2002 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX phone

8
Modification of your vehicle
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified. Modifica- tion could affect its performance, safety or
durability, and may even violate governmentalregulations. In addition, damage or perfor-
mance problems resulting from modification may not be covered under warranties.
Car phones and driving
CAUTION
A driver ’s use of a car phone can be distract-
ing and if special care is not taken, can lead to an accident. If you use a car phone while driv-ing, make an extra effort to pay attention to
the road and to traffic at all times. If you can
safely do so, it is best to pull off to the side ofthe road before using your car phone.
Driving with pets
Unrestrained pets can interfere with your driving and
distract your attention from driving. In a collision or
sudden stop, unrestrained pets or cages can be
thrown around inside the vehicle and hurt you or
your passengers. Besides, the pets can be hurt un-der these situations. It is also for their own safety
that pets should be properly restrained in your
vehicle. Restrain a pet with a special traveling har-
ness which can be secured to the rear seat with a
seatbelt or use a pet carrier which can be secured
to the rear seat by routing a seatbelt through the
carrier’ s handle. Never restrain pets or pet carriers
in the front passenger ’s seat. For further information,
consult your veterinarian, local animal protection so-ciety or pet shop.
Tire pressures
Check and, if necessary, adjust the pressure of
each tire (including the spare) at least once a month
and before any long journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are cold. Use
a pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the
values shown on the tire placard. Refer to the “Tires and wheels ” section in chapter 11
for detailed information.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-49
– CONTINUED –
nWhen is the SRS frontal airbag unlikely to deploy?
HG1035BA
There are many types of collisions which might not
necessarily require SRS frontal airbag deployment.
If the vehicle strikes an object, such as a telephonepole or sign pole, or if it slides under a truck ’s load
bed, or if it sustains an oblique offset frontal impact,
the SRS frontal airbag may not deploy depending on
the level of accident forces involved.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-57
– CONTINUED –
HG1021BB
1) The vehicle is involved in an
oblique side-on impact.
2) The vehicle is involved in a side-on
impact in an area outside the pas- senger compartment.
3) The vehicle strikes a telephone
pole or similar object.
4) The vehicle is involved in a side-on
impact from a motorcycle.
5) The vehicle rolls onto its side or
roof.

Driving tips
8-9
– CONTINUED –
aid kit and portable phone or citizens band radio. Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous areas or over rough terrain. Slow down and employ extra caution at all times.
When driving off-road, you will not have the benefit
of marked traffic lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and the like. Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive
either straight up or straight down the slopes. A ve-
hicle can much more easily tip over sideways than it
can end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down
slopes that are too steep. Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at
higher speeds. Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering
wheel. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injureyour hands. Instead drive with your fingers andthumbs on the outside of the rim. If driving through water, such as when crossing
shallow streams, first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the stream bed for firmness and
ensure that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The water
should be shallow enough that it does not reach the
vehicle’ s undercarriage. Water entering the engine
air intake or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never attempt to drive through
rushing water; regardless of its depth, it can wash
away the ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle rollover.
Always check your brakes for effectiveness im-
mediately after driving in sand, mud or water. Do
this by driving slowly and stepping on the brake
pedal. Repeat that process several times to dry outthe brake discs and brake pads. Do not drive or park over or near flammable mate-
rials such as dry grass or fallen leaves, as they may
burn easily. The exhaust system is very hot while en- gine is running and right after the engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard. After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand,
rivers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, pa-
per, rags, stones, sand, etc. adhering to or trapped
on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with these ma-
terials trapped or adhering to the underbody, a
mechanical breakdown or fire could occur. Secure all cargo carried inside the vehicle and
make certain that it is not piled higher than the seat-
backs. During sudden stops or jolts, unsecured car-
go could be thrown around in the vehicle and cause
injury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. Thoseloads raise the vehicle ’s center of gravity and make