
8
driving. In a collision or sudden stop, unre- 
strained  pets  or  cages  can  be  thrown
around inside the vehicle and hurt you or
your  passengers.  Besides,  the  pets  can
be hurt under these situations. It is also for
their own safety that pets should be prop-
erly restrained in your vehicle. Restrain a
pet with a special traveling harness which
can  be  secured  to  the  rear  seat  with  a
seatbelt or use a pet carrier which can be
secured to the rear seat by routing a seat-
belt through the carriers handle. Never re-
strain pets or pet carriers in the front pas-
senger s  seat.  For  further  information,
consult  your  veterinarian,  local  animal
protection society or pet shop. 
Tire pressures
Check and, if necessary, adjust the pres- 
sure  of  each  tire  (including  the  spare)  at
least  once  a  month  and  before  any  long
journey. 
Check the tire pressure when the tires are 
cold.  Use  a  pressure  gauge  to  adjust  the
tire pressures to the values shown on the
tire placard. 
Refer to the  Tires and wheels  section in
chapter 11 for detailed information.
California proposition 65  
warning
Driving  at  high  speeds  with  exces- 
sively  low  tire  pressures  can  cause
the  tires  to  deform  severely  and  to
rapidly  become  hot.  A  sharp  in-
crease  in  temperature  could  cause 
tread separation, and destruction of 
the tires. The resulting loss of vehi- 
cle  control  could  lead  to  an  acci- 
dent.
Engine exhaust, some of its constit- 
uents,  and  certain  vehicle  compo- 
nents  contain  or  emit  chemicals 
known  to  the  State  of  California  to 
cause  cancer  and  birth  defects  or 
other  reproductive  harm.  In  addi- 
tion,  certain  fluids  in  vehicles  and 
certain components of product wear 
contain or emit chemicals known to 
the State of California to cause can- 
cer and birth defects or other repro- 
ductive harm. 

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 

7-20 Starting and operating
gine. 
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU 
dealer immediately to have the system re- 
paired.Limited slip differential (LSD) 
(if equipped)
The LSD provides optimum distribution of 
power according to the difference in revo-
lutions  between  the  right  and  left  wheels
that may be caused by certain driving con-
ditions, thereby improving driving stability
on snow-covered, muddy or other slippery
roads or when high speed driving.
NOTE (WRX-STI)
The rear differential may emit a knock- 
ing  sound  when  the  vehicle  is  driven 
slowly  with  the  steering  wheel  turned 
fully  to  either  side.  This  sound  occurs
because of the design of the mechani-
cal LSD. It does not indicate a problem.
Never start the engine while a tire 
on  one  side  is  jacked  up,  as  the 
vehicle may move.
If  one  tire  is  spinning  in  mud, 
avoid  continued  spinning  at  high
speed  as  this  could  adversely  af-
fect the LSD.
If  you  use  a  temporary  spare  tire 
to replace a flat tire, be sure to use
the  original  temporary  spare  tire
stored  in  the  vehicle.  Using  other
sizes  will  adversely  affect  the
LSD. 

