2006 SUBARU OUTBACK power steering fluid

Starting and operating
7-25
– CONTINUED –Power steering
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running.
If you lose power stee ring assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort.
NOTE Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power st eering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is nor-
mal. It does not indicate power steering
system trouble. Braking „ Braking tips
T When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a re-
sult, brake stopping distance will be long-
er. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at
a safe speed while lightly depressing the
brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
T Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking.
T Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a tire is punctured. This could cause
a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep driv-
ing straight ahead while gradually reduc-
ing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to
a safe place.
„ Brake system T Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has a dual circuit brake sys-
tem. Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle. If one circuit of the brake sys-
tem should fail, the other half of the sys-
tem still works. If one circuit fails, the
brake pedal will go down much closer to
the floor than usual and you will need to
press it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop the
vehicle.
T Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to push the pedal much harder
than normal and the braking distance will
increase.Do not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than five seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump. Never rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.

11Maintenance and serviceMaintenance 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 ............................ 11-22Checking 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

11 - 6 Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview „ 2.5-liter non-turbo models 12 3 4 56
7891011
13 12 B004141) 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)

Maintenance and service
11 - 7
– CONTINUED –„ 2.5-liter turbo models 12 4635
13 12 11 10 9 8 7 B004161) 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) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-28)
5) Automatic transmission fluid level
gauge (page 11-22)
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) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-9)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-14)
13) Air cleaner element (page 11-17)

11 - 8 Maintenance and service
„ 3.0-liter models
B0050212 3 4 5
12 1011 9 8 76 1) Power steering fluid reservoir (page
11-27)
2) Differential gear oil level gauge (AT)
(page 11-23)
3) Automatic transmi ssion fluid level
gauge (page 11-22)
4) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-28)
5) Fuse box (page 11-45)
6) Battery (page 11-44)
7) Windshield washer tank (page 11-39)
8) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-9)
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-
14)
10) Radiator cap (page 11-14)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-9)
12) Air cleaner element (page 11-17)

Maintenance and service
11 - 2 7
Power steering fluid „ Checking the fluid level The power steering fluid expands greatly
as its temperature rises; the fluid level dif-
fers according to fluid temperature. There-
fore, the reservoir tank has two different
checking ranges for hot and cold fluids.
Check the power steering fluid level
monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, and
stop the engine.
2. Check the fluid level of the reservoir
tank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle has
been run: Check that the oil level is be-
tween “HOT MIN” and “HOT MAX” on the
surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle is
run: Check that the oil level is between
“COLD MIN” and “COLD MAX” on the sur-
face of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than the appli-
cable “MIN” line, add the recommended
fluid as necessary to bring the level be-
tween the “MIN” and “MAX” line. If the fluid level is extreme low, it may indi-
cate possible leakage. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for inspection.
„ Recommended fluid “Dexron III” Type Automatic Transmis-
sion Fluid
Be careful not to burn yourself be-
cause the fluid may be hot.
y When power steering fluid is be-
ing added, use only clean fluid,
and be careful not to allow any dirt
into the tank. And never use dif-
ferent brands together.
y Avoid spilling fluid when adding it
in the tank. HOT MAX
COLD MAX
HOT MIN
COLD MIN B00124y Be careful not to spill power steer-
ing fluid when adding it. If power
steering fluid touches the exhaust
pipe, it may cause a bad smell,
smoke, and/or a fire. If power
steering fluid gets on the exhaust
pipe, be sure to wipe it off.

12-4 Specifications
„ Capacities Fuel tank 16.9 US gal (64 liters, 14.1 Imp gal)
Engine oil 2.5-liter models 4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
3.0-liter models 5.8 US qt (5.5 liters, 4.8 Imp qt)
Transmission oil (MT) 3.7 US qt (3.5 liters, 3.1 Imp qt)
Transmission fluid (AT) 2.5-liter non-turbo models 9.8 US qt (9.3 liters, 8.2 Imp qt)
2.5-liter turbo and 3.0-liter models 10.4 US qt (9.8 liters, 8.6 Imp qt)
AT differential gear oil 2.5-liter non-turbo models 1.3 US qt (1.2 liters, 1.1 Imp qt)
2.5-liter turbo and 3.0-liter models 1.5 US qt (1.4 liters, 1.2 Imp qt)
Rear differential gear oil 0.8 US qt (0.8 liter, 0.7 Imp qt)
Power steering fluid 0.7 US qt (0.7 liter, 0.6 Imp qt)
Engine coolant 2.5-liter non-turbo models MT 6.8 US qt (6.4 liters, 5.6 Imp qt)
AT 6.7 US qt (6.3 liters, 5.5 Imp qt)
2.5-liter turbo models MT 7.7 US qt (7.3 liters, 6.4 Imp qt)
AT 7.6 US qt (7.2 liters, 6.3 Imp qt)
3.0-liter models 7.6 US qt (7.2 liters, 6.3 Imp qt)

14-4 Index
Snowy and icy roads ..................................................... 8-9
Tips ..................................................... 7-11, 7-16, 7-23, 8-5
Tired or sleepy ................................................................... 7
E
Electrical system ....... .......................................... ............. 12-3
Electronic Brake Force Distributio n (EBD) system . .......... 7-28
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ................................ 1-12
Engine
Compartment overview ............. ................................... 11-6
Coolant ...................................................................... 11-14
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) .. ............. .............. ...... 8-2
Hood ............................................................................ 11-4
Oil ................................................................................ 11-9
Overheating ................................................................. 9-12
Starting .......................................................................... 7-8
Stopping ........................................................................ 7-9
Exterior care ..................................................................... 10-2
F
Flat tires ............................................................................. 9-4
Floor mat .......................................................................... 6-12
Fluid level
Automatic transmission ............................................. 11-22
Brake ......................................................................... 11-28
Clutch ........................................................................ 11-29
Power steering ........................................................... 11-27
Fog light switch ................................................................. 3-34
Front
Differential gear oil ..................................................... 11-23
Fog light ..................................................................... 11-50 Seatbelt pretensioners ................................................. 1-21
Seats .............................................................................. 1-2
Fuel ..................................................................................... 7-2
Economy hints ............................................................... 8-2
Filler lid and cap ............................................................. 7-4
Gauge ................................................................... 3-8, 3-12
Requirements ................................................................ 7-2
Fuses .............................................................................. 11-45
Fuses and circuits ............................................................. 12-6
G
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating ) .................................. 8-14
Glove box ........................................................................... 6-4
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Ra ting) ............................. 8-14
H
Hazard warning flasher ....................................................... 3-5
Head restraint adjustment (Front) ... ...................... .............. 1-5
Headlight
Flasher ......................................................................... 3-32
Indicator light ....................... ........................................ 3-25
Headlights ........... .......................................... ......... 3-31, 11-49
Heater operation ......... .......................................... .............. 4-5
High beam indicator light .................................................. 3-25
High mount stop light ...................................................... 11-56
Horn .................................................................................. 3-43
Hose and connections ................. ................................... 11-14
I
Ignition switch ..................................................................... 3-3
Light ............................................................................... 3-5