2002 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX stop start

Starting and operating
7-28
HG0312
3. Push the control lever downward in the “SET,
COAST” direction and release it. Then release the
accelerator pedal.
The vehicle will maintain the desired speed.
Vehicle speed can be temporarily increased while
driving with the cruise control activated. Simply de-
press the accelerator pedal to accelerate the ve-
hicle. When the accelerator pedal is released, the
vehicle will return to and maintain the previous cruis-ing speed.
To temporarily cancel the cruise con- trol
There are four ways to cancel the cruise control tem- porarily:
Depress the brake pedal.
Pull the control lever in the “CANCEL” direction. (if
so equipped) Depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission
vehicles only). Shift the selector lever into the “N” position (auto-
matic transmission vehicles only).
To resume the cruise control after it has been tem- porarily canceled and with vehicle speed of about
20 mph (32 km/h) or more, push the control lever
upward in the “ACCEL, RESUME ” direction to return
to the original cruising speed automatically.
To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control: Push the main switch again.
Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC” or “LOCK”
position (but only when the vehicle is completely stopped). To change the cruising speed
To increase the speed
1. Push the control lever upward in the “ACCEL, RE-
SUME” direction and hold it until the vehicle reaches

Driving tips
8-13
– CONTINUED –
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads such as snowy or icy roads. This may
cause loss of vehicle control.
Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure the wiper
blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear win-
dow. If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield
or rear window, use the defroster with the airflow
control dial in the “t ” position and the temperature
control dial set for maximum warmth until the wiper
blades are completely thawed out. If your vehicle is
equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. To thaw out the rear wiper
blade, use the rear window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stick
on the surface of the windshield despite wiper
operation, use the defroster with the airflow controldial in “t ” and the temperature control dial set for
maximum warmth. After the windshield gets warmed
enough to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away
using the windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the wiper from working effectively. If snow is stuck on the
wiper arm, pull off the road to a safe place, then
remove it. If you stop the car at road side, use the
hazard warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades (winter blades) during the seasons you
could have snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Blades of this type give superior wiping perfor-
mance in snowy conditions. Be sure to use blades
that are suitable for your vehicle.
Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection ” section (chapter
10). Snow tires
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter
(snow) tires, make sure you use only the same size, construction and load range as the origi-nal tires listed on the tire placard. Using other
sizes and construction may affect speedome-ter/odometer calibration and clearance be-tween the body and tires. It also may be dan-

Driving tips
8-15
– CONTINUED –
chains — overconfidence because you are driving
with tire chains could easily lead to a serious acci-dent.
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be fitted with optional
215/45 R17 tires for the WRX because of lack
of clearance between the tire and body.
Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow,
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. Forthe 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 with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and
AT). Refer to the “Automatic transmission” section in
chapter 7 for information on holding the transmis- sion in 2nd position. Loading your vehicle
WARNING

Never allow passengers to ride on the
folded rear seatback, in the trunk or in the car-
go area. Doing so may result in serious injury. Never stack luggage or other cargo higher
than the top of the seatback because it couldtumble forward and injure passengers in the event of a sudden stop or accident. Keep lug-
gage or cargo low, as close to the floor aspossible.
HG1006BA

Driving tips
8-19
– CONTINUED –
ter for information on loading cargo into or onto your
vehicle. The maximum load limit of the cargo, cross-
bars and carrying attachment must not exceed 100
lb. (45 kg). Place the heaviest load at the bottom,
nearest the roof, and evenly distribute the cargo. Al-
ways properly secure all cargo.
CAUTION
For cargo carrying purposes, the roof rail
must be used together with a roof crossbar kit and the appropriate carrying attachment. Theroof rail must never be used alone to carry cargo. Otherwise, damage to the roof or paint
or a dangerous road hazard due to loss of car-go could result. When using the roof crossbar kit, make sure
that the total weight of the crossbars, carryingattachment and cargo does not exceed the
maximum load limit. Overloading may cause
damage to the vehicle and create a safety haz-ard.
Installing carrying attachments on the cross-bars
When installing any carrying attachment such as a
bike carrier, ski carrier, kayak carrier, cargo basket, etc. on the crossbars, follow the manufacturer
’s
instructions and make sure that the attachment is
securely fixed to the crossbars. Use only attach-
ments designed specifically for the crossbars. A set
of the crossbars is designed to carry loads (cargo
and attachment) of not more than 100 lb. (45 kg).
Before operating the vehicle, make sure that the car-
go is properly secured on the attachment.
NOTE Remember that the vehicle ’s center of gravity is
altered with the weight of the load on the roof, thus affecting the driving characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hard cornering and abrupt stops. Crosswind effects will beincreased.
Removal and installation of the crossbars
The crossbars can be removed when you do not
use the roof to carry cargo.
n To remove the crossbar
1. Loosen and remove the T –30 torx head screw
from the top of each crossbar end support.
2. Rotate the lower clamp on the bottom of each
end support downward approximately 90 °.
3. Carefully raise the crossbar from roof rails.

