2006 SUBARU BAJA ignition

6-20
Interior and exterior equipments
Cargo lamp
The cargo lamp comes on and goes off whenever the
cargo lamp switch is pushed regardless of the position
of the ignition switch. The cargo lamp indicator light lo-
cated in the meter panel will illuminate when the cargo
lamp is on.
When leaving your vehicle, make sure the lamp is
turned off to avoid battery discharge.
Do not switch on the cargo lamp while drivingto avoid distracting other drivers.
UB3018AA
UB7023DA

6-25
Interior and exterior equipments
– CONTINUED –
1) Front section
2) Rear section
The hard bed cover can be used to cover the entire
cargo area. Its front sect ion and rear section can be
opened separately. Also, the bed cover can be re-
moved and reinstalled as desired.
The bed cover is water-resistant, but not waterproof.
Water may enter the cargo bed during heavy rain or if
an automatic car wash is used. „ Locking and unlocking the bed cover
There is a special key for use with the hard bed cover.
The key number is stamped on the metal plate at- tached to the key. Writ
e down the key number and
keep it in another safe place, not in the vehicle. This
number is needed to make a replacement key if you lose your key.
1) Hard bed cover key
2) Key number plate
Unlock the front and rear sections of the bed
cover using the special key only. Never use the
ignition key or door key to do this, as these
keys will damage the bed cover’s key cylinders.
12
UB6078BA
112
UB6083BA

7-8
Starting and operating
y
A state emission inspection may reject (not pass or
fail) a vehicle if the numbe r of OBD system readiness
monitors “Not Ready” is greater than one. Under this
condition, the vehicle opera tor should be instructed to
drive his/her vehicle for a few days to set the monitors
and return for an emission re-inspection. y Owners of rejected or failing vehicles should contact
their SUBARU Dealer for service.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 is 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.

7-9
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
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 en-
gine. 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. If the engine does not start, try the following.
1) Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF” position and
wait for at least 10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly set, turn the ignition switch to
the “START” position while depressing the acceler-
ator pedal slightly (about a quarter of the full stroke).
Release the accelerator pedal as soon as the en-
gine starts.
2) If this fails to start th e engine, turn the ignition
switch back to the “OFF” position and wait for at
least 10 seconds. Then fully depress the accelerator
pedal and turn the ignition switch to the “START”
position. If the engine starts, quickly release the ac-
celerator pedal.
3) If this fails to start th e engine, turn the ignition
switch again to the “OFF” position. After waiting for
10 seconds or longer, turn the ignition switch to the
“START” position without depressing the accelera-
tor pedal.
4) If the engine still refuses to start, contact your
nearest SUBARU deale r for assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator lights have
gone off after the engine has started. The fuel injection
system automatically lowers the idle speed as the en-
gine warms up.
NOTE (Turbo models)
The engine may be difficult to start when the bat-

7-10
Starting and operating
tery has been disconnected and reconnected (for
maintenance or other purposes). This difficulty is
caused by the electronically controlled throttle’s
self-diagnosis function. To
overcome it, keep the
ignition switch in the “O N” position for approxi-
mately 10 seconds before starting the engine. „ Automatic transmission vehicle
If you restart the engine while the vehicle is
moving, shift the selector lever into the “N” po-
sition. Do not attempt to place the selector lever
of a moving vehicle into the “P” position.
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Shift the selector lever to the “P” or “N” position
(preferably “P” position). Th e starter will only operate
when the select lever is at the “P” or “N” position.
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.
If the engine does not start, try the following.
1) Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF” position and
wait for at least 10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly set, turn the ignition switch to
the “START” position while depressing the acceler-
ator pedal slightly (about a quarter of the full stroke).
Release the accelerator pedal as soon as the en-
gine starts.
2) If this fails to start the engine, turn the ignition
switch back to the “OFF” position and wait for at
least 10 seconds. Then fully depress the accelerator
pedal and turn the ignition switch to the “START”
position. If the engine starts, quickly release the ac-
celerator pedal.
3) If this fails to start the engine, turn the ignition
switch again to the “OFF” position. After waiting for 10 seconds or longer, turn the ignition switch to the
“START” position without depressing the accelera-
tor pedal.
4) If the engine still refuses to start, contact your
nearest SUBARU dealer for assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator lights have
gone out after the engine ha s started. The fuel injec-
tion system automatically lowers the idle speed as the
engine warms up.

7-11
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
While the engine is warming up, make sure that the
selector lever is at the “P” or “N” position and that the
parking brake is applied.
NOTE (Turbo models)
The engine may be difficult to start when the bat-
tery has been disconnected and reconnected (for
maintenance or other purposes). This difficulty is
caused by the electronically controlled throttle’s
self-diagnosis function. To overcome it, keep the
ignition switch in the “O N” position for approxi-
mately 10 seconds before starting the engine.
Stopping the engine
Do not stop the engine when the vehicle is mov-
ing. This will cause loss of power to the power
steering and the brake booster, making steer-
ing and braking more difficult. It could also re-
sult in accidental activation of the “LOCK” po-
sition on the ignition switch, causing the steer-
ing wheel to lock.
The ignition switch should be turned off only when the
vehicle is stopped and the engine is idling.

7-16
Starting and operating
: With the brake pedal depressed, move the lever
along the gate.
: Move the lever along the gate.
The selector lever has seven positions.
T P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and starting the
engine.
In this position, the transmission is mechanically
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 automatictransmission system to ensure
safe starting of the ve-
hicle.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to the any other
position, you have to depress the brake pedal fully
when the ignition switch is in the “ON” position. This
prevents the vehicle from lu rching when it is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “P” position
with the brake pedal depressed, refer to the “Shift lock
release” section in this chapter.
T R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from “N” to “R” posi tion, first stop the vehicle
completely then move the lever to “R” position.T N (Neutral)
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever
in the “N” (neutral) po sition. 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.
HS7010BA

7-19
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
mph (km/h)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
NOTE y In order to prevent over-revving during acceler-
ation of the vehicle, the transmission will automat-
ically shift to the next highest gear if the Maximum
Allowable Speed for the current gear is exceeded.y Similarly, in order to prevent over-revving dur-
ing deceleration of the ve hicle, the transmission
will remain in the current gear if the speed of the
vehicle is in excess of the Maximum Allowable
Speed for the gear to which the selector lever has
been moved. „ Driving tips
y Always apply the foot or parking brake when the ve-
hicle is stopped in the “D”, “3 ”, “2”, “1” or “R” position.
y Always set the parking brake when parking your ve- hicle. Do not hold the vehicle with only the transmis- sion.y
Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary position on
an uphill grade by using the “D”, “3”, “2”, or “1” position.
Use the brake instead.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock when the
vehicle rapidly accelerates or rapidly pulls away from
a standstill. This phenomenon does not indicate a
fault. „ Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from the “P” posi-
tion with the brake pedal depressed and the ignition
switch in the “ON” posit ion, perform the following
steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the edge with the
flat-head screwdriver.
Position Non-turbo models
1 23 (38)
2 55 (89)
3 91 (147)