2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX Owners Manual

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
32
2
14
1
UG9512BB
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.

9-16
In case of emergency
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster bat-
tery and run it at moderate speed. Then start the en-
gine of the vehicle that has the discharged battery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in
exactly the reverse order.Engine overheating
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until
the engine has been shut off and has fully
cooled down. When the engine is hot, the cool-
ant is under pressure. Removing the cap while
the engine is still hot could release a spray of
boiling hot coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the road and
stop the vehicle in a safe place. „ If steam is coming from the engine
compartment
Turn the engine off and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. „ If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compart- ment.

9-17
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is not
turning, immediately turn the engine off and contact
your authorized dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature has dropped, turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the overheated
zone, turn the engine off.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, check the
coolant level in the reserve tank.
If the coolant level is below the “LOW” mark, add cool-
ant up to the “FULL” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, add cool-
ant to the reserve tank. Then remove the radiator cap
and fill the radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot radiator, first
wrap a thick cloth around the radiator cap, then turn
the cap counterclockwise slowly without pressing
down until it stops. Release the pressure from the ra-
diator. After the pressure has been fully released, re-
move the cap by pressing down and turning it.Towing
If towing is necessary, it is best done by your SUBARU
dealer or a commercial towing service. Observe the
following procedures for safety.
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT and MT) with
the front wheels raised off the ground while the
rear wheels are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while the front
wheels are on the ground. This will cause the
vehicle to spin away due to the operation or de-
UG9513BA

9-18
In case of emergency
terioration of the center differential.
„ Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in an emergen-
cy (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle from mud, sand or
snow).
Front towing hook:
1. Take out the towing hook, screwdriver and wheel
nut wrench from the on board tool bag.
2. Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the slot at point A
on the front passenger side fog light cover, then use it
to pry the cover upward. The tabs at point A on the fog light cover will come free of the bumper.
3. Pull the entire fog light cover toward you.
4. Screw the towing hook into the threaded hole until
its thread becomes invisible.
5. Tighten the towing hook securely using the wheel
nut wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from the vehicle
and stow it in the tool bag.
Fit the fog light cover on the bumper.
y
Do not use the towing hook except when tow-
ing your vehicle.
A
UG9030BB
UG9526BA

9-19
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
yBe sure to remove the towing hook after tow-
ing. Leaving the towing hook mounted on the
vehicle could interfere with proper operation of
the SRS airbag system in a frontal collision.
Rear towing hook:
To prevent deformation to the front bumper and
the towing hook, do not apply excessive lateral
load to the towing hook. Tie-down hooks:
1) Tie-down hook
2) Towing and tie-down hook
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1 1
2
1
HG9018BB

9-20
In case of emergency
y
Use only the specified towing hook and tie-
down hook. Never use suspension parts or oth-
er body parts for towing or tie-down purposes. y Never use the tie-down hook on the under-
side of the vehicle closest to the muffler for
towing purposes.
„ Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your vehicle. Use the
following procedures to ensure safe transportation. 1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” position for au-
tomatic transmission vehicles or “1st” for manual
transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier properly with
safety chains. Each safety chain should be equally
tightened and care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
If your vehicle has a front underspoiler and rear
underspoiler (both optional), be careful not to
scrape them when placing the vehicle on the
carrier and when removing the vehicle from the
carrier.
HG9023AA

9-21
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
„Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Check the transmission and differential oil levels
and add oil to bring it to the upper level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the transmis-
sion in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the “ACC” position
while the vehicle is being towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to prevent dam-
age to the vehicle.
y Never turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”
position while the vehicle is being towed be- cause the steering wheel and the direction of
the wheels will be locked.y
Remember that the brake booster and power
steering do not function when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is turned off, it will
take greater effort to operate the brake pedal
and steering wheel.
y If transmission failure occurs, transport your
vehicle on a flat-bed track. y Do not run the engine while being towed us-
ing this method. Transmission damage could
result if the vehicle is towed with the engine
running. y For vehicles with automatic transmission,
the traveling speed must be limited to less than
20 mph (30 km/h) and the traveling distance to
less than 31 miles (50 km). For greater speeds
and distances, transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed track.
HG9024AA