2006 SUBARU BAJA check transmission fluid

3-13
Instruments and controls
– CONTINUED –
condition has been detected which may damage the
emission control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emission control
system, you should do the following.
y Reduce vehicle speed.
y Avoid hard acceleration.
y Avoid steep uphill grades.
y Reduce the amount of cargo, if possible.
y Stop towing a trailer as soon as possible.
The CHECK ENGINE warning light may stop blinking
and come on steadily after several driving trips. You
should have your vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately. „ Charge warning light
„Charge warning light
„ Warning lights
„ ChargeIf this light comes on when the engine is running, it
may indicate that the char ging system is not working
properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does not go out
after the engine starts, stop the engine at the first safe
opportunity and check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good condition but the
light remains on, contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er immediately. „
Oil pressure warning light
„
Oil pressure warning light
„ Warning lights
„ Oil pressure
Do not operate the engine with the oil pressure
warning light on. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
If this light comes on when the engine is running, it
may indicate that the engine oil pressure is low and the
lubricating system is not working properly.
If the light comes on while driving or does not go out
after the engine starts, stop t he engine at the first safe
opportunity and check the engine oil level. If the oil lev-
el is low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is at the
proper level but the light remains on, contact your
nearest SUBARU dealer immediately. „ AT OIL TEMPerature warning
light (AT vehicles)
„AT OIL TEMPerature warning light
„ Automatic transmission
„ Temperature warning light
„ warning light s
„ AT OIL TEMPeratureThe AT oil temperature warning light comes on when
the ignition switch is tur ned to the “ON” position and
goes out after approximately two seconds.
If this light comes on when the engine is running, it
may indicate that the automatic transmission fluid tem-
perature is too hot.

8-11
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
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
UB8046AA

11 - 1
11
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ................................. 11-3
Maintenance precautions ............................ 11-3 Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................. 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is
running ............................................................ 11-5
Engine hood .................................................. 11-5
Engine compartment overview ................... 11-8 Non-turbo models ............................................. 11-8
Turbo models .................................................... 11-9
Engine oil ...................................................... 11-10 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-10
Changing the oil and oil filter .......................... 11-12
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-15
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .............................. 11-16
Cooling system .... ....................................... .. 11-17
Hose and connections ...................................... 11-18
Engine coolant .................................................. 11-18
Air cleaner element ...................................... 11-23 Replacing the air cleaner element ................... 11-23
Spark plugs ................................................... 11-25 Recommended spark plugs ............................. 11-26
Drive belts ..................................................... 11-26
Manual transmission oil ............................... 11-27 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-27
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-29
Automatic transmission fluid ...................... 11-29 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-29
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-31
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ...... 11-32
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-32
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-33
Rear differential gear oil . .............................. 11-33
Checking the gear oil level .............................. 11-33
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-35
Power steering fluid ...................................... 11-36 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-36
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-38
Brake fluid ..................................................... 11-38 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-38
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-39
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................ 11-40 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-40
Recommended clutch fluid .............................. 11-41
Brake booster ................................................ 11-42
Brake pedal .................................................... 11-42 Checking the brake pedal free play ................ 11-42
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ... 11-43
Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) ..................................................... 11-43Checking the clutch function .......................... 11-43
Checking the clutch pedal free play ............... 11-44
Replacement of brake pad and lining ......... 11-44 Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .... 11-45
Parking brake stroke ......... ........................... 11-46
Tires and wheels ............. .............................. 11-46

11 -2 9
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
„Recommended grade and viscosity„
Recommended
„ Oil grade and viscosityEach oil manufacturer has its own base oils and addi-
tives. Never use differ ent brands together.
Oil grade:
API classification GL-5
SAE viscosity No. and applicable temperature
Automatic transmission fluidAutomatic transmission
Fluid
Fluid level
Automatic transmission
„ Checking the fluid level„Checking
„ Fluid levelThe automatic transmission fluid expands largely as
its temperature rises; the fluid level differs according to
fluid temperature. Therefore, there are two different
scales for checking the level of hot fluid and cold fluid
on the dipstick.
Though the fluid level can be checked without warm-
ing up the fluid on the “COLD” range, we recommend
checking the fluid level when the fluid is at operating
temperature. T Checking the fluid level when the fluid is hot
Check the fluid level monthly.
1. Drive the vehicle several miles to raise the temper-
ature of the transmission fluid up to normal operating
temperature; 158 to 176 °F (70 to 80 °C) is normal.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the park-
ing brake.
3. First shift the selector lever in each position. Then
shift it in the “P” position, and run the engine at idling
speed.
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20 0 60 20
80W
75W/90 80 100
40
85W 90
HSB036BA

