2003 SUBARU BAJA engine

8
Driving tips New vehicle break-in driving –
the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) 8-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel economy hints 8-2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) 8-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Catalytic converter 8-4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Periodic inspections 8-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving in foreign countries 8-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving tips for AWD vehicles 8-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Off road driving 8-7
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Winter driving 8-10
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Snow tires 8-13
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Tire chains 8-14
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Rocking the vehicle 8-15
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading your vehicle 8-15
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle capacity weight 8-17
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Gross Axle Weight Rating) 8-18
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer hitch (if equipped) 8-19
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Trailer towing 8-24
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8-2
New vehicle break-in driving –
the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
The performance and long life of your vehicle are dependent on how you
handle and care for your vehicle while it is new. Follow these instructionsduring the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km): Do not race the engine. Break-in engine speed limit
Never exceed 4,000 rpm engine speed except for brief accelera-
tion in an emergency. Do not drive at one constant engine or vehicle speed for a long
time, either fast or slow. Avoid starting suddenly and rapid acceleration, except in an emer-
gency. Avoid hard braking, except in an emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be applied to a newly installed
or overhauled engine or when brake pads or brake linings are re-
placed with new ones.
Fuel economy hints The following suggestions will help to save your fuel. Select the proper gear position for the speed and road conditions.
Avoid sudden acceleration or deceleration. Always accelerate gently
until you reach the desired speed. Then try to maintain that speed for as long as possible. Do not pump the accelerator and avoid racing the engine.
Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
Keep the engine properly tuned.
Keep the tires inflated to the correct pressure shown on the tire plac-
ard, which is located under the door latch on the driver ’s side. Low pres-
sure will increase tire wear and fuel consumption. Use the air conditioner only when necessary.
Keep the front and rear wheels in proper alignment.

Driving tips8-3
–
CONTINUED –
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.

8-4
Catalytic converterWARNING
Avoid fire hazards. Do not drive or park the vehicle anywhere
near flammable materials (e.g. grass, paper, rags or leaves), be-
cause the catalytic converter operates at very high temperatures. Keep everyone and flammable materials away from the ex-
haust pipe while the engine is running. The exhaust gas is veryhot.
HB3003BA
The catalytic converter is installed in the exhaust system. It serves as
catalyst to reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust gases, thus providing
cleaner exhaust.
To avoid damage to the catalytic converter: Use only unleaded gasoline. Even a small amount of leaded gasoline
will damage the catalytic converter. Never start the engine by pushing or pulling the vehicle.
Avoid racing the engine.
Never turn off the ignition switch while the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel the engine running rough (mis-
firing, backfiring or incomplete combustion), have your vehicle checked
and repaired by an authorized SUBARU dealer. Do not apply undercoating or rust prevention treatment to the heat
shield of catalytic converter and the exhaust system.

8-6
Driving tips for AWD vehiclesWARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on a sharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easily leadto a serious accident.
OM-H0154
All wheel drive distributes the engine power to all four wheels. AWD
vehicles provide better traction when driving on slippery, wet or snow-
covered roads and when moving out of mud, dirt and sand. By shifting
power between the front and rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also pro-vide added traction during acceleration, and added engine braking
force during deceleration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle may handle differently than an
ordinary two wheel drive vehicle and it contains some features unique to
AWD. For safety purposes as well as to avoid damaging the AWD sys-tem, you should keep the following tips in mind: An AWD vehicle is better able to climb steeper roads under snowy or
slippery conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle. There is little differ-
ence in handling, however, during extremely sharp turns or sudden brak-

8-8
Make certain that you and all of your passengers are wearing seat
belts. Carry some emergency equipment, such as a towing rope or chain, a
shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit and portable phone or citizens bandradio. Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in dangerous
areas or over rough terrain. Slow down and employ extra caution at all times. When driving off-
road, you will not have the benefit of marked traffic lanes, banked
curves, traffic signs and the like. Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. A vehicle can much more easily tip over side-
ways than it can end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down slopes
that are too steep. Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher speeds.
Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering wheel. A bad bump
could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive with your fin-gers and thumbs on the outside of the rim. If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first
check the depth of the water and the bottom of the stream bed for firm-
ness and ensure that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly and com-
pletely through the stream. The water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle ’s undercarriage. Water entering the engine air
intake or the exhaust pipe or water splashing onto electrical parts may
damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never attempt to drive
through rushing water; regardless of its depth, it can wash away the
ground from under your tires, resulting in possible loss of traction and
even vehicle rollover. Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving
in sand, mud or water. Do this by driving slowly and stepping on the
brake pedal. Repeat that process several times to dry out the brakediscs and brake pads. Do not drive or park over or near flammable materials such as dry
grass or fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The exhaust system is
very hot while the engine is running and right after engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard.

Driving tips8-9
–
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

8-10
not eligible for warranty coverage.
Winter driving
HB8046AA
Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire chains, a window
scraper, a bag of sand, flares, a small shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures reduce battery ca-
pacity. The battery must be in good condition to provide enough pow-
er for cold winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for cold weather.
Heavy summer oil will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them with deicer orglycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage or separate the rubber
weather strips around the door. If the door is frozen, use hot water to
melt the ice, and afterwards thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an antifreeze solution. Do
not use engine antifreeze or other substitutes because they may dam-age the paint of the vehicle. n Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice from your shoes