2006 SUBARU LEGACY brake fluid

Driving tips 8-7
– CONTINUED –
ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle
rollover.y
Always check your brakes for effective-
ness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads.y Do not drive or park over or near flam-
mable materials such as dry grass or fall-
en leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the en-
gine is running and right after engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard.y After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. y Secure all cargo carried inside the vehi-
cle and make certain that it is not piled higher than the seatbacks. During sudden
stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could be
thrown around in the vehicle and cause in-
jury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof.
Those loads raise the vehicle’s center of
gravity and make it more prone to tip over. y
If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelera-
tor pedal slightly and move the selector le-
ver back and forth between “D” and “R” re-
peatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the
wheels when trying to free the vehicle. y When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT). y Never equip your vehi cle with tires larg-
er than those specified in this manual. y Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. y Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle un-
der hard-driving condit ions such as rough
roads or off roads will necessitate more
frequent replacement of engine oil, brake
fluid and transmission oil than that speci-
fied in the maintenance schedule de-
scribed in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible for warranty coverage.
Winter driving „ Operation during cold weath- er
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as tire chains, a window scraper, a bag of
sand, flares, a small shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold tem-
peratures reduce battery capacity. The
battery must be in good condition to pro-
vide enough power for cold winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and vis-
cosity for cold weather. Heavy summer oil
will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by
800015

8-8 Driving tips
squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage
or separate the ru bber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen, use
hot water to melt the ice, and afterwards
thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes be-
cause they may damage the paint of the
vehicle.
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid con-
tains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%
surfactant, by volume. Its freezing temper-
ature varies according to how much it is di-
luted, as indicated in the following table.
In order to prevent freezing of washer flu-
id, check the freezing temperatures in the
table above when adjusting the fluid con-
centration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with
a different concentration from the one
used previously, purge the old fluid from the piping between the reservoir tank and
washer nozzles by operating the washer
for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if
the concentration of the fluid remaining in
the piping is too low for the outside tem-
perature, it may freeze and block the noz-zles.
T
Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery and dan-
gerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driv-
ing, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operatesmoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accu-
mulated under the fenders to avoid mak-
ing steering difficult. During severe winter
driving, stop when and where it is safe to do so and check under the fenders period-
ically. T
Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when park-
ing for long periods in cold weather since
it could freeze in that position. Instead, ob-
serve the following.
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for
manual transmission vehicles, and in “P”
for automatic trans mission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent
the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked af-
ter use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
Washer Fluid
Concentration Freezing
Temperature
30% 10.4 °F (–12 °C)
50% –4 °F (–20 °C)
100% –49 °F (–45 °C)
Adjust the washer fluid concentra-
tion appropriately for the outside
temperature. If the concentration is
inappropriate, sprayed washer fluid
may freeze on the windshield and
obstruct your view, and the fluid
may freeze in the reservoir tank.
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the engine
running.

8-28 Driving tips
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. yWhen driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. y 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.
NOTE
With AT vehicles, the temperature of
engine coolant is less likely to rise to
the OVERHEAT zone in the “D” posi-
tion than in the manual mode position. y 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. T
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.

10-2 Appearance care
Appearance careExterior care „Washing
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure be-
forehand that the car wash is of suit-
able type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the ve-
hicle at least once a month to avoid con-
tamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in direct
sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain that it is a neutral
detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or soft cloth. T Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for deic-
ing road surfaces are extremely corrosive,
accelerating the corrosion of underbody
components, such as the exhaust system,
fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor
pan and fenders, and suspension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro- sion.
After driving off-road or muddy or sandy
roads, wash the mud and sand off the un-
derbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.
y
When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes, drive
the vehicle at a safe speed while
lightly pressing the brake pedal to
heat up the brakes.
y Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air intake,
electrical parts or the power steer-
ing fluid reservoir, it will cause en-
gine trouble or faulty power steer-
ing respectively.
ySince your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become tan-
gled around it, damaging the wip-
er arm and other components.
Ask the automatic car-wash oper-
ator not to let the brushes touch
the wiper arm or to fix the wiper
arm on the rear window glass with
adhesive tape before operating
the machine. (S tation wagon mod-
els only)

