2006 SUBARU IMPREZA Trans

8-26 Driving tips
trailer.
Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable.
Check that the tire pressures are cor-
rect.
Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that – the trailer tongue is connected prop-
erly to the hitch ball. – the trailer lights connector is connect-
ed properly and trailer ’s brake lights illu-
minate when the vehicle ’s brake pedal
is pressed, and that the trailer ’s turn sig-
nal lights flash when the vehicle ’s turn
signal lever is operated.– the safety chains are connected prop-
erly.– all cargo in the trailer is secured safe-
ty in position.– the side mirrors provide a good rear-
ward field of view without a significant
blind spot.
Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel ” of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up.
Driving with a trailer
You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may re-
sult in skidding or jackknifing and loss of
control.
Avoid abrupt starts and sudden acceler-
ations. If your vehicle has a manual trans-
mission, always start out in first gear and
release the clutch at moderate engine rev-
olution.
Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.
Slow down before turning. Make a long-
er than normal turning radius because the
trailer wheels will be closer than the vehi-
cle wheels to the inside of the turn. In a
tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle.
Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large
tracks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down im-
mediately but gradually.
When passing other vehicles, consider-
able distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by at-
taching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. 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.
If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed im-
mediately by the nearest SUBARU dealer.
Driving on grades
Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
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Driving tips 8-27
heating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.
When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating.
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 condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates, immediately switch off the air con-
ditioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest
safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing ” section in chapter 9, and “Warning
and indicator lights ” section in chapter 3.
If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, avoid using the accelerator pedal
to stay stationary on an uphill slope in-
stead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission
fluid to overheat.
If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, place the selector lever as fol-
lows:
Uphill slopes: “D ” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear posi-
tion to use engine braking
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehi-
cle 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 un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, re-
lease the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then ap-
ply the parking brake; slowly release the
regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual
transmission) or “P ” (automatic transmis-
sion) and shut off the engine.

In case of emergency 9-3
1) Tread wear indicator bar
2) Indicator location mark
When the wear indicator appears on the
tread, replace the tire.
The temporary spare tire must be used
only on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tire
gets punctured, replace the wheel with a
rear wheel and install the temporary spare
tire in place of the removed rear wheel.
1) Spare fuse
2) FWD connector
NOTE
(If your vehicle is AWD with automatic
transmission, except Turbo models)
Before driving your vehicle with the
temporary spare tire, put a spare fuse
inside the FWD connector in the main
fuse box located in the engine com-
partment and confirm that the Front-
wheel drive warning light “AWD ” in the
combination meter comes on. The All-
Wheel Drive capability of the vehicle
has now deactivated. After re-installing
the conventional tire, remove the spare
fuse from the FWD connector in order
to reactivate All-Wheel Drive.
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900266
Never tow a trailer when the tempo-
rary spare tire is used. The tempo-
rary spare tire is not designed to
sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle
and may lead to an accident.
Never use any temporary spare tire
other than the original. Using other
sizes may result in severe mechani-
cal damage to the drive train of your
vehicle.

9-4 In case of emergency
Flat tires
If you have a flat tire while driving, never
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place.
Changing a flat tire1. Park on a hard, level surface, whenev-
er possible, then stop the engine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and
shift a manual transmission vehicle in re-
verse or an automatic transmission vehi-
cle in the “P ” (Park) position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher and
have everyone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire diagonally opposite the flat tire.
Sedan
1) Jack
2) Jack handle
3) Spare tireDo not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface.
The jack can come out of the jack-
ing point or sink into the ground
and this can result in a severe ac-
cident.
Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get un-
der the vehicle while supporting
the vehicle with this jack.
Always turn off the engine before
raising the flat tire off the ground
using the jack. Never swing or
push the vehicle supported with
the jack. The jack can come out of
the jacking point due to a jolt and
this can result in a severe acci-
dent.
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In case of emergency 9-13
– CONTINUED –
Tie-down hooks:
1) Tie-down hook
2) Towing and tie-down hook
Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your vehi-
cle. Use the following procedures to en-
sure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P ” po-
sition for automatic transmission vehicles
To prevent deformation to the front
bumper and the towing hook, do not
apply excessive lateral load to the
towing hook.
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Use only the specified towing
hook and tie-down hook. Never
use suspension parts or other
parts of the body for towing or tie-
down purposes.
Never use the tie-down hook on
the underside of the vehicle clos-
est to the muffler for towing pur-
poses.
900064

9-14 In case of emergency
or “1st ” for manual transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
Towing with all wheels on the
ground
1. Check the transmission and differential
oil levels and add oil to bring it to the upper
level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the“ ACC ” position while the vehicle is being
towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), be careful not to scrape
them when placing the vehicle on
the carrier and when removing the
vehicle from the carrier.
900065
Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ” position while the ve-
hicle is being towed because the
steering wheel and the direction
of the wheels will be locked.
Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not run-
ning. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater ef-
fort to operate the brake pedal and
steering wheel.
If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the en-
gine running.
For vehicles with automatic trans-
mission, the traveling speed must
be limited to less than 20 mph (30
km/h) and the traveling distance
to less than 31 miles (50 km). For
greater speeds and distances,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.

