2003 SUBARU OUTBACK brake pads

3
Instruments and controls3-17
–
CONTINUED –
tioned in
“ON”), it could be an indication of leaking of brake fluid or
worn brake pads. Have your vehicle checked by a SUBARU dealer
immediately.
Door open warning lights
The specific door open warning light comes on if any door or the rear gate is not fully closed.
Always make sure this light is out before you start to drive. Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when the tank is nearly empty about 2.6 U.S. gal. (10.0 liters, or 2.2 Imp. gal.). It only operates when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON” position.
NOTE This light does not go out unless the tank is replenished up to an internal fuel quantity of about 3.7 U.S. gal. (14 liters, 3.1 Imp. gal.). Front-wheel drive warning light (for AT vehicles except GT and vehicle with VDC)
This light comes on when All Wheel Drive is disengaged and the drive
mechanism is switched to Front Wheel Drive for maintenance or similarpurposes. VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) operation indicator light (if equipped)
This light comes on when the ignition switch is ON and goes out about 2
seconds later.
It blinks when the skid suppression function is activated. It illuminates
when only the traction control function is operating.
The VDC system is probably faulty under any of the following conditions.
Have your vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer immediately. The light does not come on when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position.
The light does not go out even after a period of about 2 seconds after

7
Starting and operating7-31
–
CONTINUED –
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.

7
Starting and operating7-33
–
CONTINUED –

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

8-2
New vehicle break-in driving
–
the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
The performance and long life of your vehicle are dependent on how you
handle and care for your vehicle while it is new. Follow these instructionsduring the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km): Do not race the engine. Break-in engine speed limit
Vehicle with tachometer
Never exceed 4,000 rpm engine speed except for brief acceleration
in an emergency. Vehicle without tachometer (for manual transmission)
Do not exceed the speed limits below for each gear position except
for brief acceleration in an emergency.
mph (km/h)
1st
2nd3rd4th
22 (35)37 (60)50 (80)65 (105)
Vehicles without tachometer (for automatic transmission)
Try to drive at moderate speeds while accelerating and braking
smoothly. Proper gears are selected automatically according to thedriving conditions.
Do not drive at one constant engine or vehicle speed for a long time,
either fast or slow. Avoid starting suddenly and rapid acceleration, except in an emer-
gency. Avoid hard braking, except in an emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be applied to a newly installed or
overhauled engine or when brake pads or brake linings are replacedwith new ones.

8
Driving tips8-9
–
CONTINUED –
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

11-36Replacement of brake pad and lining
CAUTION
If you continue to drive despite the scraping noise from the audi-
ble brake pad wear indicator, it will result in the need for costlybrake rotor repair or replacement.
OM-H0163
The front disc brakes and the right rear disc brake have an audible wear
indicators on the brake pads. If the brake pads wear close to their ser-
vice limit, the wear indicator makes a very audible scraping noise whenthe brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time you apply the brake pedal, have the brake pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as soon as pos-sible.
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining, use only genuine SUBARU
parts. After replacement, the new parts must be broken in as follows: n Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40 mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on
the brake pedal lightly. Repeat this five or more times.