2006 SUBARU BAJA wheel

7-18
Starting and operating
T
3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking when going
down a hill or for climbing a grade.
The transmission automatica lly shifts into a suitable
gear from 1st to 3rd according to the vehicle speed
and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this position,
press the accelerator pedal fully to the floor and hold
that position. The transmission will automatically
downshift to 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear
position. T 2 (Second)
This position is for using engine braking when going
down a hill or for climbing a steep grade.
In this position, the transm ission holds in the 2nd gear.
Use this position when starting off from a standstill on
slippery road surfaces such as mud or snow. It will en-
sure greater traction. T 1 (First)
This position is for driving up or down very steep
grades, or driving through mud or sand, or on slippery
surfaces. In this position, the transmission holds in the
1st gear. T
Maximum speeds
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the ve-
hicle is not travelling at a speed exceeding the
Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear which
is about to be selected. Failure to observe this
precaution can lead to engine over-revving and
this in turn can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of engine
brakes when the vehicle is travelling on a slip-
pery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost
and the risk of an accident increased.
The following tables show the maximum speeds that
are possible with each different gear.
When shifting down a gear, it is important to confirm
that the current vehicle spee d is not in excess of the
Maximum Allowable Speed of the gear which is about
to be selected.

7-21
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
Automatic transmission (Turbo mod-
els)
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 when chocks are
used in the wheels. This may cause the auto-matic transmission 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 dama ge to the transmis-
sion. y
When parking the vehicle, first securely apply
the parking brake and then place the selector
lever in the “P” position. Avoid parking for a
long time with the selector lever in any other
position as doing so could result in a dead bat-
tery.
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
and provides 4 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed.
Also, it has a manual mode.
NOTE y When the engine coolant temperature is still
low, your vehicle’s auto matic transmission will
up-shift at higher engine speeds than when the
coolant temperature is sufficiently high in order to
shorten the warm-up time and improve driveabili-
ty. The gearshift timing w ill automatically shift to
the normal timing after th e engine has warmed up.
y Immediately after ATF (automatic transmission
fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic
transmission operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data which 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

7-23
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
locked to prevent the vehicle from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the parking brake
fully, then shift into the “P” position. Do not hold the ve-
hicle with only the transmission.
A shift interlock function is employed in the automatic
transmission system to ensure safe starting of the ve-
hicle.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to any other po-
sition, you have to depress the brake pedal fully then
push the release button on the selector lever when the
ignition switch is in the “ON” position. This prevents
the vehicle from lurching when it is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “P” position
with the brake pedal depressed, the release button
pushed in, and the ignition switch in the ON position,
refer to the “Shift lock release” section in this chapter. T R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.To shift from the “N” to “R” position, first stop the vehi-
cle completely then move the lever to the “R” position
while pressing the release button. T
N (Neutral)
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever
in the “N” (neutral) position. Engine braking
has no effect in this condition and the risk of an
accident is consequently increased.
This position is for restarting a stalled engine.
In this position the wheels and transmission are not
locked. In this position, the transmission is neutral; the
vehicle will roll freely, even on the slightest incline un-
less the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine braking effect.
NOTE
If the selector lever is in the “N” position when you
stop the engine for parking, you may not subse-
quently be able to move it to the “R” and “P” posi-
tions. If this happens, tu rn the ignition switch to
the “ON” position. You wi ll then be able to move
the selector lever to the “P” position.
T D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.

7-28
Starting and operating
matic transmission from damage. y
The transmission does not automatically shift
up in the SPORTSHIFT mo de. Perform gearshifts
in accordance with road conditions so that the ta-
chometer needle does not enter the red zone. If the
engine speed reaches a predetermined level, a
fuel-cut function will operate. Shift up if this hap-
pens.y If you attempt to shi ft down when the engine
speed is too high, i.e., when a downshift would
push the tachometer needle beyond the red zone,
beeps will be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible. y If you attempt to shift up when the vehicle speed
is too low, the transmission will not respond. y You can perform a skip-shift (for example, from
4th to 2nd or from 2nd to 4th) by operating the se-
lector lever twice in rapid succession. y The transmission automatically selects 1st gear
when the vehicle stops moving. It will not permit a
standing start in 2nd gear. T Maximum speeds
When down shifting a gear, ensure that the ve-
hicle is not travelling at a speed exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear which
is about to be selected. Failure to observe this
precaution can lead to engine over-revving and
this in turn can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of engine brak-
ing caused by downshifting when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can lead to
wheel locking; as a consequence, control of the
vehicle may be lost and
the risk of an accident
increased.
The following tables show the maximum speeds that
are possible with each different gear.
When down shifting, it is im portant to confirm that the
current vehicle speed is not in excess of the Maximum
Allowable Speed of the gear which is about to be se- lected. mph (km/h)
*: SPORTSHIFT mode Position Turbo models
1 29 (47), 36 (58) *
2 60 (96), 62 (100) *
3 102 (164), 102 (164) *

7-30
Starting and operating
4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver, push down the but-
ton and move the selector le
ver from the “P” to the “N”
position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole. Depress
the brake pedal and start the engine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU dealer im-
mediately to have the system repaired.
Limited slip di fferential (LSD)
yNever start the engine while a tire on one side
is jacked up, as the vehicle may move. y If one rear tire is spinning in mud, avoid con-
tinued spinning at high speed as this could ad-
versely affect the LSD.y If a different size rear tire is temporarily used
(as in an emergency), it will adversely affect the
LSD. Always replace it with a regular size tire as
soon as possible.
The LSD provides optimum distribution of power ac-
cording to the difference in revolutions between the
right and left rear wheels that may be caused by cer-
tain driving conditions, ther eby improving driving sta-
bility on snow-covered, muddy or other slippery roads.UB7040BA

7-31
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
Power steering
Do not hold the steering wheel at the fully
locked position left or right for more than five
seconds. This may damage the power steering
pump.
The power steering system operates only when the
engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system fails to function, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
NOTE
Right after the engine has been started and before
it has warmed up, you may hear a noise coming
from areas adjacent to the power steering pump
which is located at the right-front area of the en-
gine compartment. This noise is normal. It does
not indicate power steering system trouble.
Braking „Braking tips
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This can cause dangerous overheating
of the brakes and needless wear on the brake
pads and linings.
T When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result, brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehi-
cle at a safe speed while lightly depressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. T Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addition
to foot braking. When descending a grade, if only the
foot brake is used, the brakes may start working im-
properly because of brake fluid overheating, caused
by overheated brake pads. To help prevent this, shift
into a lower gear to get stronger engine braking.

7-33
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Always use the utmost care in driving – over-
confidence because you are driving with an
ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to a se-
rious accident.
yThe ABS system does not always decrease
stopping distance. You should always maintain
a safe following distance from other vehicles. y When driving on badly surfaced roads, gravel
roads, icy road, or over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be longer for a vehicle
with the ABS system than one without. When
driving under these conditions, therefore, re-
duce your speed and leave ample distance from
other vehicles. y When you feel the ABS system operating,
you should maintain constant brake pedal pres-
sure. Do not pump the brake pedal since doing
so may defeat the operation of the ABS system. The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which
may occur during sudden braking or braking on slip-
pery road surfaces. This helps prevent the loss of
steering control and directional stability caused by
wheel lock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a
chattering noise or feel a slight vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal when the ABS operates. The ABS system will not ope
rate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). „ ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and hear the opera ting sound of ABS from the engine com-
partment just after the vehi cle is started. This is
caused by an automatic functional test of the ABS sys-
tem being carried out and does not indicate any abnor-
mal condition.

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.
UB4001BA
UB7033AA