2003 SUBARU BAJA ECU

7-28
HB7032AA
HB7033AA
When parking on a hill, always turn the steering wheel. When the vehicle
is headed up the hill, the front wheels should be turned away from the
curb. When facing downhill, the front wheels should be turned into thecurb.
Cruise control
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control under any of the following condi- tions. This may cause loss of vehicle control: driving up or down a steep grade
driving on slippery or winding roads
driving in heavy traffic
Cruise control enables you to maintain a constant vehicle speed without
holding your foot on the accelerator pedal and it is operative when the
vehicle speed is 25 mph (40 km/h) or more. Make sure the main switch is
turned “OFF” when the cruise control is not in use to avoid unintentionally
by setting the cruise control.

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

Driving tips8-15
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CONTINUED –
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.

8-16
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.

Driving tips8-21
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HB8018BA
4. Insert the safety pin into the hitch pin securely.
HB8019BA

8-22
5. Pull the ball mount to make sure it does not come off the hitch re-
ceiver.
HB8020AA
6. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate for the ball mount and your
trailer. The hitch ball must be securely installed on the ball mount.
7. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
8. Connect the trailer and the hitch with safety chains that will holdthe trailer’s maximum gross weight. The chains should cross under
the trailer tongue to prevent the tongue from dropping onto the
ground in case it should disconnect from the hitch ball. Allow suffi-
cient slack in the chains taking tight –turn situations into account; how-
ever, be careful not to let them drag on the ground.
HB8022BB
HB8020BB

Driving tips8-27
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CONTINUED –
HB8043BA
HB8039BB
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to confirm that the total weight
and weight distribution are within safe driving limits, you should have
your vehicle and trailer weighed at a commercial weighing station.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a change in weight
distribution while driving. n
Tongue load
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more weight in the back of trailer ’s
axle than in the front, the load is taken off the rear axle of the tow- ing vehicle. This may cause the rear wheels to skid, especiallyduring braking or when vehicle speed is reduced during corner-
ing, resulting in over-steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from 8 to 11 percent of the total
trailer weight and does not exceed the maximum value of 200 lbs (90kg).
The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom scale as shown in
the illustration below. When weighing the tongue load, be sure to posi-
tion the towing coupler at the height at which it would be during
actual towing, using a jack as shown.

8-28
HB8040BB
Tongue load
OM-H2785
The tongue load can be adjusted by proper distribution of the load in
the trailer. Never load the trailer with more weight in the back than in
the front; approximately 60 percent of the trailer load should be in the
front and approximately 40 percent in the rear. Also, distribute theload as evenly as possible on both the left and right sides.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a change in weight
distribution while driving.
OM-H2787