2001 SUBARU IMPREZA fuel

Instruments and controls3-3
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CONTINUED –
p ushing the knob and keep the knob p ushed for more
than 2 sec ond s.
NOTE If the connection between the combination meter and battery is bro-
ken for any reason such as vehicle maintenance or fuse replace-ment, the data recorded on the trip meter will be lost. Tachometer (if equipped)
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the pointer of the tachometer in
the red zone. In this range, fuel injection will be cut by the enginecontrol module to protect the engine from overrevving. The en-gine will resume running normally after the engine speed is re-duced below the red zone.
The tac hometer shows the eng ine sp eed in thousand s of revolutions p er
minute. Fuel gauge
The fuel g aug e shows the ap p roximate amount of fuel remaining in the
tank.
The g aug e d oes not return to “E ” even thoug h the ig nition switc h is in the
“ ACC ” or “LOCK ” p osition.
The g aug e may move slig htly d uring b raking , turning or ac c eleration d ue
to fuel movement in the tank.

3-8NOTE This light also comes on when the fuel filler cap is not tightened until it clicks. If you have recently refueled your vehicle, the
cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning light/malfunction indicatorlamp coming on could be a loose or missing fuel filler cap.Remove the cap and retighten it until it clicks. Make sure nothing
is interfering with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the cap will
not make the CHECK ENGINE warning light turn off immediately.It may take several driving trips. If the light does not go out, take
your vehicle to your authorized SUBARU dealer immediately.
If the light is blinking:
If the lig ht is b linking while d riving , an eng ine m isfire c ond ition has
b een d etec ted whic h may d amag e the emission c ontrol system.
To p revent serious d amag e to the emission c ontrol s ystem, you
should d o the following : Red uc e vehic le sp eed .
Avoid hard ac c eleration.
Avoid steep up hill g rad es.
Red uc e the amount of c arg o, if p ossib le.
Stop towing a trailer as soon as p ossib le.
The CHECK ENGINE warning lig ht may stop b linking an d c ome on
stead ily after several d riving trip s. You should ha ve your vehic le
c hec ked b y an authorized SUBARU d ealer immed iately.
ABS warning light (for vehicles with ABS)
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.
CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as follows, the ABS system may not
work properly.When the warning light is on, the ABS function shuts down; how-
ever, the conventional brake system continues to operate nor-
(U.S.)
(Canada)
ABS

3-10
Automatic transmission control system warning
If the lig ht flashes after the eng ine starts, it ma y ind ic ate that the auto-
matic transmission c ontrol system is not working p r op erly. Contac t
your nearest SUBARU d ealer for servic e immed iately.
Door open warning lights
The d oor op en warning lig ht c omes on if any d oor or the rear g ate (for
wag on and OUTBACK SPORT) is not fully c losed .
Always make sure this lig ht is out b efore you start to d rive.
Front-wheel drive warning light
(for AWD AT vehicles)
This lig ht c omes on when All Wheel Drive is d iseng a g ed and the d rive
mec hanism is switc hed to Front Wheel Drive for mai ntenanc e or similar
p urp oses. Turn signal indicator lights
These lig hts show the op eration of the turn sig nal or lane c hang e sig nal.
If the ind ic ator lig hts d o not b link or b link rap id ly, the turn sig nal b ulb
may b e b urned out. Rep lac e the b ulb as soon as p oss ib le. Refer to “Re-
p lac ing b ulb s ” sec tion in c hap ter 10.
High beam indicator
This lig ht shows that the head lig hts are in the hig h b eam mod e.
This ind ic ator lig ht also c omes on when op erating h ead lig ht flasher.
Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning lig ht c omes on when the tank i s nearly emp ty
(ab out 2.3 U.S. g al., 9.0 liters, 1.9 Imp . g al.). I t only op erates when the
ig nition switc h is in the “ON ” p osition.
NOTE This light does not go out unless the tank is replenished up to an internal fuel quantity of about 3.6 U.S. gal. (14 liters, 3.0 Imp. gal.).

Instruments and controls3-17
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CAUTION
Do not operate the washer continuously for more than ten se-
conds, or when the washer fluid tank is empty. This may cause
overheating of the washer motor. Check the washer fluid level fre-
quently, such as at fuel stops. Do not operate the wipers when the windshield or rear window
is dry. This may scratch the glass, damage the wiper blades and
cause the wiper motor to burn out. Before operating the wiper on
a dry windshield or rear window, always use the windshield
washer. In freezing weather, be sure that the wiper blades are not fro-
zen to the windshield or rear window before switching on thewipers. Attempting to operate the wiper with the blades frozen tothe window glass could cause not only the wiper blades to be
damaged but also the wiper motor to burn out. If the wiper bladeis frozen to the window glass, be sure to operate the defroster or
rear window defogger before turning on the wiper. If the wipers stop during operation because of ice or some oth-
er obstruction on the window, the wiper motor could burn outeven if the wiper switch is turned off. If this occurs, promptly stopthe vehicle in a safe place, turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”
position and clean the window glass to allow proper wiper opera-tion. Use clean water if windshield washer fluid is unavailable. In
areas where water freezes in winter, use SUBARU Windshield
Washer Fluid or the equivalent. (See “Windshield washer fluid ”
section in chapter 10.)Also, when driving the vehicle when there are freezing tempera-tures, use non-freezing type wiper blades. Do not clean the wiper blades with gasoline or a solvent, such
as paint thinner or benzene. This will cause deterioration of thewiper blades.

