2002 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX battery

Interior equipment
6-2
Interior light
When leaving your vehicle, make sure the light is
turned off to avoid battery discharge.
The interior light switch has three positions: Dome light
HS6003BB
ON: The light stays on continuously.
DOOR: The light comes on when any door is opened
and stays on for several seconds after all doors are closed. OFF: The light stays off.
Luggage area light (if equipped)
HG0157
DOOR: The light comes on only when the rear gate
is opened. OFF: The light stays off.

Interior equipment
6-3
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Spotlight (if equipped)
HB6006CA
To turn on the spotlight, push the switch. To turn it
off, push the switch again.
When leaving the vehicle, make sure the light is
turned off to avoid battery discharge. Sun visors
HB7001BA
To block out glare, swing down the visors. To use the
sun visor at a side window, swing it down and moveit sideways.

Interior equipment
6-8
sory power socket for a long period of time while the engine is not running can cause bat-tery discharge.Before driving your vehicle, make sure that
the plug and the cord on your electrical ap-
pliance will not interfere with your shifting gears and operating the accelerator and brake
pedals. If they do, do not use the electrical ap-
pliance while driving.
HG6013BA
Electrical power (12V DC) from the battery is on tap at the socket when the ignition switch is either in the
“ACC” or “ON” position.
You can use an in-car use electrical appliance by
connecting it to the socket.
Electrical power socket located on the lower part of the instrument panel
CAUTION
The electrical power socket located on the lower part of the instrument panel is designedto use only a SUBARU genuine cigarettelighter plug. Do not use non-genuine cigarettelighter plugs or any “plug-in” type electrical
accessories in the socket. Doing so may
cause a short-circuit and overheating, result-ing in a fire.Refer to the “Cigarette lighter ” section in this
chapter.

Starting and operating
7-13
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labor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the transmission
to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as necessary; this helps to
maintain a safe speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking effect. Re-
member, if you “ride” (over use) the brakes while de-
scending a hill, they may overheat and not work
properly. Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electronically con-
trolled with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed. NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is re-
connected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic
transmission operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected and storedin memory to allow the transmission to shift at the most appropriate times for the current condi- tion of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be re-stored as the vehicle continues to be driven for awhile.
WARNING
Do not shift from the
“P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may
cause the vehicle to jump forward or back- ward.

Starting and operating
7-23
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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.

Driving tips
8-10
it more prone to tip over. If you must rock the vehicle to free it from sand or
mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly and
move the selector lever back and forth between “D”
and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels
when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you
can obtain better traction by starting the vehicle withthe transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and
AT). Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than
those specified in this manual. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-
driving conditions such as rough roads or off roads
will necessitate more frequent replacement of engine
oil, brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified
in the maintenance schedule described in the “War -
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your Subaru while
operating it off-road and not using common sense
precautions such as those listed above is not eligi-ble for warranty coverage. Winter driving
HG8001AA

Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire
chains, a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares, asmall shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures
reduce battery capacity. The battery must be in
good condition to provide enough power for cold
winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder
starting.

In case of emergency
9-12
Jump starting
WARNING
Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID. Do not let it
come in contact with the eyes, skin, clothing or the vehicle. If battery fluid gets on you, thoroughly flush
the exposed area with water immediately. Get
medical help if the fluid has entered your
eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, im-
mediately drink a large amount of milk or wa-
ter, and obtain immediate medical help. Keep everyone including children away from
the battery. The gas generated by a battery explodes if a
flame or spark is brought near it. Do not
smoke or light a match while jump starting. Never attempt jump starting if the dis-
charged battery is frozen. It could cause thebattery to burst or explode. Whenever working on or around a battery,
always wear suitable eye protectors, and re- move metal objects such as rings, bands or
other metal jewelry.
Be sure the jumper cables and clamps on
them do not have loose or missing insulation.
Do not jump start unless cables in suitablecondition are available. A running engine can be dangerous. Keep
your fingers, hands, clothing, hair and tools away from the cooling fan, belts and any other
moving engine parts. Removing rings,watches and ties is advisable.
When your vehicle does not start due to a run down
(discharged) battery, the vehicle may be jump
started by connecting your battery to another bat-
tery (called the booster battery) with jumper cables.
Jump starting is dangerous if it done incorrectly. If
you are unsure about the proper procedure for jump
starting, consult a competent mechanic. How to jump start
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 volts and the
negative terminal is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do notlet the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and accessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in the se-
quence illustrated.

In case of emergency
9-13
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HB8007BC
1) Booster battery
2) Engine lifting bracket