4-10
Climate control
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner&Cleaning ventilator grilleAlways keep the front ventilator inlet grille
free of snow, leaves, or other obstructions
to ensure efficient heating and defrosting.
Since the condenser is located in front of
the radiator, this area should be kept clean
because cooling performance is impaired
by any accumulation of insects and leaves
on the condenser.&Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlightAfter parking in direct sunlight, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes to
allow outside air to circulate into the 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 circuitOperate 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-
sonCheck the air conditioner unit for refriger-
ant leaks, hose conditions, and proper
operation each spring. Have your
SUBARU dealer perform this check.&Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather conditionsUnder 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 conditioning
system.
&Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loadedTo 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 steep
upgrade.&Refrigerant for your climate
control systemYour 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.
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11-8
Maintenance 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.& Changing the oil and oil filterChange 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 whether.
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.
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.
6. Open the access cover by removing
the five clips and turning the access cover
counterclockwise. The oil filter will be
exposed.7. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter
wrench.
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11-10
Maintenance and service
API Service label
1) Indicates the oil quality by API designa-tions
2) Indicates the SAE oil viscosity grade
3) Indicates that the oil has fuel saving capabilitiesIn choosing an oil, you want the proper
quality and viscosity, as well as one that
will add to fuel economy. The following
table lists the recommended viscosities
and applicable temperatures.
When adding oil, different brands may be
used together as long as they are the
same API classification and SAE viscosity
as those recommended by SUBARU.
SAE viscosity number and applicable
temperature
*: 5W-30 is recommended.Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects fuel
economy. Oils of lower viscosity provide
better fuel economy. However, in hot
weather, oil of higher viscosity is required
to properly lubricate the engine.&Recommended grade and
viscosity under severe driv-
ing conditionsIf the vehicle is used in desert areas, in
areas with very high temperatures, or
used for heavy-duty applications such as
towing a trailer, use of oil with the following
grade and viscosities is recommended.
API classification SM (or SL):
SAE viscosity No.:30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50
ProCarManuals.com
11-12
Maintenance and service
2. If the level is close to or lower than the
“LOW”level mark, add coolant up to the
“FULL ”level mark. If the reserve tank is
empty, remove the radiator cap and refill
as required.3. After refilling the reserve tank and the
radiator, reinstall the caps and check that
the rubber gaskets inside the radiator cap
are in the proper position.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to spill engine
coolant when adding it. If coolant
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If engine coolant gets on
the exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe
it off. .
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 is
replaced.
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. 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.1) Fill up to here5. Slowly pour the coolant and fill up to
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Front differential gear oil&Checking the oil level1) Yellow handle1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
1) Upper level
2) Lower level3. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the
upper level.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill front differ-
ential gear oil when adding it. If oil
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a
fire. If oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
&Recommended grade and
viscosityEach oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together.Oil grade:
API classification GL-5SAE viscosity No. and applicable tempera-
ture Maintenance and service
11-17
ProCarManuals.com
11-18
Maintenance and service
Rear differential gear oil&Checking the gear oil levelYour vehicle may be equipped with a rear
differential protector. The differential pro-
tector provides protection to the rear
differential assembly during off-road use.
Removal of the rear differential protector is
not required when checking the oil level.1) Filler plug
2) Drain plug
1) Filler hole
2) Drain hole
3) Oil levelRemove the plug from the filler hole and
check the oil level. The oil level should be
kept even with the bottom of the filler hole.
If the oil level is below the bottom edge of
the hole, add oil through the filler hole to
raise the level.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to spill rear differ-
ential gear oil when adding it. If
rear differential gear oil touches
the exhaust pipe, it may cause a
bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
rear differential gear oil gets on
the exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be an oil leak.
If you suspect a problem, have
the vehicle checked at your
SUBARU dealer.
& Recommended grade and
viscosityEach oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together.Oil grade:
API classification GL-5
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SAE viscosity No. and applicable tempera-
ture
Power steering fluid&Checking the fluid level
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 it
off.
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 cold
fluids.
Check the power steering fluid level
monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,
and stop the engine.
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-
Maintenance and service
11-19
–CONTINUED –
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