11 -3 1
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
A) HOT range
B) COLD range
1) Upper level
2) Lower level
4. Pull out the dipstick and check the fluid level on the
gauge. If it is below the lower level on the “HOT”
range, add the recommended automatic transmission
fluid up to the upper level. T Checking the fluid level when the fluid is cold
When the fluid level has to be checked without time to
warm up the automatic transmission, check to see that
the fluid level is between the lower level and upper lev-
el on the “COLD” range. If it is below that range, add fluid up to the upper level. Be careful not to overfill.
Be careful not to spil
l automatic transmission
fluid when adding it. If automatic transmission
fluid touches the exhaust pipe, it may cause a
bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If automatic
transmission fluid gets on the exhaust pipe, be
sure to wipe it off.
„ Recommended fluid
„Recommended
„ Automatic transmission fluid
“Dexron III” Type Automatic Transmission Fluid
LF
LF
1 2
12
B A
HGB061BB

11 - 3 8
Maintenance and service
tion. „
Recommended fluid
„Recommended
„ Power steering fluid
“Dexron III” Type Automatic Transmission Fluid
Brake fluidBrake
Fluid
Fluid level
Brake
„ Checking the fluid level„Checking
„ Fluid level
yNever let brake fluid contact your eyes be-
cause brake fluid can be harmful to your eyes.
If brake fluid gets in your eyes, immediately
flush them thoroughly with clean water. For
safety, when performing this work, wearing eye
protection is advisable.y Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air.
Any absorbed moisture can cause a dangerous
loss of braking performance.y If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there
may be a leak. If you suspect a problem, have
the vehicle checked at your SUBARU dealer.
y Never use different brands of brake fluid to-
gether. Also, avoid mixing DOT 3 and DOT 4
brake fluids even if they are of the same brand.y When adding brake fluid, be careful not to al-
low any dirt into the reservoir.

14-6
Index
LSD (Limited slip differential) ............................ 7-30 M
Main fuse ......................................................... 11-61
Maintenance
Precautions .................................................. 11-3
Schedule .............. ........................................ 11-3
Seatbelt ........................................................ 1-21
Malfunction indicator lamp (Check Engine
light) ............................................................... 3-12
Manual transmission ......................................... 7-12
Manual transmission oil ................................... 11-27
Map light .............................................................. 6-3
Maximum load limits .......................................... 8-25
Meters and gauges ............................................. 3-6
Mirrors ............................................................... 3-30
Moonroof ........................................................... 2-36 N
New vehicle break-in driving – the first 1,000
miles (1,600 km) .............................................. 8-2
O
Odometer/Trip meter ........................................... 3-6
Off road driving .................................................... 8-9 Oil level
Engine ........................................................ 11-10
Front differential (AT vehi cles) ................... 11-32
Manual transmission .................................. 11-27
Rear differential .............. ............................ 11-33
Oil pressure warning light .................................. 3-13
Outside mirrors .................... .............................. 3-32
Overheating engine ........................................... 9-21 P
Parking Brake ............................................................ 7-35
Brake stroke ............................................... 11-46
Light switch ................................................... 3-23
Periodic inspections ............................................ 8-6Power
Door locking switches ..................................... 2-5
Steering ........................................................ 7-31
Steering fluid .............................................. 11-36
Windows ....................................................... 2-25
R
Rear Center console ............................................... 6-6
Combination lights ...................................... 11-72
Differential gear oil ..................................... 11-33
Seats .............................................................. 1-9