2004 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX tires

11 - 4 8
Maintenance and service
"
Abnormally high tire pressure (tread worn in cen-
ter)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magnifies the ef-
fects of road-surface bumps and dips, possibly result-
ing in vehicle damage.
If the tire placard shows tire pressures for the vehicle
when fully loaded and for the vehicle when towing a
trailer, adjust the tire pressures to the values that
match current loading conditions.
Driving at high speeds with excessively low tire
pressures can cause the tires to deform severe- ly and to rapidly become hot. A sharp increase
in temperature could cause tread separation,
and destruction of the tires. The resulting loss
of vehicle control could lead to an accident.
! Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when your vehicle
was new, but the wheels will become unbalanced as
the tires become worn during use. Wheel imbalance
causes the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at certain
vehicle speeds and detracts from the vehicle’s
straight-line stability. It can also cause steering and
suspension system problems and abnormal tire wear.
If you suspect that the wheels are not correctly bal-
anced, have them checked and adjusted by your SUB-
ARU dealer. Also have them adjusted after tire repairs
and after tire rotation.
NOTE
Loss of correct wheel alignment* causes the tires
to wear on one side and reduces the vehicle’s run-
ning stability. Contact your SUBARU dealer if you
notice abnormal tire wear.
*: The suspension system is designed to hold each wheel at
a certain alignment (relative to the other wheels and to the
road) for optimum straight-line stability and cornering perfor-
HSB054AA

11 -4 9
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
mance. !Wear indicators
A) New tread
B) Worn tread
1) Tread wear indicator
Each tire incorporates a tread wear indicator, which
becomes visible when the depth of the tread grooves
decreases to 0.063 in. (1.6 mm). A tire must be re-
placed when the tread wear indicator appears as a
solid band across the tread.
When a tire’s tread wear indicator becomes vis-
ible, the tire is worn beyond the acceptable limit
and must be replaced immediately. With a tire
in this condition, driving at high speeds in wet
weather can cause the vehicle to hydroplane.
The resulting loss of vehicle control can lead to
an accident.
NOTE
For safety, inspect tire tread regularly and replace
the tires before their tread wear indicators become visible.
A 1B
HSB055BB

11 - 5 0
Maintenance and service
!
Tire rotation
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To maximize the
life of each tire and ensure that the tires wear uniform-
ly, it is best to rotate the tires every 7,500 miles
(12,500 km). Rotating the tires involves switching the
front and rear tires on the right-hand side of the vehicle
and similarly switching the front and rear tires on the
left-hand side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn tire at the
time of rotation. After tire rotation, adjust the tire pres-
sures and make sure the wheel nuts are correctly
tightened. After driving approximately 600 miles (1,000 km),
check the wheel nuts again and retighten any nut that
has become loose. !
Tire replacement
The wheels and tires are important and integral parts
of your vehicle’s design; they cannot be changed arbi-
trarily. The tires fitted as standard equipment are opti-
mally matched to the characteristics of the vehicle and
were selected to give the best possible combination of
running performance, ride comfort, and service life. It
is essential for every tire to have a size and construc-
tion matching those shown on the tire placard and to
have a speed symbol and load index matching those
shown on the tire placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts from con-
trollability, ride comfort, braking performance, speed-
ometer accuracy and odometer accuracy. It also cre-
ates incorrect body-to-tire clearances and inappropri-
ately changes the vehicle’s ground clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of manufactur-
er, brand (tread pattern), construction, and size. You
are advised to replace the tires with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equipment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU recommends re-
HSB056BA

11 -5 1
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
placing all four tires at the same time.
NOTE
Unidirectional tires: Some tires have a specified
direction of rotation. A tire of this type has an ar-
row or other mark on its side wall to indicate the
direction of rotation. Install it so that the direction
of rotation is correct when the vehicle is drivenforward.
"All four tires must be the same in terms of
manufacturer, brand (tread pattern), construc-
tion, degree of wear, speed symbol, load index and size. Mixing tires of different types, sizes or
degrees of wear can result in damage to vehi-
cle’s power train. Use of different types or sizes
of tires can also dangerously reduce controlla-
bility and braking performance and can lead to
an accident."
Use only radial tires. Do not use radial tires
together with belted bias tires and/or bias-ply
tires. Doing so can dangerously reduce control-
lability, resulting in an accident.
! Wheel replacement
When replacing wheels due, for example, to damage,
make sure the replacement wheels match the specifi-
cations of the wheels that are fitted as standard equip-
ment. Replacement wheels are available from SUBA-
RU dealers.
Use only those wheels that are specified for
your vehicle. Wheels not meeting specifica-
tions could interfere with brake caliper opera-
tion and may cause the tires to rub against the
wheel well housing during turns. The resulting
loss of vehicle control could lead to an acci-
HGB062BA

12-1
12
Specifications
Specifications ................................................ 12-2 Dimensions ....................................................... 12-2
Engine ................................................................ 12-3
Electrical system .............................................. 12-3
Capacities .......................................................... 12-4
Tires ................................................................... 12-5
Wheel alignment ............................................... 12-5
Fuses and circuits ........................................ 12-6 Fuse panel located behind the coin tray ....... 12-6
Fuse panel located in the engine compartment 12-8
Bulb chart ...................................................... 12-9
Vehicle identification .................................... 12-10

12-5
Specifications
– CONTINUED –
!Tires
! Wheel alignment
Tire sizeP195/60R15 87HP205/55R16 89V215/45R17 87W225/45R17 90W
Wheel size15 × 6 JJ16 × 6 1
/2 JJ17
× 7 JJ17 × 7 1
/2 JJ
PressureFront32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kg/cm 2
)33 psi (230 kPa,
2.3 kg/cm 2
)36 psi (250 kPa,
2.5 kg/cm 2
)
Rear29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kg/cm 2
)32 psi (220 kPa,
2.2 kg/cm 2
)30 psi (210 kPa,
2.1 kg/cm 2
)
Temporary spare tireSizeT135/70 D16T135/70 D17
Pressure60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kg/cm 2
)
ItemSedanWagon
2.5-liter non-
turbo2.0-liter turbo2.5-liter turbo2.5-liter non-turbo2.0-liter turbo
RSWRXWRX-STiTSOUTBACK SPORTWRX
Drive systemAWD
ToeFront0 mm (0 in)
Rear0 mm (0 in)
CamberFront−0 °15’− 0 °25’− 0 °30’− 0 °10’− 0 °05’− 0°20’
Rear− 1 °25’− 1 °30’− 1 °40’− 1 °15’− 1 °10’− 1°20’

13-2
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
Consumer information and Reporting safety defectsFor U.S.A.
The following information has been compiled accord-
ing to Code of Federal Regulations “Title 49, Part
575”. Uniform tire quality grading stan-
dards
This information indicates the relative performance of
passenger car tires in the area of treadwear, traction,
and temperature resistance. This is to aid the consum-
er in making an informed choice in the purchase oftires.
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The quality grades apply to new pneumatic tires for
use on passenger cars. However, they do not apply to
deep tread, winter type snow tires, space-saver or
temporary use spare tires, tires with nominal rim diam-
eters of 12 inches or less, or to some limited produc- tion tires.
All passenger car tires must confirm to Federal Safety
Requirements in addition to these grades. !
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1-1/2) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their
use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road characteristics and cli-mate. ! Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based

13-3
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
– CONTINUED –
on straight-ahead braking traction tests, and
does not include acceleration, cornering, hy-
droplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
! Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must meet under
the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation,
or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and pos-
sible tire failure.