2003 SUBARU BAJA tailgate

Interior and exterior equipments6-19
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CONTINUED –
NOTE
Use care when rotating bed extender. Do not permit the buckles to come in contact with vehicle sheet metal and bed trim. Closed/Inward Position – With the tailgate closed and the bed
extender in the inward position, small loads can be placed inside the
vehicle bed between the tailgate and the extender (groceries, icechests, etc.).
HB8035AA
The bed extender should be secured to the rear set of vehicle cargo
hooks. Latch the buckle onto the rear cargo hooks and then tighten
the tether straps. To disengage the tethers, loosen the tether straps
and depress the latch pin. Bed extender removal
HB8036BA

Driving tips8-9
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CONTINUED –
After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones, sand, etc. adhering to
or trapped on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is used with these materials 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 seatbacks. During sudden stops or jolts, unse-
cured cargo could be thrown around in the vehicle and cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone to tip over. Cargo should be evenly distributed over the cargo bed. Keep heavier
items as low and far forward as possible. Loading the vehicle improperly
can deteriorate handling capability and contribute to loss of vehicle con-
trol. Be sure the cargo is secured properly. Unsecured cargo in the cargo
bed can be thrown around when driving on off-road. To prevent loose
cargo from entering the passenger compartment, always close the
switchback door while driving off-road. Always close the tailgate while driving off-road. Also remove the bed
extender (if so equipped) to avoid damage. 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 be-tween “D” and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the best pos-
sible 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). 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 main-
tenance schedule described in the “Warranty 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

8-20
Connecting a trailer
HB8047BA
CAUTION
The license plate bracket will hit the hitch ball and may be dam- aged if the tailgate is opened and the license plate bracket is atthe lowered/open position. Close the tailgate and return the
license plate bracket to its normal position flush against the tail-gate itself whenever you tow a trailer or whenever a trailer ishitched to the vehicle.
1. Before connecting the ball mount to the hitch receiver, close the
tailgate and return the license plate bracket to its normal retractedposition up against the tailgate. Refer to “License plate bracket ”
under the heading “Tailgate” in Chapter 2 for more information on the
function of the license plate bracket.
2. Remove the receiver cover from the hitch receiver tube. Then in-
sert the ball mount into the hitch receiver tube.
3. Insert the hitch pin into the hole on the hitch receiver tube so that
the pin passes through the ball mount.

In case of emergency9-7
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CONTINUED –
HB9054BA
2. Open the tailgate and remove the rubber cap from the cargo bed. Pull up the “RELEASE” portion of the cap when removing it.
3. Locate the hex-headed hoist shaft end inside the hole.
HB9055BA
4. Turn the hoist shaft end counterclockwise with the wheel nut
wrench until the temporary spare tire is on the ground with enough
cable slack to allow you to pull it out from under the vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not put your fingers into the center hole of the temporaryspare tire while you pulling it out, because they might be pinched
in between the wheel and the retainer.

11-2Fuses
11-49
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Main fuse 11-51
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Installation of accessories 11-51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing bulbs 11-52
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Headlight 11-54
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Front fog light 11-56
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Front turn signal light, parking light and side marker light 11-56 . . . . . .
Rear combination lights 11-57
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Tail light (on the tailgate) 11-59
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License plate light 11-60
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Map light, dome light and door step light 11-61 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
High mount stop light assembly 11-63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sport activity lights (if equipped) 11-64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11-58
HBB084BAHBB083BA
1. Open the tailgate.
2. Pry the cover from the side of the rear combination light.
3. Remove the rear combination light mounting bolts. Then, slide the
rear combination light assembly to the rear and remove it from thevehicle.
HBB085BB
4. Remove the bulb socket from the rear combination light assembly by
turning it counterclockwise.
5. Remove the bulb from the socket by pulling it.
6. Install a new bulb into the socket by pushing it.
7. Set the bulb socket into the rear combination light assembly and turnit clockwise until it stops.
8. Mount the rear combination light assembly into the vehicle body withtwo mounting bolts.

Maintenance and service11-59
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CONTINUED –
9. Install the cover by inserting the knobs into the places. Tail light (on the tailgate)
HBB087BAHBB086BA
1. Open the tailgate.
2. Remove the tailgate trim by loosening the installation screws.
3. Remove the tail light cover by loosening the installation screws.
HBB048BAHBB088BA
4. Remove the bulb socket from the tail light by turning it counterclock- wise.
5. Remove the bulb from the socket by pulling it.
6. Install a new bulb into the socket by pushing it.
7. Install the bulb socket into the tail light by turning it clockwise until itstops.
8. Install the tail light cover and the tailgate trim.

14-8
SRS airbag system monitors1-50
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SRS airbag system servicing 1-51
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SRS airbag system warning light 3-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS frontal airbag 1-43
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Starting a flooded engine 7-11
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Starting the engine 7-9
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Starting the engine during cold weather below –4°F ( –20 °C) 7-10 . . . . . . . .
Starting the engine for automatic transmission vehicle 7-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the engine for manual transmission vehicle 7-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
State emission testing (U.S. only) 7-6
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Stopping the engine 7-11
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Storage compartment 6-4
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Sun visors 6-3
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Switchback door 2-26
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Switchback door indicator light 2-29, 3-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
T
Tachometer 3-8
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Tailgate 2-23
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Tail light (on the tailgate) 11-59
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Temperature A, B, C 13-3
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Temperature gauge 3-9
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Temporary spare tire 9-9
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Tilting/sliding moonroof 2-30
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Tilt steering wheel 3-32
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Tire chains 8-14
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Tire inspection 11-37
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Tire pressures and wear 11-37
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Tire replacement 11-42
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Tire rotation 11-42
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Tires 12-3
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Tires and wheels 11-36
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Towing 9-22
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Traction AA, A, B, C 13-2
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Trailer hitch (if equipped) 8-19
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Trailer towing (for OUTBACK) 8-24
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