2006 SUBARU BAJA overheating

3-25
Instruments and controls
– CONTINUED –
Wiper and washerWiper and washer
In freezing weather, do not use the windshield
washer until the winds hield is sufficiently
warmed by the defroster.
Otherwise the washer fluid can freeze on the
windshield, blocking your view.
y Do not operate the washer continuously for
more than ten seconds, or when the washer flu-
id tank is empty. This may cause overheating of
the washer motor. Check the washer fluid level
frequently, such as at fuel stops. y Do not operate the wipers when the wind-
shield or rear window is dry. This may scratch
the glass, damage the wiper blades and cause
the wiper motor to burn out. Before operating
the wiper on a dry windshield or rear window,
always use the windshield washer.y In freezing weather, be sure that the wiper
blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear
window before switching on the wipers. At- tempting to operate th
e wiper with the blades
frozen to the window glass could cause not
only the wiper blades to be damaged but also
the wiper motor to burn out. If the wiper blades
are frozen to the window glass, be sure to oper-
ate the defroster, wiper deicer (if equipped) or
rear window defogger before turning on the
wiper.y If the wipers stop during operation because
of ice or some other obstruction on the window,
the wiper motor could burn out even if the wiper
switch is turned off. If this occurs, promptly
stop the vehicle in a safe place, turn the ignition
switch to the “LOCK” position and clean the
window glass to allow proper wiper operation. y Use clean water if wind shield washer fluid is
unavailable. In areas where water freezes in
winter, use SUBARU Wind shield Washer Fluid
or the equivalent. (See “Windshield washer flu-
id” section in chapter 11.)
Also, when driving the vehicle when there are
freezing temperatures, use non-freezing type
wiper blades.y Do not clean the wiper blades with gasoline
or a solvent, such as paint thinner or benzene.
This will cause deterioration of the wiper

6-9
Interior and exterior equipments
– CONTINUED –
yDo not place any foreign objects, especially
metal ones such as coins or aluminum foil, into
the accessory power outlet. That could cause a
short circuit. Always put the cap on the acces-
sory power outlet when it is not in use.y Use only electrical appliances which are de-
signed for 12V DC and which consume less
than 120W. Overloading the accessory power
outlet can cause a short circuit. Do not use dou-
ble adapters or more than one electrical appli-
ance.y If the plug on your elec tric appliance is either
too loose or too tight for the accessory power
outlet, this can result in a poor contact or cause
the plug to get stuck. Only use plugs that fit
properly. y Use of an electric appliance in the accessory
power outlet for a long period of time while the
engine is not running can cause battery dis-
charge.y Do not raise the rear seat cushion while an
electric appliance is plugged into the accessory
power outlet. The rear seat cushion would hit
the electric appliance, possibly damaging the
accessory power outlet and the electric appli-
ance.
Cigarette lighter socket
y The electrical power socket located on the
lower part of the instrument panel is originally
designed to use a genuine SUBARU cigarette
lighter plug. Do not use non-genuine cigarette
lighter plugs in the socket. Doing so may cause
a short-circuit and overheating, resulting in a fire. y If the socket is ever used for a plug-in acces-
sory such as a cell phone, they may damage the
portion of the socket’s internal mechanism that
causes a cigarette lighter plug to “pop out” af-
ter its lighter element is heated. Therefore, do
not place a cigarette lighter plug in a socket
that has been used, even once, to power a plug-
in accessory. Doing so may cause the plug to
stick and overheat, creating a potential fire haz-
ard.y Do not place any foreign objects, especially
metal ones such as coins or aluminum foil, into
the socket. That could cause a short circuit.

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.

