2003 SUBARU IMPREZA Owners Manual

Starting and operating
7-20
4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the se-
lector lever from the
“P” to the “N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole. Depress
the brake pedal and start the engine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU dealer im-
mediately to have the system repaired.

Starting and operating
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Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (WRX)
The LSD provides optimum distribution of power ac-
cording to the difference in revolutions between the
right and left rear wheels that may be caused by
certain driving conditions, thereby improving driving
stability on snow-covered, muddy or other slippery
roads.
CAUTION
Never start the engine while a tire on one
side is jacked up, as the vehicle may move. If one rear tire is spinning in mud, avoid
continued spinning at high speed as thiscould adversely affect the LSD. If a different size rear tire is temporarily
used (as in an emergency), it will adversely af-fect the LSD. Always replace it with a regularsize tire as soon as possible. Power steering The power steering system operates only when the
engine is running.If you lose power steering assist because the en-gine stops or the system fails to function, you can
steer but it will take much more effort. NOTE Right after the engine has been started and be- fore it has warmed up, you may hear a noisecoming from areas adjacent to the power steer-
ing pump which is located at the right-front area of the engine compartment. This noise is normal. It does not indicate power steering systemtrouble.
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the fully
locked position left or right for more than five
seconds. This may damage the power steer- ing pump.

Starting and operating
7-22
Braking Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can cause dangerous overheat- ing of the brakes and needless wear on thebrake pads and linings.
When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result, brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the ve-
hicle at a safe speed while lightly depressing thebrake pedal to heat up the brakes.
Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addi-
tion to foot braking. When descending a grade, if
only the foot brake is used, the brakes may start
working improperly because of brake fluid overheat-
ing, caused by overheated brake pads. To help pre-
vent this, shift into a lower gear to get stronger
engine braking.
Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a
tire is punctured. This could cause a loss of controlof the vehicle. Keep driving straight ahead while
gradually reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Brake system
Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit brake systems.
Each circuit works diagonally across the vehicle. If
one circuit of the brake system should fail, the other
half of the system still works. If one circuit fails, thebrake pedal will go down much closer to the floor
than usual and you will need to press it down much
harder. And a much longer distance will be needed to stop the vehicle.
Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold vacuum to
assist braking force. Do not turn off the engine while
driving because that will turn off the brake booster,
resulting in poor braking power. The brakes will continue to work even when the brake booster completely stops functioning. If this
happens, however, you will have to push the pedal

Starting and operating
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much harder than normal and the braking distance
will increase. Disc brake pad wear warning indica- tors
The disc brake pad wear warning indicators on the
disc brakes give a warning noise when the brake
pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard from the disc brakes while braking, immediately have your
vehicle checked by your SUBARU dealer. ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which may occur during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces. This helps prevent the
loss of steering control and directional stability caused by wheel lock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a
chattering noise or feel a slight vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal when the ABS operates. The ABS system will not operate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving
– over-
confidence because you are driving with an
ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to aserious accident.

Starting and operating
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CAUTION
The ABS system does not always decrease
stopping distance. You should always main- tain a safe following distance from other ve- hicles. When driving on badly surfaced roads, grav-
el roads, icy roads, or over deep newly fallen
snow, stopping distances may be longer for a
vehicle with the ABS system than one without. When driving under these conditions, there-
fore, reduce your speed and leave ample dis-tance from other vehicles. When you feel the ABS system operating,
you should maintain constant brake pedal
pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal since doing so may defeat the operation of the ABS system.
ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and
hear the operating sound of ABS from the engine
compartment just after the vehicle is started. This iscaused by an automatic functional test of the ABS
system being carried out and does not indicate any
abnormal condition.
ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after about two seconds.This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
When driving with an insufficient battery voltage
such as when the engine is jump started, the ABS
warning light may come on. This is due to the low
battery voltage and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged, the lightwill go out.

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CAUTION
If the warning light behaves as follows, the
ABS system may not be working properly. When the warning light is on, the ABS func-
tion shuts down; however, the conventional
brake system continues to operate normally.The warning light does not come on when
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion. The warning light comes on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position, but
it does not go out even when the vehicle speed exceeds approximately 8 mph (12km/h). The warning light comes on during driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system repairedat the first available opportunity by your
SUBARU dealer.
NOTE If the warning light behavior is as described
below, the ABS system may be considered nor- mal. The warning light comes on right after the
engine is started but goes out immediately,remaining off.
The warning light remains on after the engine
has been started, but it goes out when the
vehicle speed reaches about 8 mph (12 km/h). The warning light comes on during driving, but
it goes out immediately and remains off.

Starting and operating
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Parking your vehicle Parking brake
To set the parking brake, press the brake pedal firm- ly and hold it down while fully pulling up the parking
brake lever.
To release the parking brake, pull the lever up slight-
ly, press the release button, then lower the lever
while keeping the button pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the engine is
running, the parking brake warning light comes on.
After starting the vehicle, be sure that the warning
light has gone out before the vehicle is driven. Refer to the
“Warning and indicator lights ” section (chap-
ter 3).
CAUTION
Never drive while the parking brake is set be-
cause this will cause unnecessary wear on the brake linings. Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake has been ful-ly released.
Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always set the parking
brake firmly and put the shift lever in the “1” (1st) for
an upgrade or “R” (Reverse) for a downgrade for
manual transmission vehicles, or in the “P” (Park)
position for automatic transmission vehicles. Always
set the parking brake firmly when parking your ve-
hicle. Never rely on the transmission alone to holdthe vehicle.

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When parking on a hill, always turn the steering
wheel. When the vehicle is headed up the hill, the
front wheels should be turned away from the curb.When facing downhill, the front wheels should be
turned into the curb.
WARNING
Never leave unattended children or pets in
the vehicle. They could accidentally injure
themselves or others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on hot or sunny
days, the temperature in a closed vehiclecould quickly become high enough to cause
severe or possibly fatal injuries to people. Do not park the vehicle over flammable ma-
terials such as dry grass, waste paper or rags,