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4-12Climate control
heated interior. This results in quicker
cooling by the air conditioner. Keep the
windows closed during the operation of
the air conditioner for maximum cooling
efficiency. &Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at
a low engine speed (at idle or low driving
speeds) a few minutes each month during
the off-season to circulate its oil. & Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-son
Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions and proper
operation of each spring. Have your
SUBARU dealer perform this check. & Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather conditions
Under certain weather conditions (high
relative humidity, low temperatures, etc.) a
small amount of water vapor emission
from the air outlets may be noticed. This
condition is normal and does not indicate
any problem with the air conditioningsystem. &
Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage,
the air conditioner compressor is designed
to temporarily shut off during air condi-
tioner operation whenever the accelerator
is fully depressed such as during rapid
acceleration or when driving on a steepupgrade. & Refrigerant for your climate
control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendly
refrigerant HFC134a. Therefore, the meth-
od of adding, changing or checking the
refrigerant is different from the method for
CFC12 (Freon). Consult your SUBARU
dealer for service. Repairs needed as a
result of using the wrong refrigerant are
not covered under warranty. Air filtration system
If your vehicle
’s air conditioning system is
equipped with an air filtration system,
replace the filter element according to
the replacement schedule shown in the
following. This schedule should be fol-
lowed to maintain the filter ’s dust collec-
tion ability. Under extremely dusty condi-
tions, the filter should be replaced more
frequently. It is recommended that you
have your filter checked or replaced by
your SUBARU dealer. For replacement,
use only a genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule: Every 12 months or 7,500 miles (12,000
km) whichever comes first
Page 157 of 364
&Replacing the air filter
1. Remove the glove box.
(1) Open the glove box.
(2) Remove the nine screws and the
one clip securing the glove box.
(3) Disconnect the glove box light
connector.
2. Unhook the hooks of the air filter cover
and remove the cover.
3. Draw out the air filter element.
4. Replace the air filter element with new one.
CAUTION
The arrow mark on the filter must
point down.
5. Reinstall the air filter cover.
6. Connect the connector, and reinstall
the glove box.
7. Close the glove box. Climate control
4-13
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Page 158 of 364
4-14Climate control
1) Service label
2) Caution label
8. LABEL installation (1) Fill out the information on the
service label (small).
(2) Attach the service label to the
driver side door pillar and the caution
label to the driver side end of the
instrument panel.
CAUTION
Contact your dealer if the following
occurs, even if it is not yet time to
change the filter: . Reduction of the air flow through
the vents.
. Windshield gets easily fogged or
misted.
NOTE
The filter can influence the air condi-
tioning, heating and defroster perfor-
mance if not properly maintained.
Page 179 of 364

the audio set, the volume becomes
louder. However, when you change
the audio to the radio mode or to a
CD player, the sound becomes a lot
louder. Remember to turn down the
volume when you change betweenthem. !AUX terminal (if equipped)
The AUX terminal is located behind the lid
under the climate controls. Push gently on
the lid to open it.
! Satellite Radio mode
Press the “SAT ”button (20) to select the
“ Satellite radio mode ”(when the SR-BB is
connected). NOTE
Use of satellite radio (Sirius) requires a
tuner, antenna and a service contract.
For details, please contact your
SUBARU dealer.or
Visit Sirius Satellite Radio at
sirius.com
or call 1-888-539-SIRIUS (7474) for
more information. Sirius, the Sirius
dog logo, channel names and logos
are trademarks of SIRIUS Satellite
Radio Inc. ! Satellite radio reception
Satellite radio signals are best received in
areas with a clear view of the open sky. In
areas where there are tall buildings, trees,
tunnels or other structures that may
obstruct the signal of the satellites, there
may be signal interruptions. Other circum-
stances that may result in signal loss
include driving near a wall, steep cliff or
hill, or driving on the lower level of a multi-
tiered road or inside a parking garage.
To help reduce this condition, satellite
radio providers have installed ground-
based repeaters in heavily populated
areas. However, you may still experience
reception problems in some areas. Audio
5-21
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Page 189 of 364
of the lid. &Pocket (if equipped)
CAUTION
Do not use the pocket as an ashtray
or leave a lighted cigarette in the
pocket. This could cause a fire.
To use the pocket, push lightly on the lid
below the climate controls. Cup holders
CAUTION
Take care to avoid spills. Beverages,
if hot, might burn you or your
passengers. Spilled beverages may
also damage upholstery, carpets or
audio equipment.
& Front passenger ’s cup holder
CAUTION
Do not pick up a cup from the cup
holder or put a cup in the holder
while you are driving, as this may
distract you and lead to an accident.A dual cup holder is built in the center
console, beside the parking brake lever. Interior equipment
6-5
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Page 192 of 364