8-35
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
yBacking up with a trailer is difficult and takes prac-
tice. When backing up with a trailer, never accelerate
or steer rapidly. When turning back, grip the bottom of
the steering wheel with one hand and turn it to the left
for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn.
y If the ABS warning li ght illuminates while the vehicle
is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs
performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU deal-er. T Driving on grades
y Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift
into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to
utilize the engine braking ef fect and prevent overheat-
ing of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden
downshifts.y When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating.y When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature gauge pointer (for all vehicles)
and AT OIL TEMP warning light (for AT vehicles) since
the engine and transmission are relatively prone to
overheating under these conditions. If the water tem-
perature gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT
zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates,
immediately switch off the ai r conditioner and stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheating” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and indicator lights” se
ction in chapter 3.
NOTE (Turbo models only)
In a vehicle that has an automatic transmission,
the engine is less likely to overheat with the “D”
range selected than it is with the manual mode se-
lected. y If your vehicle has an autom atic transmission, avoid
using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an
uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to over-
heat. y Non-turbo models only: If your vehicle has an auto-
matic transmission, place the selector lever as follows:
Uphill slopes: “D” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear position to use en-
gine braking T Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and trailer
when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. You
should not park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the

9-1
9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an emergency .. 9-2
Jack and tools ............................................... 9-3 Location of jack and tools ............................... 9-3
Removing jack and tool bag ............................ 9-3
Restoring jack and tools .................................. 9-5
Spare tire ....................................................... 9-7 Removing the spare tire ................................... 9-7
Re-storage of spare tire ................................... 9-9
Temporary spare tire .................................... 9-10 Using the temporary spare tire ........................ 9-10
Flat tires ......................................................... 9-12 Changing a flat tire ........................................... 9-12
Jump starting ................................................ 9-18 How to jump start ............................................. 9-19
Engine overheating ....................................... 9-21 If steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-21
If no steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-21
Towing ........................................................... 9-22 Towing and tie-down hooks ............................ 9-23
Using a flat-bed truck ....................................... 9-27
Towing with all wheels on the ground ............ 9-27

9-21
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster bat-
tery and run it at moderate speed. Then start the en-
gine of the vehicle that has the discharged battery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in
exactly the reverse order.Engine overheating
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until
the engine has been shut off and has fully
cooled down. When the engine is hot, the cool-
ant is under pressure. Removing the cap while
the engine is still hot could release a spray of
boiling hot coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, pull off the road safely and
stop the vehicle in a safe place. „ If steam is coming from the engine
compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. „ If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compart- ment.

14-4
Index
Differential gear oil
Front ........................................................... 11-32
Rear ............................................................ 11-33
Dimensions ........................................................ 12-2
Disarming the system ............................... 2-21, 2-23
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............ 7-32
Dome light ................................................ 6-2, 11-78
Door ajar warning lights ..................................... 3-15
Door locks ........................................................... 2-3
Drive belts ....................................................... 11-26
Driving
Car phone/cell phone ........................................ 8
Drinking ............................................................. 7
Drugs ................................................................. 7
Foreign countries ............. ............................... 8-6
Pets ................................................................... 8
Snowy and icy roads .................................... 8-13
Tips ..................................... 7-14, 7-19, 7-29, 8-7
Tired or sleepy ................................................... 8
E
Electrical system . ........................................... ... 12-3
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ................. 1-16
Engine
Compartment overview ................................. 11-8
Coolant ....................................................... 11-18
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) .................... 8-3 Hood ............................................................. 11-5
Oil ............................................................... 11-10
Overheating .................................................. 9-21
Starting ........................................................... 7-9
Stopping ....................................................... 7-11
Exterior care ..................... ................................. 10-2
F
Flat tires ............................................................ 9-12
Floor mat ........................................................... 6-15
Fluid level Automatic transmission ..... ......................... 11-29
Brake .......................................................... 11-38
Clutch ......................................................... 11-40
Power steering ........................................... 11-36
Folding down the rear seat ................................ 1-10
Front Differential gear oil ..................................... 11-32
Fog light ...................................................... 11-70
Fog light button ............................................. 3-24
Seatbelt pretensioners ................................. 1-24
Seats .............................................................. 1-2
Turn signal light, parking light and side
marker light .............................................. 11-71
Fuel ..................................................................... 7-2 Economy hints ................................................ 8-2
Filler door and cap .......................................... 7-4

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