
5-14 Audio
operate  and  stop  automatically  on  the 
next station.
Continue  this  operation  until  you  find  the
desired station.
Automatic tuning (SCAN)
Press the  SCAN  button (5) to change the
radio to the SCAN mode. In this mode, the 
radio scans through the radio band until a 
station is found. The radio will stop at the 
station  for  five  seconds  while  displaying 
the  frequency,  after  which  scanning  will 
continue  until  the  entire  band  has  been 
scanned from the low end to the high end.  
Press  the  SCAN   button  again  to  cancel
the  SCAN  mode  and  to  stop  on  any  dis- 
played frequency. 
When  the  SCAN   button  is  pressed  for
automatic tuning, stations are scanned in 
the direction of low frequencies to high fre- 
quencies only.  
Automatic tuning may not function proper- 
ly  if  the  station  reception  is  weakened  by 
distance  from  the  station  or  proximity  to 
tall buildings and hills.
Selecting preset stations
Presetting a station with a  Preset  button
(7)  allows  you  to  select  that  station  in  a 
single  operation.  Up  to  six  AM,  FM1  and
FM2 stations each may be preset.
How to preset stations
1. Press the  FM/AM  selection button  to
select AM, FM1 or FM2 reception. 
2. Press  the  SCAN   button  (5)  or  tune
the radio manually until the desired station 
frequency is displayed. 
3. Press  one  of  the  Preset   buttons  (7)
for  at  least  1.5 seconds   to  store  the  fre-
quency.  The  frequency  of  the  station  will
flash once on the display at this time. If the 
button  is  pressed  for  less  than  1.5  sec- 
onds,  the  preceding  selection  will  remain 
in memory.
NOTE
If  the  connection  between  the  radio
and  battery  is  broken  for  any  reason 
such  as  vehicle  maintenance  or  radio
removal,  all  stations  stored in the  pre- 
set  buttons  are  cleared.  If  this  occurs, 
it is necessary  to  reset  the preset but- 
tons.
If a cell  phone  is  placed near  the  ra-
dio,  it  may  cause  the  radio  to  emit 
noise when it receives calls. This noise 
does not indicate a radio fault. 

5-16 Audio
begin  to  play  back  the  first  track  of  the 
disc.
To  insert more  discs  in  succession, re-
peat Steps 1 and 2. The magazine will be 
loaded  with  discs  in  the  ascending  order 
of position number. 
If you do not insert any disc in 15 seconds
after  you  have  pressed  the  LOAD   but-
ton, the player will begin to play back the
first track of the last disc you have insert-
ed.
The disc indicator steadily lights up if a
disc is already inserted in the correspond- 
ing position of the magazine.
While the player is in the loading mode,
if you press any of the other mode buttons  FM  (1),  AM  (2), the player will enter the
standby mode. Press the  CD  button (14)
to start playback.
Inserting a disc in a desired position
1. Press  the  LOAD   button  (9).  If  the
magazine  in  the  player  has  an  idle  posi- 
tion  where  you  can  insert  a  disc,  the  DISC   indicator  associated  with  the  idle
position will blink. 
The positions in the magazine the indica- 
tor of which steadily lights up are already 
loaded with discs. 
2. Press  the  Disc  select   button  (17)  at
the  position  where  you  want  to  insert  a 
disc. The associated  DISC  indicator will blink, and the 
LOAD  will be displayed.
3. If  you  insert  a  disc  during  the  15-sec- 
ond period while the  LOAD  is on display,
the  disc  will  be  automatically  drawn  in,
and  the  player  will  start  playback  of  the
disc, beginning with the first track.
To  insert more  discs in  succession, re-
peat Steps 1 and 2.
While the player is in the loading mode,
if you press any of the other mode buttons  FM   (1),  AM   (2),  the  player  will  enter
standby mode. Press the  CD  button (14)
to start playback.
Loading all the magazine (Full disc  
loading mode)
1. If  you  continue  to  press  the  LOAD 
button (9) for more than 1.5 seconds, the
player  will  produce  beep  sound  and  will 
enter the full disc loading mode. 
2. A  DISC   indicator  will  blink,  and  the
 ALL LOAD  will be on display for a period
of  15  seconds.  If  a  disc  is  successfully
loaded during this period, the  DISC  indi-
cator  will  stop  blinking  and  will  steadily 
light. 
3. When the loading of a disc is complete, 
the  next  DISC   indicator  will  blink.  Then
repeat Step 2. 
4. When the magazine is filled with discs 
by repeating Steps 2 and 3, the player will 
start playback of the discs, beginning with the one inserted first. 
If you fail to insert any disc during each 15
seconds  interval,  the  full  disc  loading
mode will be canceled, and the player will
start playback of the disc inserted first.
How to play back a CD or make a  
pause
When there is no CD inserted:
Insert a CD by referring to  How to Insert
a CD(s) .
When a CD is loaded, the player will start 
playback  of  the  CD,  beginning  with  the 
first track.
When there are CDs loaded:
Press  a  desired  one  of  the  Disc  select 
buttons (17) the  DISC  indicator of which
steadily lights up. The player will then start 
playback  of  the  selected  CD,  beginning
with the first track. 

