2005 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX tires

11
–
CONTINUED –
„Driving with pets
Unrestrained pets can interfere with your driving and
distract your attention from driving. In a collision or
sudden stop, unrestrained pets or cages can be
thrown around inside the vehicle and hurt you or your
passengers. Besides, the pets can be hurt under
these situations. It is also for their own safety that pets
should be properly restrained in your vehicle. Restrain
a pet with a special traveling harness which can be se-
cured to the rear seat with a seatbelt or use a pet car-
rier which can be secured to the rear seat by routing a
seatbelt through the carrier’s handle. Never restrain
pets or pet carriers in the front passenger’s seat. For
further information, consult your veterinarian, local an-
imal protection society or pet shop. „ Tire pressures
Check and, if necessary, adjust the pressure of each
tire (including the spare) at least once a month and be-
fore any long journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are cold. Use a
pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the val-
ues shown on the tire placard.
Refer to the “Tires and wheels” section in chapter 11
for detailed information.
Driving at high speeds with excessively low tire
pressures can cause the tires to deform severe-
ly and to rapidly become hot. A sharp increase
in temperature could cause tread separation,
and destruction of the tires. The resulting loss
of vehicle control could lead to an accident.
„ California proposition 65 warning
Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and
certain vehicle components contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other repro-
ductive harm. In addition, certain fluids in vehi-
cles and certain components of product wear
contain or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm.

14
Illustrated index „Exterior
10
12 11 8 7 965
4
3
12UGF054BB
1) Engine hood (page 11-5)
2) Headlight switch (page 3-30)
3) Replacing bulbs (page 11-69)
4) Wiper switch (page 3-38)
5) Moonroof (page 2-33)
6) Door locks (page 2-6)
7) Tire pressure (page 11-48)
8) Flat tires (page 9-5)
9) Tire chains (page 8-16)
10) Front fog light button (page 3-
36)
11) Tie-down hooks (page 9-17)
12) Towing hooks (page 9-17)

1-31
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
– CONTINUED –
The front sub sensors are located in both front
fenders and the SRS airbag control module in-
cluding the impact sensors is located under the
center console. If you need service or repair in
those areas or near the front seatbelt retrac-
tors, we recommend that you have an autho-
rized SUBARU dealer perform the work.
NOTE
If the front part of the vehicle is damaged in an ac-
cident to the extent that the seatbelt pretensioner
does not operate, contact your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible. „Precautions against vehicle modifica- tion
Always consult your SUBARU dealer if you want to in-
stall any accessory parts to your vehicle.
Do not perform any of the following modifica-
tions. Such modifications can interfere with
proper operation of the seatbelt pretensioners. y
Attachment of any equipment (bush bar,
winches, snow plow, skid plate, etc.) other than
genuine SUBARU accessory parts to the front
end. y Modification of the suspension system or
front end structure. y Installation of a tire of different size and con-
struction from the tires specified on the tire
placard attached to the driver’s door jamb.

1-76
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
should be made to any components or wiring of
the SRS airbag system.
This includes following modifications:
yInstallation of custom steering wheels
y Attachment of additional trim materials to
the dashboard y Installation of custom seats (for vehicles
with SRS side airbags only) y Replacement of seat fabric or leather (for
vehicles with SRS side airbags only)y Installation of additional fabric or leather
on the front seat (for vehicles with SRS side
airbags only)
y Installation of additional electrical/electronic
equipment such as a mobile two-way radio on
or near the SRS airbag system components
and/or wiring is not advisable. This could inter-
fere with proper operation of the SRS airbag
system.
Do not perform any of the following modifica-
tions. Such modifications can interfere with
proper operation of the SRS airbag system. y Attachment of any equipment (brush bar, winches, snow plow, skid plate, etc.) other than
genuine SUBARU accessory parts to the front
end. y
Modification of the suspension system or
front end structure. y Installation of a tire of different size and con-
struction from the tires specified on the tire
placard attached to the driver’s door jamb.y Attachment of any equipment (side steps or
side sill protectors, etc.) other than genuine
SUBARU accessory parts to the side body (for
vehicles with side airbags only).
Always consult your SUBARU dealer if you want to in-
stall any accessory parts to your vehicle.