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 -4
Engine hood ....................................... ................ 11-4
Engine compartment overview ....................... .. 11-6
Non-turbo models .................................. ................. 11-6
Turbo models ...................................... .................... 11-7
Engine oil ........................................ .................... 11-8
Checking the oil level ............................ ................. 11-8
Changing the oil and oil filter ................... ............. 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity ................... .. 11-10
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions ......................... ........... 11-11
Synthetic oil ..................................... ....................... 11-11
Cooling system .................................... .............. 11-12
Cooling fan, hose and connections ................. ..... 11-12
Engine coolant .................................... .................... 11-12
Air cleaner element ............................... ............. 11-15
Replacing the air cleaner element ................. ........ 11-15
Spark plugs ....................................... .................. 11-17
Recommended spark plugs ........................... ........ 11-17
Drive belts ....................................... .................... 11-18
Manual transmission oil ........................... ......... 11-18
Checking the oil level ............................ ................. 11-18
Recommended grade and viscosity ................... .. 11-19Automatic transmission fluid ......................
...... 11-20
Checking the fluid level .......................... ................ 11-20
Recommended fluid ................................. .............. 11-21
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ......... ... 11-21
Checking the oil level ............................ ................. 11-21
Recommended grade and viscosity ................... .. 11-22
Rear differential gear oil ........................ ............ 11-22
Checking the gear oil level ....................... ............. 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity ................... .. 11-23
Power steering fluid .............................. ............. 11-24
Checking the fluid level .......................... ................ 11-24
Recommended fluid ................................. .............. 11-24
Brake fluid ....................................... .................... 11-25
Checking the fluid level .......................... ................ 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ........................... .......... 11-25
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ........................ .......... 11-26
Checking the fluid level .......................... ................ 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid .......................... .......... 11-26
Brake booster ..................................... ................ 11-27
Brake pedal ....................................... .................. 11-27
Checking the brake pedal free play ................ ...... 11-27
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ......... 11-27
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) ........................ ........ 11-28
Checking the clutch function ...................... .......... 11-28
Checking the clutch pedal free play ............... ...... 11-28
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............... 11-28
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ......... . 11-29
Parking brake stroke .............................. ............ 11-29

Maintenance and service 11-3
– CONTINUED –
Maintenance and serviceMaintenance schedule
The scheduled maintenance items re-
quired to be serviced at regular intervals
are shown in the “Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate “Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Maintenance precautions
When maintenance and service are re-
quired, it is recommended that all work be
done by an authorized SUBARU dealer.
If you perform maintenance and service
by yourself, you should familiarize your-
self with the information provided in this
section on general maintenance and ser-
vice for your SUBARU.
Incorrect or incomplete service could
cause improper or unsafe vehicle opera-
tion. Any problems caused by improper
maintenance and service performed by
you are not eligible for warranty coverage.
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive ve-
hicle must NEVER be performed
on a single two-wheel dynamome-
ter or similar apparatus. Attempt-
ing to do so will result in transmis-
sion damage and in uncontrolled
vehicle movement and may cause
an accident or injuries to persons
nearby.
Always select a safe area when
performing maintenance on your
vehicle.
Always be very careful to avoid in-
jury when working on the vehicle.
Remember that some of the mate-
rials in the vehicle may be hazard-
ous if improperly used or handled,
for example, battery acid.
Your vehicle should only be ser-
viced by persons fully competent
to do so. Serious personal injury
may result to persons not experi-
enced in servicing vehicles.
Always use the proper tools and
make certain that they are well
maintained.
Never get under the vehicle sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use
a safety stands to support the ve-
hicle.
Never keep the engine running in
a poorly ventilated area, such as a
garage or other closed areas.
Do not smoke or allow open
flames around the fuel or battery.
This will cause a fire.
Because the fuel system is under
pressure, replacement of the fuel
filter should be performed only by
your SUBARU dealer.