Audio 5-17
 CONTINUED  
Selecting a desired track (TRACK)
: Skipping forward 
: Skipping backward 
: Fast-forwarding 
: Fast-reversing
Skipping forward
Turn  the  TRACK   knob  (16)  clockwise
and  release  it  immediately  to  skip  to  the 
beginning of the next track. Each time the
knob is turned and released, the indicated
track number will increase.
Skipping backward
Turn  the  TRACK   knob  (16)  counter-
clockwise  and  release  it  immediately  to 
skip to the beginning of the current track.
If  you  continue  to  turn  and  release  the
knob,  the  indicated  track  number  will  de- crease.
Fast-forwarding
Turn  the  TRACK   knob  (16)  clockwise
and hold it continuously to fast-forward the 
disc. 
Release the knob to stop fast-forwarding.
Fast-reversing
Turn  the  TRACK   knob  (16)  counter-
clockwise and hold it continuously to fast- 
reverse the disc.
Release the knob to stop fast-reversing.
Repeat playback
Press the  RPT  button (11) while a song
is playing to play the song repeatedly. The  RPT  indicator will come on and the song
will be played continuously. To cancel the 
repeat  mode,  press  the  button  again. 
Then  the  RPT   indicator  goes  out,  and
normal playback mode is restored.
Random playback
Press the  RDM   button (12) while  a disc
is  being  played  back  to  play  all  songs  on 
the disc in a random order. The  RDM  in-
dicator will come on and all songs on the
disc will be played in a random order.
To  cancel  the  random  mode,  press  the
button  again.  Then  the  RDM   indicator
goes  out,  and  normal  playback  mode  is
restored.
Scan
When  the  SCAN   button  (13)  is  pressed
while  the  disc  is  being  played  back,  you 
can hear the first 10 seconds of each track 
to search for the desired program. To con- 
tinue  listening  to  the  program,  press  the  SCAN   button  again.  After  all  tracks  on
the disc have been scanned, normal play- 
back mode is restored.
How to unload CDs from the player
Ejecting a CD from the player
Of the discs loaded, you can select and re- 
move only one disc.
1. Press  the  Disc  select   button  (17)  of
the disc whose  DISC  indicator is ON.
2. Press the  Eject  button (15). Then the
 DISC   indicator  associated  with  the  disc
you  have selected  will  blink, and  the  disc
will be ejected.
To  remove  more  discs  in  succession,  re-
peat Steps 1 and 2.
Ejecting all discs from the player  
(All disc ejection mode)
1. If you continue to press the  Eject  but-
ton  (15),  the  player  will  produce  beep 
sound  and  will  enter  the  all  disc  ejection 
mode. 
2. Remove  the  disc  that  has  been  eject- 
ed.  The  other  discs  loaded  will  then  be 
ejected one after another. If you do not re-
500248 

