2003 SUBARU BAJA tire pressure

ix
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MODIFICATION OF YOUR VEHICLE
CAUTION
Your vehicle should not be modified. Modification could affect its
performance, safety or durability, and may even violate govern-mental regulations. In addition, damage or performance problemsresulting from modification may not be covered under warranties.
DRIVING WITH PETS
Unrestrained pets can interfere with your driving and distract your atten-
tion from driving. In a collision or sudden stop, unrestrained pets or
cages can be thrown around inside the vehicle and hurt you or your pas-
sengers. Besides, the pets can be hurt under these situations. It is also
for their own safety that pets should be properly restrained in your
vehicle. Restrain a pet with a special traveling harness which can be se-
cured to the rear seat with a seatbelt or use a pet carrier which can be
secured to the rear seat by routing a seatbelt through the carrier ’s han-
dle. Never restrain pets or pet carriers in the front passenger ’s seat. For
further information, consult your veterinarian, local animal protection so-ciety or pet shop. TIRE PRESSURES
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with excessively low tire pressures can
cause the tires to deform severely and to rapidly become hot. Asharp increase in temperature could cause tread separation, and
destruction of the tires. The resulting loss of vehicle controlcould lead to an accident.
Check and, if necessary, adjust the pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month and before any long journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
Use a pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the values shown on
the tire placard.

xii
Illustrated index Exterior
HBF047BB
1 Hood lock release (page 11-5)
2 Headlight switch (page 3-17)
3 Bulb replacement (page 11-54)
4 Wiper switch (page 3-24)
5 Moonroof (page 2-30)
6 Roof rail (page 6-23) 7
Door locks (page 2-3)
8 Tire pressure (page 11-37)
9 Flat tires (page 9-11)
Q Tire chains (page 8-14)
W Fog light switch (page 3-22)
E Tie-down hooks (page 9-22)
R Towing hook (page 9-22)

5-6
display indicates which one is currently selected. Stereo indicator
The stereo indicator “ST” will come on when an FM stereo broadcast
is received. Tuning (TUNE)
n Manual tuning (TUNE)
Press the tuning button 3 marked “ ” to increase the tuning frequen-
cy and press the tuning button marked “ ” to decrease it.
Each time the button is pressed, the frequency interval can be
changed between 10 kHz in the AM mode and 0.2 MHz in the FMmode.
Constant pressure on the button causes a continuous change in the
frequency. n Automatic tuning (SCAN)
Press the “SCAN” button
6 to change the radio to the SCAN mode. In
this mode, the radio scans through the radio band until a station is
found. The radio will stop at the station for five seconds while display-
ing the frequency, after which scanning will continue until the entire
band has been scanned from the low end to the high end.
Press the “SCAN” button again to cancel the SCAN mode and to stop
on any displayed frequency.
When the “SCAN” button is pressed for automatic tuning, stations are
scanned in the direction of low frequencies to high frequencies only.
Automatic tuning may not function properly if the station reception is
weakened by distance from the station or proximity to tall buildingsand hills. Selecting preset stations
Presetting a station with a “preset button ”
4 allows you to select that
station in a single operation. Up to six AM, FM1 and FM2 stations
each may be preset. How to preset stations
1. Press the “BAND” button 2 to select FM1, FM2 or AM reception.
2. Press the “SCAN” button or tune the radio manually until the

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 tips8-7
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ing. Therefore, when driving down a slope or turning corners, be sure to
reduce your speed and maintain an ample distance from other vehicles.When replacing a tire, make sure you use only the same size, circum-
ference, construction, brand, and load range as the original tires listed on
the tire placard. Using other sizes, circumferences or construction may re-
sult in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and
may affect ride, handling, braking, speedometer/odometer calibration, and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control. If you use a temporary spare tire to replace a flat tire, be sure to use
the original temporary spare tire stored in the vehicle. Using other sizes
may result in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle. Always check the cold tire pressure before starting to drive. The rec-
ommended tire pressure is provided on the tire placard, which is locatedunder the door latch on the driver ’s side.
Tire chains should always be placed on the front wheels only.
There are some precautions that you must observe when towing your
vehicle. For detail information, see “Towing” section in Chapter 9.
Off road driving
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on asharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence
because you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easilylead to a serious accident.
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground clearance, your Subaru
can be driven on ordinary roads or off-road. But please keep in mind that
an AWD Subaru is neither a conventional off-road vehicle nor an all-ter-
rain vehicle. If you do take your Subaru off-road, certain common sense
precautions such as the following should be taken:

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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.

8-32
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:

Driving tips8-33
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nBefore starting out on a trip
Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-hitch mounting are in good
condition. If any problems are apparent, do not tow the trailer. Check that the vehicle sits horizontally with the trailer attached. If
the vehicle is tipped sharply up at the front and down at the rear,
check the total trailer weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load again,
then confirm that the load and its distribution are acceptable. Check that the tire pressures are correct.
Check that the vehicle and trailer are connected properly. Confirm
that. – the trailer tongue is connected properly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connected properly and trailer ’s
brake lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s brake pedal is pressed,
and that the trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when the vehicle ’s turn
signal lever is operated.– the safety chains are connected properly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safety in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rearward field of view without a
significant blind spot.
Sufficient time should be taken to learn the “feel” of the vehicle/
trailer combination before starting out on a trip. In an area free of traf-
fic, practice turning, stopping and backing up. n Driving with a trailer
You should allow for considerably more stopping distance when
towing a trailer. Avoid sudden braking because it may result in skid-
ding or jackknifing and loss of control. Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accelerations. If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, always start out in first gear and release the
clutch at moderate engine revolution. Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and rapid lane changes.
Slow down before turning. Make a longer than normal turning
radius because the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle
wheels to the inside of the turn. In a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. Crosswinds will adversely affect the handling of your vehicle and