2003 SUBARU BAJA air condition

Driving tips8-3
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Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or cargo.
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is danger- ous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine exhaust system to pre-
vent engine exhaust gas from entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space, such as a garage, ex-
cept for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is unavoidable, then use the ventila-tion fan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille free from snow,
leaves or other obstructions to ensure that the ventilation system
always works properly. If at any time you suspect that exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem checked and corrected as soon as pos-
sible. If you must drive under these conditions, drive only with allwindows fully open.
NOTE Due to the expansion and contraction of the metals used in the
manufacture of the exhaust system, you may hear a crackling soundcoming from the exhaust system for a short time after the enginehas been shut off. This sound is normal.

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nTires
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 of the temporary spare tire when towing can result in failureof the spare tire and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle are properly inflated.
The recommended cold tire pressure under trailer towing conditions
is indicated on the tire placard located under the door striker on the
driver’ s side. Adjust the rear tire pressure to the recommended pres-
sure shown on the tire placard when the tires are cold. Normal pres-
sure should be maintained in the front tires.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and proper inflation pressure
should be in accordance with the trailer manufacturer ’s specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire when towing a trailer, ask a
commercial road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your vehicle or trailer as a pre-
caution against getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare tire is firmly
secured. Trailer towing tips CAUTION
Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days. When towing a trailer, steering, stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be different from normal operation. For
safety’ s sake, you should employ extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never speed. You should also keep the fol-lowing tips in mind:

8-34
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.

9-18
Jump startingWARNING
Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID. Do not let it come in contact
with the eyes, skin, clothing or the vehicle. If battery fluid gets on you, thoroughly flush the exposed area
with water immediately. Get medical help if the fluid has enteredyour eyes. If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water, and obtain immediate medicalhelp.
Keep everyone including children away from the battery. The gas generated by a battery explodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or light a match while jump start-ing. Never attempt jump starting if the discharged battery is frozen.
It could cause the battery to burst or explode. Whenever working on or around a battery, always wear suit-
able eye protectors, and remove metal objects such as rings,
bands or other metal jewelry. Be sure the jumper cables and clamps on them do not have
loose or missing insulation.Do not jump start unless cables in suitable condition are avail-able. A running engine can be dangerous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away from the cooling fan, belts and anyother moving engine parts. Removing rings, watches and ties isadvisable.
When your vehicle does not start due to a run down (discharged) bat-
tery, the vehicle may be jump started by connecting your battery to
another battery (called the booster battery) with jumper cables.
Jump starting is dangerous if it done incorrectly. If you are unsure about
the proper procedure for jump starting, consult a competent mechanic.

10-6
Before the beginning of winter, check the condition of underbody
components, such as the exhaust system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, suspension, steering system, floor pan, and fenders. If any of
them are found to be rusted, they should be given an appropriate rust
prevention treatment or should be replaced. Contact your SUBARU
dealer to perform this kind of maintenance and treatment if you needassistance. Repair chips and scratches in the paint as soon as you find them.
Check the interior of the vehicle for water and dirt accumulation under
the floor mats because that could cause corrosion. Occasionally
check under the mats to make sure the area is dry.
Keep your garage dry. Do not park your vehicle in a damp, poorly
ventilated garage. In such a garage, corrosion can be caused by
dampness. If you wash the vehicle in the garage or put the vehicle
into the garage when wet or covered with snow, that can causedampness.
If your vehicle is operated in cold weather and/or in areas where road
salts and other corrosive materials are used, the door hinges and
locks, trunk lid lock, and hood latch should be inspected and lubri-
cated periodically.
Cleaning the interior
Use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dust and dirt. Wipe the vinyl areas with a clean, damp cloth. Seat fabric
Remove loose dirt, dust or debris with a vacuum cleaner. If the dirt is
caked on the fabric or hard to remove with a vacuum cleaner, use asoft blush then vacuum it.
Wipe the fabric surface with a tightly wrung cloth and dry the seat
fabric thoroughly. If the fabric is still dirty, wipe using a solution of mild
soap and lukewarm water then dry thoroughly.
If the stain does not come out, try a commercially-available fabric

11-18
Replacing the air cleaner element
Replace the air cleaner element according to the maintenance sched- ule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”. Under extremely
dusty conditions, replace it more frequently. It is recommended that
you always use genuine SUBARU parts.
HBB064BB
HBB063BB
1. Remove the bolt securing the rear air cleaner element case.
2. Unsnap the three clamps holding the rear air cleaner elementcase.
3. Separate the rear air cleaner element case from the front air clean-
er element case and remove the air cleaner element.
4. Clean the inside of the front and rear air cleaner element caseswith a damp cloth and install a new air cleaner element.
5. Insert the four projections on the rear air cleaner element case into
the slits on the front air cleaner element case and snap the three
clamps on the rear air cleaner element case and then tighten the bolt.

11-20
Drive belts
The alternator, power steering pump, and air conditioner compressor de-
pend on drive belts. Satisfactory performance requires that belt tension
be correct.
HGA005BB
in (mm)
Deflection
New beltUsed belt
10.28 — 0.35(7.0 — 9.0)0.35 — 0.43
(9.0 — 11.0)
20.30 — 0.33 (7.5 — 8.5)0.35 — 0.40
(9.0 — 10.0)
To check belt tension, place a straightedge (ruler) across two adjacent
pulleys and apply a force of 22 lb (98 N, 10 kg) midway between thepulleys by using a spring scale. Belt deflection should be the amountspecified.