2007 SUBARU OUTBACK service schedule

2
Chapter 4: Climate control
This chapter informs you how to operate
the climate control.
Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate
your audio system.
Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate
interior equipment.
Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and
operate your SUBARU.
Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your
SUBARU in various conditions and ex-
plains some safety tips on driving.
Chapter 9: In case of emergency
This chapter informs you what to do if you
have a problem while driving, such as a
flat tire or engine overheating.
Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your
SUBARU looking good.
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need
to take your SUBARU to the dealer for
scheduled maintenance and informs you
how to keep your SUBARU running
properly.Chapter 12: Specifications
This chapter informs you about dimension
and capacities of your SUBARU.
Chapter 13: Consumer information and
Reporting safety defects
This chapter informs you about Tire
information, Uniform tire quality grading
standards and Reporting safety defects.
Chapter 14: Index
This is an alphabetical listing of all that
’sin
this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
& Safety warnings
You will find a number of WARNINGs,
CAUTIONs and NOTEs in this manual.
These safety warnings alert you to poten-
tial hazards that could result in injury to
you or others.
Please read these safety warnings as well
as all other portions of this manual care-
fully in order to gain a better understand-
ing of how to use your SUBARU vehicle
safely.
WARNING
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious injury or death could
result if the warning is ignored.
CAUTION
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which injury or damage to your
vehicle, or both, could result if the
caution is ignored.
NOTE
A NOTE gives information or sugges-
tions how to make better use of yourvehicle. & Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it
in this manual. This symbol means “Do
not ”, “Do not do this ”,or “Do not let this
happen ”, depending upon the context.

&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 equipped)
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
conditions, the filter should be replaced
more frequently. Have your filter checked
or replaced by your SUBARU dealer. For
replacement, we recommend the use of a
genuine SUBARU air filter kit.
Replacement schedule: Every 12 months or 9,300 miles (15,000
km) whichever comes first
CAUTION
Contact your SUBARU 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.
Climate control
4-13

8-4Driving tips
To avoid damage to the catalytic conver- ter: .Use only unleaded gasoline. Even a
small amount of leaded gasoline will
damage the catalytic converter. . Never start the engine by pushing or
pulling the vehicle.. Avoid racing the engine.
. Never turn off the ignition switch while
the vehicle is moving.. Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel
the engine running rough (misfiring, back-
firing or incomplete combustion), have
your vehicle checked and repaired by an
authorized SUBARU dealer. . Do not apply undercoating or rust
prevention treatment to the heat shield of
catalytic converter and the exhaust sys-tem. Periodic inspections
To keep your vehicle in the best condition
at all times, always have the recom-
mended maintenance services listed in
the maintenance schedule in the
“War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”per-
formed at the specified time or mileageintervals. Driving in foreign countries
When planning to use your vehicle in
another country: .
Confirm the availability of the correct
fuel. (Refer to the “Fuel requirements ”
section in chapter 7.). Comply with all regulations and re-
quirements of each country.

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
2.5-liter non-turbo models ................................... 11-6
2.5-liter turbo models ......................................... 11-7
3.0-liter models .................................................. 11-8
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-9
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-9
Changing the oil and oil filter ............................ 11-10
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-12
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .......................................... 11-13
Cooling system ................................................ 11-13
Hose and connections ...................................... 11-14
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-14
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-17
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-17
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-20
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-20
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-20
2.5-liter models ................................................ 11-20
3.0-liter models ................................................ 11-21
Manual transmission oil .................................. 11-21
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-21
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-22Automatic transmission fluid
.......................... 11-22
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-22
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-23
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) .......... 11-24
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-24
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-25
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-25
Checking the gear oil level ............................... 11-25
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-27
Power steering fluid ........................................ 11-28
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-28
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-28
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-29
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-29
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-29
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................... 11-30
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-30
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-30
Brake booster .................................................. 11-31
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-31
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-31
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ........................................................ 11-31
Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) ........................................................ 11-32
Checking the clutch function ............................ 11-32
Checking the clutch pedal free play .................. 11-32
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-32
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ........................................................... 11-33Maintenance and service
11

