2003 SUBARU LEGACY speed

8-8and otherwise similar to on-road driving conditions. Operating it under other than those conditions could subject the vehicle to excessive
stress which might result in damage not eligible for repair under war-
ranty. If you do take your SUBARU off road, you should review the
common sense precautions in the next section (applicable to the
OUTBACK) for general guidance. But please keep in mind that your
vehicle’
s off-road capabilities are more limited than those of the OUT-
BACK.
Never attempt to drive through pools and puddles, or roads flooded
with water. Water entering the engine air intake or the exhaust pipe or
water splashing onto electrical parts may damage your vehicle andmay cause it to stall. OUTBACK
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground clearance, your
Subaru can be driven on ordinary roads or off-road. But please keep
in mind that an AWD Subaru is a passenger car and is neither a con-
ventional off-road vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. If you do take your
Subaru off-road, certain common sense precautions such as the fol-lowing should be taken: Make certain that you and all of your passengers are wearing seat
belts. Carry some emergency equipment, such as a towing rope or
chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit and portable phone or citi-zens band radio. Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in danger-
ous areas or over rough terrain. Slow down and employ extra caution at all times. When driving off-
road, you will not have the benefit of marked traffic lanes, banked
curves, traffic signs and the like. Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive either straight up
or straight down the slopes. A vehicle can much more easily tip over
sideways than it can end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down
slopes that are too steep. Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher speeds.
Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering wheel. A bad

8-12When the vehicle has been left parked after use on roads heavily cov-
ered with snow, or has been left parked during a snowstorm, icingmay develop on the brake system, which could cause poor braking
action. Check for snow or ice buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, being careful not to damage
the disc brakes and brake hoses and ABS harness. n
Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel system and the risk
of its freezing, use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel tank is recom-
mended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically designed for this purpose.
When an antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts longer if the tank is
refilled whenever the fuel level reaches half empty. If your SUBARU is not going to be used for an extended period, it is
best to have the fuel tank filled to capacity. Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause loss of vehicle control.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden braking, abrupt ac-
celeration, high-speed driving, and sharp turning when driving on
snowy or icy roads.Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle and the vehicleahead of you to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake effectively to con-
trol the vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can cause the wheels to
lock, possibly leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehicle ’s braking per-
formance on snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS (Anti-Lock Brake
System)” and “VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) system ” section in
chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery surfaces.

8-14
Snow tires All models except Outback
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make
sure you use only the same size, construction and load range as the original tires listed on the tire placard. Using other sizes andconstruction may affect speedometer/odometer calibration and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerousand lead to loss of vehicle control. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, cir-
cumferences, construction, brand, and load range. Mixing othersizes, circumferences or constructions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speedometer/odometer calibration. Italso may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. Do not use a combination of radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous handling characteristics and leadto an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires ” which are designed to
provide an adequate measure of traction, handling and braking per-
formance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be possible to en-
hance performance through use of tires designed specifically for win-ter driving conditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use the
correct tire size and type. You must install four winter tires that are ofthe same size, construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may result in dan-
gerous handling characteristics. When you choose a tire, make sure
that there is enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of the type of tires on your vehicle.

8
Driving tips8-15
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Outback models only
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make
sure you use only the same size and construction as recom- mended. Using other sizes or construction may affect speedome-ter/odometer calibration and clearance between the body and
tires. It also may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, cir-
cumferences, construction, brand, and load range. Mixing othersizes, circumferences or constructions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speedometer/odometer calibration. Italso may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. Do not use a combination of radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous handling characteristics and leadto an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires ” which are designed to
provide an adequate measure of traction, handling and braking per-
formance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be possible to en-
hance performance through use of tires designed specifically for win-ter driving conditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use the
correct tire size and type. You must install four winter tires that are ofthe same size, construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may result in dan-
gerous handling characteristics. When you choose a tire, make sure
that there is enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of the type of tires on your vehicle.
Your Outback comes with P225/60R16 “all season tires ” as origi-
nal equipment. You should be aware that some winter tires with that same size designation may actually be too large for the

8-16vehicle and may cause rubbing on sharp turns. Listed below is the winter tire size that we recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size P215/60R16 Studless
Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed below because of lack
of clearance between the tires and vehicle body. P205/55R16 tires for GT models
P225/60R16 tires for OUTBACK models
P215/60R16 winter (snow) tires for OUTBACK models
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require the use of tire chains,
in which case put the chains on the front wheels only. Use only SAE
class S type chains that are of the correct size for your tires so as not to
damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h).
When a temporary spare tire is on a front wheel, replace the temporary
spare tire with the rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and then fit
chains on the front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire chains – overconfi-
dence because you are driving with tire chains could easily lead to a se-rious accident. Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand, or mud, depress the
accelerator pedal slightly and move the selector lever back and forth be-
tween “D” and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the best possible
traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can obtain better trac-
tion by starting the vehicle with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for
MT and AT).

8
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Gross Axle Weight (GAW) and Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR)
The total weight applied to each axle (GAW) must never exceed the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The front and rear GAWs can be
adjusted by relocating passengers and luggage inside the vehicle.
The front and rear GAWR are also shown on the certification label.
HBF019BB
Gross Axle Weight
OM-H2784
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to confirm that the total weight
and weight distribution are within safe driving limits, you should have
your vehicle and trailer weighed at a commercial weighing station.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a change in weight
distribution while driving. nTongue load
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more weight in the back of trailer ’s
axle than in the front, the load is taken off the rear axle of the tow- ing vehicle. This may cause the rear wheels to skid, especiallyduring braking or when vehicle speed is reduced during corner-
ing, resulting in over-steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from 8 to 11 percent of the total
trailer weight and does not exceed the maximum value of 200 lbs (90kg).
The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom scale as shown in

8
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Trailer towing tips CAUTION
Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days. When towing a trailer, steering, stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be different from normal operation. For
safety’ s sake, you should employ extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never speed. You should also keep the fol-lowing tips in mind:
n Before starting out on a trip
Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-hitch mounting are in good
condition. If any problems are apparent, do not tow the trailer. Check that the vehicle sits horizontally with the trailer attached. If
the vehicle is tipped sharply up at the front and down at the rear,
check the total trailer weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load again,
then confirm that the load and its distribution are acceptable. Check that the tire pressures are correct.
Check that the vehicle and trailer are connected properly. Confirm
that. –the trailer tongue is connected properly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connected properly and trailer ’s
brake lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s brake pedal is pressed,
and that the trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when the vehicle ’s turn
signal lever is operated.– the safety chains are connected properly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safety in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rearward field of view without a
significant blind spot.
Sufficient time should be taken to learn the “feel” of the vehicle/
trailer combination before starting out on a trip. In an area free of traf-
fic, practice turning, stopping and backing up.

9
In case of emergency9-5
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Do not use oil or grease on the wheel studs or nuts when the
spare tire is installed. This could cause the nuts to become loose and lead to an accident. Never place a tire or tire changing tools in the passenger
compartment after changing wheels. In a sudden stop or colli-
sions, loose equipment could strike occupants and cause injury.Store the tire and all tools in the proper place.
If you have a flat tire while driving, never brake suddenly; keep driving
straight ahead while gradually reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place.
1. Park on a hard, level surface, whenever possible, then stop the en- gine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and shift a manual transmission ve-
hicle in reverse or an automatic transmission vehicle in the “P” (Park)
position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher and have everyone get out of thevehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear of the tire diagonally opposite
the flat tire.
HGS038BA