8-42
Driving tips
!
Driving on grades
" 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." When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating." 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.
NOTE
With AT vehicles, the temperature of engine cool-
ant is less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT zone in
the “D” position than in the manual mode position. " 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. !
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and trailer
when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. You
should not park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the
vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the
regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the park-
ing brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmission)
or “P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the en-
gine.
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
"Do 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." 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. " 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.
HS9003BA
9-27
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
Rear tie-down hooks:
The rear tie-down hooks are located near each of the
jack-up reinforcements.
Use the rear tie-down hooks only for downward
anchoring. If they are used to anchor the vehi-
cle in any other direction, cables may slip off
the hooks, possibly causing a dangerous situa-
tion. !
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 manualtransmission 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.
UB9514DAUB9530AA
9-28
In case of emergency
!
Towing with all wheels on the ground
"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." 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.
" If transmission failure occurs, transport your
vehicle on a flat-bed truck. " 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. " 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 truck.
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.UB9219BA
11 - 2
Maintenance and service
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ... 11-47
Parking brake stroke .................................... 11-48
Tires and wheels .......................................... 11-49 Types of tires .................................................... 11-49
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) ................................................... 11-49
Tire inspection .................................................. 11-51
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-52
Wheel balance ................................................... 11-54
Wear indicators ................................................. 11-55
Tire rotation ....................................................... 11-55
Tire replacement ............................................... 11-56
Wheel replacement ........................................... 11-57
Aluminum wheels ......................................... 11-57
Windshield washer fluid .............................. 11-58
Replacement of wiper blades ...................... 11-60 Windshield wiper blades assembly ................ 11-60
Windshield wiper blade rubber ....................... 11-61
Rear window wiper blade assembly ............... 11-63
Rear window wiper blade rubber .................... 11-64
Battery ........................................................... 11-67
Fuses ............................................................. 11-68
Main fuse ....................................................... 11-71
Installation of accessories .......................... 11-72
Replacing bulbs ............................................ 11-73 Headlight ........................................................... 11-74
Parking light ...................................................... 11-76
Front turn signal light ...................................... 11-76
Front fog light (if equipped) ............................. 11-76
Rear combination lights ................................... 11-76
Backup light (Station wagon) .......................... 11-79
License plate light ............................................ 11-80 Dome light ......................................................... 11-82
Map light ............................................................ 11-83
Door step light .................................................. 11-84
Cargo area light ................................................ 11-85
Trunk light ......................................................... 11-86
High mount stop light ...................................... 11-86
11 - 4
Maintenance and service
the materials in the vehicle may be hazardous if
improperly used or handled, for example, bat-tery acid. "
Your vehicle should only be serviced by per-
sons fully competent to do so. Serious person-
al injury may result to persons not experienced
in servicing vehicles. " Always use the proper tools and make certain
that they are well maintained. " Never get under the vehicle supported only
by a jack. Always use a safety stands to sup-
port the vehicle. " Never keep the engine running in a poorly
ventilated area, such as a garage or other
closed areas. " Do not smoke or allow open flames around
the fuel or battery. This will cause a fire. " Because the fuel system is under pressure,
replacement of the fuel filter should be per-
formed only by your SUBARU dealer." Wear adequate eye protection to guard
against getting oil or fluids in your eyes. If
something does get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water. " Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS air-
bag system or seatbelt pretensioner system, or
attempt to take its connectors apart, as that may activate the system or it can render it inop-
erative. The wiring and connectors of these
systems are yellow for easy identification. NEV-
ER use a circuit tester for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner
needs service, consult your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
! Before checking or servicing in the en-
gine compartment
"Always stop the engine and set the parking
brake firmly to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing. " Always let the engine cool down. Engine
parts become very hot when the engine is run-
ning and remain hot for some time after the en-
gine is stopped." Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid or any other fluid on hot engine compo-
nents. This may cause a fire." Always remove the key from the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position, the cooling fan may operate suddenly
11 -4 7
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
Replacement of brake pad and lining
If you continue to drive despite the scraping
noise from the audible brake pad wear indica-
tor, it will result in the need for costly brake ro-
tor repair or replacement.
The right front disc brake and the right rear disc brake
have an audible wear indicators on the brake pads. If
the brake pads wear close to their service limit, the
wear indicator makes a very audible scraping noise when the brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time you apply the
brake pedal, have the brake pads serviced by your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. !
Breaking-in of new brake pads and lin- ings
When replacing the brake pad or lining, use only gen-
uine SUBARU parts. After replacement, the new parts
must be broken in as follows: ! Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40 mph (50 to 65
km/h), step on the brake pedal lightly. Repeat this five
or more times. ! Parking brake lining
A safe location and situation should be select-
ed for break-in driving.
Pulling the parking brake lever too forcefully
HS7012BA
11 - 4 8
Maintenance and service
may cause the rear wheels to lock. To avoid
this, be certain to pull the lever up slowly and
gently.
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of about 22 mph (35
km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button pushed in,
pull the parking brake lever SLOWLY and GENTLY.
(Pulling with a force of approximately 33 lbs [147 N, 15 kg].)
3. Drive the vehicle for about 220 yards (200 meters)
in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking brake to cool
down. Repeat this procedure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the parking
brake stroke is out of the specified range, adjust it by
turning the adjusting nut located on the parking brake
lever.
Parking brake stroke:
5 – 6 notches / 44 lbs (196 N, 20 kg)
Parking brake stroke
Check the parking brake stroke according to the main-
tenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”. When the parking brake is properly adjusted,
braking power is fully applied by pulling the lever up
five to six notches gently but firmly (about 44 lbs, 196
N, 20 kg). If the parking brake lever stroke is not within the specified range, have the brake system checked
and adjusted at your SUBARU dealer.
UBB568BA