2002 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX engine overheat

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How to use this owner’s manual
Using your Owner ’s manual
Before you operate your vehicle, carefully read this
manual. To protect yourself and extend the service
life of your vehicle, follow the instructions in this
manual. Failure to observe these instructions may
result in serious injury and damage to your vehicle.
This manual is composed of fourteen chapters. Each chapter begins with a brief table of contents,so you can usually tell at a glance if that chapter
contains the information you want. Chapter 1: Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
This chapter informs you how to use the seat and
seatbelt and contains precautions for the SRS air- bags.Chapter 2: Keys and doors
This chapter informs you how to operate the keys,locks and windows.Chapter 3: Instruments and controls
This chapter informs you about the operation of
instrument panel indicators and how to use theinstruments and other switches.Chapter 4: Climate Control
This chapter informs you how to operate the climate control.Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate your audiosystem.Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate interior equipment. Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and operateyour SUBARU.Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your SUBARU in various conditions and explains some safety tips on driving.Chapter 9: In case of emergency
This chapter informs you what to do if you have a
problem while driving, such as a flat tire or engineoverheating. Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your SUBARUlooking good.
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need to take
your SUBARU to the dealer for scheduled mainte-
nance and informs you how to keep your SUBARU
running properly.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-7
– CONTINUED –
Do not put anything on the seat which insu-
lates against heat, such as a blanket, cushion, or similar items. This may cause the seat heat-er to overheat.
NOTE Use of the seat heater for a long period of time
while the engine is not running can cause battery discharge. When cleaning the seat, do not use benzine,
paint thinner, or any similar materials. Rear seats
WARNING
Seatbelts provide maximum restraint when the occupant sits well back and upright in the
seat. Do not put cushions or any other materi-
als between occupants and seatbacks or seat
cushions. If you do so, the risk of slidingunder the lap belt and of the lap belt sliding up over the abdomen will increase, and both can result in serious internal injury or death.
HG1005BA

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
– CONTINUED –
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
7-14
CAUTION
Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after
the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting while the vehicle is moving may cause dam- age to the transmission. Do not race the engine for more than five
seconds in any position except the “N” or “P”
position when the brake is set or the tires areon blocks. This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat. Avoid shifting from one of the forward driv-
ing positions into the “R” position or vice
versa until the vehicle has completelystopped. Such shifting may cause damage tothe transmission.
Selector lever for automatic transmis- sion
HB7010AA

Starting and operating
7-21
– CONTINUED –
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

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

Driving tips
8-37
– CONTINUED –
sudden downshifts. When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condi-
tioner may turn off automatically to protect the
engine from overheating. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature gauge pointer (for all
vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP warning light (for AT
vehicles) since the engine and transmission are rel-
atively prone to overheating under these conditions.
If the water temperature gauge pointer approaches
the OVERHEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately switch off the air condi-
tioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheat ” section in chapter 9,
and “Warning and indicator lights ” section in chap-
ter 3. If your vehicle has a automatic transmission, avoid
using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an
uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or
foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to
overheat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission, avoid driving with the gearselector lever in “D” when towing a heavy trailer to
prevent fluid overheating.
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. You should not park on a hill or slope. But if parkingon a hill or slope cannot be avoided, you shouldtake the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under boththe vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the
regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb theload.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the
parking brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmis- sion) or
“P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the
engine.