Driving tips
8-35
– CONTINUED –
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not
designed to sustain the towing load. Use ofthe temporary spare tire when towing can result in failure of the spare tire and/or less
stability of the vehicle.
Trailer towing tips
CAUTION
Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when tow-
ing a trailer in hilly country on hot days. When towing a trailer, steering, stability,
stopping distance and braking performancewill be different from normal operation. For
safety’ s sake, you should employ extra cau-
tion when towing a trailer and you should
never speed. You should also keep the follow-ing tips in mind:
Before starting out on a trip
Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-hitch mount-
ing are in good condition. If any problems are apparent, do not tow the trailer.
Check that the vehicle sits horizontally with the
trailer attached. If the vehicle is tipped sharply up at
the front and down at the rear, check the total trailer
weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution are accept- able. Check that the tire pressures are correct.
Check that the vehicle and trailer are connected
properly. Confirm that. –the trailer tongue is connected properly to the
hitch ball. – the trailer lights connector is connected prop-
erly and trailer ’s brake lights illuminate when the
vehicle’ s brake pedal is pressed, and that the trail-
er’ s turn signal lights flash when the vehicle ’s turn
signal lever is operated. – the safety chains are connected properly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safety in posi-
tion.– the side mirrors provide a good rearward field of
view without a significant blind spot.
Sufficient time should be taken to learn the “feel”
of the vehicle/trailer combination before starting out
on a trip. In an area free of traffic, practice turning, stopping and backing up.

Driving tips
8-36
Driving with a trailer
You should allow for considerably more stopping
distance when towing a trailer. Avoid sudden brak-
ing because it may result in skidding or jackknifing
and loss of control. Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accelerations. If
your vehicle has a manual transmission, always start
out in first gear and release the clutch at moderate
engine revolution. Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and rapid lane
changes. Slow down before turning. Make a longer than
normal turning radius because the trailer wheels will
be closer than the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. In a tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle. Crosswinds will adversely affect the handling of
your vehicle and trailer, causing sway. Crosswindscan be due to weather conditions or the passing of
large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and slow down immediately but
gradually. When passing other vehicles, considerable dis-
tance is required because of the added weight and
length caused by attaching the trailer to yourvehicle. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes
practice. When backing up with a trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly. When turning back, grip the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand and
turn it to the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.
OM-H2791
1) Left turn 2) Right turn
If the ABS warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have
repairs performed immediately by the nearest
SUBARU dealer.
Driving on grades
Before going down a steep hill, slow down and
shift into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in
order to utilize the engine braking effect and prevent
overheating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not make

In case of emergency
9-14
(1) Connect one jumper cable to the positive (+)
terminal on the discharged battery.
(2) Connect the other end of the jumper cable to
the positive (+) terminal of the booster battery.
(3) Connect one end of the other cable to thenegative (–) terminal of the booster battery.
(4) Connect the other end of the cable to the en-gine lifting bracket.
Make sure that the cables are not near any mov-
ing parts and that the cable clamps are not in
contact with any other metal.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster
battery and run it at moderate speed. Then start the
engine of the vehicle that has the discharged bat-
tery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in
exactly the reverse order. Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has been shut off and has fullycooled down. When the engine is hot, thecoolant is under pressure. Removing the cap
while the engine is still hot could release aspray of boiling hot coolant, which could burn
you very seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. If steam is coming from the engine compartment
Turn the engine off and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. If no steam is coming from the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compart-ment.

Maintenance and service
11-11
– CONTINUED –
5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain plug with a
clean cloth and tighten it securely with a new seal-ing washer after the oil has completely drained out.
HS0176
1) Oil filter
6. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrench.
7. Before installing a new oil filter, apply a thin coat of engine oil to the seal.
8. Clean the rubber seal seating area of the lower
crank case and install the oil filter by hand turning.
Be careful not to twist or damage the seal.
9. Tighten it approximately two-thirds of a turn afterthe seal makes contact with the lower crank case.
CAUTION
Never over tighten the oil filter because that can result in an oil leak.
10. Pour the specified amount of engine oil throughthe filler neck.
Oil capacity: Non-turbo models: 4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
Turbo models: 4.8 US qt (4.5 liters, 4.0 Imp qt)
11. Start the engine and make sure that no oil leaks
appear around the filter ’s rubber seal.
12. Run the engine until it reaches the normal oper-
ating temperature. Then stop the engine and wait a
few minutes to allow the oil drain back. Check the oil
level again and if necessary, add more engine oil. Recommended grade and viscosity
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recommended
grade and viscosity.