2001 SUBARU LEGACY Owners Manual

11-4
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 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. Because the fuel system is under pressure, replacement of the
fuel filter should be performed only by your SUBARU dealer. Wear adequate eye protection to guard against getting oil or
fluids in your eyes. If something does get in your eyes, thorough-
ly wash it out with clean water. Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS airbag system or
seatbelt pretensioner system, or attempt to take its connectorsapart, as that may activate the system or it can render it inopera-tive. The wiring and connectors of these systems are yellow for
easy identification. NEVER use a circuit tester for these wiring. If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner needs service, con-
sult 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.

Maintenance and service11-5
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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.
Engine hood
WARNING
Always check that the hood is properly locked before you start
driving. If it is not, it might fly open while the vehicle is moving
and block your view, which may cause an accident and serious
bodily injury.
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11-6
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To op en the hood :
1. Pull the hood release knob und er the instrument panel.
2. Release the sec ond ary hood release loc ated und er the front g rille b y
moving the lever toward the left. Lift up the hood , release the hood p rop
from its retainer and p ut the end of the hood p rop into the slot in the
hood .
To c lose the hood :
1. Lift the hood slig htly and remove the hood p rop f rom the slot in the
hood and return the p rop to its retainer.
2. Lower the hood until it ap p roac hes ab out 6 in. (1 5 c m) from the
c losed p osition and let it d rop .
3. After c losing the hood , b e sure the hood is sec ur ely loc ked .
If this d oes not c lose the hood , release it from a slig htly hig her p osition.
Do not p ush the hood forc ib ly to c lose it. It c ould d eform the metal.

Maintenance and service11-7
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CONTINUED –
Engine compartment overview
2.5 liter models
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1 Manual transmission oil level
g aug e (MT) (p ag e 11-23) or
Differential g ear oil level g aug e
(AT) (p ag e 11-26)
2 Air c leaner element
(p ag e 11-18)
3 Clutc h fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-32)
4 Automatic transmission fluid
level g aug e (p ag e 11-24)
5 Brake fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-30)
6 Fuel filter 7
Wind shield washer tank
(p ag e 11-42)
8 Fuse b ox (p ag e 11-46)
9 Battery (p ag e 11-45)
Q Eng ine oil filler c ap
(p ag e 11-9)
W Eng ine c oolant reservoir
(p ag e 11-15)
E Rad iator c ap (p ag e 11-15)
R Eng ine oil level g aug e
(p ag e 11-9)
T Power steering fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-29)

11-8
3.0 liter models
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1 Air c leaner element
(p ag e 11-18)
2 Differential g ear oil level g aug e
(AT) (p ag e 11-26)
3 Automatic transmission fluid
level g aug e (p ag e 11-24)
4 Brake fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-30)
5 Fuel filter
6 Wind shield washer tank
(p ag e 11-42) 7
Fuse b ox (p ag e 11-46)
8 Battery (p ag e 11-45)
9 Eng ine c oolant reservoir
(p ag e 11-15)
Q Eng ine oil filler c ap
(p ag e 11-9)
W Eng ine oil level g aug e
(p ag e 11-9)
E Rad iator c ap (p ag e 11-15)
R Power steering fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-29)

Maintenance and service11-9
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CONTINUED –
Engine oil
Checking the oil level
Chec k the eng ine oil level at eac h fuel stop .
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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. Be sure the d ip stic k is c orrec tly inserted until it stop s with the
g rap hic symb ol
on its top ap p earing as shown in the illustra-
tion.
4. 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.
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recommended grade and viscosity.
If you c hec k the oil level just after stop p ing the eng ine, wait a few min-
utes for the oil to d rain b ac k into the oil p an b ef ore c hec king the level.
Just after d riving or while the eng ine is warm, the eng ine oil level
read ing may b e in a rang e b etween the up p er level a nd the notc h
mark. This is c aused b y thermal exp ansion of the en g ine oil.
To p revent overfilling the eng ine oil, d o not ad d a ny ad d itional oil
ab ove the up p er level when the eng ine is c old .

11-10
Changing the oil and oil filter
Chang e the oil and oil filter ac c ord ing to the main tenanc e sc hed ule in
the “Warranty and Maintenanc e Booklet ”.
The eng ine oil and oil filter must b e c hang ed more freq uently than
listed in the maintenanc e sc hed ule when d riving on d usty road s,
when short trip s are freq uently mad e, or when d rivi ng in extremely
c old whether.
1. Warm up the eng ine b y letting the eng ine id le for ab out 10 minutes
to ease d raining the eng ine oil.
2. Park the vehic le on a level surfac e and stop the eng ine.
3. Remove the oil filler c ap .
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4. Drain out the eng ine oil b y removing the d rain p l ug while the en-
g ine is still warm. The used oil should b e d rained into an ap p rop riate
c ontainer and d isp osed of p rop erly.
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourself with hot engine oil.
5. Wip e the seating surfac e of the d rain p lug with a c lean c loth and
tig hten it sec urely with a new sealing washer after the oil has c om-
p letely d rained out.

Maintenance and service11-11
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CONTINUED –
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6. Remove three c lip s at the front of the c over und e r the oil filter.
7. Slid e the c over toward the vehic le front to remov e it.
8. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrenc h.
9. Before installing a new oil filter, ap p ly a thin c oat of eng ine oil to the
seal.
10. Clean the rub b er seal seating area of the lower c rank c ase and
install the oil filter b y hand turning . Be c areful not to twist or d amag e
the seal.
11. Tig hten it ap p roximately two-third s of a turn a fter the seal makes
c ontac t with the lower c rank c ase.
CAUTION
Never over tighten the oil filter because that can result in an oilleak.