2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX brakes

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8-23
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the four T-30 crossbar clamp screws have been
checked, and retightened if necessary to 35 inch
lbs. (4.0 N-m, 0.41 kg-m), as outlined in Step #5above. Trailer hitch (if equipped) The trailer hitch is designed to tow a Class 1 rated
load. A maximum of
2,000 lbs. (906 kg) gross trailer
weight and a maximum of 200 lbs. (90 kg) gross
tongue weight are permissible for the trailer hitch.
When you tow a trailer, follow the instructions in the next section “Trailer towing ”.
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum weight specified
for the trailer hitch. Exceeding the maximum weight could cause an accident resulting inserious personal injuries. Permissible trailerweight changes depending on the situation.Refer to the next section “Trailer towing ” for
possible recommendations and limitations. Trailer brakes are required when the towing
load exceeds 1,000 lbs. (453 kg). Be sure yourtrailer has safety chains and that each chainwill hold the trailer ’s maximum gross weight.
Towing trailers without safety chains could create a traffic safety hazard if the trailer sepa- rates from the hitch due to coupling damageor hitch ball damage. Be sure to check the hitch pin and safety pin

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8-27
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Trailer towing
Your car is designed and intended to be used pri-
marily as a passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer puts additional loads on your car ’s engine, dri-
vetrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an
adverse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and sat-
isfaction depend upon proper use of correct equip-
ment and cautious operation of your vehicle. Seekthe advice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in
purchasing a hitch and other necessary towing
equipment appropriate for your vehicle. In addition,
be sure to follow the instructions on correct installa-
tion and use provided by the trailer and other towing
equipment manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or
vehicle damage that result from trailer towing equip-
ment, or from any errors or omissions in the instruc- tions accompanying such equipment or for your fail-
ure to follow the proper instructions. Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage or malfunction caused by trailer towing. If you use
your vehicle to tow a trailer, more frequent mainte-
nance will be required due to the additional load. (Refer to
“Maintenance schedule under severe driv-
ing conditions ” in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer be towedwith a new vehicle or a vehicle with any new power-
train component (engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of driving. Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load limits ex-
plained below. Exceeding the maximum loadlimits could cause personal injury and/or ve-hicle damage.
CAUTION
Adequate size trailer brakes are required
when the trailer and its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total
weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load. Make sure the load and its distribution in your
vehicle and trailer are acceptable.

Driving tips
8-28
Total trailer weight
Total trailer weight
The total trailer weight (trailer weight plus its cargo load) must never exceed the maximum weight
shown below. Model
ConditionsMaximum
total trailer
weight
MT modelsWhen towing a trailer with- out brakes.1,000 lbs(453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs(906 kg)
AT modelsWhen towing a trailer with- out brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs(906 kg)
When towing a trailer on a long uphill grade continu- ously for over 5 miles (8km) with an outside tem-perature of 104 °F (40 °C) or
above.1,000 lbs (453 kg)

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CAUTION
Do not modify the vehicle exhaust system,
brake system, or other systems when instal- ling a hitch or other trailer towing equipment. Do not use axle-mounted hitches as they
can cause damage to the axle housing, wheelbearings, wheels or tires.
WAGON including OUTBACK SPORT
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer hitch is recom-
mended. A genuine SUBARU hitch is available from
your SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoidable, be sure
the hitch is suited to your vehicle and trailer. Consult
with a professional hitch supplier to assist you in
choosing an appropriate hitch for your vehicle. Be
sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bum-
per. The bumper is not designed to handle that typeof load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check that the
hitch mounting bolts and nuts are tight.
SEDAN
SUBARU does not offer accessory trailer hitches. Consult with a professional hitch supplier to assist
you in choosing an appropriate hitch for your ve-
hicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer
’s
instructions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bum-
per. The bumper is not designed to handle that type of load. Regularly check that the hitch mounting bolts and
nuts are tight.
Connecting a trailer
Trailer brakes
If your trailer ’s total weight (trailer weight plus its
cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the trailer
is required to be equipped with its own brake sys-
tem. Electric brakes or surge brakes are recom-
mended, and must be installed properly. Check thatyour trailer ’s brakes conform with Federal, state/
province and/or other applicable regulations. Your
SUBARU’ s brake system is not designed to be
tapped into the trailer ’s hydraulic brake system.
Please ask your SUBARU dealer and professional
trailer supplier for more information about the trail-er’ s brake system.

