2003 SUBARU IMPREZA maintenance

2
How to use this owner’s manual
Using your Owner ’s manual
Before you operate your vehicle, carefully read this
manual. To protect yourself and extend the service
life of your vehicle, follow the instructions in this
manual. Failure to observe these instructions may
result in serious injury and damage to your vehicle.
This manual is composed of fourteen chapters. Each chapter begins with a brief table of contents,so you can usually tell at a glance if that chapter
contains the information you want. Chapter 1: Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
This chapter informs you how to use the seat and
seatbelt and contains precautions for the SRS air- bags.Chapter 2: Keys and doors
This chapter informs you how to operate the keys,locks and windows.Chapter 3: Instruments and controls
This chapter informs you about the operation of
instrument panel indicators and how to use theinstruments and other switches.Chapter 4: Climate Control
This chapter informs you how to operate the climate control.Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate your audiosystem.Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate interior equipment. Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and operateyour SUBARU.Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your SUBARU in various conditions and explains some safety tips on driving.Chapter 9: In case of emergency
This chapter informs you what to do if you have a
problem while driving, such as a flat tire or engineoverheating. Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your SUBARUlooking good.
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need to take
your SUBARU to the dealer for scheduled mainte-
nance and informs you how to keep your SUBARU
running properly.

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– CONTINUED –
1
Table of contents
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags Keys and doors Instruments and controls Climate control Audio
Interior equipment
Starting and operating Driving tips
In case of emergency Appearance careMaintenance and service Specifications
Index
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects

1
1-1
– CONTINUED –
Front seats 1-2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fore and aft adjustment 1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reclining the seatback 1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat cushion height adjustment
(driver’ s seat) 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraint adjustment 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat heater (if equipped) 1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear seats 1-8
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Armrest (if equipped) 1-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Headrest adjustment – Wagon 1-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Folding down the rear seat – Wagon 1-11 . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelts 1-12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt safety tips 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) 1-14 . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) 1-14
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt warning light and chime 1-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fastening the seatbelt 1-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seatbelt maintenance 1-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front seatbelt pretensioners 1-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
System monitors 1-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
System servicing 1-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precautions against vehicle modification 1-30 . . . . .
Child restraint systems 1-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing child restraint systems with seatbelt 1-34
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installation of child restraint systems by use of lower and tether anchorages 1-36 . . . . . . . . . Top tether anchorages 1-39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag
(Supplemental Restraint System airbag) 1-42 .
Vehicle with driver ’s and front passenger ’s
SRS airbags and lap/shoulder restraints 1-42 . . . .
SRS frontal airbag 1-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS side airbag (if equipped) 1-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag system monitors 1-63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS airbag system servicing 1-64 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precautions against vehicle modification 1-66 . . . . .
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-27
– CONTINUED –
Seatbelt maintenance
To clean the seatbelts, use a mild soap and luke-
warm water. Never bleach or dye the belts because
this could seriously affect their strength. Inspect the seatbelts and attachments including the
webbing and all hardware periodically for cracks,
cuts, gashes, tears, damage, loose bolts or worn
areas. Replace the seatbelts even if only minor dam- age is found.
CAUTION
Keep the belts free of polishes, oils, chemi-
cals and particularly battery acid. Never attempt to make modifications or
changes that will prevent the seatbelt from op-
erating properly. Front seatbelt pretensioners
The driver
’s and front passenger ’s seatbelts have a
seatbelt pretensioner. The seatbelt pretensioners are designed to be activated in the event of an accident
involving a moderate to severe frontal collision.
The pretensioner sensor also serves as the frontal
SRS airbag sensor. If the sensor detects a certain
predetermined amount of force during a frontal colli-
sion, the front seatbelt is quickly drawn back in by
the retractor to take up the slack so that the belt
more effectively restrains the front seat occupant.
When a seatbelt pretensioner is activated, an oper-

