2004 SUBARU LEGACY steering

3-36
Instruments and controls
place.
5. Make sure that the steering wheel is securely
locked by moving it up and down.Horn
To sound the horn, push the horn pad.
HS3044BA

7-1
7
Starting and operating
Fuel ................................................................ 7-2 Fuel requirements ............................................. 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................ 7-4
State emission testing (U.S. only) ............... 7-7
Preparing to drive ......................................... 7-9
Starting the engine ....................................... 7-10 Starting the engine for a manual transmission vehicle ...................................... 7-10
Starting the engine for an automatic transmission vehicle ...................................... 7-10
Starting the engine during cold weather
below –4 °F (–20 °C) ......................................... 7-11
Starting a flooded engine ................................. 7-11
Stopping the engine ..................................... 7-12
Manual transmission .................................... 7-12 Shifting speeds ................................................. 7-13
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-14
Automatic transmission (L, L-S, OUTBACK) .................................... 7-15Selector lever .................................................... 7-16
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-20
Automatic transmission (with SPORTSHIFT mode – 2.5GT, 2.5GTLO) .. 7-21Selector lever .................................................... 7-22
Selection of SPORTSHIFT mode (manual mode) ................................................ 7-25
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-28
Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .............................................. 7-29 Power steering .............................................. 7-30
Braking ........................................................... 7-30
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-30
Brake system .................................................... 7-31
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ........ 7-31
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ..................... 7-32 ABS system self-check .................................... 7-32
ABS warning light ............................................. 7-33
VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) system (if equipped) ............................................... 7-34VDC system monitor ........................................ 7-36
VDC OFF switch ................................................ 7-38
Parking your vehicle ..................................... 7-40
Cruise control (if equipped) ......................... 7-42 To set cruise control ........................................ 7-43
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ....... 7-44
To turn off the cruise control ........................... 7-44
To change the cruising speed ......................... 7-45

7-12
Starting and operating
Stopping the engine
Do not stop the engine when the vehicle is mov-
ing. This will cause loss of power to the power
steering and the brake booster, making steer-
ing and braking more difficult. It could also re-
sult in accidental activation of the “LOCK” po-
sition on the ignition switch, causing the steer-
ing wheel to lock.
The ignition switch should be turned off only when the
engine is idling.
Manual transmission
Do not drive the vehicle with the clutch disen-
gaged (i.e., when the clutch pedal is depressed)
or with the shift lever in the neutral position.
Engine braking has no effect in either of these
conditions and the risk of an accident is conse-
quently increased.
Shift into reverse ONLY when the vehicle has
completely stopped. It may cause damage to the transmission to try shifting into reverse
when the vehicle is moving.
The manual transmission is a fully synchromeshed 5-
forward and 1-reverse speed transmission.

7-30
Starting and operating
Power steering
Do not hold the steering wheel at the fully
locked position left or right for more than five
seconds. This may damage the power steering
pump.
The power steering system operates only when the
engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system fails to function, you can steer but it will take much more effort.
NOTE
Right after the engine has been started and before
it has warmed up, you may hear a noise coming
from areas adjacent to the power steering pump
which is located at the right-front area of the en-
gine compartment. This noise is normal. It does
not indicate power steering system trouble.
Braking „ Braking tips
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This can cause dangerous overheating
of the brakes and needless wear on the brake
pads and linings.
T When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result, brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehi-
cle at a safe speed while lightly depressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. T Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addition
to foot braking. When descending a grade, if only the
foot brake is used, the brakes may start working im-
properly because of brake fluid overheating, caused
by overheated brake pads. To help prevent this, shift
into a lower gear to get stronger engine braking.

