2003 SUBARU FORESTER ESP

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

10-2
Appearance care
Appearance care
Exterior care
Washing
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s beauty is fre-
quent washing. Wash the vehicle at least once a
month to avoid contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty of luke-
warm or cold water. Do not wash the vehicle with hot
water and in direct sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot and bird droppings
should be washed off by using a light detergent, as re-
quired. If you use a light detergent, make certain that
it is a neutral detergent. Do not use strong soap or
chemical detergents. All cleaning agents should be
promptly flushed from the surface and not allowed to
dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
lukewarm water. Wipe the remaining water off with a
chamois or soft cloth.
When washing the vehicle, the brakes may
get wet. As a result, the brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the
vehicle at a safe speed while lightly pressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
Do not wash the engine compartment and
area adjacent to it. If water enters the engine air
intake, electrical parts or the power steering flu-
id reservoir, it will cause engine trouble or
faulty power steering respectively.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in an automatic
car wash, make sure beforehand that the car wash
is of suitable type. Automatic car wash brushes or
other equipment may damage the rear wiper and
roof spoiler (if equipped). Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for deicing road sur-
faces are extremely corrosive, accelerating the corro-
sion of underbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor pan
and fenders, and suspension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and inside of the
fenders with lukewarm or cold water at frequent inter-
vals to reduce the harmful effects of such agents. Using a warm water washer
Keepagooddistanceof12in(30cm)ormorebe-
tween the washer nozzle and the vehicle. Do not wash the same area continuously.

10-4
Appearance care
Corrosion protection
Your SUBARU has been designed and built to resist
corrosion. Special material
s and protective finishes
have been used on most parts of the vehicle to help
maintain fine appearance, strength, and reliable oper-
ation. Most common causes of corrosion
The most common causes of corrosion are:
1. The accumulation of moisture retaining dirt and de-
bris in body panel sections, cavities, and other areas.
2. Damage to paint and other protective coatings
caused by gravel and stone chips or minor accidents.
Corrosion is accelerated on the vehicle when:
1. It is exposed to road salt or dust control chemicals,
or used in coastal areas where there is more salt in the
air, or in areas where there is considerable industrial
pollution.
2. It is driven in areas of high humidity, especially
when temperatures range just above freezing.
3. Dampness in certain parts of the vehicle remains
for a long time, even though other parts of the vehicle
may be dry.
4. High temperatures will cause corrosion to parts of
the vehicle which cannot dry quickly due to lack of proper ventilation.
To help prevent corrosion
Wash the vehicle frequently. If you drive on salted
roads in the winter or if you live in a coastal area, you
should flush the underbody with fresh water frequent- ly.
After the winter has ended, it is recommended that the
underbody be given a very thorough washing.
Before the beginning of winter, check the condition of
underbody components, such as the exhaust system,
fuel and brake lines, brake cables, suspension, steer-
ing system, floor pan, and fenders. If any of them are
found to be rusted, they should be given an appropri-
ate rust prevention treatment or should be replaced.
Contact your SUBARU dealer to perform this kind of
maintenance and treatment if you need assistance.
Repair chips and scratches in the paint as soon as you
find them.
Check the interior of the vehicle for water and dirt ac-
cumulation under the floor mats because that could
cause corrosion. Occasionally check under the mats
to make sure the area is dry.
Keep your garage dry. Do not park your vehicle in a

11 - 3 6
Maintenance and service
If you continue to drive despite the scraping
noise from the audible brake pad wear indica-
tor, it will result in the need for costly brake ro-
tor repair or replacement.
Breaking-in of new brake pads and lin- ings
When replacing the brake pad or lining, use only gen-
uine SUBARU parts. After replacement, the new parts
must be broken in as follows: Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40 mph (50 to 65
km/h), step on the brake pedal lightly. Repeat this five
or more times. Parking brake lining
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of about 22 mph (35
km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button pushed in,
pull the parking brake lever SLOWLY and GENTLY.
(Pulling with a force of approximately 33 lb [147 N, 15kg].)
3. Drive the vehicle for about 220 yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking brake to cool
down. Repeat this procedure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the parking
brake stroke is out of the specified range, adjust it by
turning the adjusting nut located on the parking brake lever.
Parking brake stroke:
7 – 8 notches / 44 lb (196 N, 20 kg)
A safe location and situation should be select-
ed for break-in driving.
Pulling the parking brake lever too forcefully
may cause the rear wheels to lock. To avoid
this, be certain to pull the lever up slowly and
gently.

11 -3 9
Maintenance and service
–CONTINUED –
a pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the
values shown on the tire placard. The tire placard is lo-
cated on the door pillar on the driver’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms up the tires and
increases the tire pressures. Also, the tire pressures
are affected by the ambient temperature. It is best to
check tire pressure outdoors before driving the vehi- cle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air inside it expands,
causing the tire pressure to increase. Be careful not to
mistakenly release air from a warm tire to reduce itspressure.
NOTE The air pressure in a tire increases by approxi-
mately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3 kg/cm 2
)whenthetire
becomes warm. The tires are considered cold when the vehicle
has been parked for at least three hours or has
been driven less than one mile (1.6 km).
Do not let air out of warm tires to adjust press-
rue. Doing so will result in low tire pressure. Incorrect tire pressures detract from controllability and
ride comfort, and they cause the tires to wear abnor-mally.
Correct tire pressure (tread worn evenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering is responsive. Roll-
ing resistance is low, so fuel consumption is also low-er.
HSB052AA

11 - 5 2
Maintenance and service
A) Good
B) Blown
If any lights, accessories or other electrical controls do
not operate, inspect the corresponding fuse. If a fuse
has blown, replace it.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” position and
turn off all electrical accessories.
2. Remove the cover.
3. Determine which fuse may be blown. The back side
of each fuse box cover and the “Fuses and circuits”
section in chapter 12 in this manual show the circuit for
each fuse. 1) Fuse puller
4. Pull out the fuse with the fuse puller.
5. Inspect the fuse. If it has blown, replace it with a
spare fuse of the same rating.
6. If the same fuse blows again, this indicates that its
system has a problem. Contact your SUBARU dealer
for repairs.
AB
HSB067BB
1
HSB068BB

13-3
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
–CONTINUED –
on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and
does not include acceleration, cornering, hy-
droplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation,
or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and pos-
sibletirefailure.