2003 SUBARU BAJA maintenance

Maintenance and service11-7
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Engine compartment overview
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1 Manual transmission oil level
gauge (MT) (page 11-21) or
Differential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-24)
2 Air cleaner element (page 11-17)
3 Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-30)
4 Automatic transmission fluidlevel gauge (page 11-22)
5 Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-28)
6 Fuel filter 7
Windshield washer tank (page 11-44)
8 Fuse box (page 11-49)
9 Battery (page 11-48)
Q Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8)
W Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-14)
E Radiator cap (page 11-14)
R Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
T Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-27)

Maintenance and service11-9
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Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to the maintenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed more frequently than
listed in the maintenance schedule when driving on dusty roads,
when short trips are frequently made, or when driving in extremely
cold whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the engine idle for about 10 minutes to ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
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4. Drain out the engine oil by removing the drain plug while the en-
gine is still warm. The used oil should be drained into an appropriate
container and disposed of properly.
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourself with hot engine oil.
5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain plug with a clean cloth and
tighten it securely with a new sealing washer after the oil has com-pletely drained out.

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12. Reinstall the cover under the oil filter.
13. Pour engine oil through the filler neck.
Oil capacity (Guideline): 4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
The oil quantity indicated above is only a guideline. The necessary quantity of oil depends on the quantity of oil that has been drained.
The quantity of drained oil differs slightly depending on the tempera-
ture of the oil and the time the oil is left flowing out. After refilling the
engine with oil, therefore, you must use the dipstick to confirm that the
level is correct.
14. Start the engine and make sure that no oil leaks appear aroundthe filter ’s rubber seal and drain plug.
15. Run the engine until it reaches the normal operating temperature.
Then stop the engine and wait a few minutes to allow the oil drain
back. Check the oil level again and if necessary, add more engine oil. Recommended grade and viscosity CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recommended grade and viscosity.
Oil grade: ILSAC GF-3, which can be identified with the new API certification mark (Starburst mark)
or API classification SL with the words “ENERGY CON-
SERVING” (if you cannot obtain the oil with SL grade,
you may use SJ grade “ENERGY CONSERVING ” oil).
These recommended oil grades can be identified by looking for either
or both of the following marks displayed on the oil container.

Maintenance and service11-13
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Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions
If the vehicle is used in desert areas, in areas with very high tempera-
tures, or used for heavy-duty applications such as towing a trailer, use
of oil with the following grade and viscosities is recommended.
API classification SL (or SJ): SAE viscosity No.: 30, 40, 10W-50,
20W-40, 20W-50
Cooling system
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has
been shut off and has cooled down completely. Since the coolantis under pressure, you may suffer serious burns from a spray ofboiling hot coolant when the cap is removed.
CAUTION
The cooling system has been filled at the factory with a high
quality, corrosion-inhibiting, year-around coolant which providesprotection against freezing down to –33°F ( –36 °C). For adding,
use genuine SUBARU coolant or an equivalent: a mixture of 50%
soft water and 50% ethylene-glycol basis coolant. Use of improp-er coolants may result in corrosion in the cooling system. It is im-portant to maintain protection against freezing and corrosion,even if freezing temperatures are not expected. Never mix differ-ent kinds of coolant. Do not splash the engine coolant over painted parts. The alco-
hol contained in the engine coolant may damage the paint sur-face.
Hose and connections
Your vehicle employs an electric cooling fan which is thermostatically

Maintenance and service11-15
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Rubber gaskets
3. After refilling the reserve tank and the radiator, reinstall the caps
and check that the rubber gaskets inside the radiator cap are in the
proper position. Changing the coolant
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has
been shut off and has cooled down completely. Since the coolantis under pressure, you may suffer serious burns from a spray ofboiling hot coolant when the cap is removed.
Change the engine coolant using the following procedures according
to the maintenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Book-
let”. 1. Remove the under cover.
2. Place a proper container under the drain plug and loosen the drainplug.

Maintenance and service11-17
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Rubber gaskets
5. Put the radiator cap back on and tighten firmly. At this time, make
sure that the rubber gasket in the radiator cap is correctly in place.
6. Start and run the engine for more than five minutes at 2,000 to
3,000 rpm.
7. Stop the engine and wait until the coolant cools down (122 to140 °F [50 to 60 °C]). If there is any loss of coolant, add coolant to the
radiator’ s filler neck and to the reserve tank ’s “FULL” level.
8. Put the radiator cap and reservoir cap back on and tighten firmly.
Air cleaner element
WARNING
Do not operate the engine with the air cleaner element removed.The air cleaner element not only filters intake air but also stops
flames if the engine backfires. If the air cleaner element is not
installed when the engine backfires, you could be burned.
The air cleaner element functions as a filter screen. When the element is
perforated or removed, engine wear will be excessive and engine life
shortened.
The air cleaner element is a viscous type. It is unnecessary to clean or wash the element.

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.
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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.

Maintenance and service11-19
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Spark plugs
CAUTION
When disconnecting the spark plug cables, always grasp the
spark plug cap, not the cables. Make sure the cables are replaced in the correct order.
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It may be difficult to replace the spark plugs. It is recommended that you
have the spark plugs replaced by your SUBARU dealer.
The spark plugs should be replaced according to the maintenance
schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Recommended spark plugs
RC10YC4 (Champion)BKR6E-11 (NGK)BKR5E-11 (NGK)