5-20 Audio
To insert a disc
1. Press  one  of  the  Disc  select   buttons
(3)  (numbered  from  1  to  6)  for  which  the 
disc indicator light (2) is  OFF .
The disc indicator lights are located direct-
ly  above  the  corresponding  Disc  select 
buttons.
2. The  indicator  will  begin  blinking.  The
blinking will last for 15 seconds.
During  this  period,  insert  a  desired  disc,
and the disc will begin to play. (If any disc
is not inserted during this period, the  Disc
slot  (1) door will close. Repeat Step 1.)
Be  sure  to  hold  a  disc  with  the  label  side
(the side where titles are printed) up.
3. To  insert  another  disc,  repeat  Steps  1
and 2 choosing a different disc select but-
ton.
To insert six discs at a time
1. Press and hold the  Disc select  button
number  1  until  all  disc  indicators  begin 
blinking (approximately 1.5 seconds). 2. The indicators will blink for 15 seconds. 
During this period, insert desired six discs.
3. When all discs are loaded, the first disc
will  begin  to  play.  (If  no  disc  is  inserted
within this 15 seconds, the entire disc load
sequence will be canceled.)
To remove a disc
1. Press the desired one of the  Disc se-
lect  buttons (3) (numbered from 1 to 6) for
which the disc indicator light is on. 
2. Press the  Eject  button (4). The select-
ed  disc  will  be  ejected  and  the  indicator
light will begin blinking. 
3. To  remove  another  disc,  repeat  Steps 
1 and 2 choosing a different  Disc select 
button. 
(To remove discs when the ignition switch 
is in the  Lock  position, press the  Eject 
button,  and  the  first  disc  will  be  ejected.
Press  the  Eject   button  again,  and  the
next disc will be ejected and so on. At this 
time,  the  Disc  select   buttons  are  dis-
abled.)
To remove all discs at one time
1. Press  and  hold  the  Eject   button  (4)
until  all  Disc   indicators  begin  blinking
(approximately 1.5 seconds), and the first 
disc will be ejected.
2. When  the  disc  is  removed,  the  next
one will be ejected, and so on.
To replace a playing disc with an- 
other
Simply press the desired one of  Disc se-
lect  buttons (3) (numbered from 1 to 6) or
press the  Disc select  button on the radio
unit to select the desired disc, and the disc
will begin to play.
Disc indicators
Lit:  when  the  corresponding  storage  tray 
is occupied by a disc.
Blinking:  Disc  player  is  either  in  loading,
eject or changing mode.
OFF:  No  disc  is  loaded  or  the  ignition
switch is in the  LOCK  position.
Open/Closed disc slot indicator
When the disc slot is open, the disc indica- 
tors on both sides of the slot illuminate.
Function control
Refer to CD changer control operating in- 
structions described in the  Type B audio
set (if equipped)  section.
Do  not  insert  or  remove  any  disc 
when  the  automatic  transmission
selector  lever  is  in  the  park  posi-
tion; the selector lever in that po- 
sition  can  interfere  with  disc  in- 
sertion  or  removal,  causing 
scratches on the disc surface (for 
AT vehicles). 

