2006 SUBARU IMPREZA transmission

7-10 Starting and operating
Maximum allowable speeds
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear. The tachometer ’s needle will en-
ter the red area if these speeds are ex-
ceeded.
With the exception of cases where sudden
acceleration is required, the vehicle
should not be driven with the tachometer ’s
needle inside the red area. Failure to ob-
serve this precaution can lead to exces-
sive engine wear and poor fuel economy.
NOTE
Never exceed posted speed limits.
Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to
hold your vehicle at a standstill on an up-
grade. Either of those actions may cause
clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to la-
bor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 5th, 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear
as necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking effect. Remember, if you
“ride ” (over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
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.Gear mph (km/h)
1st 33 (53)
2nd 50 (81)
3rd 68 (110)4th 114 (143)
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.

Starting and operating 7-11
– CONTINUED –
Manual transmission – 5
speeds (except WRX-STI)
The manual transmission is a fully syn-
chromeshed, 5-forward-speed and 1-re-
verse-speed transmission.
The shift pattern is shown on the shift le-
ver knob. When shifting from 5th gear to
reverse gear, first return the shift lever to
the neutral position then shift into reverse
gear.
To change gears, fully depress the clutch
pedal, move the shift lever, and gradually
let up on the clutch pedal.
If it is difficult to shift into gear, put the
transmission in neutral, release the clutch
pedal momentarily, and then try again.
Shifting speeds
Recommended shifting speeds
The best compromise between fuel econ-
omy and vehicle performance during nor-
mal driving is ensured by shifting up at the
speeds listed in the following table.
Maximum allowable speeds
The following table shows the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
Never exceed the speed limit listed in the
following table for each gear position ex-
cept for brief acceleration in an emergen-
cy. The tachometer ’s needle will enter the
red area if these speeds are exceeded.
Failure to observe this precaution can
lead to excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy.
Non-turbo models mph (km/h)
700032
Do not drive the vehicle with the
clutch disengaged (i.e., when the
clutch pedal is depressed) or with
the shift lever in the neutral posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
either of these conditions and the
risk of an accident is consequently
increased.
Shift into reverse ONLY when the
vehicle has completely stopped. It
may cause damage to the transmis-
sion to try shifting into reverse
when the vehicle is moving.
Shift up mph (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40) 3rd to 4th 40 (65)4th to 5th 45 (73)
1st 31 (50)
2nd 52 (84)
3rd 75 (120)

7-12 Starting and operating
Turbo models
mph (km/h)
Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to
hold your vehicle at a standstill on an up-
grade. Either of those actions may cause clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to la-
bor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as
necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking
effect. Remember, if you
“ride ” (over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
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.
Driver ’s Control Center Dif-
ferential (DCCD) (WRX-STI)1st 34 (54)
2nd 59 (95)
3rd 85 (136)
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.
Always use the utmost care when
driving. Being overconfident be-
cause you are driving a vehicle with
a driver ’s control center differential
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
700379

7-16 Starting and operating
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled with 4-forward speeds and
1-reverse speed.
NOTE
When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle ’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.
Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected
and stored in memory to allow the
transmission to shift at the most ap-
propriate times for the current condi-
tion of your vehicle. Optimized shifting
will be restored as the vehicle contin-
ues to be driven for a while.
Selector lever for automatic
transmission
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ” po-
sition into the “D ”, “3 ”, “2 ”, “1 ” or
“ R ” position while depressing the
accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or back-
ward.
Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause dam-
age to the transmission.
Do not race the engine for more
than five seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
Avoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the “ R ” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery.
700034

Starting and operating 7-17
– CONTINUED –
: With the brake pedal depressed,
move the lever along the gate.
: Move the lever along the gate.
The selector lever has seven positions.
P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine.
In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically 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 vehicle with only
the transmission.
A shift interlock function is employed in
the automatic transmission system to en- sure safe starting of the vehicle.
To shift the selector lever from the
“P ” to
the any other position, you have to de-
press the brake pedal fully when the igni-
tion 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 de-
pressed, refer to the “Shift lock release ”
section in this chapter.
R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N ” to “R ” position, first
stop the vehicle completely then move the
lever to the “R ” position.
N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled en-
gine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the
transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neu-
tral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
NOTE
If you stop the engine with the selector
lever in the “N ” position, move the se-
lector lever to the “P ” position immedi-
ately. Otherwise, you may find that the
selector lever soon cannot be moved
to the “P ” position. If you find that the
selector lever cannot be moved from
the “N ” position to the “P ” position,
turn the ignition switch to the “ON ” po-
sition and try again.
D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 4th 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 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to
700332
Do not drive the vehicle with the se-
lector lever in the “N ” (neutral) posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition and the risk of an ac-
cident is consequently increased.

7-18 Starting and operating
the original gear position.
While climbing a grade
When driving up hill, undesired upshift to
4th gear is prevented from taking place
when the accelerator pedal is released.
This minimizes the chances of subse-
quent downshifting to a lower gear when
accelerating again. This prevents repeat-
ed upshifting and downshifting resulting in
a smoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTE
The transmission may downshift to
2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way
the accelerator pedal is pressed to ac-
celerate the vehicle again.
While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing
the brake pedal will cause the transmis-
sion to downshift to 3rd gear, thus apply-
ing engine braking. Reacceleration for a
short time will cause the transmission to
upshift normally.
NOTE
In some cases, depressing the brake
pedal on a downhill grade does not re-
sult in an automatic downshift to 3rd
gear. This can happen when the auto-
matic transmission fluid temperature is
very low, for example, during driving shortly after the vehicle has been
parked for an extended period of time.
When the ATF temperature has risen to
a certain level, automatic downshift
normally takes place. In the meantime,
downshift manually for engine braking
as required.
Also, downshifting when braking
downhill will not occur at speeds
above approximately 48 mph (78 km/h).
3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking
when going down a hill or for climbing a
grade.
The transmission automatically 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.
2 (Second)
This position is for using engine braking
when going down a hill or for climbing a
steep grade.
In this position, the transmission 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 ensure greater trac-
tion.
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 posi-
tion, the transmission holds in the 1st
gear.
Maximum speeds
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
When shifting down a gear, it is important
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)
Non-turbo models Turbo models
1 28 (45) 28 (45)
2 62 (100) 65 (104)
3 97 (156) 104 (167)

Starting and operating 7-19
– CONTINUED –
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.
700059
700060

Starting and operating 7-25
– CONTINUED –
Parking your vehicle
Parking brake
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 le-
ver up slightly, press the release button,
then lower the lever while keeping the but-
ton pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the
engine is running, the parking brake warn-
ing light comes on. After starting the vehi-
cle, be sure that the warning light has
gone out before the vehicle is driven. Re-
fer to the “Warning and indicator lights ”
section (chapter 3).
Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always set the
parking brake firmly and put the shift lever
in the “1 ” (1st) for an upgrade or “R ” (Re-
verse) for a downgrade for manual trans-
mission vehicles, or in the “P ” (Park) posi-
tion for automatic transmission vehicles.
Always set the parking brake firmly when
parking your vehicle. Never rely on the
transmission alone to hold the vehicle.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
If at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.
700336
Never drive while the parking brake
is set because this will cause unnec-
essary wear on the brake linings.
Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.