2003 SUBARU FORESTER check oil

9-8
In case of emergency
surface of the wheel and hub with a cloth.
11.Put on the spare tire. Replace the wheel nuts.
Tighten them by hand.
Do not use oil or grease on the wheel studs or
nuts when the spare tire is installed. This could
cause the nuts to become loose and lead to an
accident.
12.Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to lower the
vehicle. 13.Use the wheel nut wrench to securely tighten the
wheel nuts to the specified torque, following the tight-
ening order in the illustration.
The torque for tightening the nuts is 58 to 72 ft-lb (80
to 100 N-m, 8 to 10 kg-m). This torque is equivalent to
applying about 88 to 110 lbs (40 to 50 kg) at the top of
the wheel nut wrench. Never use your foot on the
wheel nut wrench or a pipe extension on the wrench
because you may exceed the specified torque. Have
the wheel nut torque checked at the nearest automo-
tive service facility.
14.Storetheflattireinthesparetirecompartment.
Put the spacer and tighten the attaching bolt firmly.
Also store the jack and wheel nut wrench in their stor-
3
41
2
5
HS9008CB
HS9014BA

9-12
In case of emergency
Engine overheating
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until
the engine has been shut off and has fully
cooled down. When the engine is hot, the cool-
ant is under pressure. Removing the cap while
the engine is still hot could release a spray of
boiling hot coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the road and
stopthevehicleinasafeplace. If steam is coming from the engine compartment
Turn the engine off and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. If no steam is coming from the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compart- ment. Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is not
turning, immediately turn the engine off and contact
your authorized dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature has dropped,
turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the overheated
zone, turn the engine off.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, check the
coolant level in the reserve tank.
If the coolant level is below the “LOW” mark, add cool-
ant up to the “FULL” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, add cool-
ant to the reserve tank. Then remove the radiator cap
and fill the radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot radiator, first
wrap a thick cloth around the radiator cap, then turn
the cap counterclockwise slowly without pressing
down until it stops. Release the pressure from the ra-
diator. After the pressure has been fully released, re-
move the cap by pressing down and turning it.

9-15
In case of emergency
–CONTINUED –
Use only specified towing hooks and tie-
down hooks. Never use su spension parts or
other body parts for towing or tie-down purpos-
es. Never use the tie-down hook on the under-
side of the vehicle closest to the muffler for
towing purposes.
Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your vehicle. Use the following procedures to ensure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” position for au-
tomatic transmission vehicles or “1st” for manual
transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier properly with
safety chains. Each of safety chain should be equally
tightened and care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Check the transmission and differential oil levels
and add oil to bring it to the upper level if necessary.
HS9020AA
HS9021AA

11 - 1
11
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ................................ 11-3
Maintenance precautions ........................... 11-3 Before checking or servicing in the engine
compartment ................................................... 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the
engine compartment while the engine is
running ............................................................. 11-5
Engine hood ................................................. 11-5
Engine compartment overview .................. 11-8
Engine oil ..................................................... 11-9 Checking the oil level ..................................... 11-9
Changing the oil and oil filter ........................ 11-10
Recommended grade and viscosity .............. 11-12
Recommended grade and viscosity under
severe driving conditions .............................. 11-14
Synthetic oil ..................................................... 11-14
Cooling system ............................................ 11-14 Cooling fan, hose and connections .............. 11-15
Engine coolant ................................................ 11-15
Air cleaner element ..................................... 11-19 Replacing the air cleaner element ................. 11-19
Spark plugs .................................................. 11-20 Recommended spark plugs ........................... 11-21
Drive belts .................................................... 11-21
Manual transmission oil .............................. 11-22 Checking the oil level ..................................... 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity .............. 11-23
Automatic transmission fluid ..................... 11-24 Checking the fluid level .................................. 11-24 Recommended fluid ....................................... 11-25
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ..... 11-26 Checking the oil level ..................................... 11-26
Recommended grade and viscosity ............. 11-26
Rear differential gear oil .............................. 11-27 Checking the gear oil level ............................ 11-27
Recommended grade and viscosity ............. 11-28
Power steering fluid ..................................... 11-29 Checking the fluid level .................................. 11-29
Recommended fluid ....................................... 11-30
Brake fluid .................................................... 11-30 Checking the fluid level .................................. 11-30
Recommended brake fluid ............................. 11-31
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ........................... 11-31 Checking the fluid level .................................. 11-31
Recommended clutch fluid ............................ 11-32
Brake booster ............................................... 11-32
Brake pedal ................................................... 11-33 Checking the brake pedal free play .............. 11-33
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance . 11-33
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) .......................... 11-34 Checking the clutch function ........................ 11-34
Checking the clutch pedal free play ............. 11-34
Hill holder (MT vehicles — if equipped) ..... 11-35
Replacement of brake pad and lining ........ 11-35 Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .. 11-36
Parking brake stroke ................................... 11-37
Tires and wheels .......................................... 11-37 Types of tires .................................................. 11-37

