2003 SUBARU BAJA Owners Manual

Driving tips8-11
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because that could make the pedals slippery and dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driving, check that the accelera-
tor pedal, brake pedal, and all other controls operate smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accumulated under the fenders to
avoid making steering difficult. During severe winter driving, stop
when and where it is safe to do so and check under the fenders peri-
odically. nParking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust pipe and from around your
vehicle if you park the vehicle in snow with the engine running.
Do not use the parking brake when parking for long periods in cold
weather since it could freeze in that position. Instead, observe the fol-lowing:
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual transmission vehicles,
and in “P” for automatic transmission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or when it snows, raise the wiper
blades off the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked after use on roads heavily cov-
ered with snow, or has been left parked during a snowstorm, icingmay develop on the brake system, which could cause poor braking
action. Check for snow or ice buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, being careful not to damage
the disc brakes and brake hoses and ABS harness. n Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel system and the risk
of its freezing, use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel tank is recom-
mended during cold weather.

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Use only additives that are specifically designed for this purpose.
When an antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts longer if the tank is
refilled whenever the fuel level reaches half empty. If your SUBARU is not going to be used for an extended period, it is
best to have the fuel tank filled to capacity. Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause loss of vehicle control.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden braking, abrupt ac-
celeration, high-speed driving, and sharp turning when driving on
snowy or icy roads.Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle and the vehicleahead of you to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake effectively to con-
trol the vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can cause the wheels to
lock, possibly leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehicle ’s braking per-
formance on snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS (Anti-Lock Brake
System)” section in Chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery
surfaces. n Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure the wiper blades are not
frozen to the windshield or rear window. If the wiper blades are frozen
to the windshield or rear window, use the defroster with the airflow
control dial in the “
” position and the temperature control dial set
for maximum warmth until the wiper blades are completely thawed
out. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful to thawthe windshield wiper blades.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stick on the surface of
the windshield despite wiper operation, use the defroster with the air-

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flow control dial in “” and the temperature control dial set for max-
imum warmth. After the windshield gets warmed enough to melt the
frozen snow on it, wash it away using the windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the wiper from working effec-
tively. If snow is stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to a safe
place, then remove it. If you stop the car at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades (winter blades)
during the seasons you could have snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Blades of this type give superior wiping performance in snowy condi-
tions. Be sure to use blades that are suitable for your vehicle. Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection ” section (Chapter 10).
Snow tires
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make
sure you use only the same size and construction as recom- mended. Using other sizes or construction may affect speedome-ter/odometer calibration and clearance between the body and
tires. It also may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, cir-
cumferences, construction, brand, and load range. Mixing othersizes, circumferences or constructions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speedometer/odometer calibration. Italso may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. Do not use a combination of radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous handling characteristics and leadto an accident.

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Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires ” which are designed to
provide an adequate measure of traction, handling and braking perfor-
mance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be possible to enhance
performance through use of tires designed specifically for winter drivingconditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use the
correct tire size and type. You must install four winter tires that are of thesame size, construction, brand and load range and you should never
mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may result in dangerous
handling characteristics. When you choose a tire, make sure that there is
enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of the type of tires on your vehicle.
Your vehicle comes with P225/60R16 “all season tires ” as original
equipment. You should be aware that some winter tires with that
same size designation may actually be too large for the vehicle andmay cause rubbing on sharp turns. Listed below is the winter tiresize that we recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size P215/60R16 Studless
Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed below because of lack
of clearance between the tires and vehicle body. P225/60R16 tires
P215/60R16 winter (snow) tires
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require the use of tire chains,
in which case put the chains on the front wheels only. Use only SAE
class S type chains that are of the correct size for your tires so as not to
damage the vehicle body or suspension.

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When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h).
When a temporary spare tire is on a front wheel, replace the temporary
spare tire with the rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and then fit
chains on the front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire chains – overconfi-
dence because you are driving with tire chains could easily lead to a se-rious accident. Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow, 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 possible
traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can obtain better trac-
tion by starting the vehicle with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for
MT and AT). Refer to the “Automatic transmission ” section in Chapter 7 for information
on holding the transmission in 2nd position.
Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on the folded rear seatback or
in the cargo bed. Doing so may result in serious injury. Never stack luggage or other cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble forward and injure passengersin the event of a sudden stop or accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as possible. When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it when-
ever you can to prevent it from being thrown around inside the
vehicle during sudden stops, sharp turns or in an accident. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These loads raise the
vehicle’ s center of gravity and make it more prone to tip over.

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Secure lengthy items properly to prevent them from shooting
forward and causing serious injury during a sudden stop. Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss of control and cause personal
injury. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. 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 con-tribute to loss of vehicle control. Be sure the cargo is secured properly. Unsecured cargo in the
cargo bed can be thrown around during sudden braking, in asharp turn or during rapid acceleration, which could create a dan-gerous road hazard.
CAUTION
Do not carry spray cans, containers with flammable or corrosiveliquids or any other dangerous items inside the passengercompartment.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry unneeded cargo.

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Vehicle capacity weight
HB8042BA
HB8031BA
The load capacity of your vehicle is determined by weight, not by avail-
able cargo space. The total weight you can carry in your vehicle is
shown as the Vehicle Capacity Weight on the tire information label at-
tached to the driver ’s side door jamb. It includes the total weight of driver
and all passengers and their belongings, any optional equipment such
as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier, etc., and the tongue load of a
trailer.
The tire information label also shows tire pressures for the vehicle when
fully loaded and for the vehicle when towing a trailer. Adjust the tire pres-
sures to the values that match current loading conditions.

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GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and
Gross Axle Weight Rating)
HB8043BA
The certification label attached to the driver ’s side door shows GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating).
The GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) must never exceed the GVWR. GVW is
the combined total of weight of the vehicle, fuel, driver, all passengers,
luggage, any optional equipment and trailer tongue load. Therefore, theGVW changes depending on the situation.
In addition, the total weight applied to each axle (GAW) must never ex-
ceed the GAWR. The front and rear GAWs can be adjusted by relocating
luggage inside the vehicle.Even if the total weight of your luggage is lower than the vehicle capacity
weight, either front or rear GAW may exceed the GAWR, depending onthe distribution of the luggage.
If you carry heavy loads in the vehicle, you should confirm that GVW and
front and rear GAWs are within the GVWR and GAWR by putting your
vehicle on a vehicle scale, found at a commercial weighing station.
Do not use replacement tires with a lower load range than the originals
because they may lower the GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement
tires with a higher load range than the originals do not increase the
GVWR and GAWR limitations.