2002 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX brake light

Starting and operating
7-7
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CAUTION
Resultant vehicle damage due to improper testing is not covered under the SUBARU Lim-
ited Warranty and is the responsibility of the state inspection program or its contractors orlicensees. Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks and adjust-
ments every day before you start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and lights are
clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of the tires.
Also check tires for proper inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of the leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk and rear gate are fullyclosed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside
mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your passen-gers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and indicator
lights when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON”
position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warning lights
after starting the engine. NOTE Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer
fluid and other fluid levels should be checked
daily, weekly or at fuel stops.

Starting and operating
7-8
Starting the engine
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter motor continuously
for more than ten seconds. If the engine fails to start after operating the starter for five to ten seconds, wait for ten seconds or more be-fore trying again.
Starting the engine for a manual transmission vehicle
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Press the clutch pedal to the floor and shift the
shift lever into neutral. Hold the clutch pedal to the
floor while starting the engine.
The starter motor will only operate when the clutch
pedal is pressed fully to the floor.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position and
check the operation of the warning and indicatorlights. Refer to the “Warning and indicator light ” sec-
tion (chapter 3).
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START” position
without depressing the accelerator pedal. Release the key immediately after the engine has started.
If the engine does not start within ten seconds, wait
a while and then turn the ignition switch to the
“START”
position again while depressing the accel-
erator pedal half way down.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator lights have
gone off after the engine has started. The fuel injec-
tion system automatically lowers the idle speed as
the engine warms up.
Starting the engine for an automatic transmission vehicle
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Shift the selector lever to the “P” or “N” position
(preferably “P” position).
The starter motor will only operate when the select lever is at the “P” or “N” position.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position and
check the operation of the warning and indicator lights. Refer to the “Warning and indicator lights ”
section (chapter 3).
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START” position
without depressing the accelerator pedal. Release
the key immediately after the engine has started.
If the engine does not start within ten seconds, wait

Starting and operating
7-9
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a while and then turn the ignition switch to the
“START” position again while depressing the accel-
erator pedal half way down.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator lights have
gone out after the engine has started. The fuel injec-
tion system automatically lowers the idle speed as
the engine warms up.
While the engine is warming up, make sure that the selector lever is at the “P” or “N” position and that
the parking brake is applied.
CAUTION
If you restart the engine while the vehicle is moving, shift the selector lever into the “N”
position. Do not attempt to place the selectorlever of a moving vehicle into the “P” posi-
tion.
Starting the engine during cold weather below –4°F ( –20 °C)
If the engine is difficult to start using the normal
method (without depressing the accelerator pedal),
turn the ignition switch to the “START” position while
slightly depressing the accelerator pedal.
Starting a flooded engine
If the engine does not start, it may be flooded (ex-
cessive fuel in the engine).
In case of a flooded engine, turn the starter motorfor five seconds with the accelerator pedal fully de-
pressed. Repeat this two or three times until the en-
gine starts. Release the ignition switch and acceler-
ator pedal as soon as the engine starts.

Starting and operating
7-15
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HB7021BA
With the brake pedal depressed, move the lever along the gate.Move the lever along the gate.
The selector lever has seven positions.
P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and starting the engine. In this position, the transmission is mechanically
locked to prevent the vehicle from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the parking
brake fully, then shift into the “P” position. Do not
hold the vehicle with only the transmission.
A shift interlock function is employed in the automat- ic transmission system to ensure safe starting of the vehicle.
To shift the selector lever from the
“P” to the any oth-
er position, you have to depress the brake pedal ful-ly when the ignition switch is in the “ON” position.
This prevents the vehicle from lurching when it is
started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “P” position
with the brake pedal depressed, refer to the “Shift
lock release ” section in this chapter.
R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N” to “R” position, first stop the ve-
hicle completely then move the lever to the “R” posi-
tion.
N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled engine.
In this position the wheels and transmission are not
locked. In this position, the transmission is neutral;
the vehicle will roll freely, even on the slightest
incline unless the parking brake or foot brake is on.

Starting and operating
7-21
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Braking Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause dangerous overheat- ing of the brakes and needless wear on thebrake pads and linings.
When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result, brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the ve-
hicle at a safe speed while lightly depressing thebrake pedal to heat up the brakes.
Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addi-
tion to foot braking. When descending a grade, if
only the foot brake is used, the brakes may start
working improperly because of brake fluid overheat-
ing, caused by overheated brake pads. To help pre-
vent this, shift into a lower gear to get stronger
engine braking.
Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a
tire is punctured. This could cause a loss of controlof the vehicle. Keep driving straight ahead while
gradually reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place.
Brake system
Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit brake systems.
Each circuit works diagonally across the vehicle. If
one circuit of the brake system should fail, the other
half of the system still works. If one circuit fails, thebrake pedal will go down much closer to the floor
than usual and you will need to press it down much
harder. And a much longer distance will be needed to stop the vehicle.
Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold vacuum to
assist braking force. Do not turn off the engine while
driving because that will turn off the brake booster,
resulting in poor braking power. The brakes will continue to work even when the brake booster completely stops functioning. If this
happens, however, you will have to push the pedal

Starting and operating
7-22
much harder than normal and the braking distance
will increase. Disc brake pad wear warning indica- tors
OM-H0163
The disc brake pad wear warning indicators on the
disc brakes give a warning noise when the brake
pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard from thedisc brakes while braking, immediately have your
vehicle checked by your SUBARU dealer. ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which may occur during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces. This helps prevent the
loss of steering control and directional stability caused by wheel lock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a
chattering noise or feel a slight vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal when the ABS operates. The ABS system will not operate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving
– over-
confidence because you are driving with an
ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to aserious accident.

Starting and operating
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CAUTION
The ABS system does not always decrease
stopping distance. You should always main- tain a safe following distance from other ve- hicles. When driving on badly surfaced roads, grav-
el roads, icy roads, or over deep newly fallen
snow, stopping distances may be longer for a
vehicle with the ABS system than one without. When driving under these conditions, there-
fore, reduce your speed and leave ample dis-tance 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.
ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and
hear the operating sound of ABS from the engine
compartment just after the vehicle is started. This iscaused by an automatic functional test of the ABS
system being carried out and does not indicate any
abnormal condition.
ABS warning light
HG1016FA
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after about two seconds. This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
When driving with an insufficient battery voltage
such as when the engine is jump started, the ABS
warning light may come on. This is due to the low
battery voltage and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged, the light will go out.

Starting and operating
7-24
CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as follows, the
ABS system may not be working properly. When the warning light is on, the ABS func-
tion shuts down; however, the conventional
brake system continues to operate normally. The warning light does not come on when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion. The warning light comes on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position, but
it does not go out even when the vehicle speed exceeds approximately 8 mph (12km/h). The warning light comes on during driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system repairedat the first available opportunity by your
SUBARU dealer.
NOTE If the warning light behavior is as described
below, the ABS system may be considered nor- mal. The warning light comes on right after the
engine is started but goes out immediately,remaining off.
The warning light remains on after the engine
has been started, but it goes out when the
vehicle speed reaches about 8 mph (12 km/h). The warning light comes on during driving, but
it goes out immediately and remains off.