2006 SUBARU BAJA Owners Manual

8-12
Driving tips
starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them
with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open
may damage or separate
the rubber weather strips around the door. If the door
is frozen, use hot water to melt the ice, and afterwards
thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an anti-
freeze solution. Do not us e engine antifreeze or other
substitutes because they may damage the paint of the
vehicle.
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid contains 58.5%
methyl alcohol and 41.5% surfactant, by volume. Its
freezing temperature varies according to how much it
is diluted, as indicated in the following table.
In order to prevent freezing of washer fluid, check the
freezing temperatures in the table above when adjust-
ing the fluid concentration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with a different concentration from the one us
ed previously, purge the
old fluid from the piping between the reservoir tank
and washer nozzles by operating the washer for a cer-
tain period of time. Otherwise, if the concentration of
the fluid remaining in the piping is too low for the out-
side temperature, it may freeze and block the nozzles.
Adjust the washer fluid concentration appropri-
ately for the outside temperature. If the concen-
tration is inappropriate, sprayed washer fluid
may freeze on the windshield and obstruct your
view, and the fluid may freeze in the reservoir
tank.
T Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice
from your shoes because that could make the pedals
slippery and dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driving, check
that the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and all other
controls operate smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accumulated under
the fenders to avoid making steering difficult. During
Washer Fluid Concentration Freezing Temperature
30% 10.4 °F (–12 °C)
50% –4 °F (–20 °C)
100% –49 °F (–45 °C)

8-13
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
severe winter driving, stop when and where it is safe
to do so and check under the fenders periodically. TParking in cold weather
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under
your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the engine running.
Do not use the parking brake when parking for long
periods in cold weather since it could freeze in that po-
sition. Instead, observe the following.
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual trans-
mission vehicles, and in “P” for automatic transmission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent the vehicle
from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or when it snows,
raise the wiper blades off the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked after use on
roads heavily covered with snow, or has been left
parked during a snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor braking action. Check for snow or ice buildup on the suspension, disc
brakes and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, being careful
not to damage the disc brakes and brake hoses and ABS harness. T
Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel sys-
tem and the risk of its freez ing, use of an antifreeze ad-
ditive in the fuel tank is recommended during cold
weather.
Use only additives that are specifically designed for
this purpose. When an antifreeze additive is used, its
effect lasts longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used for an extend-
ed period, it is best to have the fuel tank filled to capac-
ity. „ Driving on snowy and icy roads
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads
such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause
loss of vehicle control.

8-14
Driving tips
Avoid prolonged continuous driving in snow-
storms. Snow will enter the engine’s intake sys-
tem and may hinder the air flow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even breakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden brak-
ing, abrupt acceleration, high-speed driving, and
sharp turning when driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid the need for sud-
den braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake
effectively to control the vehicle speed. (Shift into a
lower gear when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can
cause the wheels to lock, po ssibly leading to loss of
vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehi-
cle’s braking performance on snowy and icy roads.
Refer to the “ABS (Anti-lo ck Brake System)” section in
chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery sur- faces. T
Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure the wiper
blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster wit h the airflow control dial
in the “ ” position and the temperature control dial
set for maximum warmth until the wiper blades are
completely thawed out. If your vehicle is equipped with
a wiper deicer, it is helpful to thaw the windshield wiper
blades.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stick on
the surface of the windshield despite wiper operation,
use the defroster with the airflow control dial in “ ”
and the temperature control dial set for maximum
warmth. After the windshield gets warmed enough to
melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away using the
windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the wiper from
working effectively. If snow is stuck on the wiper arm,
pull off the road to a safe pl ace, then remove it. If you
stop the vehicle at road side, use the hazard warning
flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades
(winter blades) during the seasons you could have
snow and sub-zero temperatures. Blades of this type

