2007 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX Owners Manual

Floor mat (if equipped)
A retaining pin is located on the driver’s
side of the vehicle next to the fuel filler
door release.
The floor mat is secured using the built-in
grommet, by placing the grommet over the
pin and pushing downward.
CAUTION
Make sure the driver ’s floor mat is
placed back in its proper location
and correctly secured on its retain-
ing pin. If the floor mat slips forward
and interferes with the movement of
the pedals during driving, it could
cause an accident. Coat hooks
The coat hook is attached to the rear left
and rear right passenger
’s hand grip.
CAUTION
Never hang anything on the coat
hook that might obstruct the driver ’s
view or that could cause injury in a
sudden stop or in a collision. And
do not hang items on the coat hook
that weigh 2.2 lbs (1 kg) or more. Interior equipment
6-9

6-10Interior equipment
Cargo area cover (Wagon –if
equipped)
The cargo area cover is provided for
covering the cargo area and to protect its
contents from direct sunlight. This cover is
detachable to make room for additionalcargo. & Using the cover
To extend the cover, pull the end of the
cover out of the housing, then insert its
hooks into the catches as shown. To
rewind it, unhook it from the catches and
it will rewind automatically. You should
hold on to the cover and guide it back into
the cover housing while it is rewinding.
WARNING
Do not place anything on the ex-
tended cover. Putting excessive
weight on the extended cover can
break it and an object on the cover
could tumble forward in the event of
a sudden stop or collision. This
could cause serious injury.
CAUTION
Be careful not to scratch the rear
gate stays while extending and
rewinding the cover.
Scratches on the stays could cause
leakage of gas from the stays, which
may result in their inability to hold
the rear gate open. &
To remove the cover
1. Rewind the cover.
2. Pull either sleeve on the end of the
cover housing to shorten the cover ’s
length.
3. Take it off the retainer.

&Stowage of the cover
For the vehicles equipped with an under-
floor storage compartment, the cargo area
cover can be stowed under the cargo floor. &
To install the cover housing
1. Pull either sleeve on the end of the
cover housing to shorten the cover ’s
length.
2. Insert the projections located on the
both ends of the sleeve into the recesses
of the retainers. Cargo tie-down hooks (Wa- gon
–if equipped)
The cargo area is equipped with four tie-
down hooks so that cargo can be secured
with a cargo net or ropes.
When using the tie-down hooks, turn them
down out of the storing recesses. When
not in use, put the hooks up into the
storing recesses. Interior equipment
6-11
– CONTINUED –

6-12Interior equipment
CAUTION
The cargo tie-down hooks are de-
signed only for securing light cargo.
Never try to secure cargo that
exceeds the capacity of the hooks.
The maximum load capacity is 44
lbs (20 kg) per hook. Cargo area bars (Wagon)
1) Cargo area bar
In the cargo area, there are two bars (one
on each side) to which a net can beattached.
CAUTION
Do not place objects with a total
weight exceeding 6.6 lbs (3 kg) on a
net attached to the cargo area bars. Under-floor storage compart-
ment (Wagon
–if equipped)
The storage compartment is located under
the floor of the cargo area and can be
used to store small items. To open the lid,
pull the tab up. NOTE
When storing a flat tire, put the storage
tray in the cargo area.
CAUTION
. Always keep the lids closed while
drivingtoreducetheriskof
injury in the event of a sudden
stop or an accident.
. Do not store spray cans, contain-

ers with flammable or corrosive
liquids or any other dangerous
items in the storage compart-ment.Interior equipment
6-13

Fuel...................................................................... 7-2
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-4
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-5
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-6
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-7
Manual transmission vehicle ................................ 7-7
Automatic transmission vehicle ........................... 7-7
Stopping the engine ............................................ 7-8
Manual transmission –6 speeds (WRX-STI) ..... 7-9
Selecting reverse gear ......................................... 7-9
Shifting speeds ................................................... 7-9
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-10
Manual transmission –5 speeds (except
WRX-STI) .......................................................... 7-11
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-11
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-12
Driver ’s Control Center Differential (DCCD)
(WRX-STI) ........................................................ 7-12
Auto mode ......................................................... 7-13
Manual mode ..................................................... 7-13
Temporary release .............................................. 7-15
Automatic transmission ..................................... 7-15
Selector lever ..................................................... 7-16 Shift lock release
............................................... 7-19
Limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-20
Power steering ................................................... 7-20
Braking ............................................................... 7-20
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-20
Brake system .................................................... 7-21
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-21
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-21
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-22
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-22
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-23
Steps to take if EBD system fails ....................... 7-23
Parking your vehicle ......................................... 7-24
Parking brake .................................................... 7-24
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-25
Cruise control .................................................... 7-26
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-26
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-27
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-27
To change the cruising speed .. .......................... 7-28
Starting and operating
7

7-2Starting and operating
Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause engine damage.
& Fuel requirements
! 2.5-liter non-turbo models
The 2.5-liter non-turbo engine is designed
to operate using unleaded gasoline with
an octane rating of 87 AKI or higher. ! WRX
The 2.5-liter turbo engine is designed to
operate using premium unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 91 AKI or higher. If
premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able, regular unleaded gasoline with an
octane rating of 87 AKI or higher may be
temporarily used. For optimum engine
performance and driveability, it is required
that you use premium grade unleadedgasoline. NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded
gasoline of 91 AKI or higher for WRX.
If other gasoline (lower than 91 AKI) is used, knocking, reduced output and
poor accelerator response will result. !
WRX-STI
The 2.5-liter turbo engine is designed to
operate using super-premium unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI or
higher. If super-premium unleaded gaso-
line with an octane rating of 93 AKI or
higher is not available, premium unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 91 AKI or
higher may be temporarily used. For
optimum engine performance and drive-
ability, it is required that you use super-
premium grade unleaded gasoline with an
octane rating of 93 AKI or higher.
NOTE
Be sure to use super-premium un-
leaded gasoline of 93 AKI or higher
for WRX-STI. If other gasoline (lower
than 93 AKI) is used, knocking, re-
duced output and poor accelerator
response will result. ! Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane
numbers and is commonly referred to as
the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane
rating can cause persistent and heavy knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly when you drive
up a hill or when you accelerate. See your
dealer or a qualified service technician if
you use a fuel with the specified octane
rating and your vehicle knocks heavily or
persistently. !
Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler
nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will
damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy. ! Gasoline for California-certified LEV
If your vehicle was certified to California ’s
low emission vehicle (LEV) standards as
indicated on the underhood tune-up label,
it is designed to optimize engine and
emission performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle ’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or

smell. SUBARU recommends that you try
a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer forservice. !MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If
you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may deteriorate and
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator lamp may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty. ! Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank. Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.
Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol
(ethyl or grain alcohol) may be used in
your vehicle, but should contain no more
than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines,
which are designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains,
you should ask your service station
operators if their gasolines contain deter-
gents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-sions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in thefollowing. .
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual. . Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline.
Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture ANDif it is accompanied by sufficient quantities of the proper cosol-
vents and corrosion inhibitors required to
prevent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol
EXCEPT
under these conditions. . If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a different brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer. . Fuel system damage or driveability
problems which result from the use of
improper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Fuels con-
taining alcohol may cause paint
damage, which is not covered under
the SUBARU Limited Warranty. Starting and operating
7-3
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