2006 SUBARU IMPREZA lock

Starting and operating 7-19
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NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during
deceleration of the vehicle, the trans-
mission 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
Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”, “3 ”,
“ 2 ”, “1 ” or “R ” position.
Always set the parking brake when parking your vehicle. Do not hold the vehi-
cle with only the transmission.
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 is not an indication of a
problem in your vehicle.
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from
the “P ” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the ignition switch in the “ON ”
position, perform the following steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the en-
gine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool
bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the
edge with the screwdriver.
4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector lever from the “P ” to the
“ N ” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start the en-
When shifting down a gear, ensure
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to ob-
serve this precaution can lead to en-
gine 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 slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accident in-
creased.
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Starting and operating 7-21
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Power steering
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 adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is nor-
mal. It does not indicate power steering
system trouble.
Braking
Braking tips
When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a re-
sult, brake stopping distance will be long-
er. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at
a safe speed while lightly depressing the
brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking.
Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a tire is punctured. This could cause
a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep driv-
ing straight ahead while gradually reduc-
ing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to
a safe place.
Brake system
Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit
brake systems. Each circuit works diago-
nally across the vehicle. If one circuit of
the brake system should fail, the other half
of the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer
to the floor than usual and you will need to
press it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop the
vehicle.
Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to push the pedal much harder
than normal and the braking distance will
increase.
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.
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.

7-22 Starting and operating
Disc brake pad wear warning
indicators
The disc brake pad wear warning indica-
tors on the disc brakes give a warning
noise when the brake pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard
from the disc brakes while braking, imme-
diately have your vehicle checked by your
SUBARU dealer.
ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem)
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of
wheels which may occur during sudden
braking or braking on slippery road surfac-
es. 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 operate when the
vehicle speed is below approximately 6
mph (10 km/h).
ABS system self-check
Just after the vehicle is started, you may
feel on the brake pedal a vibration similar
to when the ABS operates, and you may
also hear the sound of the ABS working
from the engine compartment. This is
caused by an automatic functional test of
the ABS system being carried out and
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Always use the utmost care in driv-
ing – overconfidence because you
are driving with an ABS equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident.
The ABS system does not always
decrease stopping distance. You
should always maintain a safe fol-
lowing distance from other vehi-
cles.
When driving on badly surfaced
roads, gravel roads, icy roads, 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,
reduce your speed and leave am-
ple distance from other vehicles.
When you feel the ABS system
operating, you should maintain
constant brake pedal pressure.
Do not pump the brake pedal
since doing so may defeat the op-
eration of the ABS system.

7-24 Starting and operating
Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) system
The EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle ’s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS system and uses some of the ABS
system ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD function fails, the EBD
system also stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction.
Steps to take if EBD system
fails
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light come on simultaneously.
The EBD system may be faulty if the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously during driv-
ing.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are ap-
plied harder than usual and the vehicle ’s
motion may therefore become somewhat
harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat
place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights go out, the EBD system
may be faulty. Drive carefully to the near-
est SUBARU dealer and have the system
inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated after the engine has
been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the“
MIN ” mark, the EBD system may be
faulty. Drive carefully to the nearest
SUBARU dealer and have the system in-
spected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the“ MIN ” mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle. In-
stead, have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair.
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7-26 Starting and operating
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is head-
ed up the hill, the front wheels should be
turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.
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Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot or
sunny days, the temperature in a
closed vehicle could quickly be-
come high enough to cause se-
vere or possibly fatal injuries to
people.
Do not park the vehicle over flam-
mable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
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
vehicle could die from carbon
monoxide (CO) contained in the
exhaust gas.
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), pay attention to blocks
and other obstructions on the
ground when parking. The under-
spoilers could be damaged by con-
tact with them.

