2006 SUBARU IMPREZA checking oil

4
Climate control
Ventilator ............................................................. 4-2
Air flow selection ................................ .................... 4-2
Center and side ventilators ....................... ............. 4-3
Manual climate control system (if equipped) ..................................... ............... 4-3
Control panel ..................................... ..................... 4-3
Heater operation .................................. ................... 4-5
Air conditioner operation (if equipped) ........... ..... 4-7
Automatic climate control system (if equipped) ..................................... ............... 4-7
Control panel ..................................... ..................... 4-8
To use as full-automatic climate control
system ............................................ ....................... 4-8
To use as semi-automatic climate control system ............................................ ....................... 4-8
Fan speed control dial ............................ ............... 4-8
Temperature control dial .......................... .............. 4-9
Air flow control dial ............................. ................... 4-9
Air inlet selection button ........................ ................ 4-9
Air conditioner button ............................ ................ 4-10
Temperature sensors ............................... .............. 4-10
Operating tips for heater and air conditioner ....................................... ............... 4-11
Cleaning ventilation grille ....................... ............... 4-11
Efficient cooling after parking in direct sunlight .......................................... ....................... 4-11
Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant
circuit ........................................... ......................... 4-11Checking air conditioning system before
summer season ..................................... ............... 4-11
Cooling and dehumidifying in high humidity and
low temperature weather conditions ................ .. 4-11
Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily loaded .......................... ............ 4-12
Refrigerant for your climate control system ....... . 4-12
Air filtration system ............................. ............... 4-12
Replacing an air filter ........................... .................. 4-12

Climate control 4-11
– CONTINUED –
–
Do not subject the sensors to impact.
– Keep water away from the sensors.
– Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are located as follows: – Solar sensor: beside windshield de-
froster grille – Interior air temperature sensor: beside
the fan speed control dial– Outside temperature sensor: behind
front grille.
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner
Cleaning ventilation grille
Always keep the front ventilation inlet
grille free of snow, leaves, or other ob-
structions to ensure efficient heating and
defrosting. Since the condenser is located
in front of the radiator, this area should be
kept clean because cooling performance
is impaired by any accumulation of insects
and leaves on the condenser.
Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to al- low outside air to circulate into the heated
interior. This results in quicker cooling by
the air conditioner. Keep the windows
closed during the operation of the air con-
ditioner for maximum cooling efficiency.
Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil.
Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-
son
Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper op-
eration each spring. This check is best
performed by your SUBARU dealer.
Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather conditions
Under certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.)
a small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate
400603

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

11-4 Maintenance and service
Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
When you do checking or ser-
vicing in the engine compart-
ment while the engine is run-
ning
Engine hood
0
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their original
positions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.
Wear adequate eye protection to
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly wash
them out with clean water.
Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seatbelt
pretensioner system, or attempt
to take its connectors apart, as
that may activate the system or it
can render it inoperative. The wir-
ing and connectors of these sys-
tems are yellow for easy identifi-
cation. NEVER use a circuit tester
for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pre-
tensioner needs service, consult
your nearest SUBARU dealer.
Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after the
engine is stopped.
Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON ” position, the
cooling fan may operate suddenly
even when the engine is stopped.
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving en-
gine parts. Removing rings, watch-
es and ties is advisable.
B00002

11-8 Maintenance and service
Engine oil
Checking the oil level
Check the engine oil level at each fuel
stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly insert-
ed until it stops with the graphic
symbol on its top appearing as
shown in the illustration.
1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
4. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the up-
per level.
If you check the oil level just after stopping
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan before checking
the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is
warm, the engine oil level reading may be
in a range between the upper level and
the notch mark. This is caused by thermal
expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not
add any additional oil above the upper lev-
el when the engine is cold.
Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule in the “Warran-
ty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be
changed more frequently than listed in the
maintenance schedule when driving on
dusty roads, when short trips are frequent-
ly made, or when driving in extremely cold
whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the en-
gine idle for approximately 10 minutes to
ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
B00467
Use only engine oil with the rec-
ommended grade and viscosity.
Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If en-
gine oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
1 2
3
B00418

11-12 Maintenance and service
Cooling system
Cooling fan, hose and con-
nections
Your vehicle employs an electric cooling
fan which is thermostatically controlled to
operate when the engine coolant reaches
a specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operate
even when the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge exceeds the normal operating
range, the cooling fan circuit may be de-
fective. Check the fuse and replace it if
necessary. If the fuse is not blown, have
the cooling system checked by your
SUBARU dealer.
If frequent addition of coolant is neces-
sary, there may be a leak in the engine
cooling system. It is recommended that
the cooling system and connections be
checked for leaks, damage, or looseness.
Engine coolant
Checking the coolant level
1)“FULL ” level mark
2) “LOW ” level mark
Check the coolant level at each fuel stop.
1. Check the coolant level on the outside
of the reservoir while the engine is cool.
2. If the level is close to or lower than the “ LOW ” level mark, add coolant up to the
“ FULL ” level mark. If the reserve tank is
empty, remove the radiator cap and refill
as required.
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has cooled down com-
pletely. Since the coolant is under
pressure, you may suffer serious
burns from a spray of boiling hot
coolant when the cap is removed.
The cooling system has been
filled at the factory with a high
quality, corrosion-inhibiting, year-
around coolant which provides
protection against freezing down
to –33 F ( –36 C). For adding, use
genuine SUBARU coolant or an
equivalent: a mixture of 50% soft
water and 50% ethylene-glycol ba-
sis coolant. Use of improper cool-
ants may result in corrosion in the
cooling system. It is important to
maintain protection against freez-
ing and corrosion, even if freezing
temperatures are not expected.
Never mix different kinds of cool-
ant.
Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface.
F U L L
L OW1 2
B00468

11-18 Maintenance and service
Drive belts
1) Power steering pump pulley
2) Air conditioner compressor pulley
3) Crank pulley
The alternator, power steering pump, and
air conditioner compressor depend on
drive belts. Satisfactory performance re-
quires that belt tension be correct.
To check belt tension, place a straight-
edge (ruler) across two adjacent pulleys
and apply a force of 22 lbs (98 N, 10 kg)
midway between the pulleys by using a
spring scale. Belt deflection should be the
amount specified. If a belt is loose,
cracked, or worn, contact your SUBARU
dealer.
in (mm)Manual transmission oil
Checking the oil level
5-speed transmission (Non-turbo model)
1) Yellow handle
A
B
2
3
1
B00365
Deflection
New belt Used belt
A 0.28
– 0.35
(7.0 – 9.0) 0.35
– 0.43
(9.0 – 11.0)
B 0.30
– 0.33
(7.5 – 8.5) 0.35
– 0.40
(9.0 – 10.0)
1
B00465

Maintenance and service 11-21
– CONTINUED –
Recommended fluid
Use one of the following types of automat-
ic transmission fluid.
Genuine Subaru Automatic Transmis-
sion Fluid Type-HP
IDEMITSU ATF HP
Castrol Transmax J
Pennzoil ATF-J*
* Available only in the USA (except
Alaska and Hawaii)
NOTE
Using any non-specified type of auto-
matic transmission fluid could result in
damage inside the transmission. When
replacing the automatic transmission
fluid, be sure to use a fluid of the types
specified above.
Front differential gear oil (AT
vehicles)
Checking the oil level
1) Yellow handle
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
1) Upper level
2) Lower level
3. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the up-
per level.
1
B00472
Be careful not to spill front differen-
tial gear oil when adding it. If oil
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a
fire. If oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
1 2
B00372