.The SRS airbags deploy with
considerable speed and force.
Occupants who are out of proper
position when the SRS airbag
deploys could suffer very serious
injuries. Because the SRS airbag
needs enough space for deploy-
ment, the driver should always
sit upright and well back in the
seat as far from the steering
wheel as practical while still
maintaining full vehicle control
and the front passenger should
move the seat as far back as
possible and sit upright and well
back in the seat.
For instructions and precautions, carefully
read the following sections. . For the seatbelt system, refer to “Seat-
belts ”F 1-12.
. For the SRS airbag system, refer to
“ *SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint
System airbag) ”F 1-38. &
Child safety
WARNING
. Never hold a child on your lap or
in your arms while the vehicle is
moving. The passenger cannot
protect the child from injury in a
collision, because the child will
be caught between the passen-
ger and objects inside the vehi-cle.
. While riding in the vehicle, in-
fants and small children should
always be placed in the REAR
seat in an infant or child restraint
system which is appropriate for
the child ’s age, height and
weight. If a child is too big for a
child restraint system, the child
should sit in the REAR seat and
be restrained using the seatbelts.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Never allow a child
to stand up or kneel on the seat.
. Put children in the REAR seat
properly restrained at all times in
a child restraint device or in a
seatbelt. The SRS airbag deploys with considerable speed and
force and can injure or even kill
children, especially if they are
not restrained or improperly re-
strained. Because children are
lighter and weaker than adults,
their risk of being injured from
deployment is greater.
. NEVER INSTALL A REARWARD
FACING CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN
THE FRONT SEAT. DOING SO
RISKS SERIOUS INJURY OR
DEATH TO THE CHILD BY PLA-
CING THE CHILD ’S HEAD TOO
CLOSE TO THE SRS AIRBAG.
. Always turn the child safety locks
to the “LOCK ”position whenever
a child rides in the rear seat.
Serious injury could result if a
child accidentally opened the
door and fell out. Refer to “Child
safety locks ”F 2-20.
. Always lock the passengers ’win-
dows using the lock switch when
children are riding in the vehicle.
Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child
operating the power window. Re-
fer to “Windows ”F 2-21.
. Never leave unattended children,
adults or animals in the vehicle. 5
– CONTINUED –
Ignition switch
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
“ LOCK ”while the vehicle is
being driven or towed because
that will lock the steering wheel,
preventing steering control. And
when the engine is turned off, it
takes a much greater effort than
usual to steer.
. Before leaving the vehicle, al-
ways remove the key from the
ignition switch for safety and
never allow an unattended child
to remain in the vehicle. Failure
to follow this procedure could
result in injury to a child or
others. Children could operate
the power windows, the sunroof
or other controls or even make
the vehicle move.
CAUTION
Do not attach a large key holder or
key case to either key. If it banged
against your knees or hands while
you are driving, it could turn the
ignition switch from the “ON ”posi- tion to the
“Acc ”or “LOCK ”posi-
tion, thereby stopping the engine.
Also, if the key is attached to a
keyholder or to a large bunch of
other keys, centrifugal force may act
on it as the vehicle moves, resulting
in unwanted turning of the ignitionswitch.
The ignition switch has four positions:
LOCK, Acc, ON and START.
NOTE . Keep the ignition switch in the
“ LOCK ”position when the engine is
not running. . Using electrical accessories for a
long time with the ignition switch in the“ ON ”or “Acc ”position can cause the
battery to go dead. .
If the ignition switch will not move
from the “LOCK ”position to the “Acc ”
position, turn the steering wheel
slightly to the left and right as you turn
the ignition switch.
& LOCK
The key can only be inserted or removed
in this position. The ignition switch will lock
the steering wheel when you remove the
key.
If turning the key is difficult, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the right and left
as you turn the key.
The key can be turned from “Acc ”to
“ LOCK ”only when the key is pushed in
while turning it (all models) and the select
lever is in the “P ” position (AT and CVT
models). Instruments and controls
3-3
– CONTINUED –
Fuel...................................................................... 7-2
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-2
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-3
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-6
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-7
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-8
MT models .......................................................... 7-8
AT and CVT models ............................................. 7-9
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-10
Remote engine start system (dealer option) ................................................. 7-10
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-11
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-11
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-12
Remote start confirmation transmitter feature ............................................................. 7-12
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-13
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-13
Service mode ..................................................... 7-14
Remote transmitter program ............................... 7-14
System maintenance .......................................... 7-14
Manual transmission .......................................... 7-16
Selecting reverse gear ........................................ 7-16
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-17
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-17
Automatic transmission/Continuously variable transmission ..................................... 7-18
Select lever ........................................................ 7-19 Shift lock function
............................................. 7-20
Selection of manual mode .................................. 7-21
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-23
Power steering ................................................... 7-23
Braking ............................................................... 7-23
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-23
Brake system .................................................... 7-24
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-24
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-25
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-25
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-25
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system ............................................................. 7-26
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions ..... ..... 7-27
Vehicle Dynamics Control system .................... 7-28
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor..... ..... 7-29
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch ................ 7-31
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .................................................... 7-32
Parking your vehicle ......................................... 7-33
Electronic parking brake .................................... 7-34
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-37
Cruise control .................................................... 7-38
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-38
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-39
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-39
To change the cruising speed .. .......................... 7-40
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-41
Cruise control set indicator light ........................ 7-41
Starting and operating
7
7-10Starting and operating
hard.