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 2.5-liter non-turbo models ..................................... 11-6
2.5-liter turbo models ............................................. 11-7
3.0-liter models ....................................................... 11-8
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-9 Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-9
Changing the oil and oil filter ................................ 11-10
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-12
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions ................................................ 11-13
Cooling system .................................................. 11-13 Hose and connections ........................................... 11-14
Engine coolant ........................................................ 11-14
Air cleaner element ............................................ 11-17 Replacing the air cleaner element ......................... 11-17
Spark plugs ......................................................... 11-19 Recommended spark plugs ................................... 11-19
Drive belts ........................................................... 11-20 2.5-liter models ....................................................... 11-20
3.0-liter models ....................................................... 11-20
Manual transmission oil .................................... 11-20 Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-20
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-21
Automatic transmission flui d ............................ 11-22
Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-22
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-23
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ............ 11-23 Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-23
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-24
Rear differential gear oil .................................... 11-24 Checking the gear oil level .................................... 11-24
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-26
Power steering fluid ........................................... 11-27 Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-27
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-27
Brake fluid ........................................................... 11-28 Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-28
Recommended brake fluid ..................................... 11-28
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) .................................. 11-29 Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-29
Recommended clutch fluid .................................... 11-29
Brake booster ..................................................... 11-30
Brake pedal ......................................................... 11-30 Checking the brake pedal free play ...................... 11-30
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ......... 11-30
Clutch pedal (Man ual transmission
vehicles) ........................................................... 11-31 Checking the clutch function ................................ 11-31
Checking the clutch pedal free play ..................... 11-31

Maintenance and service
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............... 11-31
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ......... 11-32
Parking brake stroke .......................................... 11-32
Tires and wheels ................................................ 11-33 Types of tires .......................................................... 11-33
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .......................................................... 11-33
Tire inspection ........................................................ 11-34
Tire pressures and wear ........................................ 11-35
Wheel balance ........................................................ 11-37
Wear indicators ....................................................... 11-37
Tire rotation ............................................................. 11-37
Tire replacement ..................................................... 11-38
Wheel replacement ................................................. 11-38
Aluminum wheels ............................................... 11-39
Windshield washer fluid .................................... 11-39
Replacement of wiper blades ............................ 11-41 Windshield wiper blade assembly ........................ 11-41
Windshield wiper blade rubber ............................. 11-42
Rear window wiper blade assembly ..................... 11-42
Rear window wiper blade rubber .......................... 11-43
Battery ................................................................. 11-44
Fuses ................................................................... 11-45
Main fuse ............................................................. 11-47
Installation of accessories ................................ 11-47
Replacing bulbs .................................................. 11-48 Headlight ................................................................. 11-49
Parking light ............................................................ 11-50
Front turn signal light ............................................ 11-50
Front fog light (if equipped) ................................... 11-50 Rear combination lights ......................................... 11-51
Backup light (Station wagon) ................................ 11-52
License plate light .................................................. 11-53
Dome light ............................................................... 11-53
Map light .................................................................. 11-54
Door step light ........................................................ 11-54
Cargo area light (Station wa
gon) .......................... 11-55
Trunk light (Sedan) ................................................. 11-55
High mount stop light (Sedan) .............................. 11-56

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
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.yWear 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.
yDo not tamper wi th 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.
y Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
yAlways let the engine cool down.
Engine parts b ecome very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after the
engine is stopped.
y Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
yAlways 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.
B00099

11 - 6 Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview „2.5-liter non-turbo models
12 3 45 6
7
8
9
10
11
13 12
B00414
1) Power steering fluid reservoir (page
11-27)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-20) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-23)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-29)
4) Automatic transmi ssion fluid level
gauge (page 11-22)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-28)
6) Fuse box (page 11-45)
7) Battery (page 11-44)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-39)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-9)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11- 14)
11) Radiator cap (page 11-14)
12) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-9)
13) Air cleaner element (page 11-17)