7-20Starting and operating
Limited slip differential (LSD)
(if equipped)
The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in
revolutions between the right and left
wheels that may be caused by certain
driving conditions, thereby improving driv-
ing stability on snow-covered, muddy or
other slippery roads or when high speeddriving.
CAUTION
. Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the
vehicle may move.
. If one tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely
affect the LSD.
. If you use a temporary spare tire
to replace a flat tire, be sure to
use the original temporary spare
tire stored in the vehicle. Using
other sizes will adversely affect
the LSD. Power steering
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort. NOTE
Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is
normal. It does not indicate power
steering system trouble.
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than 5 seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump. Braking &
Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. ! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking.
8-8Driving tips
Winter driving
&Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as tire chains, a window scraper, a bag of
sand, flares, a small shovel, and jumpercables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winterstarts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and
viscosity for cold weather. Heavy summer
oil will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage
or separate the rubber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen,
use hot water to melt the ice, and after-
wards thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes
because they may damage the paint of
the vehicle.
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid con-
tains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%
surfactant, by volume. Its freezing tem-
perature varies according to how much it
is diluted, as indicated in the followingtable.
Washer Fluid Con- centration Freezing Temperature
30% 10.4 8F( 12 8C)
50% 48F( 20 8C)
100%
49 8F( 45 8C)
In order to prevent freezing of washer
fluid, check the freezing temperatures in
the table above when adjusting the fluid
concentration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with
a different concentration from the one used previously, purge the old fluid from
the piping between the reservoir tank and
washer nozzles by operating the washer
for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if
the concentration of the fluid remaining in
the piping is too low for the outside
temperature, it may freeze and block thenozzles.
CAUTION
Adjust the washer fluid concentra-
tion appropriately for the outside
temperature. If the concentration is
inappropriate, sprayed washer fluid
may freeze on the windshield and
obstruct your view, and the fluid
may freeze in the reservoir tank.
! Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery anddangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before
driving, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has
accumulated under the fenders to avoid
making steering difficult. During severe
10-2Appearance care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or faulty
power steering respectively.
. Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging the
wiper arm and other compo-
nents. Ask the automatic car-
wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine
(Wagon models only).
CAUTION
(WRX-STI)
Do not hold the roof vane such as
when washing the vehicle roof or
trying to move the vehicle. Doing so
could break the roof vane.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. !
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-4
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-6
Non-turbo models .............................................. 11-6
Turbo models ..................................................... 11-7
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-8
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-8
Changing the oil and oil filter .............................. 11-9
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-11
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .......................................... 11-12
Synthetic oil ..................................................... 11-12
Cooling system ................................................ 11-12
Cooling fan, hose and connections ................... 11-12
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-13
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-15
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-15
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-17
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-18
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-18
Manual transmission oil .................................. 11-19
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-19
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-20
Automatic transmission fluid .......................... 11-20
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-20 Recommended fluid
......................................... 11-21
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) .......... 11-21
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-21
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-22
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-22
Checking the gear oil level ............................... 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-23
Power steering fluid ........................................ 11-24
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-24
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-25
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-25
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-26
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................... 11-26
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-27
Brake booster .................................................. 11-27
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-27
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-27
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-28
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) .............................. 11-28
Checking the clutch function ............................ 11-28
Checking the clutch pedal free play .................. 11-28
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-29
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-29
Parking brake stroke ....................................... 11-30
Tires and wheels .............................................. 11-30
Types of tires ................................................... 11-30
Tire inspection ................................................. 11-30
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-31
Maintenance and service
11
11-6Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview &Non-turbo models1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge (MT)
(page 11-19) or Differential gear oil level
gauge (AT) (page 11-21)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-20)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-42)
7) Battery (page 11-41)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-36)
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-13)
10) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
11) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-13)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11- 24)
&Turbo models1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge (MT)
(page 11-19) or Differential gear oil level
gauge (AT) (page 11-21)
3) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-20)
4) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-42)
7) Battery (page 11-41)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-36)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-13)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-13)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11- 24)Maintenance and service
11-7
11-24Maintenance and service
Power steering fluid &Checking the fluid level
1) Reservoir tank
The power steering fluid expands greatly
as its temperature rises; the fluid level
differs according to fluid temperature.
Therefore, the reservoir tank has two
different checking ranges for hot and coldfluids.
Check the power steering fluid level
monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,
and stop the engine.
1) Specified range
2. Check the fluid level of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle has
been run: Check that the oil level is between “HOT MIN ”and “HOT MAX ”on
the surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle is
run: Check that the oil level is between“ COLD MIN ”and “COLD MAX ”on the
surface of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than the
applicable “MIN ”line, add the recom-
mended fluid as necessary to bring the
level between the “MIN ”and “MAX ”line.
If the fluid level is extremely low, it may
indicate possible leakage. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for an inspection.
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourself
because the fluid may be hot.
CAUTION
. When power steering fluid is
being added, use only clean fluid,
and be careful not to allow any
dirt into the tank. And never use
different brands together.
. Avoid spilling fluid when adding
it in the tank.
. Be careful not to spill power
steering fluid when adding it. If
power steering fluid touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
power steering fluid gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe itoff.
12-4Specifications
&Capacities
Fuel tank 15.9 US gal (60 liters, 13.2 Imp gal)
Engine oil 4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
Transmission oil (MT) 5-speed 3.7 US qt (3.5 liters, 3.1 Imp qt)
6-speed 4.3 US qt (4.1 liters, 3.6 Imp qt)
Front differential gear oil (AT) 1.3 US qt (1.2 liters, 1.1 Imp qt)
Rear differential gear oil WRX-STI 1.1 US qt (1.0 liters, 0.9 Imp qt)
Others 0.8 US qt (0.8 liters, 0.7 Imp qt)
Transmission fluid (AT) 10.0 US qt (9.5 liters, 8.4 Imp qt)
Power steering fluid 0.7 US qt (0.7 liter, 0.6 Imp qt)
Engine coolant Non-turbo engine MT7.4 US qt (7.0 liters, 6.2 Imp qt)
AT 7.3 US qt (6.9 liters, 6.1 Imp qt)
Turbo engine MT 8.1 US qt (7.7 liters, 6.8 Imp qt)
AT 8.0 US qt (7.6 liters, 6.7 Imp qt)
AT: Automatic transmission
MT: Manual transmission