Driving tips
8-34
WARNING
Adequate size trailer brakes are required
when the trailer and its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Do not directly connect your trailer ’s
hydraulic brake system to the hydraulic brake
system in your vehicle. Direct connectionwould cause the vehicle ’s brake performance
to deteriorate and could lead to an accident.
Trailer safety chains
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch ball
should break or become disconnected, the trailer
could get loose and create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing vehicle and
trailer with trailer safety chains. Pass the chains
crossing each other under the trailer tongue to pre-
vent the trailer from dropping onto the ground in
case the trailer tongue should disconnect from the
hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the chains taking
tight-turn situations into account; however, be care-
ful not to let them drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety chain connec-
tion, refer to the instructions for your hitch and trailer.
WARNING
Always use safety chains between your ve-
hicle and the trailer. Towing a trailer withoutsafety chains could create a traffic safety haz-ard if the trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling damage or hitch ball damage.
Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle, check that the
standard side mirrors provide a good rearward field of view without significant blind spots. If significant blind spots occur with the vehicle ’s standard side
mirrors, use towing mirrors that conform with Fed-

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8-37
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large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and slow down immediately but
gradually.When passing other vehicles, considerable dis-
tance is required because of the added weight and
length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn 2) Right turn
Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes
practice. When backing up with a trailer, never
accelerate or steer rapidly. When turning back, gripthe bottom of the steering wheel with one hand and
turn it to the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn.
If the ABS warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have
repairs performed immediately by the nearest
SUBARU dealer.
Driving on grades
Before going down a steep hill, slow down and
shift into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in
order to utilize the engine braking effect and prevent
overheating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not make
sudden downshifts. When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condi-
tioner may turn off automatically to protect the
engine from overheating. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature gauge pointer (for all
vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP warning light (for AT
vehicles) since the engine and transmission are rel-
atively prone to overheating under these conditions.
If the water temperature gauge pointer approaches
the OVERHEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately switch off the air condi-
tioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place.Refer to the “Engine overheat ” section in chapter 9,
and “Warning and indicator lights ” section in chap-
ter 3.

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8-38
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission,
avoid using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of using the parking brakeor foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluid
to overheat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission, avoid driving with the gear selector lever in “D” when towing a heavy trailer to
prevent fluid overheating. A lower gear should be used.
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
You should not park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or slope cannot be avoided, you shouldtake the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under boththe vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the
regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb theload.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the
parking brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmis- sion) or “P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the
engine.

Appearance care
10-2
Exterior care Washing
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s beauty is
frequent washing. Wash the vehicle at least once a
month to avoid contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty of luke-
warm or cold water. Do not wash the vehicle with hot
water and in direct sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot and bird droppings
should be washed off by using a light detergent, as
required. If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use strong soap or chemical detergents. All cleaning agents should
be promptly flushed from the surface and not al-
lowed to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with
plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the remaining water
off with a chamois or soft cloth. NOTE When having your vehicle washed in an auto- matic car wash, make sure beforehand that thecar wash is of suitable type. If the vehicle is
equipped with a rear/roof spoiler or rear wiper, itmay be damaged by car wash brushes or otherequipment.
CAUTION
When washing the vehicle, the brakes may
get wet. As a result, the brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drivethe vehicle at a safe speed while lightly press- ing the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. Do not wash the engine compartment and
area adjacent to it. If water enters the engineair intake, electrical parts or the power steer-
ing fluid reservoir, it will cause engine trouble
or faulty power steering respectively.
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for deicing road
surfaces are extremely corrosive, accelerating the
corrosion of underbody components, such as theexhaust system, fuel and brake lines, brake cables,floor pan and fenders, and suspension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and inside of the
fenders with lukewarm or cold water at frequent in-
tervals to reduce the harmful effects of such agents.
Using a warm water washer
Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm) or more
between the washer nozzle and the vehicle.