2003 SUBARU LEGACY stop start

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Starting and operating7-27
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Upshifting Shift to the next-higher gear (in the 1st-to-4th-gear range) by pushing the
selector lever toward the
“+” end of the manual gate.
DownshiftingShift to the next-lower gear (in the 1st-to-4th-gear range) by pushing the
selector lever toward the “–” end of the manual gate.
4. To deselect the SPORTSHIFT mode, return the selector lever to the“D” position from the manual gate.
NOTE
Please read the following points carefully and bear them in mind when using the SPORTSHIFT mode. When the temperature of the automatic transmission fluid is
lower or higher than normal, warning beeps are emitted and the shiftposition indicator shows “–”. If these warnings are issued, deselect
the SPORTSHIFT mode to protect the automatic transmission fromdamage. Automatic gearshifts do not take place in the Sports Shift mode.
Perform gearshifts in accordance with road conditions so that thetachometer needle does not enter the red zone. If the engine speed
reaches a predetermined level, a fuel-cut function will operate. Shiftup if this happens. If you attempt to shift down when the engine speed is too high,
i.e., when a downshift would push the tachometer needle beyondthe red zone, beeps will be emitted to warn you that the downshift isnot possible. If you attempt to shift up when the vehicle speed is too low, the
transmission will not respond. You can perform a skip-shift (for example, from 4th to 2nd or from
2nd to 4th) by operating the selector lever twice in rapid succession. The transmission automatically selects 1st gear when the vehicle
stops moving. It will not permit a standing start in 2nd gear.

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Starting and operating7-29
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reached.
Similarly, in order to prevent over-revving during deceleration
of the vehicle, the transmission will remain in the current gear ifthe speed of the vehicle is in excess of the Maximum AllowableSpeed for the gear to which the selector lever has been moved. Driving tips
Always apply the foot or parking brake when the vehicle is
stopped in the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” , or “R” position.
Always set the parking brake when parking your vehicle. Do not
hold the vehicle with only the transmission. Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary position on an uphill grade
by using the “D”, “3”, “2” or “1” position. Use the brake instead.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock when the vehicle rapidly
accelerates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This phenomenondoes not indicate a fault.
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from the “P” position with the brake
pedal depressed and the ignition switch in the “ON” position, perform
the following steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the edge with the regular screwdriver.
HB7030BA
HB7029BA

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Power steering
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the fully locked position left or right for more than five seconds. This may damage the powersteering pump.
The power steering system operates only when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system
fails to function, you can steer but it will take much more effort. NOTE Right after the engine has been started and before it has warmed up, you may hear a noise coming from areas adjacent to the powersteering pump which is located at the right-front area of the enginecompartment. This noise is normal. It does not indicate power steer-ing system trouble. Braking Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can
cause dangerous overheating of the brakes and needless wearon the brake pads and linings.
When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the brakes may get
wet. As a result, brake stopping distance will be longer. To dry the
brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed while lightly depressing thebrake pedal to heat up the brakes. Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addition to foot braking.

7-32When descending a grade, if only the foot brake is used, the brakes
may start working improperly because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To help prevent this, shift into a
lower gear to get stronger engine braking.
Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a tire is punctured.
This could cause a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the roadto a safe place.
Brake system Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit brake systems. Each circuit
works diagonally across the vehicle. If one circuit of the brake system
should fail, the other half of the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer to the floor than usual and
you will need to press it down much harder. And a much longer dis-
tance will be needed to stop the vehicle. Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold vacuum to assist braking
force. Do not turn off the engine while driving because that will turn off
the brake booster, resulting in poor braking power.The brakes will continue to work even when the brake booster com-
pletely stops functioning. If this happens, however, you will have to
push the pedal much harder than normal and the braking distance
will increase.