3-23
Instruments and controls
– CONTINUED –
If the light comes on while driving, it is unnecessary to
stop the vehicle, but avoid driving up steep grades or
in stop and go traffic. TAutomatic transmission control system warn- ing
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it may indi-cate that the automatic transmission control system is
not working properly. Contact your nearest SUBARU
dealer for service immediately. „ Rear differential oil temperature
warning light (WRX-STi)
Reduce vehicle speed and park the vehicle in a
safe place as soon as possible if the R.DIFF
TEMP light comes on. Continued driving with
this light on can damage the rear differential
and other parts of the powertrain.
If this light comes on when the engine is running, it
may indicate that the rear differential oil temperature is
too hot.
At this time, the driver’s control center differential will automatically cancel the current torque-distribution ra-
tio setting and adopts its minimum ratio.
If the light comes on while driving, reduce vehicle
speed and stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place.
Park the vehicle for several minutes. After the light
goes out, you can start driving.
If the light does not go out, contact the nearest
SUBARU dealer for service.
NOTE y
If the tire pressures are not correct and/or the
tires are not all the same size and brand, the rear
differential will be heavily loaded when the vehicle
is driven, resulting in an abnormally high oil tem-
perature.y The rear differential oil will deteriorate if its tem-
perature increases enough for the rear differential
oil temperature warning light to come on. It is ad-
visable to have the rear differential oil replaced as
soon as possible. „ 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.
(U.S.) (Canada)

3-26
Instruments and controls
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “MIN” mark, DO
NOT drive the vehicle. Instead, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair. „
Door open warning light
The door open warning light comes on if any door or
the rear gate is not fully closed.
Always make sure this light is out before you start to
drive. „ All-wheel drive warning light
(for AWD AT vehicles – if
equipped)
The all-wheel drive warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes
out after about two seconds.
This light comes on when All Wheel Drive is disen-
gaged and the drive mechanism is switched to Front
Wheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes
(Non-turbo vehicles).
It flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of differing
diameters fitted on the wheels or with an excessively
low air pressure in any of the tires.
Continuing to drive with the AWD warning light
flashing can damage the powertrain. If the AWD
warning light starts to flash, promptly park in a
safe place and check whether the tires have dif-
fering diameters and whether any of the tires
has an excessively low inflation pressure.
„ Intercooler water spray warning
l i g h t ( W R X - S T i )
This light comes on when the water level in the inter-
cooler water spray tank falls to the lower limit (about
0.4 US qt, 0.4 liter, 0.4 Imp qt).

7-9
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks and adjust-
ments every day before you start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and lights are
clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of the tires.
Also check tires for proper inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
4. Check that the hood, trunk and rear gate are fully
closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mir-
rors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your passengers
have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and indicator
lights when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” po- sition.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warning lights af-
ter starting the engine.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer flu-
id and other fluid levels should be checked daily,
weekly or at fuel stops.
Starting the engine
Do not operate the starter motor continuously
for more than ten seconds. If the engine fails to
start after operating the starter for five to ten
seconds, wait for ten seconds or more before
trying again.
„ Manual transmission vehicle
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Press the clutch pedal to the floor and shift the shift
lever into neutral. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor
while starting the engine.
The starter motor will only operate when the clutch
pedal is pressed fully to the floor.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position and
check the operation of the warning and indicator lights.
Refer to the “Warning and indicator lights” section(chapter 3).
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START” position
without depressing the accelerator pedal. Release
the key immediately after the engine has started.

7-22
Starting and operating
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is recon-
nected (Turbo model only) or ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you may feel that
the automatic transmission operation is some-
what 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.
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.
y
Shift 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.