2005 SUBARU IMPREZA engine

8-16
Driving tips
dent.
Your vehicle is equipped with “summer tires” as origi-
nal equipment, which are inadequate for driving on
slippery roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads.
Compared with winter and all-season tires, summer
tires give significantly less grip on snowy and icy road
surfaces. Therefore, use of winter tires is strongly rec-
ommended when driving with such road conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on your vehi-
cle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type. You
must install four winter tires that are of the same size,
construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this
may result in dangerous handling characteristics.
When you choose a tire, make sure that there is
enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of
the type of tires on your vehicle. „ Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require the
use of tire chains, in which case put the chains on the
front wheels only. Use only SAE class S type chains
that are of the correct size for your tires so as not to damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below
19 mph (30 km/h).
When a temporary spare tire is on a front wheel, re-
place the temporary spare tire with the rear tire on the
same side of the vehicle, and then fit chains on the
front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire
chains — overconfidence because you are driving
with tire chains could easily lead to a serious accident.
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed below
because of lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.y
225/45R17 tires for WRX-STi
yOptional 215/45R17 tires for WRX
„ Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow, 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 possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when

8-29
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed and intended to be used pri-
marily as a passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a trail-
er 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- tenance schedule under severe driving conditions” in
the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer be towed with
a new vehicle or a vehicle with any new powertrain
component (engine, transmission, differential, wheel
bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
driving. „
Maximum load limits
Never exceed the maximum load limits ex-
plained below. Exceeding the maximum load
limits could cause personal injury and/or vehi-
cle damage.
yAdequate size trailer brakes are required
when the trailer and its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs
(453 kg) total weight. y Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total
weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load. Make
sure the load and its distribution in your vehicle

8-39
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
tance is required because of the added weight and
length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
y Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes prac-
tice. When backing up with a trailer, never accelerate
or steer rapidly. When turning back, grip the bottom of
the steering wheel with one hand and turn it to the left
for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn. y If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle
is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs
performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU deal- er. T
Driving on grades
y Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift
into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to
utilize the engine braking effect and prevent overheat-
ing of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden
downshifts.y When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating.y When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature gauge pointer (for all vehicles)
and AT OIL TEMP warning light (for AT vehicles) since
the engine and transmission are relatively prone to
overheating under these conditions. If the water tem-
perature gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT
zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates,
immediately switch off the air conditioner and stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheating” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and
indicator lights” section in chapter 3. y If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid
using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an
uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to over-
heat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automat-
ic transmission, avoid driving with the gear selector le-
ver in “D” when towing a heavy trailer to prevent fluid
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9-1
9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency ................................................. 9-2
Temporary spare tire .................................... 9-3
Flat tires ......................................................... 9-5 Changing a flat tire ........................................... 9-5
Jump starting ................................................ 9-13 How to jump start ............................................. 9-14
Engine overheating ....................................... 9-16 If steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-16
If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment .................................................. 9-16
Towing ........................................................... 9-17 Towing and tie-down hooks ............................ 9-18
Using a flat-bed truck ....................................... 9-20
Towing with all wheels on the ground ............ 9-21
Rear gate – if the rear gate cannot be unlocked ..................................................... 9-22
Moonroof – if the moonroof cannot be closed ......................................................... 9-23
Maintenance tools ......................................... 9-24 Jack and jack handle ........................................ 9-24

9-4
In case of emergency
1) Spare fuse
2) FWD connector
NOTE
(If your vehicle is AWD with automatic transmis-
sion, except Turbo models) Before driving your
vehicle with the temporary spare tire, put a spare fuse inside the FWD connector in the main fuse
box located in the engine compartment and con-
firm that the Front-wheel drive warning light
“AWD” in the combination meter comes on. The
all wheel drive capability of the vehicle has now
deactivated. After re-installing the conventional
tire, remove the spare fuse from the FWD connec-
tor in order to reactivate all wheel drive.
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare
tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not de-
signed to sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing can result in
failure of the spare tire and/or less stability of
the vehicle and may lead to an accident.
Never use any temporary spare tire other than
the original. Using other sizes may result in se-
vere mechanical damage to the drive train of
your vehicle.
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9-5
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
Flat tires
If you have a flat tire while driving, never brake sud-
denly; keep driving straight ahead while gradually re-
ducing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place. „Changing a flat tire
yDo not jack up the vehicle on an incline or a
loose road surface. The jack can come out of
the jacking point or sink into the ground and
this can result in a severe accident.y Use only the jack provided with your vehicle.
The jack supplied with the vehicle is designed
only for changing a tire. Never get under the ve-
hicle while supporting the vehicle with this jack. y Always turn the engine off before raising the
flat tire off the ground using the jack. Never
swing or push the vehicle supported with the
jack. The jack can come out of the jacking point
due to a jolt and this can result in a severe acci-
dent. 1. Park on a hard, level surface, whenever possible,
then stop the engine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and shift a manual
transmission vehicle in reverse or an automatic trans-
mission vehicle in the “P” (Park) position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher and have ev-
eryone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear of the tire di-
agonally opposite the flat tire.
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9-14
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.

9-15
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
1) Booster battery
2) Engine lifting bracket
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14
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1) Connect one jumper cable to the
positive (+) terminal on the dis-
charged battery.
2) Connect the other end of the
jumper cable to the positive (+) ter-
minal of the booster battery.
3) Connect one end of the other
cable to the negative (–) terminal
of the booster battery.
4) Connect the other end of the ca-
ble to the engine lifting bracket.
Make sure that the cables are not
near any moving parts and that the
cable clamps are not in contact
with any other metal.