Instruments and controls
3-7
– CONTINUED –
Odometer
The odometer shows the total distance that the ve-
hicle has been driven.
Double trip meter
1) A trip meter 2) B trip meter
The trip meter shows the distance that the vehicle
has been driven since you last set it to zero.
To change the mode indication, briefly push theknob.
Each press of the knob changes the function alter-
nately. A trip meter
B trip meter To set the trip meter to zero, select the A trip or B trip meter by pushing the knob and keep the knob
pushed for more than 2 seconds.
CAUTION
To ensure safety, do not attempt to change the
function of the indicator during driving, as an
accident could result.
NOTE If the connection between the combination meter
and battery is broken for any reason such as ve-hicle maintenance or fuse replacement, the data recorded on the trip meter will be lost. Tachometer
The tachometer shows the engine speed in thou-
sands of revolutions per minute.
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the pointer of the tachometer in the red zone. In this range, fuel injection will be cut by the engine control
module to protect the engine from overrev-ving. The engine will resume running normally

Instruments and controls
3-15
– CONTINUED –
Always make sure this light is out before you start to drive. Front-wheel drive warning light
(for AT vehicles – if equipped)
This light comes on when All Wheel Drive is disen-
gaged and the drive mechanism is switched to FrontWheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes. Shift position indicator (AT vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the shift lever. Turn signal indicator lights
These lights show the operation of the turn signal or
lane change signal.
If the indicator lights do not blink or blink rapidly, the
turn signal bulb may be burned out. Replace thebulb as soon as possible. Refer to the “Replacing
bulbs” section in chapter 11.
High beam indicator light
This light shows that the headlights are in the highbeam mode.This indicator light also comes on when the head-
light flasher is operated. Clock
1) “S”
button
2) “H” button 3) “M”
button
To set the hour, press the “H” button. To set the min-
utes, press the “M” button. To reset the minutes the
“00” with a radio time signal, push the “S” button.
CAUTION
To ensure safety, do not attempt to set the
time while driving, as an accident from inade-quate attention to the road could result.

8
8-1
– CONTINUED –
New vehicle break-in driving –
the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) 8-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel economy hints 8-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) 8-3 . . . .
Catalytic converter 8-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Periodic inspections 8-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving in foreign countries 8-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving tips for AWD vehicles 8-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Off road driving 8-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
All AWD models except OUTBACK SPORT 8-8 . . .
OUTBACK SPORT 8-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter driving 8-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation during cold weather 8-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving on snowy and icy roads 8-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Corrosion protection 8-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Snow tires 8-13
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire chains 8-14
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rocking the vehicle 8-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Loading your vehicle 8-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle capacity weight 8-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating and Gross Axle Weight Rating) 8-17 . . . . . .
Roof rail and crossbar (if equipped) 8-18 . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer hitch (if equipped) 8-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Connecting a trailer 8-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When you do not tow a trailer 8-26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer towing 8-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Warranties and maintenance 8-27
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maximum load limits 8-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer hitches 8-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Connecting a trailer 8-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer towing tips 8-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving tips

Driving tips
8-5
– CONTINUED –
Never turn off the ignition switch while the vehicle
is moving. Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel the engine
running rough (misfiring, backfiring or incomplete
combustion), have your vehicle checked and re-
paired by an authorized SUBARU dealer. Do not apply undercoating or rust prevention
treatment to the heat shield of catalytic converter and the exhaust system.
WARNING
Avoid fire hazards. Do not drive or park the
vehicle anywhere near flammable materials
(e.g. grass, paper, rags or leaves), becausethe catalytic converter operates at very hightemperatures. Keep everyone and flammable materials
away from the exhaust pipe while the engine is running. The exhaust gas is very hot. Periodic inspections
To keep your vehicle in the best condition at all
times, always have the recommended maintenance
services listed in the maintenance schedule in the“
Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ” performed at
the specified time or mileage intervals.