2003 SUBARU OUTBACK check transmission fluid

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 tips8-11
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CONTINUED –
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage or separate the rubber
weather strips around the door. If the door is frozen, use hot water to
melt the ice, and afterwards thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an antifreeze solution. Do
not use engine antifreeze or other substitutes because they may dam-age the paint of the vehicle. n
Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice from your shoes
because that could make the pedals slippery and dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driving, check that the accelera-
tor pedal, brake pedal, and all other controls operate smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accumulated under the fenders to
avoid making steering difficult. During severe winter driving, stop
when and where it is safe to do so and check under the fenders peri-
odically. n Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust pipe and from around your
vehicle if you park the vehicle in snow with the engine running.
Do not use the parking brake when parking for long periods in cold
weather since it could freeze in that position. Instead, observe the fol-lowing:
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual transmission vehicles,
and in “P” for automatic transmission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or when it snows, raise the wiper
blades off the glass to prevent damage to them.

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.

11
Maintenance and service11-25
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CONTINUED –
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.

14
Index14-3
Charge warning light
3-13
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CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp 3-12 . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint systems 1-33
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child safety locks 2-20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cigarette lighter socket (if equipped) 6-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleaning aluminum wheels 10-4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleaning fog light lens (for OUTBACK) 10-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleaning the interior 10-6
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clock 3-19
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Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) 11-32
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) 11-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coin compartment 6-7
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Convenience hook 6-20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Convenient tie-down hooks (if equipped) 6-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cooling system 11-14
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Corrosion protection 10-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control (if equipped) 7-44
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Cup holder 6-8
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D Daytime running light system 3-21
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Dimensions 12-2
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Disc brake pad wear warning indicators 7-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dome light 6-2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Door locks 2-3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Door open warning lights 3-17
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Drive belts 11-22
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving in foreign countries 8-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving tips for AWD vehicles 8-6
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dual moonroofs (Station wagon) 2-32
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E
Electrical system 12-3
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Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) 1-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine 12-3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine compartment overview 11-7
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