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Disc brake pad wear warning indicators
OM-H0163
The disc brake pad wear warning indicators on the disc brakes give a
warning noise when the brake pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard from the disc brakes whilebraking, immediately have your vehicle checked by your SUBARU deal-
er. ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence because
you are driving with an ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
The ABS system does not always decrease stopping distance.
You should always maintain a safe following distance from othervehicles. When driving on badly surfaced roads, gravel roads, icy road,
or over deep newly fallen snow, stopping distances may be long-er for a vehicle with the ABS system than one without. When driv-ing under these conditions, therefore, reduce your speed and

7-40The following situations could indicate a malfunction of the VDC sys-
tem; if any should occur, have an authorized SUBARU dealer carry
out an inspection of the system at the first available opportunity.
The VDC warning light does not turn on when the ignition key is
turned to the ON position. The VDC warning light does not turn off either when the engine is
started or when the vehicle reaches a speed of approximately 8 mph(12 km/h). The VDC warning light turns on while the vehicle is being driven.
When a malfunction has occurred in the VDC electrical system,
only the VDC warning light will turn on. In such an event, the ABS will
still be operating normally. The VDC warning light will also turn on when a problem occurs
with the ABS or VDC electronic control systems.
Because the VDC system controls each brake through the ABS,
whenever the ABS stops operating due to a malfunction in that electri-
cal system, the VDC will also become unable to control all four
brakes. Thus VDC system operation halts and the VDC warning light
turns on. Although both the VDC system and the ABS will be inoper-able in this situation, it will still be possible to stop the vehicle using
normal braking. The VDC system and the ABS do not adversely affect
operation of the vehicle in any way when they are inoperable; how-
ever should such a situation occur, drive with care and have an autho-
rized SUBARU dealer carry out an inspection of those systems at the
first available opportunity. NOTE
When the VDC warning light turns on and off in the following way,
it indicates that the VDC system is operating normally. Although turning on after the engine has been started, the
warning light quickly turns off and stays off. The warning light turns on after the engine is started and does
not turn off until the vehicle reaches a speed of 8 mph (12 km/h). The warning light turns on when the vehicle is being driven; it
then turns off and stays off.

7-42the VDC system except under above-mentioned situations. NOTE
When the VDC switch has been pressed to deactivate the VDC
system, the VDC system automatically reactivates itself the next time the ignition key is turned to the OFF position and the engine isrestarted. If the VDC OFF switch is held down for 10 seconds or longer, the
VDC OFF indicator light goes off, the VDC system is activated, and
the system ignores any further pressing of the VDC OFF switch. Tomake the VDC OFF switch usable again, turn the ignition key to theOFF position and restart the engine.
Parking your vehicle
WARNING
Never leave unattended children or pets in the vehicle. They
could accidentally injure themselves or others through inadver- tent operation of the vehicle. Also, on hot or sunny days, the tem-perature in a closed vehicle could quickly become high enoughto cause severe or possibly fatal injuries to them. Do not park the vehicle over flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as they may burn easily if they comenear hot engine or exhaust system parts. Be sure to stop the engine if you take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the passenger compartment, occu-pants in the vehicle could die from carbon monoxide (CO) con-tained in the exhaust gas.
CAUTION
Never drive while the parking brake is set because this will cause
unnecessary wear on the brake linings. Before starting to drive,always make sure that the parking brake has been fully released.

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n
Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure the wiper blades are not
frozen to the windshield or rear window. If the wiper blades are frozen
to the windshield or rear window, use the defroster with the airflow
control button/dial in the “
” position and the temperature control
dial set for maximum warmth until the wiper blades are completely
thawed out. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful
to thaw the windshield wiper blades. To thaw out the rear wiper blade,
use the rear window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stick on the surface of
the windshield despite wiper operation, use the defroster with the air-
flow control button/dial in “
” and the temperature control dial set
for maximum warmth. After the windshield gets warmed enough to
melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away using the windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the wiper from working effec-
tively. If snow is stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to a safe
place, then remove it. If you stop the car at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades (winter blades)
during the seasons you could have snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Blades of this type give superior wiping performance in snowy condi-
tions. Be sure to use blades that are suitable for your vehicle. Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection ” section (chapter 10).