2003 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

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Maintenance and service
2. Release the secondary hood release located under
the front grille by moving the lever toward the left.
Lift up the hood, release the hood prop from its retain-
er and put the end of the hood prop into the slot in the
hood.
To close the hood:
1. Lift the hood slightly and remove the hood prop
from the slot in the hood and return the prop to its re-
tainer.
2. Lower the hood until it approaches about
12 in. (30
cm) from the closed position and let it drop.
After closing the hood, be sure the hood is securely
locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it from a slightly
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higher position. Do not push the hood forcibly to close
it. It could deform the metal.
Always check that the hood is properly locked
before you start driving. If it is not, it might fly
open while the vehicle is moving and block
your view, which may cause an accident and
serious bodily injury.

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Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview
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23
4 5 67
8
9
10
11
12
13
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1) Manual transmission oil level
gauge (MT) (page 11-22) or Dif-
ferential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-26)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11- 19)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-
31)
4) Automatic transmission fluid lev-
el gauge (page 11-24)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11- 30)
6) Windshield washer tank (page
11-45)
7) Fuse box (page 11-50)
8) Battery (page 11-49)
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-14)
10) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-9)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11- 9)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-14)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-29)

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Maintenance and service
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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
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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.
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Maintenance and service
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1) Drain plug
5. Drain out the engine oil by removing the drain plug
while the engine is still warm. The used oil should be
drained into an appropriate container and disposed of
properly.
Be careful not to burn yourself with hot engine
oil.
6. Wipe the seating surface of the drain plug with a
clean cloth and tighten it securely with a new sealing washer after the oil has completely drained out.
1) Oil filter
7. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrench.
8. Before installing a new oil filter, apply a thin coat of
engine oil to the seal.
9. Clean the rubber seal seating area of the lower
crank case and install the oil filter by hand turning. Be
careful not to twist or damage the seal.
10.Tighten it approximately two-thirds of a turn after
the seal makes contact with the lower crank case.
Never over tighten the oil filter because that can
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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
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2
3
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Maintenance and service
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New API Certification Mark (Starburst Mark)
In choosing an oil, you want the proper quality and vis-
cosity, as well as one that will add to fuel economy.
The following table lists the recommended viscosities
and applicable temperatures.
When adding oil, different brands may be used togeth-
er as long as they are the same API classification and
SAE viscosity as those recommended by SUBARU. SAE viscosity number and applicable temperature
*: 5W-30 is preferred.
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects fuel economy.
Oils of lower viscosity provide better fuel economy.
However, in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is re-
quired to properly lubricate the engine.
Use only engine oil with the recommended
grade and viscosity.
AM
ERICANPETROLEUMINSTITUTE
CERTIFIED
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5W-30*
10W-30, 10W-40
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20
06 0
20 80 100 40
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