7-2 Starting and operating
Starting  and operatingFuel
Fuel requirements
2.5-liter non-turbo models
The 2.5-liter non-turbo engine is designed 
to  operate  using  unleaded  gasoline  with
an octane rating of 87 AKI or higher.
WRX
The  2.5-liter  turbo  engine  is  designed  to 
operate using premium unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 91 AKI or higher.
If premium unleaded gasoline is not avail- 
able,  regular  unleaded  gasoline  with  an 
octane rating of 87  AKI  or  higher may be 
temporarily  used.  For  optimum  engine 
performance and driveability, it is required 
that  you  use  premium  grade  unleaded 
gasoline.
NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded gas- 
oline  of  91  AKI  or  higher  for  WRX.  If 
other  gasoline  (lower  than  91  AKI)  is 
used,  knocking,  reduced  output  and poor accelerator response will result.
WRX-STI
The  2.5-liter  turbo  engine  is  designed  to 
operate  using  super-premium  unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI or 
higher.  If  super-premium  unleaded  gaso- 
line  with  an  octane  rating  of  93  AKI  or 
higher is not available, premium unleaded 
gasoline with an octane rating of 91 AKI or 
higher may be temporarily used. For opti- 
mum engine performance and driveability, 
it is required that you use super-premium 
grade  unleaded  gasoline  with  an  octane 
rating of 93 AKI or higher.
NOTE
Be sure to use super-premium unlead- 
ed  gasoline  of  93  AKI  or  higher  for 
WRX-STI. If other  gasoline (lower  than 
93 AKI) is used, knocking, reduced out- 
put and poor accelerator response will 
result.
Fuel octane rating
This  octane  rating  is  the  average  of  the 
Research Octane and Motor Octane num-
bers  and  is  commonly  referred  to  as  the
Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using  a gasoline  with  a  lower octane  rat-
ing  can  cause  persistent  and  heavy
knocking,  which  can  damage  the  engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle some- times  knocks  lightly  when  you  drive  up  a
hill  or  when  you  accelerate.  See  your
dealer  or  a  qualified  service  technician  if
you  use  a  fuel  with  the  specified  octane
rating  and  your  vehicle  knocks  heavily  or
persistently.
Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed 
to accept  only  an  unleaded  gasoline  filler 
nozzle.  Under  no  circumstances  should 
leaded  gasoline  be  used  because  it  will 
damage the emission control system and 
may impair driveability and fuel economy.
Gasoline for California-certified LEV
Your  vehicle  was  certified  to  California s
low  emission  vehicle  (LEV)  standards  as 
indicated on the underhood tune-up label,
it  is  designed  to  optimize  engine  and
emission  performance  with  gasoline  that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Califor-
nia  gasoline  specifications.  If  you  live  in
any other state than California, your vehi-
cle will operate on gasoline meeting Fed-
eral  specifications.  Gasoline  sold  outside
California is permitted to have higher sul-
fur  levels,  which  may  affect  the  perfor-
mance of your vehicle s catalytic convert-
er and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor
or  smell.  SUBARU  recommends  that  you
try a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having  lower  sulfur  to  determine  if  the
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel addi-
tive may cause engine damage. 

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) 

Starting and operating 7-15
Turn the dial rearward to reduce the initial 
LSD  torque;  when  the  white  line  reaches 
the  rearmost  position,  the  initial  LSD 
torque will be minimum and the    indi-
cator light will come on. Under this condi- 
tion,  only  the  Mechanical  LSD  torque  will 
limit the differential action.
NOTE
A  higher  initial  LSD  torque  setting
gives the vehicle greater traction when 
driving  straight  ahead  but  makes  cor-
nering  more  difficult.  Remember  this
when  adjusting  the  initial  LSD  torque.
In  general,  higher  initial  LSD  torque
settings  assist  driving  on  slippery
roads  and  lower  settings  for  non-slip-
pery  roads.  If  you  become  stuck  in
snow or mud, turning the center differ-
ential  control  dial  to  the frontmost po-
sition  will  help  move  the  vehicle  out.
(The  LOCK  indicator will come on at
the frontmost position.)
During  cornering  or  when  making
turns (especially when getting into the 
garage),  the  rotational  difference  be-
tween  the  front  and  rear  wheels  may
cause a braking effect accompanied by vibration and noise. This does not indi-
cate  a  problem.  The  phenomenon  will
disappear when you turn the center dif-
ferential  control  dial  to  the  rearmost
position  (minimum  initial  LSD  torque
position).
Use  the  center-differential  indicator
light  only  as  a  rough  indication  of  the 
initial LSD torque.
If  you  operate  the  center  differential
control  dial  while  quickly  accelerating 
or turning  a  tight  corner, you  may feel
slight shocks. This is due to differential
action  by  the  center  differential  and
does not indicate a problem.
Temporary release
When  the  driver  stops  the  vehicle  and 
pulls the parking-brake lever after manual-
ly  setting  the  initial  LSD  torque,  the  LSD
torque is temporarily minimized. However
the  indicator  in  the  combination  meter
continues to show the driver s selected ini-
tial LSD torque. When the driver releases
the  parking-brake  lever,  the  initial  LSD
torque set by the driver is restored.
Do  not  turn  the  control  dial  when 
a wheel slippage occurs. Wait un-
til  the  wheelspin  has  been
brought under control.
700358
Under any of the following condi- 
tions,  turn  the  center  differential
control  dial  to  the  rearmost  posi-
tion  to  minimize  the  initial  LSD
torque:
When  a  temporary  spare  tire  is 
installed
When your vehicle is towed
When  the  vehicle  is  stopped 
with the manual mode selected 

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)