2003 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX length

8
locks” section in chapter 2.
Always lock the passenger ’s windows using
the lock switch when children are riding in the
vehicle. Failure to follow this procedure couldresult in injury to a child operating the power
window. Refer to the “Windows” section in
chapter 2. Never leave unattended children in the ve-
hicle. They could accidentally injure them-
selves or others through inadvertent opera-tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot or sunny
days, temperature in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause severe or possibly fatal injuries to them. Help prevent young children from locking
themselves in the trunk. When leaving the ve-
hicle, either close all windows and lock alldoors or cancel the inside trunk lid release. Also make certain that the trunk is closed. On hot or sunny days, the temperature in a trunkcould quickly become high enough to cause
death or serious heat-related injuries includ-ing brain damage, particularly for small chil-dren.
Carefully read the sections “Child restraint systems ”,
“ SRS airbag ”, and “Seatbelts” in chapter 1 of this owner’
s manual for instructions and precautions
concerning the child restraint system, seatbelt sys-tem and SRS airbag system.
Engine exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine ex-
haust gas contains carbon monoxide, a color-
less and odorless gas which is dangerous, oreven lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine ex-
haust system to prevent engine exhaust gasfrom entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space,
such as a garage, except for the brief timeneeded to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a
lengthy time while the engine is running. Ifthat is unavoidable, then use the ventilationfan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille
free from snow, leaves or other obstructionsto ensure that the ventilation system always
works properly.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
1-12
1. Lower the headrests.
2. Unlock the seatback by pulling the release knoband then fold the seatback down.
To return the seatback to its original position, raise
the seatback until it locks into place and make sure
that it is securely locked.
WARNING
After returning the rear seat to its original
position, be certain to place all of the seat- belts and the tab attached to the seat cushion
above the seat cushion. And make certain thatthe shoulder belts are fully visible. Never allow passengers to ride on the
folded rear seatback or in the cargo area. Do-ing so may result in serious injury or death. Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri-
ous injury during a sudden stop. Seatbelts
Seatbelt safety tips
WARNING
All persons in the vehicle should fasten
their seatbelts BEFORE the vehicle starts to
move. Otherwise, the possibility of serious in- jury becomes greater in the event of a sudden stop or accident. All belts should fit snugly in order to pro-
vide full restraint. Loose fitting belts are not
as effective in preventing or reducing injury. Each seatbelt is designed to support only
one person. Never use a single belt for two ormore persons — even children. Otherwise, in
an accident, serious injury or death could re-sult. Replace all seatbelt assemblies including re-
tractors and attaching hardware worn by oc- cupants of a vehicle that has been in a serious
accident. The entire assembly should be re-
placed even if damage is not obvious. Put children aged 12 and under in the rear
seat properly restrained at all times. The SRSairbag deploys with considerable speed and force and can injure or even kill children, es-

Audio
5-2
Antenna system
Before listening to the radio, extend the antenna to
its full length for better reception and reproduction
quality. FM reception
Although FM is normally static free, reception can
be affected by the surrounding area, atmospheric
conditions, station strength and transmitter distance.Buildings or other obstructions may cause momen-
tary static, flutter or station interference. If reception
continues to be unsatisfactory, switch to a stronger station. Installation of accessories
Always consult your SUBARU dealer before instal- ling a citizen band radio or other transmitting devicein your vehicle. Such devices may cause the elec-
tronic control system to malfunction if they are incor-
rectly installed or if they are not suited for the ve- hicle.

Interior equipment
6-15
– CONTINUED –
it is rewinding.
WARNING
Do not place anything on the extended cover. Putting excessive weight on the extended
cover can break it and an object on the covercould tumble forward in the event of a sudden
stop or collision. This could cause serious
injury.
To remove the cover
1. Rewind the cover.
2. Pull either sleeve on the end of the cover housing
to shorten the cover ’s length.
3. Take it off the retainer.
4. Store the cover housing under the luggage floor.

Interior equipment
6-16
To install the cover housing
1. Pull either sleeve on the end of the cover housing
to shorten the cover ’s length.
2. Insert the projections located on the both ends of
the sleeve into the recesses of the retainers. Cargo tie-down hooks (if equipped)
The cargo area is equipped with four tie-down
hooks so that cargo can be secured with a cargo
net or ropes.
When using the tie-down hooks, turn them down out
of the storing recesses. When not in use, put the
hooks up into the storing recesses.

Driving tips
8-3
– CONTINUED –
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine ex-
haust gas contains carbon monoxide, a color-
less and odorless gas which is dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine ex-
haust system to prevent engine exhaust gasfrom entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space,
such as a garage, except for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a
lengthy time while the engine is running. Ifthat is unavoidable, then use the ventilationfan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille
free from snow, leaves or other obstructionsto ensure that the ventilation system always
works properly. If at any time you suspect that exhaust
fumes are entering the vehicle, have the prob-lem checked and corrected as soon as pos- sible. If you must drive under these condi-tions, drive only with all windows fully open.
Keep the trunk lid or rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas from enteringthe vehicle.
NOTE Due to the expansion and contraction of the met-
als used in the manufacture of the exhaust sys-
tem, you may hear a crackling sound comingfrom the exhaust system for a short time afterthe engine has been shut off. This sound is nor-mal.

Driving tips
8-16
WARNING
When you carry something inside the ve-
hicle, secure it whenever you can to prevent it from being thrown around inside the vehicleduring sudden stops, sharp turns or in an ac- cident. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These
loads raise the vehicle ’s center of gravity and
make it more prone to tip over. Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri- ous injury during a sudden stop. Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you
do, some parts on your vehicle can break, or itcan change the way your vehicle handles.This could result in loss of control and cause
personal injury. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. Do not place anything on the rear shelf
behind the rear seatback (for sedan) or the ex-
tended luggage cover (for wagon). Such itemscould tumble forward in the event of a suddenstop or a collision. This could cause serious
injury.
CAUTION
Do not carry spray cans, containers with flam- mable or corrosive liquids or any other dan- gerous items inside the vehicle.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry unneeded cargo. Vehicle capacity weight

Driving tips
8-37
– CONTINUED –
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.