Maintenance schedule
The scheduled maintenance items re-
quired to be serviced at regular intervals
are shown in the“Warranty and Main-
tenance Booklet ”.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate “Warranty and Main-
tenance Booklet ”. Maintenance precautions
When maintenance and service are re-
quired, it is recommended that all work be
done by an authorized SUBARU dealer.
If you perform maintenance and service
by yourself, you should familiarize yourself
with the information provided in this
section on general maintenance and
service for your SUBARU.
Incorrect or incomplete service could
cause improper or unsafe vehicle opera-
tion. Any problems caused by improper
maintenance and service performed by
you are not eligible for warranty coverage.
WARNING
. Testing of an All-Wheel Drive
vehicle must NEVER be per-
formed on a single two-wheel
dynamometer or similar appara-
tus. Attempting to do so will
result in transmission damage
and in uncontrolled vehicle
movement and may cause an
accident or injuries to persons
nearby.
. Always select a safe area when
performing maintenance on yourvehicle. .
Always be very careful to avoid
injury when working on the vehi-
cle. Remember that some of the
materials in the vehicle may be
hazardous if improperly used or
handled, for example, batteryacid.
. Your vehicle should only be ser-
viced by persons fully competent
to do so. Serious personal injury
may result to persons not experi-
enced in servicing vehicles.
. Always use the proper tools and
make certain that they are wellmaintained.
. Never get under the vehicle sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use
a safety stands to support thevehicle.
. Never keep the engine running in
a poorly ventilated area, such as
a garage or other closed areas.
. Do not smoke or allow open
flames around the fuel or battery.
This will cause a fire.
. Because the fuel system is under
pressure, replacement of the fuel
filter should be performed only
by your SUBARU dealer.
. Wear adequate eye protection to Maintenance and service
11-3
– CONTINUED –

11-10Maintenance and service
.Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
engine oil gets on the exhaust
pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
If you check the oil level just after stopping
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan before checking
the level.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not
add any additional oil above the upper
level when the engine is cold.
In 2.5-liter-engine models, the dipstick has
a notch above the upper level.
Just after driving or while the engine is
warm, the engine oil level reading may be
in a range between the upper level and
the notch mark. This is caused by thermal
expansion of the engine oil. & Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule in the “War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be
changed more frequently than listed in
the maintenance schedule when driving
on dusty roads, when short trips are
frequently made, or when driving in extremely cold weather.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the
engine idle for approximately 10 minutes
to ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
2.5-liter models
3.0-liter models
4. Drain out the engine oil by removing
the drain plug while the engine is still
warm. The used oil should be drained into
an appropriate container and disposed of
properly.
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourself with
hot engine oil.
5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain
plug with a clean cloth and tighten it
securely with a new sealing washer after
the oil has completely drained out.

.Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface.
! Changing the coolant
Always add genuine Subaru cooling sys-
tem conditioner whenever the coolant isreplaced.
Change the engine coolant and add
genuine Subaru cooling system condi-
tioner using the following procedures
according to the maintenance schedule
in the “Warranty and Maintenance Book-
let ”. 1. Remove the under cover.
2.5-liter models
1) Drain plug
3.0-liter models
1) Drain plug 2. Place a proper container under the
drain plug and loosen the drain plug.
3. Loosen the radiator cap to drain the
coolant from the radiator. Then drain the
coolant from the reserve tank. Tighten the
drain plug securely.
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 is removed.
4. Install the under cover. Maintenance and service
11-15
– CONTINUED –

the rubber gasket in the radiator cap is
correctly in place.
8. Start and run the engine for more than
five minutes at 2,000 to 3,000 rpm.
9. Stop the engine and wait until the
coolant cools down (122 to 1408F [50 to
60 8C]). If there is any loss of coolant, add
coolant to the radiator ’s filler neck and to
the reserve tank ’s “FULL ”level.
10. Put the radiator cap and reservoir cap
back on and tighten firmly. Air cleaner element
WARNING
Do not operate the engine with the
air cleaner element removed. The air
cleaner element not only filters
intake air but also stops flames if
the engine backfires. If the air
cleaner element is not installed
when the engine backfires, you
could be burned.
CAUTION
When replacing the air cleaner ele-
ment, use a genuine SUBARU air
cleaner element. If it is not used,
there is the possibility of causing a
negative effect to the engine.
The air cleaner element functions as a
filter screen. When the element is perfo-
rated or removed, engine wear will be
excessive and engine life shortened.
The air cleaner element is a dry type. It is
unnecessary to clean or wash the ele-ment. &
Replacing the air cleaner element
Replace the air cleaner element according
to the maintenance schedule in the“ Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”. Un-
der extremely dusty conditions, replace it
more frequently. It is recommended that
you always use genuine SUBARU parts. ! Non-turbo models
1) Connector
2) Duct
3) Clamp
1. Unplug the connector that is attached
to the top of the air cleaner case.
2. Remove the hose that is located at the
bottom of the side surface of the air
cleaner case. Maintenance and service
11-17
– CONTINUED –