2005 SUBARU BAJA tailgate

6-19
Interior and exterior equipments
– CONTINUED –
NOTE
Use care when rotating bed extender. Do not per-
mit the buckles to come in contact with vehicle
sheet metal and bed trim.
Closed/Inward Position – With the tailgate closed
and the bed extender in the inward position, small
loads can be placed inside the vehicle bed between
the tailgate and the extender (groceries, ice chests, etc.).
The bed extender should be secured to the rear set of
vehicle cargo hooks. Latch the buckle onto the rear
cargo hooks and then tighten the tether straps. To dis-
engage the tethers, loosen the tether straps and de- press the latch pin. „
Bed extender removal
The bed extender can be removed from the vehicle by
rotating the extender into a vertical position then lifting
straight up.
UB8035AA
UB8036BA

8-10
Driving tips
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. y
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.y 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 engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard. y 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.y 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. y 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. y
Cargo should be evenly distributed over the cargo
bed. Keep heavier items as low and far forward as
possible. Loading the vehicle improperly can deterio-
rate handling capability and contribute to loss of vehi-
cle control.y Be sure the cargo is secured properly. Unsecured
cargo in the cargo bed can be thrown around when
driving on off-road. To prevent loose cargo from enter-
ing the passenger compartment, always close the
switchback door while driving off-road. y Always close the tailgate while driving off-road. Also
remove the bed extender (if so equipped) to avoid
damage. y 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. y 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). y Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than those
specified in this manual. y Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving.
Suspension components are particularly prone to dirt
buildup, so they need to be washed thoroughly.

8-21
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
The license plate bracket will hit the hitch ball
and may be damaged if the tailgate is opened
and the license plate bracket is at the lowered/ open position. Close the tailgate and return the
license plate bracket to its normal position
flush against the tailgate itself whenever you
tow a trailer or whenever a trailer is hitched to
the vehicle.
1. Before connecting the ball mount to the hitch re-
ceiver, close the tailgate and return the license plate
bracket to its normal retracted position up against the
tailgate. Refer to “License plate bracket” under the
heading “Tailgate” in chapter 2 for more information on
the function of the license plate bracket.
2. Remove the receiver cover from the hitch receiver
tube. Then insert the ball mount into the hitch receivertube. 3. Insert the hitch pin into the hole on the hitch receiv-
er tube so that the pin passes through the ball mount.
UB8018BA

8-24
Driving tips
„
When you do not tow a trailer
Remove the ball mount from the hitch receiver
tube when the tailgate is open and the bed ex-
tender is used. The rear license plate will not be
visible because the license plate bracket can
not be used at the lowered/open position when
the ball mount is connected.
In addition, the license plate bracket will hit the
hitch ball and may be damaged if the tailgate is
opened and the license plate bracket is at the
lowered/open position.
y Remove the ball mount from the hitch receiver tube
and insert the receiver cover onto the hitch receiver tube.y Place the dust cap over the four-pin connector of the
hitch wire harness to protect against possible damage.y Occasionally lubricate terminals of the four-pin con-
nector using the terminal grease, and cover with the
attached rubber cap.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed and intended to be used pri-
marily to carry passengers and cargo. Towing a trailer
puts additional loads on your vehicle’s engine, driv-
etrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an ad-
verse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and satis-
faction depend upon proper use of correct equipment
and cautious operation of your vehicle. Seek the ad-
vice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in purchas-
ing a hitch and other necessary towing equipment ap-
propriate for your vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow
the instructions on correct installation and use provid-
ed by the trailer and other towing equipment manufac- turers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or ve-
hicle damage that result from trailer towing equipment,
or from any errors or omissions in the instructions ac-
companying such equipment or for your failure to fol-
low the proper instructions. „ Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage
or malfunction caused by trailer towing. If you use your
vehicle to tow a trailer, more frequent maintenance will
be required due to the additional load. (Refer to “Main-

9-7
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
Spare tire
The spare tire is stored in the spare tire holder located
under the rear of the cargo bed.
The spare tire holder has a hoist mechanism that can
lower and raise the spare tire easily. The spare tire
holder is designed to carry only the temporary spare
tire that comes with your vehicle.
Before using the temporary spare tire, see the “Tem-
porary spare tire” section in this chapter for instruc-
tions and precautions. „
Removing the spare tire
1. Take the wheel nut wrench out of the tool bag. Re-
fer to the “Jack and tools” section in this chapter for its
storage location.
2. Open the tailgate and remove the rubber cap from
the cargo bed. Pull up the “RELEASE” portion of the
cap when removing it.
3. Locate the hex-headed hoist shaft end inside the
hole.
UB9053BA
UB9054BA

11 - 2
Maintenance and service
Types of tires .................................................... 11-45
Tire inspection .................................................. 11-46
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-46
Wheel balance ................................................... 11-49
Wear indicators ................................................. 11-49
Tire rotation ....................................................... 11-50
Tire replacement ............................................... 11-50
Wheel replacement ........................................... 11-51
Aluminum wheels ......................................... 11-52
Windshield washer fluid .............................. 11-52
Replacement of windshield wiper blades .. 11-53
Battery ........................................................... 11-56
Fuses ............................................................. 11-57
Main fuse ....................................................... 11-60
Installation of accessories .......................... 11-60
Replacing bulbs ............................................ 11-61 Headlight ........................................................... 11-64
Front fog light ................................................... 11-68
Front turn signal light, parking light and side marker light .................................................... 11-69
Rear combination lights ................................... 11-70
Tail light (on the tailgate) ................................. 11-72
License plate light ............................................ 11-74
Map light, dome light and door step light ...... 11-76
High mount stop and cargo light assembly ... 11-77
Sport activity lights (if equipped) .................... 11-79

11 - 7 0
Maintenance and service
4. Remove the bulb from the socket by pushing it and
turning counterclockwise. Install a new bulb in the socket.
5. Set the bulb socket into the headlight assembly and
turn it clockwise until it locks.
6. Set the headlight assembly into the vehicle body.
Tighten the mounting screws. „
Rear combination lights
Rear combination lights are composed of the rear turn
signal/brake/tail light and back up lights. T Rear turn signal/Brake/Tail and Back up lights
The rear turn signal/brake/tail light is one bulb with two filament types.
If any one of them malfunctions, replace the bulb with
a new one.
1. Open the tailgate.
2. Pry the cover from the side of the rear combination
light.
UBB020BA
UBB083BA

11 - 7 2
Maintenance and service
„
Tail light (on the tailgate)
1. Open the tailgate.
2. Remove the tailgate trim by loosening the installa- tion screws. 3. Remove the tail light cover by loosening the instal-
lation screws.
UBB086BA
UBB087BA