6-8Interior equipment
plug-in accessory such as a cell
phone, that may damage the
portion of the socket ’s internal
mechanism that causes a cigar-
ette lighter plug to “pop out ”
after its lighter element is heated.
Therefore, do not place a cigar-
ette lighter plug in a socket that
has been used, even once, to
power a plug-in accessory. Doing
so may cause the plug to stick
and overheat, creating a potential
fire hazard. Ashtray (Canada only, if equipped)
CAUTION
Do not use ashtrays as waste re-
ceptacles or leave a lighted cigarette
in an ashtray. This could cause afire.
It is possible to install an ashtray, which is
an optional accessory, in the front pocket.
The ashtray is available from your
SUBARU dealer.
To open the ashtray, push lightly on the lid
below the climate controls.
Fully close the lid after using it to help
reduce residual smoke. To remove the ashtray for cleaning, hold
the right and left sides of the ashtray and
pull it out. NOTE
Particles of ash and tobacco will accu-
mulate around the hinges of the ash-tray
’s inner lid. Clean them off using a
toothbrush or other narrow-ended im-plement.
Page 272 of 364
Exterior care....................................................... 10-2
Washing ............................................................. 10-2
Waxing and polishing ......................................... 10-3
Cleaning aluminum wheels ................................. 10-3
Corrosion protection .......................................... 10-4
Most common causes of corrosion ..................... 10-4
To help prevent corrosion ................................... 10-4 Cleaning the interior
.......................................... 10-5
Seat fabric ......................................................... 10-5
Leather seat materials ........................................ 10-5
Synthetic leather upholstery ............................... 10-5
Climate control panel, audio panel, instrument panel, console panel, and switches .................. 10-5
Appearance care
10
Page 276 of 364

Cleaning the interior
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the climate
control panel, audio equipment, instru-
ment panel, center console, combination
meter panel, and switches. (Do not use
organic solvents.) &Seat fabric
Remove loose dirt, dust or debris with a
vacuum cleaner. If the dirt is caked on the
fabric or hard to remove with a vacuum
cleaner, use a soft brush then vacuum it.
Wipe the fabric surface with a tightly
wrung cloth and dry the seat fabric
thoroughly. If the fabric is still dirty, wipe
using a solution of mild soap and luke-
warm water then dry thoroughly.
If the stain does not come out, try a
commercially-available fabric cleaner. Use
the cleaner on a hidden place and make
sure it does not affect the fabric adversely.
Use the cleaner according to its instruc-tions. NOTE
When cleaning the seat, do not use
benzine, paint thinner, or any similarmaterials. &
Leather seat materials
The leather used by SUBARU is a high
quality natural product which will retain its
distinctive appearance and feel for many
years with proper care.
Allowing dust or road dirt to build up on the
surface can cause the material to become
brittle and to wear prematurely. Regular
cleaning with a soft, moist, natural fiber
cloth should be performed monthly, taking
care not to soak the leather or allow water
to penetrate the stitched seams.
A mild detergent suitable for cleaning
woolen fabrics may be used to remove
difficult dirt spots, rubbing with a soft, dry
cloth afterwards to restore the luster. If
your SUBARU is to be parked for a long
time in bright sunlight, it is recommended
that the seats and headrests be covered,
or the windows shaded, to prevent fading
or shrinkage.
Minor surface blemishes or bald patches
may be treated with a commercial leather
spray lacquer. You will discover that each
leather seat section will develop soft folds
or wrinkles, which is characteristic of
genuine leather. & Synthetic leather upholstery
The synthetic leather material used on the
SUBARU may be cleaned using mild soap or detergent and water, after first vacuum-
ing or brushing away loose dirt. Allow the
soap to soak in for a few minutes and wipe
off with a clean, damp cloth. Commercial
foam-type cleaners suitable for synthetic
leather materials may be used when
necessary. NOTE
Strong cleaning agents such as sol-
vents, paint thinners, window cleaner
or gasoline must never be used on
leather or synthetic interior materials. &
Climate control panel, audio
panel, instrument panel,
console panel, and switches
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the climate
control panel, audio equipment, instru-
ment panel, center console, combination
meter panel, and switches. NOTE
Do not use organic solvents such as
paint thinners or gasoline, or strong
cleaning agents that contain those solvents. Appearance care
10-5