2001 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

11-24Front differential gear oil (Automatic transmission vehicles)
Checking the oil level
Chec k the d ifferential oil level monthly.
HBA010BB
HSA002EB
1. Park the vehic le on a level surfac e and stop the eng ine.
2. Pull out the d ip stic k, wip e it c lean, and insert it ag ain.
3. Pull out the d ip stic k ag ain and c hec k the oil lev el on it. If it is b elow
the lower level, ad d oil to b ring the level up to t he up p er level.
Recommended grade and viscosity
Eac h oil manufac turer has its own b ase oils and ad d itives. Never use
d ifferent b rand s tog ether.
Oil grade: API classification GL-5

Maintenance and service11-25
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CONTINUED –
SAE viscosity No. and Applicable Temperature
OM-H0212
Rear differential gear oil
Checking the oil level CAUTION
If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there may be an oil leak. If you suspect a problem, have the vehicle checked at your
SUBARU dealer.
Your vehic le may b e eq uip p ed with a rear d ifferenti al p rotec tor. The
d ifferential p rotec tor p rovid es p rotec tion to the r ear d ifferential assem-
b ly d uring off-road use. Removal of the rear d iffer ential p rotec tor is not
req uired when c hec king the oil level.

11-26
HB0078
HB0077
Filler hole
Drain hole Filler hole
Drain hole
Oil level
Remove the p lug from the filler hole and c hec k the oil level. The oil
level should b e kep t even with the b ottom of the fi ller hole. If the oil
level is b elow the b ottom ed g e of the hole, ad d oil throug h the filler
hole to raise the level. Recommended grade and viscosity
Eac h oil manufac turer has its own b ase oils and ad d itives. Never use
d ifferent b rand s tog ether.
Oil grade: API classification GL-5
SAE viscosity No. and Applicable Temperature
OM-H0205

Maintenance and service11-27
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CONTINUED –
Power steering fluid
The p ower steering fluid exp and s g reatly as its tem
p erature rises; the
fluid level d iffers ac c ord ing to fluid temp erature. Therefore, the d ip stic k
has two d ifferent c hec king rang es for hot and c old fluid s.
Checking the fluid level when the fluid is hot
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourself because the fluid may be hot.
CAUTION
When power steering fluid is being added, use only clean fluid,
and be careful not to allow any dirt into the tank. And never use
different brands together. Avoid spilling fluid when adding it in the tank.
Chec k the p ower steering fluid level monthly.
1. Drive the vehic le several miles to raise the temp erature of the p ow-
er steering fluid up to normal op erating temp eratur e, ab out 140°F
(60 °C).
2. Park the vehic le on a level surfac e, and stop the eng ine.
3. Turn the reservoir c ap c ounterc loc kwise to remove the fluid level
d ip stic k, wip e the d ip stic k c lean, and reinsert it.
HS0186
HS0185
Specified range Specifiedrange

11-284. Remove the d ip stic k ag ain and c hec k the fluid lev
el on it. If it is
b elow the lower level of the “HOT ” rang e, ad d the rec ommend ed
steering fluid up to the sp ec ified rang e of the d ip stic k.
If the fluid level is extreme low, it may ind ic ate p ossib le leakag e. Con-
sult your SUBARU d ealer for insp ec tion. Checking the fluid level when the fluid is cold
When the fluid level has to b e c hec ked without warm ing up the p ower
steering system (ap p roximately 70 °F [ 21 °C] ), read the fluid level on
the “COLD ” rang e.
Recommended fluid
“ Dexron II ”, “Dexron IIE ” or “Dexron III ” Type Automatic Trans-
mission Fluid
Brake fluid
Checking the fluid level
WARNING
Never let brake fluid contact your eyes because brake fluid can
be harmful to your eyes. If brake fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with clean water. For safety, whenperforming this work, wearing eye protection is advisable. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. Any absorbed mois-
ture can cause a dangerous loss of braking performance. If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the vehicle checked at your
SUBARU dealer.

Maintenance and service11-29
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CONTINUED –
CAUTION
Never use different brands of brake fluid together.
When adding brake fluid, be careful not to allow any dirt into
the reservoir. Never splash the brake fluid over painted surfaces or rubber
parts. Alcohol contained in the brake fluid may damage them.
Chec k the fluid level monthly.
HSA004BB
Chec k the fluid level on the outsid e of the reservo ir. If the level is b e-
low “MIN ”, ad d the rec ommend ed b rake fluid to “MAX ”.
Use only b rake fluid from a sealed c ontainer. Recommended brake fluid
FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid

11-30Clutch fluid
WARNING
Never let clutch fluid contact your eyes because clutch fluid can
be harmful to your eyes. If clutch fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with clean water. For safety, whenperforming this work, wearing eye protection is advisable.
CAUTION
Clutch fluid absorbs moisture from the air. Any absorbed
moisture can cause improper clutch operation. If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the vehicle checked at your
SUBARU dealer. Never use different brands of clutch fluid together.
When clutch fluid is added, be careful not to allow any dirt into
the tank.
Chec k the fluid level on the outsid e of the reservo ir. If the level is b elow
“ MIN ” level mark, ad d the rec ommend ed c lutc h fluid to “MAX ” level mark.
Use only c lutc h fluid from a sealed c ontainer.
HSA002FB

Maintenance and service11-31
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CONTINUED –

Recommended clutch fluid
FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid
Brake booster
If the b rake b ooster d oes not op erate as d esc rib ed b elow, have it
c hec ked b y your SUBARU d ealer.
1. With the eng ine off, d ep ress the b rake p ed al seve ral times, ap p lying
the same p ed al forc e eac h time. The d istanc e the p e d al travels should
not vary.
2. With the b rake p ed al d ep ressed , start the eng ine. The p ed al should
move slig htly d own to the floor.
3. With the b rake p ed al d ep ressed , stop the eng ine a nd keep the p ed al
d ep ressed for 30 sec ond s. The p ed al heig ht should n ot c hang e.
4. Start the eng ine ag ain and run for ab out one minu te then turn it off.
Dep ress the b rake p ed al several times to c hec k the b rake b ooster.
Brake b ooster op erates p rop erly if the p ed al stroke d ec reases with eac h
d ep ression. Battery
WARNING
Before beginning work on or near any battery, be sure to extin-
guish all cigarettes, matches, and lighters. Never expose a bat- tery to an open flame or electric sparks. Batteries give off a gaswhich is highly flammable and explosive. For safety, in case an explosion does occur, wear eye protec-
tion or shield your eyes when working near any battery. Never
lean over a battery. Do not let battery fluid contact eyes, skin, fabrics, or paint be-
cause battery fluid is a corrosive acid. If battery fluid gets on yourskin or in your eyes, immediately flush the area with water thor-
oughly. Seek medical help immediately if acid has entered the