Driving tips 8-5
Driving tips for AWD vehicles
All-Wheel  Drive  distributes  the  engine 
power  to  all  four  wheels.  AWD  vehicles 
provide  better  traction  when  driving  on 
slippery,  wet  or  snow-covered  roads  and 
when moving out of mud, dirt and sand. By 
shifting power between the front and rear 
wheels,  SUBARU  AWD  can  also  provide 
added  traction  during  acceleration  and 
added engine braking force during decel- 
eration. 
Therefore,  your  SUBARU  AWD  vehicle 
may  handle  differently  than  an  ordinary 
two  wheel  drive  vehicle  and  it  contains 
some features unique to AWD. For safety 
purposes  as  well  as  to  avoid  damaging 
the AWD system, you should keep the fol- lowing tips in mind:
An  AWD  vehicle  is  better  able  to  climb
steeper  roads  under  snowy  or  slippery 
conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle. 
There is little difference in handling, how- 
ever, during extremely sharp turns or sud-
den  braking.  Therefore,  when  driving
down  a  slope  or  turning  corners,  be  sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an am-
ple distance from other vehicles.
When  replacing  a  tire,  make  sure  you
use  only  the  same  size,  construction, 
brand, and load range as the original tires
listed on the tire placard. Using other siz-
es, circumference or construction may re-
sult  in  severe  mechanical  damage  to  the
drive  train  of  your  vehicle  and  may  affect
ride,  handling,  braking,  speedometer/
odometer  calibration,  and  clearance  be-
tween  the  body  and  tires.  It  also  may  be
dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle con-
trol.
If you use a temporary spare tire to re-
place a flat tire, be sure to use the original 
temporary spare tire stored in the vehicle.
Using  other  sizes  may  result  in  severe
mechanical  damage  to  the  drive  train  of
your vehicle.
Always check the cold tire pressure be-
fore  starting  to  drive.  The  recommended 
tire  pressure  is  provided  on  the  tire  plac-
ard, which is located under the door latch on the driver
s side.
Tire chains should always be placed on
the front wheels only.
There  are  some  precautions  that  you
must  observe  when  towing  your  vehicle. 
For  detail  information,  see  the  Towing 
section in chapter 9.
800004
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. 

8-12 Driving tips
pension. 
When  driving  with  tire  chains,  drive  at
speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h). 
When a temporary spare tire is on a front 
wheel,  replace  the  temporary  spare  tire 
with  the  rear  tire  on  the  same  side  of  the
vehicle,  and  then  fit  chains  on  the  front
tires. 
Always use the utmost care when driving 
with  tire  chains    overconfidence  be-
cause  you  are  driving  with  tire  chains 
could easily lead to a serious accident.
Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from 
snow, sand, or mud, depress the acceler- 
ator  pedal  slightly  and  move  the  selector 
lever back and forth between  D  and  R 
repeatedly.  Do  not  race  the  engine.  For 
the  best  possible  traction,  avoid  spinning 
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. When  the  road  surface  is  extremely  slip-
pery,  you  can  obtain  better  traction  by
starting  the  vehicle  with  the  transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT). 
Refer to the 
Automatic transmission  sec-
tion in chapter 7 for information on holding 
the transmission in 2nd position.
Loading your vehicle
Tire chains cannot be used on tires 
listed  in  the  following  because  of
lack  of  clearance  between  the  tires
and vehicle body.
225/45R17 tires for WRX-STI
215/45R17 tires for WRX
Never allow passengers to ride on 
a  folded  rear  seatback,  in  the
trunk  or  in  the  cargo  area.  Doing
so may result in serious injury.
Never stack luggage or other car- 
go higher than the top of the seat- 
back because it could tumble for- 
ward and injure passengers in the 
event  of  a  sudden  stop  or  acci- 
dent.  Keep  luggage  or  cargo  low, 
as close to the floor as possible.
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9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency  ......................................... .............. 9-2
Temporary spare tire  .............................. ............ 9-2
Flat tires  ........................................ ...................... 9-4
Changing a flat tire  .............................. ................... 9-4
Jump starting  ..................................... ................. 9-9
How to jump start  ................................. .................. 9-9
Engine overheating  ................................ ............ 9-11
If steam is coming from the engine  compartment ....................................... .................. 9-11
If no steam is coming from the engine 
compartment ....................................... .................. 9-11
Towing  ............................................ ..................... 9-11
Towing and tie-down hooks  ......................... ......... 9-12
Using a flat-bed truck  ............................ ................. 9-13
Towing with all wheels on the ground  .............. .... 9-14
Rear gate   if the rear gate cannot be 
unlocked  .......................................... ................ 9-15
Moonroof   if the moonroof cannot be 
closed  ............................................ ................... 9-15
Maintenance tools  ................................. ............. 9-16
Jack and jack handle  .............................. ................ 9-16 

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.
900231
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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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