2007 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX ECU

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-

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.

with your fingers and thumbs on the
outside of the rim. .If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle ’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your
vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never
attempt to drive through rushing water;
regardless of its depth, it can wash away
the ground from under your tires, resulting
in possible loss of traction and even
vehicle rollover. . Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads. . Do not drive or park over or near
flammable materials such as dry grass or
fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after the
engine stops. This could create a firehazard. .
After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. . Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
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). . Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the
“Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
Subaru while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. . Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. Driving tips
8-7

WARNING
. When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can to prevent it from being
thrown around inside the vehicle
during sudden stops, sharp turns
or in an accident.
. Do not pile heavy loads on the
roof. These loads raise the vehi-cle ’s center of gravity and make it
more prone to tip over.
. Secure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.
. Never exceed the maximum load
limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss
of control and cause personal
injury. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
. Do not place anything on the rear
shelf behind the rear seatback
(for Sedan) or the extended cargo
area cover (for Wagon). Such
items could tumble forward in
the event of a sudden stop or a
collision. This could cause ser- ious injury.
CAUTION
Do not carry spray cans, containers
with flammable or corrosive liquids
or any other dangerous items inside
the vehicle.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded cargo. & Vehicle capacity weight
The load capacity of your vehicle is
determined by weight, not by available
cargo space. The maximum load you can
carry in your vehicle is shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the driver ’s
side door pillar. It includes the total weight
of the driver and all passengers and their
belongings, any optional equipment such
as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier,
etc., and the tongue load of a trailer. Driving tips
8-13
– CONTINUED –

8-14Driving tips
& GVWR and GAWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating and
Gross Axle Weight Rating)
The certification plate attached to the driver ’s side doorjamb shows GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GAWR
(Gross Axle Weight Rating).
The GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) must
never exceed the GVWR. GVW is the
combined total of weight of the vehicle,
fuel, driver, all passengers, luggage, any
optional equipment and trailer tongue
load. Therefore, the GVW changes de-
pending on the situation. The GVWR
equals Curb Weight (actual weight of yourvehicle –including standard equipment,
fluids, emergency tools and spare tire
assembly) plus the vehicle capacityweight. In addition, the total weight applied to
each axle (GAW) must never exceed the
GAWR. The front and rear GAWs can be
adjusted by relocating luggage inside thevehicle.
Even if the total weight of your luggage is
lower than the vehicle capacity weight,
either front or rear GAW may exceed the
GAWR, depending on the distribution of
the luggage.
When possible, the load should be evenly
distributed throughout the vehicle.
If you carry heavy loads in the vehicle, you
should confirm that GVW and front and
rear GAWs are within the GVWR and
GAWR by putting your vehicle on a
vehicle scale, found at a commercial
weighing station.
Do not use replacement tires with a lower
load range than the originals because they
may lower the GVWR and GAWR limita-
tions. Replacement tires with a higher load
range than the originals do not increase
the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
&
Roof rail and crossbar (if equipped)
1) Crossbar kit
The roof rail is not designed to carry cargo
by itself. Cargo can be carried after
securing the roof crossbar kit to the roof
rail and installing the appropriate carrying
attachment. When installing the roof
crossbar kit, follow the manufacturer ’s
instructions.
When you carry cargo on the roof using
the roof crossbar kit and a carrying
attachment, never exceed the maximum
load limit explained in the following. You
should also be careful that your vehicle
does not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and front and rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). See the