Stopping the engine
WARNING
Do not stop the engine when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause
loss of power to the power steering
and the brake booster, making steer-
ing and braking more difficult. It
could also result in accidental acti-
vation of the “LOCK ”position on the
ignition switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling. Remote engine start system
(dealer option)
WARNING
. Do not remote start a vehicle in
an enclosed environment (e.g.
closed garage). Prolonged opera-
tion of a motor vehicle in an
enclosed environment can cause
a harmful build-up of Carbon
Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide is
harmful to your health. Exposure
to high levels of Carbon Monox-
ide can cause headaches, dizzi-
ness or in extreme cases uncon-
sciousness and/or death.
. Before performing any servicing
of the vehicle, temporarily place
the remote engine start system in
service mode to prevent the
system from unexpectedly start-
ing the engine.
place and let the engine idle until the
warning light turns off. &Driving tips
. On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill safely and easily by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manualmode. . Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”or
“ R ”position.
. Always apply the parking brake when
parking your vehicle. Do not hold the
vehicle with only the transmission. . Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the “ D ”position. Use the brake instead.
. The engine may, on rare occasions,
knock when the vehicle rapidly acceler-
ates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill.
This phenomenon does not indicate afault. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur in the models with a 2.5 L turbo or
3.6 L engine before the engine warms up. Power steering
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.
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. 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. ! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause Starting and operating
7-23
– CONTINUED –
Rear tie-down holes:
1) Rear tie-down hole
The rear tie-down holes are located near
each of the jack-up reinforcements.
WARNING
Use the rear tie-down holes only for
downward anchoring. If they are
used to anchor the vehicle in any
other direction, cables may slip out
of the holes, possibly causing a
dangerous situation.
& Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your
vehicle. Use the following procedures to
ensure safe transportation.
1. Shift the select lever into the “P ”
position for AT and CVT models or the
shift lever into “1st ”for MT models.
2. Apply the parking brake firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
& Towing with all wheels on the ground
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ”position while the
vehicle is being towed because
the steering wheel and the direc-
tion of the wheels will be locked.
. Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is In case of emergency
9-15
– CONTINUED –
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 areas 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.
. Outback: Since your vehicle is
equipped with a rear wiper, auto-
matic car-wash brushes could
become tangled around it, dama-
ging the wiper arm and other
components. 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. 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 direct sunlight.
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
components may accelerate their corro-sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to damage brake
hoses, sensor harnesses, and
other parts when washing sus-
pension components.
. Be careful not to flush the engine
bottom for a long time. It may
cause damage of some electricalparts.
Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment (2.5 L non-turbo models) .. ........... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-5
Maintenance tips ................................................ 11-5
Removing and reinstalling clips .......................... 11-5
Removing air intake duct .................................... 11-7
Pulling off the fender lining ................................ 11-7
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-7
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-9
2.5 L non-turbo models ...................................... 11-9
2.5 L turbo models ........................................... 11-10
3.6 L models .................................................... 11-11
Engine oil .......................................................... 11-12
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-12
Changing the oil and oil filter ............................ 11-14
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-16
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .......................................... 11-17
Cooling system ................................................ 11-17
Cooling fan, hose and connections ................... 11-17
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-18
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-20
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-21
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-22
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-22 Drive belts
........................................................ 11-23
Manual transmission oil .................................. 11-23
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-23
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-24
Automatic transmission fluid .......................... 11-24
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-24
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-25
Continuously variable transmission fluid ...... 11-26
Front differential gear oil (AT and CVT models) .......................................................... 11-26
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-26
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-27
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-27
Checking the gear oil level ............................... 11-27
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-28
Power steering fluid ........................................ 11-29
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-29
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-30
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-30
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-30
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-31
Clutch fluid (MT models) ................................. 11-31
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-31
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-32
Brake booster .................................................. 11-32
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-33
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-33
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-33 Maintenance and service
11