2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX engine coolant

Instruments and controls
3-9
– CONTINUED –
NOTE This light does not go out unless the tank is
replenished up to an internal fuel quantity ofabout 4.0 U.S. gal. (15 liters, 3.3 Imp. gal.). Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tem-
perature when the ignition switch is in the “ON” posi-
tion.
The coolant temperature will vary in accordance
with the outside temperature and driving conditions. We recommend that you drive moderately until the
pointer of the temperature gauge reaches near the
middle of the range. Engine operation is optimum
with the engine coolant at this temperature range
and high revving operation when the engine is not
warmed up enough should be avoided.
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal operating range, safely stop the vehicle as soon as pos-sible.See
“In case of emergency ” in chapter 9.
Ambient temperature gauge (if equipped)
The ambient temperature gauge shows the ambient
temperature in a range from –22°F to 122 °F ( –30 °C
to 50 °C).
The gauge can give a false reading under any of the
following conditions: When there is too much sun.
During idling; while running at low speeds in a
traffic jam; when the engine is restarted immediately
following a shutdown. When the actual ambient temperature falls outside

Starting and operating
7-8
mination is observed, there is no stored diagnostic
trouble codes, and the OBD system readiness moni-
tors are complete. A vehicle fails
the OBD inspection if the “CHECK
ENGINE ” warning light/MIL is not properly operating
or there is one or more diagnostic trouble codes
stored in vehicle ’s computer with the “CHECK
ENGINE ” warning light/MIL illuminated.
A state emission inspection may reject (not pass
or fail) a vehicle if the number of OBD system readi- ness monitors “Not Ready ” is greater than three.
Under this condition, the vehicle operator should be instructed to drive his/her vehicle for a few days to
set the monitors and return for an emission re-in-spection. Owners of rejected or failing vehicles should con-
tact their Subaru Dealer for service. Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks and adjust-
ments every day before you start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and lights are
clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of the tires.
Also check tires for proper inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk and rear gate are fullyclosed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside
mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your passen-gers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and indicator
lights when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON”
position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warning lights
after starting the engine. NOTE Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer
fluid and other fluid levels should be checked
daily, weekly or at fuel stops.

In case of emergency
9-17
– CONTINUED –
(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.

In case of emergency
9-18
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

11
11-1
– CONTINUED –
Maintenance schedule 11-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance precautions 11-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine hood 11-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine compartment overview 11-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5 liter model 11-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.0 liter (Turbo) model 11-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil 11-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the oil level 11-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing the oil and oil filter 11-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended grade and viscosity 11-13 . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended grade and viscosity under
severe driving conditions 11-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Synthetic oil 11-15
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cooling system 11-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cooling fan, hose and connections 11-16 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine coolant 11-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Air cleaner element 11-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing the air cleaner element 11-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Spark plugs 11-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended spark plugs 11-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drive belts 11-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual transmission oil 11-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the oil level 11-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended grade and viscosity 11-26 . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission fluid 11-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the fluid level 11-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended fluid 11-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) 11-29
. . . . .
Checking the oil level 11-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended grade and viscosity 11-30 . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear differential gear oil 11-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the gear oil level 11-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended grade and viscosity 11-32 . . . . . . . . . . .
Power steering fluid 11-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the fluid level 11-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended fluid 11-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake fluid 11-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the fluid level 11-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended brake fluid 11-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) 11-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the fluid level 11-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommended clutch fluid 11-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake booster 11-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pedal 11-37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the brake pedal free play 11-37 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance 11-37 . .
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) 11-38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the clutch function 11-38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the clutch pedal free play 11-38 . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacement of brake pad and lining 11-39 . . . . . . . .
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings 11-39 . . .
Parking brake stroke 11-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tires and wheels 11-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of tires 11-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance and service

Maintenance and service
11-4
Always be very careful to avoid injury when
working on the vehicle. Remember that some of the materials in the vehicle may be hazard-
ous if improperly used or handled, for exam-ple, battery acid. Your vehicle should only be serviced by per-
sons fully competent to do so. Serious per-sonal injury may result to persons not experi-enced in servicing vehicles. Always use the proper tools and make cer-
tain that they are well maintained. Never get under the vehicle supported only
by a jack. Always use a safety stands to sup-port the vehicle. Never keep the engine running in a poorly
ventilated area, such as a garage or other
closed areas. Do not smoke or allow open flames around
the fuel or battery. This will cause a fire. Because the fuel system is under pressure,
replacement of the fuel filter should be per-
formed only by your SUBARU dealer. Wear adequate eye protection to guard
against getting oil or fluids in your eyes. If something does get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water. Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS airbag system or seatbelt pretensioner sys-tem, or attempt to take its connectors apart,as that may activate the system or it can ren-der it inoperative. The wiring and connectorsof these systems are yellow for easy identifi-cation. NEVER use a circuit tester for these wiring. If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensionerneeds service, consult your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
Before checking or servicing in the
engine compartment
Always stop the engine and set the parking
brake firmly to prevent the vehicle from mov- ing. Always let the engine cool down. Engine
parts become very hot when the engine is run-
ning and remain hot for some time after theengine is stopped. Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid or any other fluid on hot engine compo-nents. This may cause a fire. Always remove the key from the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position, the cooling fan may operate

Maintenance and service
11-8
Engine compartment overview 2.5 liter model
1) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-25) or Differential
gear oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-29)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11-20)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-35)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-27)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-34)
6) Windshield washer tank (page
11-50)
7) Fuse box (page 11-56)
8) Battery (page 11-54)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-10)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-16)
11) Radiator cap (page 11-16)
12) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-10)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-32)

Maintenance and service
11-9
– CONTINUED –
2.0 liter (Turbo) model
1) Manual transmission oil level
gauge (MT) (page 11-25) or
Differential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-29)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11-20)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page
11-35)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-27)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page
11-34)
6) Windshield washer tank (page
11-50)
7) Fuse box (page 11-56)
8) Battery (page 11-54)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-10)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page
11-16)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-10)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-16)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-32)