2006 SUBARU BAJA brake

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Starting and operating
„
ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after
approximately two seconds.This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
If the warning light behaves as follows, the ABS
system may not be working properly.
When the warning light is on, the ABS function
shuts down; however, the conventional brake
system continues to operate normally. y
The warning light does not come on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position.
y The warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to th e “ON” position, but it
does not go out even when the vehicle speed
exceeds approximately 8 mph (12 km/h). y The warning light comes on during driving.
If these occur, have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by your SUBARU
dealer.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as described in the
following, the ABS system may be considered nor-
mal. y The warning light comes on right after the en-
gine is started but goes out immediately, remain-
ing off. y The warning light remains on after the engine
has been started, but it goes out when the vehicle
speed reaches approximately 8 mph (12 km/h). y The warning light comes on during driving, but
it goes out immediately and remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery voltage such
as when the engine is jump started, the ABS warning
light may come on. This is due to the low battery volt-
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7-35
Starting and operating
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age and does not indicate a malfunction. When the
battery becomes fully charged, the light will go out.Parking your vehicle
yNever leave unattended children or pets in
the vehicle. They could accidentally injure
themselves or others through inadvertent oper-
ation of the vehicle. Also, on hot or sunny days,
the temperature in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause severe
or possibly fatal injuries to them. y Do not park the vehicle over flammable mate-
rials such as dry grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come near hot en-
gine or exhaust system parts.y Be sure to stop the engine if you take a nap in
the vehicle. If engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occupants in the ve-
hicle could die from carbon monoxide (CO)
contained in the exhaust gas.
Never drive while the parking brake is set be-
cause this will cause unnecessary wear on the
brake linings. Before starting to drive, always

7-36
Starting and operating
make sure that the parking brake has been fully
released.
To set the parking brake, press the brake pedal firmly
and hold it down while fully pulling up the parking
brake lever.
To release the parking brake, pull the lever up slightly,
press the release button, then lower the lever while
keeping the button pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the engine is run-
ning, the parking brake warning light comes on. After
starting the vehicle, be sure that the warning light has
gone out before the vehicle is driven. Refer to the “Warning and indicator lights” section (chapter 3).
When parking your vehicl
e, always set the parking
brake firmly and put the shift lever in the “1” (1st) for an
upgrade or “R” (Reverse) for a downgrade for manual
transmission vehicles, or in the “P” (Park) position for
automatic transmission vehicles. Always set the park-
ing brake firmly when parking your vehicle. Never rely
on the transmission alone to hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the steering wheel.
When the vehicle is headed up the hill, the front
wheels should be turned away from the curb.
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7-39
Starting and operating
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When the accelerator pedal is released, the vehicle
will return to and maintain the previous cruising speed. „To temporarily cancel the cruise con- trol
There are five ways to cancel the cruise control tem-
porarily: y Depress the brake pedal.
y Pull the control lever in the “CANCEL” direction.
y Depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission ve-
hicles only). y Shift the selector lever into the “N” position (auto-
matic transmission vehicles only). y Shift the shift lever into neutral position (manual
transmission vehicles only).
The “ ” indicator light in the combination meter
goes off when the cruise control is cancelled.
To resume the cruise control after it has been tempo-
rarily canceled and with vehicle speed of approximate-
ly 20 mph (32 km/h) or more , push the control lever up-
ward in the “ACCEL, RESUME ” direction to return to
the original cruising speed automatically.
The “ ” indicator light in the combination meter
will automatically come on at this time. „
To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control: y Push the main switch again.
y Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC” position (but
only when the vehicle is completely stopped). „ To change the cruising speed
T To increase the speed (by control lever)
Push the control lever upward in the “ACCEL, RE-
SUME” direction and hold it until the vehicle reaches
the desired speed. Then, release the control lever.
The vehicle speed at that moment will be memorized
and treated as the new set speed.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed
and the set speed is less than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the
set speed can be increased 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each
time by pressing the control lever upward in the “AC-
CEL, RESUME” direction quickly. T To increase the speed (by accelerator pedal)
1. Depress the accelerator pedal to accelerate the ve-
hicle to the desired speed.
2. Push the control lever downward in the “SET,
COAST” direction once. Now the desired speed is set
and the vehicle will keep running at that speed without

