2004 SUBARU LEGACY battery

6-19
Interior equipment
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Accessory power outlet „In the luggage compartment (if
equipped)
Electrical power (12V DC) from the battery is on tap at
the outlet when the ignition switch is either in the
“ACC” or “ON” position.
You can use an in-car use electrical appliance by con-
necting it to the outlet.
NOTE
The trim cover has a notch through which the con-
nected electrical appliance’s cord can be passed.
y Do not attempt to use a cigarette lighter in the
accessory power outlet. y Do not place any foreign objects, especially
metal ones such as coins or aluminum foil, into
the accessory power outlet. That could cause a
short circuit. Always put the cap on the acces-
sory power outlet when it is not in use.y Use only electrical appliances which are de-
signed for 12V DC and which consume less
than 120W. Overloading the accessory power
outlet can cause a short circuit. Do not use dou-
ble adapters or more than one electrical appli-
ance.y If the plug on your electric appliance is either
too loose or too tight for the accessory power
outlet, this can result in a poor contact or cause
the plug to get stuck. Only use plugs that fit
properly. y Use of an electric appliance in the accessory
power outlet for a long period of time while the
engine is not running can cause battery dis-
charge.
UB7008EA

7-15
Starting and operating
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Automatic transmission (L, L-S, OUT-
BACK)
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
yShift into the “P” or “R” position only after
the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting
while the vehicle is moving may cause damage
to the transmission.y Do not race the engine for more than five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or the tires are on
blocks. This may cause the automatic transmis-
sion fluid to overheat. y Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such
shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is recon-
nected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is re-
placed, you may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected and stored in
memory to allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current condition
of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored
as the vehicle continues to be driven for a while.

7-21
Starting and operating
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Automatic transmission (with SPORTSHIFT mode – 2.5GT,
2.5GTLO)
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
yShift into the “P” or “R” position only after
the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting
while the vehicle is moving may cause damage
to the transmission. y Do not race the engine for more than five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or when wheel
blocks are used. This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat. y Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed. Also, it
has a SPORTSHIFT mode.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is recon-
nected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is re-
placed, you may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has collected and
stored in memory to allow the transmission to
shift at the most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will
be restored as the vehicle continues to be driven
for a while.

7-33
Starting and operating
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„ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after
about two seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
If the warning light behaves as follows, the ABS
system may not be working properly.
When the warning light is on, the ABS function
shuts down; however, the conventional brake
system continues to operate normally. y
The warning light does not come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position.y The warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position, but it
does not go out even when the vehicle speed
exceeds approximately 8 mph (12 km/h). y The warning light comes on during driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by your SUBARU
dealer.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as described be-
low, the ABS system may be considered normal. y The warning light comes on right after the en-
gine is started but goes out immediately, remain-
ing off. y The warning light remains on after the engine
has been started, but it goes out when the vehicle
speed reaches about 8 mph (12 km/h). y The warning light comes on during driving, but
it goes out immediately and remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery voltage such as when the engine is jump started, the ABS warning
light may come on. This is due to the low battery volt-UB4010LA

7-34
Starting and operating
age and does not indicate a malfunction. When the
battery becomes fully charged, the light will go out.
VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) sys-
tem (if equipped)
Always use the utmost care in driving – over-
confidence because you are driving with a VDC
system equipped vehicle could easily lead to a
serious accident.
y
Even if your vehicle is equipped with VDC,
winter tires should be used when driving on
snow-covered or icy roads; in addition, vehicle
speed should be reduced considerably. Simply
having a VDC system does not guarantee that
the vehicle will be able to avoid accidents in
any situation.y Activation of the VDC system is an indication
that the road being travelled on has a slippery
surface; since having VDC is no guarantee that
full vehicle control will be maintained at all
times and under all conditions, its activation
should be seen as a sign that the speed of the
vehicle should be reduced considerably.

8-11
Driving tips
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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 winterstarts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder 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. T
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.
UB3010AA

9-15
In case of emergency
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place.Jump starting
yBattery fluid is SULFURIC ACID. Do not let it
come in contact with the eyes, skin, clothing or
the vehicle.
If battery fluid gets on you, thoroughly flush the
exposed area with water immediately. Get med-
ical help if the fluid has entered your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, imme-
diately drink a large amount of milk or water,
and obtain immediate medical help.
Keep everyone including children away from the battery.y The gas generated by a battery explodes if a
flame or spark is brought near it. Do not smoke
or light a match while jump starting.y Never attempt jump starting if the discharged
battery is frozen. It could cause the battery to
burst or explode.y Whenever working on or around a battery, al-
ways wear suitable eye protectors, and remove
metal objects such as rings, bands or other
metal jewelry. y Be sure the jumper cables and clamps on
them do not have loose or missing insulation.

9-16
In case of emergency
Do not jump start unless cables in suitable con-
dition are available.y
A running engine can be dangerous. Keep
your fingers, hands, clothing, hair and tools
away from the cooling fan, belts and any other
moving engine parts. Removing rings, watches
and ties is advisable.
When your vehicle does not start due to a run down
(discharged) battery, the vehicle may be jump started
by connecting your battery to another battery (called
the booster battery) with jumper cables.
Jump starting is dangerous if it done incorrectly. If you
are unsure about the proper procedure for jump start-
ing, consult a competent mechanic. „ How to jump start
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 volts and the
negative terminal is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not let
the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and accessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in the sequence
illustrated.