7-32
Starting and operating
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Always use the utmost care in driving – over-
confidence because you are driving with an
ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to a se-
rious accident.
y
The ABS system does not always decrease
stopping distance. You should always maintain
a safe following distance from other vehicles. y When driving on badly surfaced roads, gravel
roads, icy road, or over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be longer for a vehicle
with the ABS system than one without. When
driving under these conditions, therefore, re-
duce your speed and leave ample distance from
other vehicles. y When you feel the ABS system operating,
you should maintain constant brake pedal pres-
sure. Do not pump the brake pedal since doing
so may defeat the operation of the ABS system. The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which
may occur during sudden braking or braking on slip-
pery road surfaces. This helps prevent the loss of
steering control and directional stability caused by
wheel lock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a
chattering noise or feel a slight vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal when the ABS operates.
The ABS system will not operate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). „
ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and hear the operating sound of ABS from the engine com-
partment just after the vehicle is started. This is
caused by an automatic functional test of the ABS sys-
tem being carried out and does not indicate any abnor-
mal condition.

7-35
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
yWhenever suspension components, steering
components, or an axle are removed from a ve-
hicle equipped with VDC, have an authorized
SUBARU dealer perform an inspection of that
system.y The following precautions should be ob-
served in order to ensure that the VDC system
is operating properly:
– All four wheels should be fitted with tires of
the same size, type, and brand. Furthermore,
the amount of wear should be the same for allfour tires.
– Keep the tire pressure at the proper level as
shown on the placard attached to the vehi-
cle’s door pillar.
– Use only the special temporary spare tire to
replace a flat tire. With a temporary spare tire,
the effectiveness of the VDC system is re-
duced and this should be taken into account
when driving with vehicle.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding on a slippery
road surface and/or during cornering and/or an eva-
sive maneuver, the VDC system adjusts the engine’s
output and the wheels’ respective braking forces to
help maintain traction and directional control. y
Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to prevent
spinning of the driving wheels on slippery road surfac-
es, thereby helping to maintain traction and directional
control. Activation of this function is shown by steady
illumination of the VDC operation indicator light. y Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed to help
maintain directional stability by suppressing the
wheels’ tendency to slide sideways during steering op-
erations. Activation of this function is shown by flash-
ing of the VDC operation indicator light.
NOTE y Slight twitching of the brake pedal may be felt
when the VDC-system operates; a small degree of
vehicle or steering wheel shaking may also be no-
ticed in this situation. These are normal character-
istics of VDC operation and are no cause for
alarm. y When driving off immediately after starting the
engine, a short-lived operation noise may be no-
ticed coming from the engine compartment. This
noise is generated as a result of a check being per-
formed on the VDC system and is normal.y Depending on the timing of activation of the
brakes, certain situations may occur just after

7-36
Starting and operating
driving off where the brake pedal seems to exhibit
a jolting motion. This too is a consequence of the
VDC operational check and is normal. y
In the circumstances listed below, the vehicle
may be more unstable than it feels to the driver.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control System may there-
fore operate. Such operation does not indicate a
system fault.
yon gravel-covered or rutted roads
y on unfinished roads
y when the vehicle is towing a trailer
y when the vehicle is fitted with snow tires or
winter tires
y Activation of the VDC system will cause opera-
tion of the steering wheel to feel slightly different
compared to that for normal conditions. y Even if the vehicle is equipped with a VDC sys-
tem, it is important that winter tires be used when
driving on snow-covered or icy roads. (All four
wheels should be fitted with tires of the same size
and brand). y It is always important to reduce speed when ap-
proaching a corner, even if the vehicle is equipped with VDC. y All four wheels should be fitted with tires of the
same size, type, and brand; furthermore, the
amount of wear should be the same for all four tires. If these precautions are not observed and
non-matching tires are used, it is quite possible
that the VDC system will be unable to operate cor-
rectly as intended. y
Always turn off the engine before replacing a
tire as failure to do so may render the VDC system
unable to operate correctly. „ VDC system monitor
T V D C O F F i n d i c a t o r l i g h t
y The VDC OFF indicator light turns on initially when
the ignition key is turned to the ON position; it subse-
quently turns off 6 seconds after the engine is started.
UB4010FA

7-41
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
make sure that the parking brake has been fully
released.
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 “Warning and indicator lights” section (chapter 3).
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.
UB4001BA
UB4014AA