Starting and operating 7-27
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Cruise control
Cruise control enables you to maintain a
constant vehicle speed without holding
your foot on the accelerator pedal and it is
operative when the vehicle speed is 25
mph (40 km/h) or more. Make sure the
main switch is turned “OFF ” when the
cruise control is not in use to avoid unin-
tentionally setting the cruise control.
NOTE
If you move the cruise control lever or
press the main switch button while
turning the ignition switch “ON ”, the
cruise control function is deactivated
and the “CRUISE ” indicator light flash-
es. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch back
to the “ACC ” or “LOCK ” position, and
then turn it again to the “ON ” position.
To set cruise control0
1. Push the main switch button.
The “ ” indicator light on the com-
bination meter will come on.
2. Depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle reaches the desired speed.
3. Push the control lever downward in the “
SET/COAST ” direction and release it.
Then release the accelerator pedal.
At this time, the “ ” indicator light is
illuminated in the combination meter.
Do not use the cruise control under
any of the following conditions. This
may cause loss of vehicle control:
driving up or down a steep grade
driving on slippery or winding
roads
driving in heavy traffic
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7-28 Starting and operating
The vehicle will maintain the desired
speed.
Vehicle speed can be temporarily in-
creased while driving with the cruise con-
trol activated. Simply depress the acceler-
ator pedal to accelerate the vehicle. When
the accelerator pedal is released, the ve-
hicle will return to and maintain the previ-
ous cruising speed.
To temporarily cancel the
cruise control
There are five ways to cancel the cruise
control temporarily:
Pull the control lever in the “CANCEL ”
direction.
Depress the brake pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal (manual trans-
mission vehicles only).
Shift the selector lever into the “N ” posi-
tion (automatic transmission vehicles
only).
Shift the shift lever into neutral position
(manual transmission vehicles only).
The “ ” indicator light in the combi-
nation meter goes off when the cruise
control is cancelled.
To resume the cruise control after it has
been temporarily canceled and with vehi-
cle speed of approximately 20 mph (32
km/h) or more, push the control lever up-
ward in the “RES/ACC ” direction to return
to the original cruising speed automatical-
ly.
The “ ” indicator light in the combi-
nation meter will automatically come on at
this time.
To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise
control:
Push the main switch again.
Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC ” or
“ LOCK ” position (but only when the vehi-
cle is completely stopped).
To change the cruising speed
To increase the speed (by control le-
ver)
Push the control lever upward in the “ RES/ACC ” 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 “ RES/ACC ” direction quickly.
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8-6 Driving tips
Off road drivingAll AWD models except
OUTBACK SPORT and vehi-
cles with 17 inch tires
Your AWD vehicle is neither a convention-
al off-road vehicle nor an all terrain vehi-
cle. It is a passenger vehicle designed pri-
marily for on-road use. The AWD feature
gives it some limited off-road capabilities
in situations in which driving surfaces are
relatively level, obstruction-free and other-
wise similar to on-road driving conditions.
Operating it under other than those condi-
tions could subject the vehicle to exces-
sive stress which might result in damage
not eligible for repair under warranty. If
you do take your SUBARU off road, you
should review the common sense precau-
tions in the next section (applicable to the
OUTBACK SPORT) for general guidance.
But please keep in mind that your vehi-
cle’s off-road capabilities are more limited
than those of the OUTBACK SPORT.
Never attempt to drive through pools and
puddles, or roads flooded with water. Wa-
ter entering the engine air intake or the ex-
haust pipe or water splashing onto electri-
cal parts may damage your vehicle and
may cause it to stall.
OUTBACK SPORT
Your Subaru can be driven on ordinary roads or off-road. But please keep in mind
that an AWD SUBARU is a passenger ve-
hicle and is neither a conventional off-road
vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. If you do
take your Subaru off-road, certain com-
mon sense precautions such as the fol-
lowing should be taken:
Make certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts.
Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or
citizens band radio.
Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain.
Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and the
like.
Do not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or
down slopes that are too steep.
Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds.
Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive
Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden braking
or under other similar conditions.
Always use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving an All-Wheel Drive
vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident.
Do not drive on rough roads or over
curbs in a vehicle that has 17-inch or
other ultra-low-profile tires. The
wheels and tires could be damaged
by shock forces, leading to abnor-
mal vibration or poor straight-line
tracking. Driving would then be
more difficult.