
3-8Instruments and controls
&Fuel gauge
1) Low fuel warning light
The fuel gauge shows the approximate 
amount of fuel remaining in the tank. 
When the ignition switch is in the “LOCK ”
or “Acc ”position, the fuel gauge shows “E ”
even if the fuel tank contains fuel. 
The gauge may move slightly during 
braking, turning or acceleration due to fuel
level movement in the tank. NOTE
You will see the
“”sign in the fuel
gauge meter. 
This indicates that the fuel filler door 
(lid) is located on the right side of thevehicle. ! Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when 
the tank is nearly empty [Approximately
2.3 US gal (9.0 liters, 1.9 Imp gal)]. 
It only operates when the ignition switch is 
in the “ON ”position.
NOTE 
This light does not go out unless the 
tank is replenished up to an internal fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal).
CAUTION
Promptly put fuel in the tank when- 
ever the low fuel warning light
comes on. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
& Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine 
coolant temperature when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position.
The coolant temperature will vary in    

accordance with the outside temperature 
and driving conditions. 
We recommend that you drive moderately 
until the pointer of the temperature gauge
reaches near the middle of the range. 
Engine operation is optimum with the 
engine coolant at this temperature range
and high revving operation when the
engine is not warmed up enough should
be avoided.
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal 
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. 
See the “In case of emergency ”in
chapter 9. &
Outside temperature indica- tor
1) U.S.-spec. models 
2) Canada-spec. models
The outside temperature indicator shows 
the outside temperature in a range from  22 to 122 8F(  30 to 50 8C).
The indicator can give a false reading
under any of the following conditions: . When there is too much sun.
. During idling; while running at low
speeds in a traffic jam; when the engine 
is restarted immediately following a shut- down. . When the actual outside temperature
falls outside the specified indicator range. REV indicator light and buz- 
zer (WRX-STI)The REV alarm system issues a warning 
using the REV indicator light (and a
buzzer if additionally selected) when the
engine speed reaches a level previously
set using the REV setting knob. 
If you press the trip knob when the ignition 
switch is in the
“LOCK ”position, the
outside temperature indicator will show
the engine speed that has already beenset. Instruments and controls
3-9
– CONTINUED –   

fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US 
gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal).
CAUTION
(Turbo model only) 
Promptly put fuel in the tank when- 
ever the low fuel warning light
comes on. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
& Temperature gauge
1) Normal operating range
The temperature gauge shows engine 
coolant temperature when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position. The coolant temperature will vary in
accordance with the outside temperature
and driving conditions. 
We recommend that you drive moderately 
until the pointer of the temperature gauge 
reaches near the middle of the range. 
Engine operation is optimum with the
engine coolant at this temperature range
and high revving operation when the
engine is not warmed up enough should
be avoided.
CAUTION
If the pointer exceeds the normal 
operating range, safely stop the
vehicle as soon as possible. See “In case of emergency ”in
chapter 9. &
Outside temperature indica- tor
1) U.S.-spec. models 
2) Canada-spec. models
The outside temperature indicator shows 
the outside temperature in a range from  22 to 122 8F(  30 to 50 8C).
The indicator can give a false reading
under any of the following conditions: . When there is too much sun.
. During idling; while running at low
speeds in a traffic jam; when the engine 
is restarted immediately following a shut- down. . When the actual outside temperature
falls outside the specified indicator range. Instruments and controls
3-13   

4-8Climate control
Automatic climate control 
system (if equipped) 
Although this climate control system can 
be used as a full-automatic climate control
system, it can also, if desired, be used as
a semi-automatic climate control system. 
When it is used as a full-automatic climate 
control system, the outlet air temperature,
fan speed, air flow distribution, air inlet
control, and air conditioner compressor
operation are all automatically controlled
to maintain a constant, comfortable tem-
perature inside the vehicle. NOTE .Operate the automatic climate con-
trol system when the engine is running. . When the engine coolant is cold, the
blower does not run.. In the “AUTO ”mode, when the air
temperature in the passenger compart-
ment is sufficiently cool, the air condi-
tioner compressor does not operate.
For efficient defogging or dehumidify-
ing in cold weather, press the “A/C ”
button to operate the air conditioner
compressor.. Even when cooling is not necessary,
setting the temperature much lower
than the current outlet air temperature
turns on the air conditioner compres- sor automatically and the
“A/C ”indi-
cator light on the control panel comeson. & Control panel
1) Air flow control dial 
2) Fan speed control dial 
3) Temperature control dial 
4) Air conditioner button 
5) Air inlet selection button 
6) Rear window defogger button (Refer to
the“Rear window defogger button ”sec-
tion in chapter 3.)
& To use as full-automatic cli- 
mate control system
Place the temperature control dial in the 
position for your desired temperature, then
set the other dials and buttons as de- scribed in the following. The system
’s
functions will then switch to AUTO mode
and be controlled automatically. . Air flow control dial: AUTO position
. Fan speed control dial: AUTO position
. Air inlet selection button: Press for at
least 1 second. (Indicator will flash twice.). Air conditioner button: Press for at least
1 second. (Indicator will flash twice.)
& To use as semi-automatic 
climate control system
Each function can be individually set to 
AUTO mode independently of the others.
Any function set to AUTO mode is con-
trolled automatically. Any function not set
to AUTO mode can be manually adjusted
as desired. 
The temperature can be set within a range 
of 65 to 85 8F (20 to 30 8C).  