7
Starting and operating New vehicle break-in driving – the first 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) 7-3
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Fuel requirements 7-4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
State emission testing (U.S. only) 7-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) 7-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Catalytic converter 7-8
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Fuel economy hints 7-9
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Preparing to drive 7-10
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Driving in foreign countries 7-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Periodic inspections 7-10
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Ignition switch 7-11
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Key reminder chime 7-13
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Key interlock release (AT vehicles only) 7-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the engine 7-14
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Stopping the engine 7-16
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Manual transmission 7-16
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Automatic transmission 7-19
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Selector lever 7-20
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Shift lock release 7-24
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear viscous limited slip differential (For RS models) 7-26 . . . . . . .
Steering 7-26
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Tilt steering wheel 7-26
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Power steering 7-27
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Cruise control (if equipped) 7-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking your vehicle 7-30
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Braking 7-32
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Braking tips 7-32
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Brake system 7-33
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Disc brake pad wear warning indicators 7-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) (if equipped) 7-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving tips for AWD vehicles 7-37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Off road driving 7-38
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Winter driving 7-41
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Snow tires 7-45
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Tire chains 7-46
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Rocking the vehicle 7-46
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7-4
Fuel requirements
Fuel octane rating
Your eng ine is d esig ned to use only unlead ed g asoli ne with an oc tane
rating of 87 AKI or hig her. This oc tane rating is t he averag e of the Re-
searc h Oc tane and Motor Oc tane numb ers and is c ommo nly referred
to as the Anti Knoc k Ind ex (AKI).
Using a g asoline with a lower oc tane rating c an c au se p ersistent and
heavy knoc king , whic h c an d amag e the eng ine. Do not b e c onc erned
if your vehic le sometimes knoc ks lig htly when you d rive up a hill or
when you ac c elerate. See your d ealer or a q ualified servic e tec hni-
c ian if you use a g asoline with the sp ec ified oc tan e rating and your
vehic le knoc ks heavily or p ersistently. Unleaded gasoline
The nec k of the fuel filler p ip e is d esig ned to ac c ep t only an unlead ed
g asoline filler nozzle. Und er no c irc umstanc es shou ld lead ed g aso-
line b e used b ec ause it will d amag e the emission c o ntrol system and
may imp air d riveab ility and fuel ec onomy. Gasoline for California-certified LEV
Your vehic le was c ertified to California ’s low emission vehic le (LEV)
stand ard s as ind ic ated on the und erhood tune-up lab el. It is d esig ned
to op timize eng ine and emission p erformanc e with g a soline that
meets the c lean b urning low-sulfur California g asol ine sp ec ific ations.
If you live in any other state than California, you r vehic le will op erate
on g asoline meeting Fed eral sp ec ific ations. Gasolin e sold outsid e
California is p ermitted to have hig her sulfur level s, whic h may affec t
the p erformanc e of your vehic le ’s c atalytic c onverter and may p ro-
d uc e a sulfur exhaust od or or smell. SUBARU rec omme nd s that you
try a d ifferent b rand of unlead ed g asoline having l ower sulfur to d eter-
mine if the p rob lem is fuel related b efore returnin g your vehic le to an
authorized d ealer for servic e.

Starting and operating7-5
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CONTINUED –

Gasoline for cleaner air CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels containing alcohol may cause paint damage, which is not cov-
ered under the SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Your use of g asoline with d eterg ent ad d itives will help p revent d ep os-
its from forming in your eng ine and fuel system. Th is help s keep your
eng ine in tune and your emission c ontrol system wor king p rop erly,
and is a way of d oing your p art for c leaner air. If you c ontinuously use
a hig h q uality fuel with the p rop er d eterg ent and o ther ad d itives, you
should never need to ad d any fuel system c leaning a g ents to your
fuel tank.
Many g asolines are now b lend ed with materials c alle d oxyg enates.
Use of these fuels c an also help keep the air c lean er. Oxyg enated
b lend fuels, suc h as MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Et her) or ethanol
(ethyl or g rain alc ohol) may b e used in your vehic l e, b ut should c on-
tain no more than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the p rop er op eration
of your SUBARU.
In ad d ition, some g asoline sup p liers are now p rod uc ing reformulated
g asolines, whic h are d esig ned to red uc e vehic le emi ssions. SUBARU
ap p roves the use of reformulated g asoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel c ontains, you sho uld ask your servic e
station op erators if their g asolines c ontain d eterg ents and oxyg enates
and if they have b een reformulated to red uc e vehic l e emissions.
As ad d itional g uid anc e, only use fuels suited for y our vehic le as ex-
p lained b elow.
Fuel should b e unlead ed and have an oc tane rating n o lower
than that sp ec ified in this manual. Methanol (methyl or wood alc ohol) is sometimes mixe d with un-
lead ed g asoline. Methanol c an b e used in your vehic le ONLY if it
d oes not exc eed 5% of the fuel mixture AND if it is ac c omp anied
b y suffic ient q uantities of the p rop er c osolvents a nd c orrosion in-

7-6hib itors req uired to p revent d amag e to the fuel sys
tem. Do not use
fuel c ontaining methanol EXCEPT und er these c ond itions.
If und esirab le d riveab ility p rob lems are exp erienc e d and you
susp ec t they may b e fuel related , try a d ifferent b rand of g asoline
b efore seeking servic e at your SUBARU d ealer. Fuel system d amag e or d riveab ility p rob lems whic h r esult from
the use of imp rop er fuel are not c overed und er the SUBARU Lim-
ited Warranty.
State emission testing (U.S. only)
WARNING
Testing of an All Wheel drive vehicle must NEVER
be performed
on a single two-wheel dynamometer. Attempting to do so will result in uncontrolled vehicle movement and may cause an acci-
dent or injuries to persons nearby.
CAUTION
Resultant vehicle damage due to improper testing is not covered
under the SUBARU Limited Warranty and is the responsibility ofthe state inspection program or its contractors or licensees.
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-