2007 SUBARU IMPREZA automatic transmission

.When a temporary spare tire is
installed
. When your vehicle is towed
. When the vehicle is stopped
with the manual mode se- lected
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
position 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
indicate a problem. The phenomenon
will disappear when you turn the center
differential control dial to the rearmost position (minimum initial LSD torqueposition).
In the auto mode, it controls the initial
LSD torque automatically. While in the
auto mode, this phenomenon some-
times occurs depending on the driving
condition, however, it does not indicate
a problem..
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 manu-
ally 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
initial LSD torque. When the driver re-
leases the parking brake lever, the initial
LSD torque set by the driver is restored. Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 4 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. NOTE .
When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle ’s auto-
matic transmission will up-shift at high-
er engine speeds than when the cool-
ant temperature is sufficiently high in
order to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmedup. . Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected
and stored in memory to allow the
transmission to shift at the most appro-
priate times for the current condition of
your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be
restored as the vehicle continues to be
driven for a while. Starting and operating
7-15
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7-16Starting and operating
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ”
position into the “D ”, “3 ”, “2 ”, “1 ” or
“ R ” position while depressing the
accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or back-ward.
CAUTION
. Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is comple-
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
. Do not race the engine for more
than 5 seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
. Avoid shifting from one of the
forward driving positions into the“ R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first securely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the
“P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
& Selector lever
: With the brake pedal depressed, move
the lever along the gate.
: Move the lever along the gate.
The selector lever has seven positions. ! P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine.
In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically locked to prevent the vehicle
from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the
parking brake fully, then shift into the “P ”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the transmission.
A shift interlock function is employed in the
automatic transmission system to ensure
safe starting of the vehicle.

To shift the selector lever from the“P ”
position to any other position, you have to
depress the brake pedal fully when the
ignition switch is in the “ON ”position. This
prevents the vehicle from lurching when it
is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “ P ” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed, refer to the “Shift lock release ”
section in this chapter. ! R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N ” to “R ” position, first
stop the vehicle completely then move the
lever to the “R ”position.
! N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalledengine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the
transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect. NOTE
If you stop the engine with the selector
lever in the
“N ” position, move the
selector lever to the “P ” position
immediately. Otherwise, you may find
that the selector lever soon cannot be
moved to the “P ” position. If you find
that the selector lever cannot be moved
from the “N ” position to the “P ” posi-
tion, turn the ignition switch to the“ ON ”position and try again.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
selector lever in the “N ” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no
effect in this condition and the risk
of an accident is consequently in-creased.
! D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 4th according to
the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to
the original gear position. !
While climbing a grade
When driving up hill, undesired upshift to
4th gear is prevented from taking place
when the accelerator pedal is released.
This minimizes the chances of subse-
quent downshifting to a lower gear when
accelerating again. This prevents re-
peated upshifting and downshifting result-
ing in a smoother operation of the vehicle. NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd
or 1st gear, depending on the way the
accelerator pedal is pressed to accel-
erate the vehicle again. ! While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing
the brake pedal will cause the transmis-
sion to downshift to 3rd gear, thus apply-
ing engine braking. Reacceleration for a
short time will cause the transmission to
upshift normally. NOTE
In some cases, depressing the brake
pedal on a downhill grade does not
result in an automatic downshift to 3rd
gear. This can happen when the auto- Starting and operating
7-17
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7-18Starting and operating
matic transmission fluid temperature is
very low, for example, during driving
shortly after the vehicle has been
parked for an extended period of time.
When the ATF temperature has risen to
a certain level, automatic downshift
normally takes place. In the meantime,
downshift manually for engine braking
as required.
Also, downshifting when braking
downhill will not occur at speeds above
approximately 48 mph (78 km/h). !3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking
when going down a hill or for climbing agrade.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 3rd according
to the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the
original gear position. ! 2 (Second)
This position is for using engine braking
when going down a hill or for climbing a steep grade.
In this position, the transmission holds in
the 2nd gear.
Use this position when starting off from a
standstill on slippery road surfaces such
as mud or snow. It will ensure greatertraction. !
1 (First)
This position is for driving up or down very
steep grades, or driving through mud or
sand, or on slippery surfaces. In this
position, the transmission holds in the
1st gear. ! Maximum speeds
The following table shows the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
When shifting down a gear, it is important
to confirm that the current vehicle speed is
not in excess of the Maximum Allowable
Speed of the gear which is about to beselected. mph (km/h)
Non-turbo models Turbo models
1 28 (45) 28 (45)
2 62 (100) 65 (104)
3 97 (156) 104 (167) NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during
deceleration of the vehicle, the trans-
mission will remain in the current gear
if the speed of the vehicle is in excess
of the Maximum Allowable Speed for
the gear to which the selector lever has
been moved.
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to
observe this precaution can lead to
engine over-revving and this in turn
can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine brakes when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accidentincreased.
! Driving tips
. Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”, “3 ”,
“ 2 ”, “1 ” or “R ”position.

