the wip er arm, p ull off the road to a safe
p lac e, then remove it. If you stop the c ar at the s id e of the road , use
the hazard warning flasher to alert other d rivers.
We rec ommend use of non-freezing typ e wip er b lad es d uring the sea-
sons you c ould have snow and sub -zero temp erature.

Starting and operating7-51
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front and ap p roximately 40 p erc ent in the rear. Als
o, d istrib ute the
load as evenly as p ossib le on b oth the left and rig ht sid es.
To c hec k b oth GVWR and GAWR and to c onfirm that the total weig ht
and weig ht d istrib ution are within safe d riving lim its, you should have
your vehic le and trailer weig hed at a c ommerc ial we ig hing station.
Be sure that all c arg o is firmly sec ured to p revent a c hang e in weig ht
d istrib ution while d riving .
Trailer hitches
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body of your vehicle to install a
commercial trailer hitch. If you do, dangerous exhaust gas, wateror mud may enter the passenger compartment through the drilledhole. Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, a colorless andodorless gas which is dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Also,drilling the frame or under-body of your vehicle could cause dete-rioration of strength of your vehicle and cause corrosion aroundthe drilled hole.
CAUTION
Do not modify the vehicle exhaust system, brake system, or
other system when installing a hitch or other trailer towing equip-ment. Adequate size trailer brakes are required when the trailer and
its cargo exceed 700 lbs (318 kg) total weight.
Choose a p rop er hitc h for your vehic le and trailer. SUBARU d oes not of-
fer ac c essory trailer hitc hes. Consult with a p rofe ssional hitc h sup p lier to
assist you in c hoosing an ap p rop riate hitc h for you r vehic le. Be sure to
follow all of the hitc h manufac turer ’s instruc tions for installation and use.

In case of emergency8-15
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CAUTION
When transmission failure occurs, transport your vehicle on a flat-bed truck.
HG0109
1. Chec k the transmission and d ifferential oil level s and ad d oil to
b ring it to the up p er level if nec essary.
2. Release the p arking b rake and p ut the transmissio n in neutral.
3. The ig nition switc h should b e in the “ACC ” p osition while the ve-
hic le is b eing towed .
4. Take up slac k in the towline slowly to p revent d a mag e to the ve-
hic le. Towing with all wheels on the ground
WARNING
Never turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” position while the
vehicle is being towed because the steering wheel and the direc- tion of the wheels will be locked. Remember that the brake booster and power steering do not
function when the engine is not running. Because the engine isturned off, it will take greater effort to operate the brake pedal andsteering wheel.

9-2
Exterior care
Washing
CAUTION
When washing the vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed while lightly pressing the brakepedal to heat up the brakes. Do not wash the engine compartment and areas adjacent to it.
If water enters electrical parts or the power steering fluid reser-
voir, it will cause engine trouble or faulty power steering respec-
tively.
The b est way to p reserve your vehic le ’s b eauty is freq uent washing .
Wash the vehic le at least onc e a month to avoid c on tamination b y road
g rime.
Wash d irt off with a wet sp ong e and p lenty of lukew arm or c old water. Do
not wash the vehic le with hot water and in d irec t s unlig ht.
Salt, c hemic als, insec ts, tar, soot and b ird d rop p i ng s should b e washed
off b y using a lig ht d eterg ent, as req uired . If you use a lig ht d eterg ent,
make c ertain that it is a neutral d eterg ent. Do not use strong soap or
c hemic al d eterg ents. All c leaning ag ents should b e p romp tly flushed
from the surfac e and not allowed to d ry there. Rins e the vehic le thor-
oug hly with p lenty of lukewarm water. Wip e the rema ining water off with a
c hamois or soft c loth. NOTE When having your vehicle washed in an automatic car wash, make
sure beforehand that the car wash is of suitable type. If the vehicle
is equipped with a rear spoiler, it may be damaged by the brush, etc.
Washing the underbody
Chemic als, salts, and g ravel used for d eic ing road surfac es are ex-
tremely c orrosive, ac c elerating the c orrosion of un d erb od y c omp o-
nents, suc h as the exhaust system, fuel and b rake l ines, b rake

10
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule 10-3
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Maintenance precautions 10-3
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Engine compartment overview 10-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil 10-7
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Cooling system 10-12
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Engine coolant 10-13
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Air cleaner element 10-16
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Spark plugs 10-17
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Drive belts 10-18
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Manual transmission oil 10-19
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Automatic transmission fluid 10-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front differential gear oil (Automatic transmission vehicles) 10-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear differential gear oil 10-23
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Power steering fluid 10-25
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Brake fluid 10-26
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Clutch fluid (2.5 liter MT models) 10-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake booster 10-29
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Battery 10-29
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Windshield washer fluid 10-31
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Replacement of windshield wiper blades 10-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pedal 10-34
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Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) 10-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacement of brake pad and lining 10-37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake stroke 10-38
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Tires and wheels 10-39
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Tire pressure 10-39
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Tire rotation 10-40
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Aluminum wheels (if equipped) 10-44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuses 10-44
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Main fuse and fusible link 10-47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installation of accessories 10-48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing bulbs 10-49
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Headlight 10-49
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10-4
Always use the proper tools and make certain that they are
well maintained. Never get under the vehicle supported only by jack. Always
use a safety stands 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 compart- ment
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.