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Starting and operating
depressing the accelerator pedal.
NOTE
If the difference between the actual vehicle speed
when the control lever is pushed downward and
the speed last time you set is less than 4 mph (6.8
km/h), the vehicle speed will be lowered by 1 mph
(1.6 km/h). This occurs because the cruise control
system unit regards this lever operation as that in-
tended to decrease the vehicle speed. T
To decrease the speed (by control lever)
Push the control lever downward in the “SET, COAST”
direction and hold it until the vehicle reaches the de-
sired speed. Then, release the control lever. The vehi-
cle speed at that moment will be memorized and treat-
ed as the new set speed.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed
and the set speed is less than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the
set speed can be lowered 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time
by pressing the control lever downward in the “SET,
COAST” direction quickly. T To decrease the speed (by brake pedal)
1. Depress the brake pedal to release cruise control
temporarily.
2. When the speed decreases to the desired speed, press the control lever downward in the “SET,
COAST” direction once. Now the desired speed is set
and the vehicle will keep running at that speed without
depressing the accelerator pedal. „
Cruise control set indicator light
T Non-turbo models
The light comes on when vehicle speed has been set. T Turbo models
The Cruise set indicator light comes on when the igni-
tion switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out
after approximately three seconds.
The light comes on when vehicle speed has been set.
NOTE y If you move the cruise control lever while turn-
ing the ignition switch “ON”, the cruise control
function is deactivated and the cruise control set
indicator light flashes. To reactivate the cruise
control function, turn the ignition switch back to
the “ACC” or “LOCK” posi tion, and then turn it
again to the “ON” position.y If this indicator light and the “ ” indicator
light flash simultaneously during driving, have the
vehicle checked by your nearest SUBARU dealer.

8-2
Driving tips
Driving tipsNew vehicle break-in driving – the
first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
The performance and long life of your vehicle are de-
pendent on how you handle and care for your vehicle
while it is new. Follow these instructions during the
first 1,000 miles (1,600 km):y
Do not race the engine. And do not allow engine
speed to exceed 4,000 rpm except in an emergency.y Do not drive at one constant engine or vehicle
speed for a long time, either fast or slow. y Avoid starting suddenly and rapid acceleration, ex-
cept in an emergency. y Avoid hard braking, except in an emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be applied to a
newly installed or overhauled engine or when brake
pads or brake linings are replaced with new ones.
Fuel economy hints
The following suggestions will help to save your fuel. y Select the proper gear position for the speed and
road conditions. y Avoid sudden acceleration or deceleration. Always
accelerate gently until you reach the desired speed.
Then try to maintain that speed for as long as possible. y Do not pump the accelerator and avoid racing the
engine. y Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
y Keep the engine properly tuned.
y Keep the tires inflated to the correct pressure shown
on the tire placard, which is located under the door
latch on the driver’s side. Low pressure will increase
tire wear and fuel consumption.y Use the air conditioner only when necessary.
y Keep the front and rear wheels in proper alignment.
y Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or cargo.

8-10
Driving tips
less of its depth, it can wa
sh away the ground from un-
der your tires, resulting in possible loss of traction and
even vehicle rollover. y Always check your brakes for effectiveness immedi-
ately after driving in sand, mud or water. Do this by
driving slowly and stepping on the brake pedal. Re-
peat that process several times to dry out the brake
discs and brake pads.y Do not drive or park over or near flammable materi-
als such as dry grass or fallen leaves, as they may
burn easily. The exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard. y After driving thro ugh tall grass, m ud, rocks, sand,
rivers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stones, sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is used with these materials
trapped or adhering to the underbody, a mechanical
breakdown or fire could occur.y Secure all cargo carried inside the vehicle and make
certain that it is not pi led higher than the seatbacks.
During sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could
be thrown around in the vehicle and cause injury. y Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. Those loads
raise the vehicle’s center of gravity and make it more
prone to tip over. y
Cargo should be evenly distributed over the cargo
bed. Keep heavier items as low and far forward as
possible. Loading the vehicle improperly can deterio-
rate handling capability and contribute to loss of vehi-
cle control.y Be sure the cargo is secured properly. Unsecured
cargo in the cargo bed can be thrown around when
driving on off-road. To prev ent loose cargo from enter-
ing the passenger compartment, always close the
switchback door while driving off-road. y Always close the tailgate while driving off-road. Also
remove the bed extender (if so equipped) to avoid
damage. y If you must rock the vehicle to free it from 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 pos-
sible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle. y When the road surface is extremely slippery, you
can obtain better traction by starting the vehicle with
the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT). y Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than those
specified in this manual. y Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving.
Suspension components are particularly prone to dirt
buildup, so they need to be washed thoroughly.

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Driving tips
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yFrequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driv-
ing conditions such as rough roads or off roads will ne-
cessitate more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified in
the maintenance schedule described in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to your SUBARU while
operating it off-road and not using common sense pre-
cautions such as those listed above is not eligible for
warranty coverage.Winter driving „ Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire
chains, a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares, a
small shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures re-
duce battery capacity. The battery must be in good
condition to provide enough power for cold winterstarts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder
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