2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX ECU

3-49
Instruments and controls
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frosting or defogging is desired when you restart your
vehicle, you have to push the switch to turn it on again.
NOTE
While the outside mirror defogger is operating, the
rear window defogger also operates.
To prevent the battery from being discharged,
do not operate the defogger continuously for
any longer than necessary.
Tilt steering wheel
1. Adjust the seat position. Refer to the “Front seats”
section (chapter 1).
2. Push the tilt lock lever down.
3. Move the steering wheel to the desired level.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
5. Make sure that the steering wheel is securely
locked by moving it up and down.
Do not adjust the steering wheel tilt position
while driving. This may cause loss of vehicle
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4-21
Climate control
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!Replacing an air filter
1. Remove the glove box. 1) Open the glove box.
2) Remove the nine screws and the one clip secur-
ing the glove box.
3) Disconnect the glove box light connector. 2. Unhook the hooks of the air filter cover and removethe cover.
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6-13
Interior equipment
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Do not use ashtrays as waste receptacles or
leave a lighted cigarette in an ashtray. This
could cause a fire.
Floor mat (if equipped)
A retaining pin is located on the driver’s side of the ve-
hicle next to the fuel filler door release.
The floor mat is secured using the built-in grommet, by
placing the grommet over the pin and pushing down- ward.
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6-14
Interior equipment
Make sure the driver’s floor mat is placed back
in its proper location and correctly secured on
its retaining pin. If the floor mat slips forward
and interferes with the movement of the pedals
during driving, it could cause an accident.
Coat hook
The coat hook is attached to the rear left passenger’s
hand grip.
Never hang anything on the coat hook that
might obstruct the driver’s view or that could
cause injury in sudden stops or in a collision.
And do not hang items on the coat hook that
weigh 2.2 lbs (1 kg) or more.
HS6039BA
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6-17
Interior equipment
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2. Insert the projections located on the both ends of
the sleeve into the recesses of the retainers.
Cargo tie-down hooks (if equipped)
The cargo area is equipped with four tie-down hooks
so that cargo can be secured with a cargo net or
ropes.
When using the tie-down hooks, turn them down out of
the storing recesses. When not in use, put the hooks
up into the storing recesses.
The cargo tie-down hooks are designed only for
securing light cargo. Never try to secure cargo
that exceeds the capacity of the hooks. The
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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

8-18
Driving tips
"
When you carry something inside the vehicle,
secure it whenever you can to prevent it from
being thrown around inside the vehicle during
sudden stops, sharp turns or in an accident." Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These
loads raise the vehicle’s center of gravity and
make it more prone to tip over." Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri-
ous injury during a sudden stop." Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you
do, some parts on your vehicle can break, or it can change the way your vehicle handles. This
could result in loss of control and cause per-
sonal injury. Also, overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle. "
Do not place anything on the rear shelf be-
hind the rear seatback (for sedan) or the ex-
tended luggage cover (for wagon). Such items
could tumble forward in the event of a sudden
stop or a collision. This could cause serious in-
jury.
Do not carry spray cans, containers with flam-
mable or corrosive liquids or any other danger-
ous items inside the vehicle.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry unneeded
cargo.
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8-21
Driving tips
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!Roof rail and crossbar (if equipped)
1) Crossbar kit
The roof rail is not designed to carry cargo by itself.
Cargo can be carried after securing the roof crossbar
kit to the roof rail and installing the appropriate carry-
ing attachment. When installing the roof crossbar kit,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
When you carry cargo on the roof using the roof cross-
bar kit and a carrying attachment, never exceed the
maximum load limit explained below. You should also
be careful that your vehicle does not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and front and rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). See the “Loading
your vehicle” section in this chapter for information on
loading cargo into or onto your vehicle. The maximum
load limit of the cargo, crossbars and carrying attach-
ment must not exceed 100 lb. (45 kg). Place the heavi-
est load at the bottom, nearest the roof, and evenly
distribute the cargo. Always properly secure all cargo.
"
For cargo carrying purposes, the roof rail
must be used together with a roof crossbar kit
and the appropriate carrying attachment. The
roof rail must never be used alone to carry car-
go. Otherwise, damage to the roof or paint or a
dangerous road hazard due to loss of cargo
could result. " When using the roof crossbar kit, make sure
that the total weight of the crossbars, carrying
attachment and cargo does not exceed the
maximum load limit. Overloading may cause
damage to the vehicle and create a safety haz-
ard.
! Installing carrying attachments on the cross-
bars
When installing any carrying attachment such as a
1
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