CAUTION
Never drive while the parking brake
is set because this will cause un-
necessary wear on the brake lin-
ings. Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.
& Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always set the
parking brake firmly and put the shift lever
in the “1 ” (1st) for an upgrade or “R ”
(Reverse) for a downgrade for manual
transmission vehicles, or in the “P ”(Park)
position for automatic transmission vehi-
cles. Always set the parking brake firmly
when parking your vehicle. Never rely on
the transmission alone to hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is
headed up the hill, the front wheels should
be turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.
WARNING
. Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, the tempera-
ture in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to
cause severe or possibly fatal
injuries to people.
. Do not park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
. Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occu-
pants in the vehicle could die
from carbon monoxide (CO) con-
tained in the exhaust gas.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), pay attention to blocks Starting and operating
7-25
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vehicle reaches the desired speed.
3. Push the control lever downward in the “SET/COAST ”direction and release it.
Then release the accelerator pedal.
At this time, the “”indicator light is
illuminated in the combination meter. The vehicle will maintain the desired speed.
Vehicle speed can be temporarily in-
creased while driving with the cruise
control activated. Simply depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehi-
cle. When the accelerator pedal is re-
leased, the vehicle will return to and
maintain the previous cruising speed.
& To temporarily cancel the
cruise control
There are five ways to cancel the cruise
control temporarily:
. Pull the control lever in the “CANCEL ”
direction. . Depress the brake pedal.
. Depress the clutch pedal (manual transmission vehicles only)..
Shift the selector lever into the “N ”
position (automatic transmission vehicles only). . Shift the shift lever into neutral position
(manual transmission vehicles only). The “
”indicator light in the combination
meter goes off when the cruise control is canceled.
To resume the cruise control after it has
been temporarily canceled and with vehi-
cle speed of approximately 20 mph (32
km/h) or more, push the control lever
upward in the “RES/ACC ”direction to
return to the original cruising speed auto-
matically. The “
”indicator light in the combination
meter will automatically come on at this time. & To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control: . Push the main switch again.
. Turn the ignition switch to the “Acc ”or
“ LOCK ”position (but only when the
vehicle is completely stopped). Starting and operating
7-27
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winter driving, stop when and where it is
safe to do so and check under the fenders
periodically. !Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when
parking for long periods in cold weather
since it could freeze in that position.
Instead, observe the following.
1. Place the shift lever in “1 ” or “R ” for
manual transmission vehicles, and in “P ”
for automatic transmission 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
after 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
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-ness.WARNING
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 enginerunning.
! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used
for an extended period, it is best to have
the fuel tank filled to capacity. & Driving on snowy and icy roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle
’s braking perfor-
mance on snowy and icy roads. Refer tothe “ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ”sec-
tion in chapter 7 for information on braking
on slippery surfaces.
NOTE
The following tires are summer tires.
Compared with winter and all-season
tires, summer tires give significantly
less grip on snowy and icy road
surfaces. Avoid driving on snowy and
icy road surface with summer tires. . 225/45R17 tires for WRX-STI
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control. Driving tips
8-9
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8-12Driving tips
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.
CAUTION
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
& Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator 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
slippery, 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 ”
section in chapter 7 for information on
holding the transmission in 2nd position. Loading your vehicle
WARNING
. 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
cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or
accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor aspossible.