2003 SUBARU OUTBACK transmission

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Maintenance and service11-3
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Maintenance schedule
The scheduled maintenance items required to be serviced at regular in-
tervals are shown in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
For details of your maintenance schedule, read the separate “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Maintenance precautions
When maintenance and service are required, it is recommended that all
work be done by an authorized SUBARU dealer.
If you perform maintenance and service by yourself, you should familiar-
ize yourself with the information provided in this section on general main-
tenance and service for your SUBARU.
Incorrect or incomplete service could cause improper or unsafe vehicle
operation. Any problems caused by improper maintenance and service
performed by you are not eligible for warranty coverage. WARNING
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle must NEVER be per-
formed on a single two-wheel dynamometer or similar apparatus.Attempting to do so will result in transmission damage and inuncontrolled vehicle movement and may cause an accident or
injuries to persons nearby. Always select a safe area when performing maintenance on
your vehicle. Always be very careful to avoid injury when working on the ve-
hicle. Remember that some of the materials in the vehicle may behazardous if improperly used or handled, for example, batteryacid. Your vehicle should only be serviced by persons fully compe-
tent to do so. Serious personal injury may result to persons not
experienced in servicing vehicles.

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Engine compartment overview
2.5 liter models
HBB036BB
1 Manual transmission oil level
gauge (MT) (page 11-23) or
Differential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-26)
2 Air cleaner element (page 11-18)
3 Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-32)
4 Automatic transmission fluidlevel gauge (page 11-24)
5 Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-30)
6 Fuel filter 7
Windshield washer tank (page 11-47)
8 Fuse box (page 11-52)
9 Battery (page 11-51)
Q Engine oil filler cap (page 11-9)
W Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-15)
E Radiator cap (page 11-15)
R Engine oil level gauge (page 11-9)
T Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-29)

11-8
3.0 liter models
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1 Air cleaner element (page 11-18)
2 Differential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-26)
3 Automatic transmission fluidlevel gauge (page 11-24)
4 Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-30)
5 Fuel filter
6 Windshield washer tank (page 11-47) 7
Fuse box (page 11-52)
8 Battery (page 11-51)
9 Engine oil filler cap (page 11-9)
Q Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-15)
W Engine oil level gauge (page 11-9)
E Radiator cap (page 11-15)
R Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-29)

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Maintenance and service11-23
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schedule in the
“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for replacement.
If a belt is loose, cracked, or worn, contact your SUBARU dealer.
Manual transmission oil Checking the oil level
Check the oil level monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the engine.
OM-H0210
Upper level Lower level
HBB004DB
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and insert it again.
3. Pull out the dipstick again and check the oil level on it. If it is below
the lower level, add oil through the dipstick hole to bring the level upto the upper level. Recommended grade and viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base oils and additives. Never use
different brands together.
Oil grade: API classification GL-5

11-24SAE viscosity No. and Applicable Temperature
OM-H0205
Automatic transmission fluid
Checking the fluid level
The automatic transmission fluid expands largely as its temperature
rises; the fluid level differs according to fluid temperature. Therefore,
there are two different scales for checking the level of hot fluid andcold fluid on the dipstick.
Though the fluid level can be checked without warming up the fluid on the “COLD” range, we recommend checking the fluid level when
the fluid is at operating temperature. n Checking the fluid level when the fluid is hot
Check the fluid level monthly.
1. Drive the vehicle several miles to raise the temperature of the
transmission fluid up to normal operating temperature; 158 to 176 F
(70 to 80 C) is normal.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the parking brake.
3. First shift the selector lever in each position. Then shift it in the “P”
position, and run the engine at idling speed.

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HBB004KB
HBB079BB
4. Pull out the dipstick and check the fluid level on the gauge. If it is below the lower level on the “HOT” range, add the recommended au-
tomatic transmission fluid up to the upper level. n Checking the fluid level when the fluid is cold
When the fluid level has to be checked without time to warm up the
automatic transmission, check to see that the fluid level is betweenthe lower level and upper level on the “COLD” range. If it is below that
range, add fluid up to the upper level. Be careful not to overfill. Recommended fluid
“ Dexron III ” Type Automatic Transmission Fluid

11-30When the fluid is cool before the vehicle is run: Check that the oil level is between
“COLD MIN ” and “COLD MAX ” on the surface of the res-
ervoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than the applicable “MIN” line, add the
recommended fluid as necessary to bring the level between the
“MIN” and “MAX” line.
HBB031BB
HBB030BB
Specified range SpecifiedrangeReservoir tank
If the fluid level is extreme low, it may indicate possible leakage. Con- sult your SUBARU dealer for inspection. Recommended fluid
“ Dexron III ” Type Automatic Transmission Fluid
Brake fluid
Checking the fluid level
WARNING
Never let brake fluid contact your eyes because brake fluid can
be harmful to your eyes. If brake fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with clean water. For safety, whenperforming this work, wearing eye protection is advisable. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. Any absorbed mois-
ture can cause a dangerous loss of braking performance.

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and measure the distance between the upper surface of the pedal
pad and the floor.
When the measurement is smaller than the specification, or when the
pedal does not operate smoothly, contact with your SUBARU dealer.
Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles)
Check the clutch pedal free play and reserve distance according to the
maintenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Checking the clutch function
Check the clutch engagement and disengagement.
1. With the engine idling, check that there are no abnormal noises
when the clutch pedal is depressed, and that shifting into 1st or re-
verse feels smooth.
2. Start the vehicle by releasing the pedal slowly to check that the en-gine and transmission smoothly couple without any sign of slippage. Checking the clutch pedal free play
OM-H0224
0.16 —
0.51 in
(4.0 — 13.0 mm)
Lightly press the clutch pedal down with your finger until you feel re-
sistance, and check the free play.
If the free play is not within proper specification, contact your
SUBARU dealer.