2003 SUBARU LEGACY brakes

3-16while driving with this condition, but you should have your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as shown below, the VDC system may be considered normal.
The warning light comes on right after the engine is started but
goes out immediately, remaining off. The warning light remains on after the engine has been started,
but it goes out when the vehicle speed reaches 8 mph about (12km/h). The warning light comes on during driving, but it goes out im-
mediately and remains off. Brake system warning light
WARNING
Driving with the brake system warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system may not be working properly. If the light remains on, have the brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately. If at all in doubt about whether the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle. Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
This light has the following two functions: Parking brake warning
The light comes on with the parking brake applied while the ignition switch is in the “ON” position. It goes out when the parking brake is
fully released. Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on when the brake fluid level has dropped to near the “MIN” level of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition switch in
the “ON” position and with the parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should come on while driving (with
the parking brake fully released and with the ignition switch posi- (U.S.)
(Canada)

7-14n
Maximum allowable speeds
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the vehicle is not travel- ling at a speed exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speed for thegear which is about to be selected. Failure to observe this pre-caution can lead to engine over-revving and this in turn canresult in engine damage.In addition, sudden application of engine brakes when the vehicleis travelling on a slippery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost and the risk ofan accident increased.
The following table shows the maximum speeds that are possible with
each different gear. Never exceed the speed limit below for each gear position except for
brief acceleration in an emergency. The tachometer ’s needle (if so
equipped) will enter the red area if these speeds are exceeded. Fail-
ure to observe this precaution can lead to excessive engine wear and
poor fuel economy.
mph (km/h)
Vehicle type
GearBrightonLGTOUT-
BACK
1st30 (48)30 (49)29 (47)31 (50)
2nd50 (81)51 (82)49 (79)52 (84)
3rd71 (115)73 (117)70 (112)74 (119)
Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to hold your vehicle at a standstill on an upgrade. Either ofthose actions may cause clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the shift lever. This may causewear on the transmission components.

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When it is necessary to reduce vehicle speed due to slow traffic, turn-
ing corners, or driving up steep hills, downshift to a lower gear before
the engine starts to labor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd
gear as necessary; this helps to maintain a safe speed and to extendbrake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking effect. Remember, if you
“ride”
(over use) the brakes while descending a hill, they may over-
heat and not work properly.
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.
Automatic transmission (Brighton, L, Outback)
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into the “D”, “3”, “2”,
“1” or “R” position while depressing the accelerator pedal. This
may cause the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped. Shifting while the vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission. Do not race the engine for more than five seconds in any posi-
tion except the “N” or “P” position when the brake is set or the
tires are on blocks. This may cause the automatic transmissionfluid to overheat. Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving positions into
the “R” position or vice versa until the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may cause damage to the transmission.
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled with 4-forward

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will automatically downshift to 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position.
2 (Second)
This position is for using engine braking when going down a hill or for
climbing a steep grade.
In this position, the transmission holds in the 2nd gear.
Use this position when starting off from a standstill on slippery road
surfaces such as mud or snow. It will ensure greater traction. 1 (First)
This position is for driving up or down very steep grades, or driving
through mud or sand, or on slippery surfaces. In this position, the
transmission holds in the 1st gear. Maximum speeds
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the vehicle is not travel- ling at a speed exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speed for thegear which is about to be selected. Failure to observe this pre-caution can lead to engine over-revving and this in turn canresult in engine damage.In addition, sudden application of engine brakes when the vehicleis travelling on a slippery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost and the risk ofan accident increased.
The following tables show the maximum speeds that are possible with
each different gear. The tachometer ’s (if so equipped) needle will
enter the red area if these speeds are exceeded.
When shifting down a gear, it is important to confirm that the current
vehicle speed is not in excess of the Maximum Allowable Speed ofthe gear which is about to be selected.
Exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speeds will result in over-revving
of the engine. In addition a powerful engine brake will engage and
control of the vehicle may be lost.

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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

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In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding on a slippery road surface
and/or during cornering and/or an evasive maneuver, the VDC systemadjusts the engine
’s output and the wheels ’ respective braking forces to
help maintain traction and directional control.
Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to prevent spinning of the
driving wheels on slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to maintain
traction and directional control. Activation of this function is shown bysteady illumination of the VDC operation indicator light. Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed to help maintain directional
stability by suppressing the wheels ’ tendency to slide sideways dur-
ing steering operations. Activation of this function is shown by flash-ing of the VDC operation indicator light.
NOTE Slight twitching of the brake pedal may be felt when the VDC-sys-
tem operates; a small degree of vehicle or steering wheel shaking may also be noticed in this situation. These are normal characteris-tics of VDC operation and are no cause for alarm. When driving off immediately after starting the engine, a short-
lived operation noise may be noticed coming from the enginecompartment. This noise is generated as a result of a check beingperformed on the VDC system and is normal. Depending on the timing of activation of the brakes, certain situa-
tions may occur just after driving off where the brake pedal seemsto exhibit a jolting motion. This too is a consequence of the VDCoperational check and is normal. In the circumstances listed below, the vehicle may be more un-
stable than it feels to the driver. The Vehicle Dynamics Control Sys-
tem may therefore operate. Such operation does not indicate a sys-tem fault. on gravel-covered or rutted roads
on unfinished roads
when the vehicle is towing a trailer