2003 SUBARU BAJA brakes

Driving tips8-19
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Trailer hitch (if equipped)
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum weight specified for the trailer
hitch. Exceeding the maximum weight could cause an accident resulting in serious personal injuries. Permissible trailer weight
changes depending on the situation. Refer to the next section“ Trailer towing ” for possible recommendations and limitations.
Trailer brakes are required when the towing load exceeds
1,000 lbs. (453 kg). Be sure your trailer has safety chains and that
each chain will hold the trailer ’s maximum gross weight. Towing
trailers without safety chains could create a traffic safety hazardif the trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling damage orhitch ball damage. Be sure to check the hitch pin and safety pin for positive lock-
ing placement before towing a trailer. If the ball mount comes off
the hitch receiver, the trailer could get loose and create a trafficsafety hazard. Use only the ball mount supplied with this hitch. Use the hitch
only as a weight carrying hitch. Do not use with any type ofweight distributing hitch.
The trailer hitch is designed to tow a Class 1 rated load. A maximum of
2,400 lbs. (1,087 kg) gross trailer weight and a maximum of 200 lbs. (90
kg) gross tongue weight are permissible for the trailer hitch.
When you tow a trailer, follow the instructions in the next section “Trailer
towing”.

8-24
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed and intended to be used primarily to carry pas-
sengers and cargo. Towing a trailer puts additional loads on your
vehicle’s engine, drivetrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an ad-
verse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and satisfaction depend
upon proper use of correct equipment and cautious operation of your ve-
hicle. Seek the advice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in purchas-
ing a hitch and other necessary towing equipment appropriate for your
vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow the instructions on correct installa-
tion and use provided by the trailer and other towing equipment
manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or vehicle damage that
result from trailer towing equipment, or from any errors or omissions in
the instructions accompanying such equipment or for your failure to fol-
low the proper instructions.
Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage or malfunction
caused by trailer towing. If you use your vehicle to tow a trailer, more
frequent maintenance will be required due to the additional load.(Refer to “Maintenance schedule under severe driving conditions ” in
the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer be towed with a new vehicle
or a vehicle with any new powertrain component (engine, transmis-
sion, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600km) of driving. Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load limits explained below. Exceed- ing the maximum load limits could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.

Driving tips8-25
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CAUTION
Adequate size trailer brakes are required when the trailer and
its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total weight, GVW,
GAWs and tongue load. Make sure the load and its distribution inyour vehicle and trailer are acceptable.
n Total trailer weight
The total trailer weight (trailer weight plus its cargo load) must never
exceed the maximum weight shown below.
Model
ConditionsMaximum totaltrailer weight
MT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,400 lbs (1,087 kg)
AT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,400 lbs (1,087 kg)
When towing a trailer on a long uphill grade continuously for over 5 miles (8 km) with an outside temperature of 104 °F
(40 °C) or above.1,200 lbs (543 kg)
OM-H2781
Total trailer weight

8-30
Connecting a trailer
n Trailer brakes
WARNING
Adequate size trailer brakes are required when the trailer and
its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Do not directly connect your trailer ’s hydraulic brake system
to the hydraulic brake system in your vehicle. Direct connectionwould cause the vehicle ’s brake performance to deteriorate and
could lead to an accident.
If your trailer ’s total weight (trailer weight plus its cargo weight)
exceeds 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the trailer is required to be equipped with
its own brake system. Electric brakes or surge brakes are recom-
mended, and must be installed properly. Check that your trailer ’s
brakes conform with Federal, state/province and/or other applicable
regulations. Your SUBARU ’s brake system is not designed to be
tapped into the trailer ’s hydraulic brake system. Please ask your
SUBARU dealer and professional trailer supplier for more information
about the trailer ’s brake system.
n Trailer safety chains
WARNING
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Towing trailer without safety chains could create a traffic safetyhazard if the trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling dam-age or hitch ball damage.
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch ball should break or
become disconnected, the trailer could get loose and create a traffic
safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing vehicle and trailer with trailer
safety chains. Pass the chains crossing each other under the trailer
tongue to prevent the trailer from dropping onto the ground in case
the trailer tongue should disconnect from the hitch ball. Allow suffi-

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trailer, causing sway. Crosswinds can 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 distance is required
because of the added weight and length caused by attaching the
trailer to your vehicle. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes practice. When back-
ing 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.
Left turn Right turn
OM-H2791
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. n 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 sud-
den downshifts. When driving uphill in hot weather, the air conditioner may turn off
automatically to protect the engine from overheating. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to the water tem-
perature gauge pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP warning
light (for AT vehicles) since the engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these conditions. If the water temperature

Driving tips8-35
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gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP
warning light illuminates, immediately switch off the air conditioner
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 Chapter 3. If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid using the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of usingthe parking brake or foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluidto overheat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automatic trans-mission, avoid driving with the gear selector lever in “D” when towing
a heavy trailer to prevent fluid overheating. A lower gear should beused. n 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 parking on a hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should takethe following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the regular brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the parking brake; slowly
release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmission) or “P” (auto-
matic transmission) and shut off the engine.

10-2
Exterior care Washing
CAUTION
When washing the vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed while lightly pressing the brakepedal to heat up the brakes. Do not wash the engine compartment and areas adjacent to it.
If water enters the engine air intake, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will cause engine trouble or faulty
power steering respectively.
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s beauty is frequent washing.
Wash the vehicle at least once a month to avoid contamination by roadgrime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty of lukewarm or cold water. Do
not wash the vehicle with hot water and in direct sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required. If you use a light detergent,
make certain that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use strong soap or
chemical detergents. All cleaning agents should be promptly flushed
from the surface and not allowed to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thor-
oughly with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the remaining water off with a
chamois or soft cloth. NOTE When having your vehicle washed in an automatic car wash, make
sure beforehand that the car wash is of suitable type. If the vehicle
is equipped with a rear/roof spoiler, it may be damaged by car washbrushes or other equipment.

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Replacement of brake pad and liningCAUTION
If you continue to drive despite the scraping noise from the audi-
ble brake pad wear indicator, it will result in the need for costlybrake rotor repair or replacement.
OM-H0163
The front disc brakes and the right rear disc brake have an audible wear
indicators on the brake pads. If the brake pads wear close to their ser-
vice limit, the wear indicator makes a very audible scraping noise whenthe brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time you apply the brake pedal, have the brake pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as soon as pos-sible.
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining, use only genuine SUBARU
parts. After replacement, the new parts must be broken in as follows: n Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40 mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on
the brake pedal lightly. Repeat this five or more times.