11 - 4
Maintenance and service
the materials in the vehicle may be hazardous if
improperly used or handled, for example, bat-
tery acid.
Your vehicle should only be serviced by per-
sons fully competent to do so. Serious person-
al injury may result to persons not experienced
in servicing vehicles. Always use the proper tools and make certain
that they are well maintained. Never get under the vehicle supported only
by a jack. Always use a safety stands to sup-
port the vehicle. Never keep the engine running in a poorly
ventilated area, such as a garage or other
closed areas. Do not smoke or allow open flames around
the fuel or battery. This will cause a fire. Because the fuel system is under pressure,
replacement of the fuel filter should be per-
formed only by your SUBARU dealer. Wear adequate eye protection to guard
against getting oil or fluids in your eyes. If
something does get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water. Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS air-
bag system or seatbelt pretensioner system, or
attempt to take its connectors apart, as that may activate the system or it can render it inop-
erative. The wiring and connectors of these
systems are yellow for easy identification. NEV-
ER use a circuit tester for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner
needs service, consult your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
Before checking or servicing in the en-
gine compartment
Always stop the engine and set the parking
brake firmly to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing. Always let the engine cool down. Engine
parts become very hot when the engine is run-
ning and remain hot for some time after the en-
gine is stopped. Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid or any other fluid on hot engine compo-
nents. This may cause a fire. Always remove the key from the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position, the cooling fan may operate suddenly

11 - 9
Maintenance and service
–CONTINUED –
Engine oil Checking the oil level
Check the engine oil level at each fuel stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the en-
gine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and insert it
again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly inserted until it
stops with the graphic symbol “ ” on its top ap-
pearing as shown in the illustration. 1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
4) Front of vehicle
4. Pull out the dipstick again and check the oil level on
it. If it is below the lower level, add oil to bring the level
up to the upper level.
Use only engine oil with the recommended
grade and viscosity. Be careful not to spill engine oil when adding
it. If oil touches the exhaust pipe, it may cause
HSB018BA
1 2
3 4
HSB019BB

11 - 1 0
Maintenance and service
a bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire.
If you check the oil level just after stopping the engine,
wait a few minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil
pan before checking the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is warm, the en-
gine oil level reading may be in a range between the
upper level and the notch mark. This is caused by ther-
mal expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not add any
additional oil above the upper level when the engine is
cold. Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to the mainte-
nance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed more fre-
quently than listed in the maintenance schedule when
driving on dusty roads, when short trips are frequently
made, when towing a trailer, or when driving in ex-
tremely 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 en- gine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
4. Open the access cover by removing the six clips
and turning the access cover counterclockwise. The
drain plug and oil filter will be exposed.
HSB025BA

11 - 1 2
Maintenance and service
result in an oil leak.
11.Close the access cover by turning it clockwise and
reinstall the six clips in their original positions.
12.Pour engine oil through the filler neck.
Oil quantity (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 temperature of the oil
and the time the oil is left flowing out. After pouring oil
into the engine, therefore, you must use the dipstick to
confirm that the level is correct.
13.Start the engine and make sure that no oil leaks ap-
pear around the filter’s rubber seal.
14.Run the engine until it reaches the normal operat-
ing 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
Oil grade:
API classification SL or SJ with the words “ENER-
GY CONSERVING” (if you cannot obtain the oil
with the SL or SJ grade, you may use SH or SG
grade oil.) or the new API certification mark (Star-
burst mark) displayed on the container.
API Service label
1) Indicates the oil quality by API designations
2) Indicates the SAE oil viscosity grade
3) Indicates that the oil has fuel saving capabilities
APISERVICESL
E
NERGYCONSERVING
SAE
5W µ30
1
2
3
HSB022BB