2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX light

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Starting and operating
operating properly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the nearest SUBA-
RU dealer for repair.
Parking your vehicle !
Parking brake
To set the parking brake, press the brake pedal firmly
and hold it down while fully pulling up the parking
brake lever.
To release the parking brake, pull the lever up slightly,
press the release button, then lower the lever while
keeping the button pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the engine is run-
ning, the parking brake warning light comes on. After
starting the vehicle, be sure that the warning light has
gone out before the vehicle is driven. Refer to the
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Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
“Warning and indicator lights” section (chapter 3).
Never drive while the parking brake is set be-
cause this will cause unnecessary wear on the
brake linings. Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake has been fully
released.
! Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always set the parking
brake firmly and put the shift lever in the “1” (1st) for an
upgrade or “R” (Reverse) for a downgrade for manual
transmission vehicles, or in the “P” (Park) position for
automatic transmission vehicles. Always set the park-
ing brake firmly when parking your vehicle. Never rely
on the transmission alone to hold the vehicle. 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.
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Starting and operating
Except WRX-STi
1. Push the main switch button. The “ ” indicator light on the combination
meter will come on.
2. Depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle
reaches the desired speed.
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Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
3. Push the control lever downward in the “SET/
COAST” direction and release it. Then release the ac-
celerator pedal. At this time, the “ ” indicator light is illuminated in
the combination meter.
The vehicle will maintain the desired speed.
Vehicle speed can be temporarily increased while
driving with the cruise control activated. Simply de-
press the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
When the accelerator pedal is released, the vehicle
will return to and maintain the previous cruising speed. !
To temporarily cancel the cruise con- trol
There are four ways to cancel the cruise control tem-
porarily:
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Starting and operating
"
Pull the control lever in the “CANCEL” direction (if
so equipped). " Depress the brake pedal.
" Depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission ve-
hicles only)." Shift the selector lever into the “N” position (auto-
matic transmission vehicles only).
The “ ” indicator light in the combination meter
goes off when the cruise control is cancelled.
To resume the cruise control after it has been tempo-
rarily canceled and with vehicle speed of about 20
mph (32 km/h) or more, push the control lever upward
in the “RES/ACC” direction to return to the original cruising speed automatically.
The “ ” indicator light in the combination meter
will automatically come on at this time. !
To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control: " Push the main switch again.
" Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC” or “LOCK” po-
sition (but only when the vehicle is completely
stopped). ! To change the cruising speed
! To increase the speed (by control lever)
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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
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
Hitch harness connector – Wagon
8. Connect the hitch wire harness’s black four-pin
wire connector to the towing trailer’s wire harness
9. Confirm proper function of the hitch wire harness
by individually activating the brake, right turn signal,
left turn signal, stop, and parking lights on the trailer.
NOTE
Always disconnect the trailer wire harness before
launching or retrieving a watercraft. ! When you do not tow a trailer
" Remove the ball mount from the hitch receiver tube and insert the receiver cover onto the hitch receiver tube. "
Place the dust cap over the four-pin connector of the
hitch wire harness to protect against possible damage. " Occasionally lubricate terminals of the four-pin con-
nector using terminal grease.
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