2004 SUBARU IMPREZA engine

8-9
Driving tips
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!All AWD models except OUTBACK
SPORT and vehicles with 17 inch tires
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 situations
in which driving surfaces are relatively level, obstruc-
tion-free and otherwise similar to on-road driving con-
ditions. Operating it under other than those conditions
could subject the vehicle to excessive stress which
might result in damage not eligible for repair under
warranty. If you do take your SUBARU off road, you
should review the common sense precautions in the
next section (applicable to the OUTBACK SPORT) for
general guidance. But please keep in mind that your
vehicle’s off-road capabilities are more limited than
those of the OUTBACK SPORT.
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 and may
cause it to stall. ! OUTBACK SPORT
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 conventional off-
road vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. If you do take
your Subaru off-road, certain common sense precau-
tions such as the following should be taken: "
Make certain that you and all of your passengers
are wearing seat belts. " Carry some emergency equipment, such as a tow-
ing rope or chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit
and portable phone or citizens band radio." Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous 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 ei-
ther 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 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

8-10
Driving tips
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 com-
pletely through the stream. The water should be shal-
low enough that it does not reach the vehicle’s under-
carriage. Water entering 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; regard-
less of its depth, it can wash away the ground from un-
der your tires, resulting in possible loss of traction and
even vehicle rollover. "
Always check your brakes for effectiveness immedi-
ately after driving in sand, mud or water. Do this by
driving slowly and stepping on the brake pedal. Re-
peat that process several times to dry out the brake
discs and brake pads. " Do not drive or park over or near flammable materi-
als 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 the engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard." After driving through tall grass, mud, rocks, 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 under-
body. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or adhering 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
vehicle’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 pos-
sible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can
obtain better traction 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-driv-
ing conditions such as rough roads or off roads will ne-
cessitate more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified in
the maintenance schedule described in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to your Subaru while

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Driving tips
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operating it off-road and not using common sense pre-
cautions such as those listed above is not eligible for
warranty coverage."Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving.
Suspension components are particularly prone to dirt
buildup, so they need to be washed thoroughly.Winter driving ! 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 re-
duce battery capacity. The battery must be in good
condition to provide enough power for cold winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder
UG8030AA

8-12
Driving tips
starting.
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 anti-
freeze solution. Do not use engine antifreeze or other
substitutes because they may damage the paint of the
vehicle. !
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 accelerator 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 periodically. !
Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when parking for long
periods in cold weather since it could freeze in that po-
sition. Instead, observe the following:
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual trans-
mission 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 damageto them.
When the vehicle has been left parked after use on
roads heavily covered with snow, or has been left
parked during a snowstorm, icing may 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 andABS harness.
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under
your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust

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Driving tips
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pipe and from around your vehicle if you parkthe vehicle in snow with the engine running.
! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel sys-
tem and the risk of its freezing, use of an antifreeze ad-
ditive in the fuel tank is recommended 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 extend-
ed period, it is best to have the fuel tank filled to capac-
ity. ! Driving on snowy and icy roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden brak-
ing, abrupt acceleration, high-speed driving, and
sharp turning when driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid the need for sud-
den braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake
effectively to control 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 vehi-
cle’s braking performance on snowy and icy roads.
Refer to the “ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)” section in
chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery sur- faces.
NOTE
The following tires are summer tires. Compared
with winter and all-season tires, summer tires give
significantly less grip on snowy and icy road sur-
faces. Avoid driving on snowy and icy road sur-
face with summer tires."
225/45R17 tires for WRX-STi
" Optional 215/45R17 tires for WRX
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads
such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause
loss of vehicle control.

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Driving tips
dent.
Your vehicle is equipped with “summer tires” as origi-
nal equipment, which are inadequate for driving on
slippery roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads.
Compared with winter and all-season tires, summer
tires give significantly less grip on snowy and icy road
surfaces. Therefore, use of winter tires is strongly rec-
ommended when driving with such road conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on your vehi-
cle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type. You
must install four winter tires that are of the same size,
construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this
may result in dangerous handling characteristics.
When you choose a tire, make sure that there is
enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of
the type of tires on your vehicle. ! Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require the
use of tire chains, in which case put the chains on the
front wheels only. Use only SAE class S type chains
that are of the correct size for your tires so as not to damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below
19 mph (30 km/h).
When a temporary spare tire is on a front wheel, re-
place the temporary spare tire with the rear tire on the
same side of the vehicle, and then fit chains on the
front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire
chains — overconfidence because you are driving
with tire chains could easily lead to a serious accident.
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed below
because of lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body. "
225/45R17 tires for WRX-STi
"Optional 215/45R17 tires for WRX
! Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow, 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

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Driving tips
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Trailer towing
Your car is designed and intended to be used primarily
as a passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a trailer puts
additional loads on your car’s engine, drivetrain,
brakes, tires and suspension and has an adverse ef-
fect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and satis-
faction depend upon proper use of correct equipment
and cautious operation of your vehicle. Seek the ad-
vice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in purchas-
ing a hitch and other necessary towing equipment ap-
propriate for your vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow
the instructions on correct installation and use provid-
ed by the trailer and other towing equipment manufac-
turers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or ve-
hicle damage that result from trailer towing equipment,
or from any errors or omissions in the instructions ac-
companying such equipment or for your failure to fol-
low the proper instructions. !Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage
or malfunction caused by trailer towing. If you use your
vehicle to tow a trailer, more frequent maintenance will
be required due to the additional load. (Refer to “Main- tenance schedule under severe driving conditions” in
the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer be towed with
a new vehicle or a vehicle with any new powertrain
component (engine, transmission, differential, wheel
bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
driving. !
Maximum load limits
Never exceed the maximum load limits ex-
plained below. Exceeding the maximum load
limits could cause personal injury and/or vehi-
cle damage.
"Adequate size trailer brakes are required
when the trailer and its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs
(453 kg) total weight." Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total
weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load. Make
sure the load and its distribution in your vehicle

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Driving tips
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tance is required because of the added weight and
length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
" Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes prac-
tice. When backing up with a trailer, never accelerate
or steer rapidly. When turning back, grip the bottom of
the steering wheel with one hand and turn it to the left
for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn." If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle
is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs
performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU deal-er. !
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 overheat-
ing of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden
downshifts. " When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating. " When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature 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 tem-
perature 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
overheating” 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 using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to over-
heat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automat-
ic transmission, avoid driving with the gear selector le-
ver in “D” when towing a heavy trailer to prevent fluid
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