2003 SUBARU IMPREZA Owners Manual

In case of emergency
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WARNING
Never place a tire or tire changing tools in the
passenger compartment after changing
wheels. In a sudden stop or collisions, looseequipment could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in the proper place.Jump starting
WARNING

Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID. Do not let it
come in contact with the hooks, skin, clothing or the vehicle. If battery fluid gets on you, thoroughly flush
the exposed area with water immediately. Get
medical help if the fluid has entered your hooks.
If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, im-
mediately drink a large amount of milk or wa-
ter, and obtain immediate medical help. Keep everyone including children away from
the battery. The gas generated by a battery explodes if a
flame or spark is brought near it. Do not
smoke or light a match while jump starting. Never attempt jump starting if the dis-
charged battery is frozen. It could cause thebattery to burst or explode. Whenever working on or around a battery,
always wear suitablehookprotectors, and re- move metal objects such as rings, bands or
other metal jewelry.

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Be sure the jumper cables and clamps on
them do not have loose or missing insulation.
Do not jump start unless cables in suitablecondition are available. A running engine can be dangerous. Keep
your fingers, hands, clothing, hair and tools away from the cooling fan, belts and any other
moving engine parts. Removing rings,watches and ties is advisable.
When your vehicle does not start due to a run down
(discharged) battery, the vehicle may be jump
started by connecting your battery to another bat-
tery (called the booster battery) with jumper cables.
Jump starting is dangerous if it done incorrectly. If
you are unsure about the proper procedure for jump
starting, consult a competent mechanic.
How to jump start
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 volts and the
negative terminal is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do notlet the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and accessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in the se-
quence illustrated.

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1) Booster battery
2) Engine lifting bracket

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(1) Connect one jumper cable to the positive (+)
terminal on the discharged battery.
(2) Connect the other end of the jumper cable to
the positive (+) terminal of the booster battery.
(3) Connect one end of the other cable to thenegative (–) terminal of the booster battery.
(4) Connect the other end of the cable to the en-gine lifting bracket.
Make sure that the cables are not near any mov-
ing parts and that the cable clamps are not in
contact with any other metal.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster
battery and run it at moderate speed. Then start the
engine of the vehicle that has the discharged bat-
tery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in
exactly the reverse order. Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has been shut off and has fullycooled down. When the engine is hot, thecoolant is under pressure. Removing the cap
while the engine is still hot could release aspray of boiling hot coolant, which could burn
you very seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. 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.

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Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is
not turning, immediately turn the engine off and con-
tact 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
coolant up to the “FULL” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, add
coolant to the reserve tank. Then remove the radia- tor 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 press-
ing down until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been fully re-
leased, remove the cap by pressing down and turn-ing it. Towing
If towing is necessary, it is best done by your
SUBARU dealer or a commercial towing service.
Observe the following procedures for safety.
WARNING
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT and MT) with the front wheels raised off the groundwhile the rear wheels are on the ground, orwith the rear wheels raised off the groundwhile the front wheels are on the ground. This

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will cause the vehicle to spin away due to the
operation or deterioration of the center differ-ential.
Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in an emer-
gency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle from mud, sandor snow). Front towing hook (eye bolt):
1. Take out the towing hook, screwdriver and wheel
nut wrench from the on board tool bag.
2. Pry off the cover on the front bumper using a
screwdriver, and you will find a threaded hole for at-

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taching the towing hook.
3. Screw the towing hook into the threaded hole un-
til its thread can no longer be seen.
4. Tighten the towing hook securely with a wheel nut
wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from the
vehicle and stow it in the tool bag. Put the threaded
hole cover on the front bumper.
WARNING
Do not use the towing hook except when
towing your vehicle. Be sure to remove the towing hook after
towing. Leaving the towing hook mounted onthe vehicle could interfere with proper opera- tion of the SRS airbag system in a frontal col- lision. Rear towing hook:
CAUTION
Do not apply excessive lateral load to the tow- ing hook.

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Tie-down hooks:
1) Tie-down hook
2) Towing and tie-down hook
CAUTION
Use only specified towing hook and tie-
down hook. Never use suspension parts or other body parts for towing or tie-down pur- poses. Never use the tie-down hook on the under-
side of the vehicle closest to the muffler fortowing purposes.
Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your vehicle. Use
the following procedures to ensure safe transporta-