2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX light

6-12
Interior equipment
Ashtray
To open the ashtray, push lightly on the lid below the
climate controls.
Fully close the lid after using it to help reduce residual smoke.
To remove the ashtray for cleaning, hold the right and
left sides of the ashtray and pull it out.NOTE
Particles of ash and tobacco will accumulate
around the hinges of the ashtray’s inner lid. Clean
them off using a toothbrush or other narrow-end-
ed implement.
Do not use ashtrays as waste receptacles or
leave a lighted cigarette in an ashtray. This
could cause a fire.
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6-14
Interior equipment
Coat hook
The coat hook is attached to the rear left passenger’s
hand grip.
Never hang anything on the coat hook that
might obstruct the driver’s view or that could
cause injury in sudden stops or in a collision.
And do not hang items on the coat hook that
weigh 2.2 lbs (1 kg) or more.
Cargo area cover (if equipped)
The cargo area cover is provided for covering the car-
go area and to protect its contents from direct sunlight.
This cover is detachable to make room for additional
cargo. „
Using the cover
To extend the cover, pull the end of the cover out of
the housing, then insert its hooks into the catches as
shown. To rewind it, unhook it from the catches and it
will rewind automatically. You should hold on to the
cover and guide it back into the cover housing while it
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Interior equipment
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Cargo tie-down hooks (if equipped)
The cargo area is equipped with four tie-down hooks
so that cargo can be secured with a cargo net or
ropes.
When using the tie-down hooks, turn them down out of
the storing recesses. When not in use, put the hooks up into the storing recesses.
The cargo tie-down hooks are designed only for
securing light cargo. Never try to secure cargo
that exceeds the capacity of the hooks. The maximum load capacity is 44 lbs (20 kg) per an
hook.
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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 ....................................... 7-9 Manual transmission vehicle ........................... 7-9
Automatic transmission vehicle ...................... 7-10
Stopping the engine ..................................... 7-11
Manual transmission – 6 speeds (WRX-STi) .................................................. 7-12Selecting reverse gear ...................................... 7-12
Shifting speeds ................................................. 7-13
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-14
Manual transmission – 5 speeds (except WRX-STi) ...................................... 7-15Shifting speeds ................................................. 7-15
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-17
Driver’s Control Center Differential (DCCD) (WRX-STi) .................................................. 7-18Auto mode ......................................................... 7-18
Manual mode ..................................................... 7-19
Temporary release ............................................ 7-21
Automatic transmission ............................... 7-22 Selector lever for automatic transmission ..... 7-23
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-27
Limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .............................................. 7-28
Power steering .............................................. 7-29 Braking ........................................................... 7-30
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-30
Brake system .................................................... 7-30
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ........ 7-31
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ..................... 7-31 ABS system self-check .................................... 7-32
ABS warning light ............................................. 7-32
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ........................................................ 7-34Steps to take if EBD system fails .................... 7-34
Parking your vehicle ..................................... 7-36 Parking brake .................................................... 7-36
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-36
Cruise control ................................................ 7-38 To set cruise control ........................................ 7-39
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ....... 7-40
To turn off the cruise control ........................... 7-41
To change the cruising speed ......................... 7-42

7-2
Starting and operating
Starting and operatingFuel
Use of a fuel which is low in quality or use of an
inappropriate fuel additive may cause engine
damage.
„ Fuel requirements
T 2.5-liter non-turbo models
The 2.5-liter non-turbo engine is designed to operate
using unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87
AKI or higher. T 2.0-liter turbo models
The 2.0-liter turbo engine is designed to operate using
premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of
91 AKI or higher. If premium unleaded gasoline is not
available, regular unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 AKI or higher may be temporarily used.
For optimum engine performance and driveability, it is
required that you use premium grade unleaded gaso-
line. T
2.5-liter turbo model
The 2.5-liter turbo engine is designed to operate using
super-premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rat-
ing of 93 AKI or higher. If super-premium unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI or higher is
not available, premium unleaded gasoline with an oc-
tane rating of 91 AKI or higher can be used. For opti-
mum engine performance and driveability, it is recom-
mended that you use super-premium grade unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI or higher. T Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the Research Oc-
tane and Motor Octane numbers and is commonly re-
ferred to as the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane rating can cause
persistent and heavy knocking, which can damage the
engine. Do not be concerned if your vehicle some-
times knocks lightly when you drive up a hill or when
you accelerate. See your dealer or a qualified service
technician if you use a fuel with the specified octane
rating and your vehicle knocks heavily or persistently. T Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed to accept
only an unleaded gasoline filler nozzle. Under no cir-
cumstances should leaded gasoline be used because
it will damage the emission control system and may

7-3
Starting and operating
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impair driveability and fuel economy. TGasoline for California-certified LEV
Your vehicle was certified to California’s low emission
vehicle (LEV) standards as indicated on the under-
hood tune-up label. It is designed to optimize engine
and emission performance with gasoline that meets
the clean burning low-sulfur California gasoline speci-
fications. If you live in any other state than California,
your vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting Federal
specifications. Gasoline sold outside California is per-
mitted to have higher sulfur levels, which may affect
the performance of your vehicle’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or smell.
SUBARU recommends that you try a different brand of
unleaded gasoline having lower sulfur to determine if
the problem is fuel related before returning your vehi-
cle to an authorized dealer for service. T MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-enhancing additive
called MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tri-
carbonyl). If you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and the CHECK
ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on. If this happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs may not be covered by your warranty. T
Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent additives will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system. This helps keep your engine in tune and your
emission control system working properly, and is a
way of doing your part for cleaner air. If you continu-
ously use a high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never need to add any
fuel system cleaning agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called
oxygenates. Use of these fuels can also help keep the
air cleaner. Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol (ethyl or grain
alcohol) may be used in your vehicle, but should con-
tain no more than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now produc-
ing reformulated gasolines, which are designed to re-
duce vehicle emissions. SUBARU approves the use of reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains, you should
ask your service station operators if their gasolines
contain detergents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions.

7-5
Starting and operating
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1. To open the fuel filler lid, pull the lid release lever
up. 1) Open
2) Close
2. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it slowly coun-
terclockwise.
y Gasoline vapor is highly flammable. Before
refueling, always first stop the engine and make
sure that there are no lighted cigarettes, open
flames or electrical sparks in the adjacent area. y When opening the cap, do not remove the
cap quickly. Fuel may be under pressure and
spray out of the fuel filler neck especially in hot
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7-6
Starting and operating
weather, which may cause injury.
3. Stop filling the tank after the fuel filler pump auto-
matically stops. Do not add any more fuel.
4. Put the cap back on, turn it clockwise until you hear
a clicking noise. Be certain not to catch the tether un-
der the cap while tightening.
5. Close the fuel filler lid completely.
If you spill any fuel on the painted surface, rinse it off
immediately. Otherwise, the painted surface could be
damaged.
NOTE
If the fuel filler cap is not tightened until it clicks or
if the tether is caught under the cap, the CHECK
ENGINE warning light may come on. Refer to the
“Warning and indicator lights” section located in
chapter 3.
y Never add any cleaning agents to the fuel
tank. The addition of a cleaning agent may
cause damage to the fuel system. y Make sure that the cap is tightened until it
clicks to prevent fuel spillage in the event of an
accident. y
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of
the vehicle.
Fuels may cause paint damage, which is not
covered under the SUBARU Limited Warranty. y Always use a genuine SUBARU fuel filler cap.
If you use the wrong cap, it may not fit or have
proper venting, and your fuel tank and emis-
sion control system might be damaged.