&Fan speed control dial
The fan operates only with the ignition 
switch in the ON position. The fan speed
control dial is used to select the AUTO
(automatic control) mode or to select the
desired fan speed. The dial ’s positions
and their functions are as follows: OFF: The fan does not operate.
AUTO: The fan speed is adjusted auto-
maticallyinaccordancewiththeair 
temperature inside and outside the pas-
senger compartment, the intensity of sun-
light, and other factors. SUBARU recom-
mends using the AUTO position. 
Other positions: The fan speed can be
adjusted in 25 steps. NOTE 
With the fan speed control dial in the 
AUTO position and the air flow control
dial in the
“
”, “”,or “”position,
the fan does not operate during engine 
warm-up until the engine coolant tem-
perature exceeds approx. 122 8F (50 8C).
& Temperature control dial
This dial is used to set the desired interior 
temperature. With the dial set to your
desired temperature, the system automa-
tically adjusts the temperature of air
supplied from the outlets such that the
desired temperature is achieved andmaintained. 
If the dial is turned fully counterclockwise, 
the system gives maximum cooling per- formance. If the dial is turned fully clock-
wise, the system gives maximum heatingperformance. &
Air flow control dial
This dial has the following six positions. 
The outlets from which air is supplied in 
each position are as follows: AUTO: The air flow control is adjusted
automatically in accordance with the air 
temperature inside and outside the pas-
senger compartment, the intensity of sun-
light, and other factors. SUBARU recom-
mends using the AUTO position.
: Instrument panel outlets
: Instrument panel outlets and foot
outlets
: Foot outlets and windshield defroster Climate control
4-9
– CONTINUED –    

.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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Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia- 
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. & If steam is coming from the 
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone 
away from the vehicle until it cools down. & If no steam is coming from 
the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed. 
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compartment. 
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If 
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair. 
3. After the engine coolant temperature 
has dropped, turn off the engine. 
If the temperature gauge stays at the 
overheated zone, turn off the engine. 
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, 
check the coolant level in the reservetank. 
If the coolant level is below the
“LOW ”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL ”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve 
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant. 
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot 
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it. Towing 
If towing is necessary, it is best done by 
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following
procedures for safety.
WARNING
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT 
and MT) with the front wheels raised
off the ground while the rear wheels
are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while
the front wheels are on the ground.
This will cause the vehicle to spin
away due to the operation or dete-
rioration of the center differential. In case of emergency
9-11
– CONTINUED –  

11-12Maintenance and service
&Recommended grade and 
viscosity under severe driv- 
ing conditions
If the vehicle is used in desert areas, in 
areas with very high temperatures, or
used for heavy-duty applications such as
towing a trailer, use of oil with the following
grade and viscosities is recommended.
API classification SM (or SL): SAE viscosity No.: 30, 40, 10W-50, 
20W-40, 20W-50
& Synthetic oil
You can use synthetic engine oil that 
meets the same requirements given for
conventional engine oil. When using
synthetic oil, you must use oil of the same
classification, viscosity and grade shown
in this Owner ’s Manual, and must follow
the oil and filter changing intervals shown
in the maintenance schedule. Cooling system
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia- 
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has cooled down
completely. Since the coolant is
under pressure, you may suffer
serious burns from a spray of boil-
ing hot coolant when the cap isremoved.
CAUTION
. The cooling system has been
filled at the factory with a high 
quality, corrosi on-inhibiting,
year-around coolant which pro-
vides protection against freezing
down to  33 8F(  36 8C). For add-
ing, use genuine SUBARU cool-
ant or an equivalent: a mixture of
50% soft water (or clear and
drinkable water) and 50% phos-
phate or non-amine type coolant.
Use of improper coolants may
result in corrosion in the cooling
system. It is important to main-
tain protection against freezing
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.
& 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
defective. 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.