8-15
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
give superior wiping performance in snowy conditions.
Be sure to use blades that are suitable for your vehi-cle.
During high-speed driving, non-freezing type
wiper blades may not perform as well as stan-
dard wiper blades. If this happens, reduce the
vehicle speed.
NOTE
When the season requiring non-freezing type wip-
er blades is over, replace them with standard wip-
er blades. „Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection” section (chapter
10). „ Snow tires
yWhen replacing original tires with winter
(snow) tires, make sure you use only the same size and construction as recommended. Using
other sizes and construction may affect speed-
ometer/odometer calibration and clearance be-
tween the body and tires. It also may be danger-
ous and lead to loss of vehicle control.y
You must install four winter tires that are of
the same size, circumferences, construction,
brand, and load range. Mixing other sizes, cir-
cumferences or constructions may result in se-
vere mechanical damage to the drive train of
your vehicle and may affect ride, handling,
braking and speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion. It also may be dangerous and lead to loss
of vehicle control.y Do not use a combination of radial, belted
bias or bias tires since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristi cs and lead to an acci-
dent.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires” which
are designed to provide an adequate measure of trac-tion, handling and braking performance in year-round
driving. In winter, it may be possible to enhance per-
formance through use of tires designed specifically for
winter driving conditions.
If you choose to install winte r tires on your vehicle, be
sure to use the correct tire size and type. You must in-

8-16
Driving tips
stall four winter tires that
are of the same size, con-
struction, brand and load range and you should never
mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may re-
sult in dangerous handling characteristics. When you
choose a tire, make sure that there is enough clear-
ance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of
the type of tires on your vehicle.
Your vehicle comes with P225/60R16 “all season
tires” as original equipment. You should be aware
that some winter tires with that same size designa-
tion may actually be too large for the vehicle and
may cause rubbing on sharp turns. Listed in the
following is the winter ti re size that we recom-
mend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size
P215/60R16 Studless
„ Tire chains
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed in the
following because of lack of clearance between the tires and vehicle body.y
P225/60R16 tires
yP215/60R16 winter (snow) tires
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, replace 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.
„ 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
trying to free the vehicle.

8-17
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can
obtain better traction by st arting the vehicle with the
transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
Refer to the “Automatic transmission” section in chap-
ter 7 for information on holding the transmission in 2ndposition.Loading your vehicle
Never allow passengers to ride on a folded rear
seatback or in the cargo bed. Doing so may re-
sult in serious injury.
y Never stack luggage or other cargo higher
than the top of the seatback because it could
tumble forward and injure passengers in the
HS8005BA

8-18
Driving tips
event of a sudden stop or accident. Keep lug-
gage or cargo low, as close to the floor as pos-sible. y
When you carry something inside the vehicle,
secure it whenever you can to prevent it from
being thrown around inside the vehicle during
sudden stops, sharp turns or in an accident. y Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These
loads raise the vehicle’s center of gravity and
make it more prone to tip over. y Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri-
ous injury during a sudden stop. y Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you
do, some parts on your vehicle can break, or it
can change the way your vehicle handles. This
could result in loss of control and cause per-
sonal injury. Also, overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle. y Cargo should be evenly distributed over the
cargo bed. Keep heavier items as low and far
forward as possible. Loading the vehicle im-
properly can deteriorate handling capability
and contribute to loss of vehicle control. y Be sure the cargo is secured properly. Unse-
cured cargo in the cargo bed can be thrown
around during sudden braking, in a sharp turn or during rapid acceleration, which could cre-
ate a dangerous road hazard.
Do not carry spray cans, containers with flam-
mable or corrosive liquids or any other danger-
ous items inside the passenger compartment.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry unneeded
cargo.

8-19
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
„Vehicle capacity weight The load capacity of your vehicle is determined by
weight, not by available cargo space. The maximum
load you can carry in your
vehicle is shown on the ve-
hicle placard attached to the driver’s side door pillar. It
includes the total weight of the driver and all passen-
gers and their belongings, any optional equipment
such as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier, etc.,
and the tongue load of a trailer. „ GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The certification label atta ched to the driver’s side
UB8031BA
UB8053BA
UB8043BA