“Loading your vehicle ”section in this
chapter for information on loading cargo
into or onto your vehicle. The maximum
load limit of the cargo, crossbars and
carrying attachment must not exceed 100
lbs (45 kg). Place the heaviest load at the
bottom, nearest the roof, and evenly
distribute the cargo. Always properly
secure all cargo.
CAUTION
. For cargo carrying purposes, the
roof rail must be used together
with a roof crossbar kit and the
appropriate carrying attachment.
The roof rail must never be used
alone to carry cargo. Otherwise,
damage to the roof or paint or a
dangerous road hazard due to
loss of cargo could result.
. When using the roof crossbar kit,
make sure that the total weight of
the crossbars, carrying attach-
ment and cargo does not exceed
the maximum load limit. Over-
loading may cause damage to
the vehicle and create a safetyhazard. !
Installing carrying attachments on
the crossbars
When installing any carrying attachment
such as a bike carrier, ski carrier, kayak
carrier, cargo basket, etc. on the cross-
bars, follow the manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions and make sure that the attachment is
securely fixed to the crossbars. Use only
attachments designed specifically for the
crossbars. A set of crossbars is designed
to carry loads (cargo and attachment) of
not more than 100 lbs (45 kg) . Before
operating the vehicle, make sure that the
cargo is properly secured on the attach-ment. NOTE
Remember that the vehicle ’s center of
gravity is altered with the weight of the
load on the roof, thus affecting the
driving characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hard
cornering and abrupt stops. Crosswind
effects will be increased. ! Removal and installation of the crossbars
The crossbars can be removed when you
do not use the roof to carry cargo. ! To remove the crossbar
1. Loosen and remove the T-30 torx® head screw from the top of each crossbar
end support.
2. Rotate the lower clamp on the bottom
of each end support downward approxi-
mately 90
8.
3. Carefully raise the crossbar from roofrails. ! To install the crossbar
Front crossbar:
Front crossbar has 100 LBS. Load Label
on left-hand side. Driving tips
8-15
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8-16Driving tips
F: Front of vehicle
1) T30 torx® head screw
2) Front arrow label
3) Front crossbar
4) 100LBS load label
5) Lower clamp
6) Roof rail end support 7) Joint line
8) Front arrow label
a: 3 inches (76 mm)
1. Before placing the crossbar on the roof
rails, make sure that the T-30 torx® head
screw is removed from the top of each
crossbar end support.
2. Rotate the lower clamp on the bottom
of each end support downward approxi-
mately 90 8.
3. With the front direction arrow label on
the top right side of the crossbar pointing
toward the front of the vehicle, carefully
place the crossbar across the top of the
vehicle so that the crossbar end supports
rest on the top of the roof rails approxi-
mately 3 inches (76 mm) rearward from
the seam (joint) between the front roof rail
support and the roof rail.
4. Rotate (raise) the lower clamp up to
the bottom of the roof rail and loosely
tighten the T-30 torx® head screw with the
torx® wrench provided, through the top of
the end support and into the threaded
insert in the lower clamp on each end of
the crossbar. NOTE
It may be necessary to squeeze the
lower clamp and the end support
together to compress the pads and
gain a better alignment of the pieces while trying to start the screw. Use care
not to cross-thread the screw in theinsert.
5. Adjust the alignment of the crossbar
on the roof rails, and if available, use a T-
30 torx® bit and torque wrench and tighten
the T-30 torx® head screws to 30 to 35
lbf·in (3.4 to 4.0 N·m, 0.35 to 0.41 kgf·m) of
torque (or tighten securely with the torx®
wrench provided).

8-18Driving tips
the trailer separates from the
hitch due to coupling damage or
hitch ball damage.
. Be sure to check the hitch pin
and safety pin for positive lock-
ing placement before towing a
trailer. If the ball mount comes off
the hitch receiver, the trailer
could get loose and create a
traffic safety hazard.
. Use only the ball mount supplied
with this hitch. Use the hitch only
as a weight carrying hitch. Do not
use with any type of weight
distributing hitch.
& Connecting a trailer
1. Remove the receiver cover from the
hitch receiver tube. Then insert the ball
mount into the hitch receiver tube.
2. Insert the hitch pin into the hole on the
hitch receiver tube so that the pin passes
through the ball mount.
3. Insert the safety pin securely into the
hitch pin.
4. Pull the ball mount to make sure it does not come off the hitch receiver.
1) Hitch ball installation point
2) Hooks for safety chains
5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate
for the ball mount and your trailer. The
hitch ball must be securely installed on the
ball mount.
6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with
safety chains that will hold the trailer ’s
maximum gross weight. The chains
should cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping onto the
ground in case it should disconnect from
the hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the
chains taking tight-turn situations into
account; however, be careful not to let
them drag on the ground.