2003 SUBARU OUTBACK oil

4
Climate control4-21
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closed during the operation of the air conditioner for maximum cool-
ing efficiency.
Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at a low engine speed (at idle
or low driving speeds) a few minutes each month during the off-sea-
son to circulate its oil. Checking air conditioning system before summer season
Check the air conditioner unit for refrigerant leaks, hose conditions,
and proper operation each spring. This check is best performed by
your SUBARU dealer. Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and low tempera- ture weather condition
Under certain weather conditions (high relative humidity, low tempera-
tures, etc.) a small amount of water vapor emission from the air outlets
may be noticed. This condition is normal and does not indicate any
problem with the air conditioning system. Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage, the air conditioner com-
pressor is designed to temporarily shut off during air conditioner op-
eration whenever the accelerator is fully depressed such as during
rapid accerelation or when driving on a steep upgrade. Refrigerant for your climate control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly refrigerant HFC134a. There-
fore, the method of adding, changing or checking the refrigerant is
different from the method for CFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a result of using the wrong
refrigerant are not covered under warranty.

6
Interior equipment6-9
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Rear passenger ’s cup holder (if equipped)
HB6024BAHB7009CA
The rear passenger ’s cup holder is located on the lower side of the
back of the center console. To use the cup holder, open the lid by
pulling its upper edge.
Cigarette lighter socket (if equipped)
CAUTION
The electrical power socket located on the lower part of the
instrument panel is originally designed to use a SUBARU genuine
cigarette lighter plug. Do not use non-genuine cigarette lighterplugs in the socket. Doing so may cause a short-circuit and over-heating, resulting in a fire. If the socket is ever used for a plug-in accessory such as a
mobile phone, they may damage the portion of the socket ’s inter-
nal mechanism that causes a cigarette lighter plug to “pop out ”
after its lighter element is heated. Therefore, do not place a ciga-rette lighter plug in a socket that has been used, even once, to
power a plug-in accessory. Doing so may cause the plug to stickand overheat, creating a potential fire hazard. Do not place any foreign objects, especially metal ones such
as coins or aluminum foil, into the socket. That could cause ashort circuit.

6
Interior equipment6-19
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subject to limitations caused by atmospheric conditions, such as se-
vere weather or topographical conditions, such as mountainous terrain; subject to cellular carrier equipment limitations.
Global positioning locating capabilities will not be available if satellite
signals are obstructed. OnStar will not function if the vehicle ’s battery is discharged or discon-
nected. It may also be inoperative if the vehicle is in an accident and the
OnStar or vehicle electrical system components are damaged.
OnStar is the communication link between you and existing governmen-
tal emergency and roadside service providers. OnStar will receive your
call and use reasonable effort to contact an appropriate provider. OnStar
cannot promise that the providers will respond in a timely manner or atall.
Accessory power outlet
In the luggage compartment (if equipped) CAUTION
Do not attempt to use a cigarette lighter in the accessory
power outlet. Do not place any foreign objects, especially metal ones such
as coins or aluminum foil, into the accessory power outlet. Thatcould cause a short circuit. Always put the cap on the accessorypower outlet when it is not in use. Use only electrical appliances which are designed for 12V DC
and which consume less than 120W. Overloading the accessorypower outlet can cause a short circuit. Do not use double adapt-ers or more than one electrical appliance. If the plug on your electric appliance is either too loose or too
tight for the accessory power outlet, this can result in a poor con-tact or cause the plug to get stuck. Only use plugs that fit proper-
ly.

7
Starting and operating7-9
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than three. Under this condition, the vehicle operator should be
instructed to drive his/her vehicle for a few days to set the monitors and
return for an emission re-inspection.
Owners of rejected or failing vehicles should contact their Subaru
Dealer for service.
Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks and adjustments every day be-
fore you start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and lights are clean and unob- structed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of the tires. Also check tires for
proper inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk and rear gate are fully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your passengers have fastened theirseatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and indicator lights when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warning lights after starting the en-gine. NOTE Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer fluid and other fluid
levels should be checked daily, weekly or at fuel stops.

8-10traction by starting the vehicle with the transmission in 2nd than 1st
(both for MT and AT).
Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than those specified in
this manual. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driving conditions
such as rough roads or off roads will necessitate more frequent re-
placement of engine oil, brake fluid and transmission oil than that spe-
cified in the maintenance schedule described in the “Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your Subaru while operating it off-
road and not using common sense precautions such as those listedabove is not eligible for warranty coverage.
Winter driving
HB3010AA
Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire chains, a window
scraper, a bag of sand, flares, a small shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures reduce battery ca-
pacity. The battery must be in good condition to provide enough pow-
er for cold winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for cold weather.
Heavy summer oil will cause harder starting.

8
Driving tips8-39
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nearest SUBARU dealer. n
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 sud-
den downshifts. When driving uphill in hot weather, the air conditioner may turn off
automatically to protect the engine from overheating. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to the water tem-
perature gauge pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP warning
light (for AT vehicles) since the engine and transmission are relatively
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 conditioner
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 chapter 3. If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid using the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of usingthe parking brake or foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluidto overheat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automatic trans-mission, avoid driving with the gear selector lever in “D” when towing
a heavy trailer to prevent fluid overheating. A lower gear should beused. n 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 should takethe following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the regular brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the parking brake; slowly

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

9
In case of emergency9-15
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Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has been shut off and has fully cooled down. When the engine is hot,the coolant is under pressure. Removing the cap while the engineis still hot could release a spray of boiling hot coolant, which
could burn you very seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the road and stop the vehicle in asafe place. If steam is coming from the engine compartment
Turn the engine off and get everyone away from the vehicle until itcools down. If no steam is coming from the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compartment.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is not turning, im-
mediately turn the engine off and contact your authorized dealer for
repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature has dropped, turn off the en-gine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the overheated zone, turn the en-
gine off.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, check the coolant level in
the reserve tank.If the coolant level is below the “MIN” mark, add coolant up to the
“MAX” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, add coolant to the reserve
tank. Then remove the radiator cap and fill the radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot radiator, first wrap a thick
cloth around the radiator cap, then turn the cap counterclockwise
slowly without pressing down until it stops. Release the pressure from