2003 SUBARU OUTBACK wheel

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Starting and operating7-41
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VDC OFF switch
HB7028ABHB7022AA
Note: Even when the lighting switch is turned to the “p ” or “a ” posi-
tion, the “OFF” portion of the symbol stamped on the switch will not illu-
minate in the dark. Only “VDC” portion will illuminate.
Pressing the VDC OFF switch to deactivate the VDC system can facilitate the following operations: a standing start on a steeply sloping road with a snowy, gravel-cov-
ered, or otherwise slippery surface extrication of the vehicle when its wheels are stuck in mud or deep
snow
When the VDC OFF switch is pressed during engine operation, the VDCOFF indicator light illuminates.The VDC system will be deactivated and the vehicle will behave like a
model not equipped with the VDC system.
When the VDC OFF switch is pressed again to reactivate the VDC sys-
tem, the VDC OFF indicator light goes off.
If the vehicle reaches a speed of approximately 37 mph (60 km/h) after
the VDC OFF switch is pressed to deactivate the VDC system, the VDC
system automatically reactivates itself and the VDC OFF indicator light
goes off. While the vehicle is moving at a speed of approximately 37
mph (60 km/h) or higher, it is not possible to deactivate the VDC system
by pressing the VDC OFF switch.
With the VDC system deactivated, traction and stability enhancement of-
fered by VDC system is unavailable. Therefore you should not deactivate

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HB4015AA
HB4014AA
When parking on a hill, always turn the steering wheel. When the vehicle
is headed up the hill, the front wheels should be turned away from the
curb. When facing downhill, the front wheels should be turned into thecurb.
Cruise control (if equipped)
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control under any of the following condi- tions. This may cause loss of vehicle control: driving up or down a steep grade
driving on slippery or winding roads
driving in heavy traffic
Cruise control enables you to maintain a constant vehicle speed without
holding your foot on the accelerator pedal and it is operative when the
vehicle speed is 25 mph (40 km/h) or more. Make sure the main switch is
turned “OFF” when the cruise control is not in use to avoid unintentionally
by setting the cruise control.

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Driving tips8-3
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Fuel economy hints The following suggestions will help to save your fuel.
Select the proper gear position for the speed and road conditions.
Avoid sudden acceleration or deceleration. Always accelerate gently
until you reach the desired speed. Then try to maintain that speed for as long as possible. Do not pump the accelerator and avoid racing the engine.
Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
Keep the engine properly tuned.
Keep the tires inflated to the correct pressure shown on the tire plac-
ard, which is located under the door latch on the driver ’s side. Low pres-
sure will increase tire wear and fuel consumption. Use the air conditioner only when necessary.
Keep the front and rear wheels in proper alignment.
Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or cargo.
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is danger-ous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine exhaust system to pre-
vent engine exhaust gas from entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space, such as a garage, ex-
cept for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is unavoidable, then use the ventila-tion fan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille free from snow,
leaves or other obstructions to ensure that the ventilation system
always works properly.

8-6
Driving tips for AWD vehicles
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on a sharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easily leadto a serious accident.
OM-H0154
All wheel drive distributes the engine power to all four wheels. AWD
vehicles provide better traction when driving on slippery, wet or snow-
covered roads and when moving out of mud, dirt and sand. By shifting
power between the front and rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also pro-vide added traction during acceleration, and added engine braking
force during deceleration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle may handle differently than an
ordinary two wheel drive vehicle and it contains some features unique to
AWD. For safety purposes as well as to avoid damaging the AWD sys-tem, you should keep the following tips in mind: An AWD vehicle is better able to climb steeper roads under snowy or
slippery conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle. There is little differ-
ence in handling, however, during extremely sharp turns or sudden brak-

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Driving tips8-7
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ing. Therefore, when driving down a slope or turning corners, be sure to
reduce your speed and maintain an ample distance from other vehicles.
When replacing a tire, make sure you use only the same size, circum-
ference, construction, brand, and load range as the original tires listed on
the tire placard. Using other sizes, circumferences or construction may re-
sult in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and
may affect ride, handling, braking, speedometer/odometer calibration, and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control. If you use a temporary spare tire to replace a flat tire, be sure to use
the original temporary spare tire stored in the vehicle. Using other sizes
may result in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle. Always check the cold tire pressure before starting to drive. The rec-
ommended tire pressure is provided on the tire placard, which is locatedunder the door latch on the driver ’s side.
Tire chains should always be placed on the front wheels only.
There are some precautions that you must observe when towing your
vehicle. For detail information, see “Towing” section in chapter 9.
Off road driving
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on asharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence
because you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easilylead to a serious accident.
All AWD models except OUTBACK
Your AWD vehicle is neither a conventional off-road vehicle nor an all
terrain vehicle. It is a passenger car designed primarily for on-road
use. The AWD feature gives it some limited off-road capabilities in sit-
uations in which driving surfaces a relatively level, obstruction-free

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

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Driving tips8-9
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bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive with your fingers and thumbs on the outside of the rim.
If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water and the bottom of the stream bed
for firmness and ensure that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The water should be shallow
enough that it does not reach the vehicle ’s undercarriage. Water en-
tering the engine air intake or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your vehicle and may cause it to
stall. Never attempt to drive through rushing water; regardless of its
depth, it can wash away the ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle rollover. Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driv-
ing in sand, mud or water. Do this by driving slowly and stepping on
the brake pedal. Repeat that process several times to dry out thebrake discs and brake pads. Do not drive or park over or near flammable materials such as dry
grass or fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The exhaust system is
very hot while the engine is running and right after engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard. After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones, sand, etc. adhering
to or trapped on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from the
underbody. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or ad-
hering to the underbody, a mechanical breakdown or fire could occur. Secure all cargo carried inside the vehicle and make certain that it
is not piled higher than the seatbacks. During sudden stops or jolts,
unsecured cargo could be thrown around in the vehicle and cause
injury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. Those loads raise the ve-
hicle’ s center of gravity and make it more prone to tip over.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from sand or mud, depress
the accelerator pedal slightly and move the selector lever back and
forth between “D” and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to freethe vehicle. When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can obtain better

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.