Engine oil NOTE .The engine oil consumption rate is
not stabilized, and therefore cannot be
determined until the vehicle has tra-
veled at least several thousand miles
(kilometers). Even after break-in, when
the vehicle is used under severe driv-
ing conditions such as those men-
tioned in the “Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”, engine oil is con-
sumed or deteriorated more quickly
than under normal driving conditions.
If you drive your vehicle under these
severe conditions, you should check
the oil level at least at every second
fuel fill-up time, and change the oil
more frequently. Please refer to the“ Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”
for more details.. If the oil consumption rate seems
abnormally high after the break-in
period, for example more than 1 quart
per 1,200 miles or 1 liter per 2,000
kilometers, we recommend that you
contact your SUBARU dealer. &
Checking the oil level
Check the engine oil level at each fuelstop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the level gauge, wipe it clean,
and insert it again.
3. Be sure the level gauge is correctly
inserted until it stops with the graphic
symbol “
”on its top appearing as
shown in the illustration.
1) Full level
2) Low level
4. Pull out the level gauge again and
check the oil level on it. If it is below the
low level, add oil to bring the level up to
the full level.
CAUTION
. Use only engine oil with the
recommended grade and vis-
cosity. Maintenance and service
11-7
– CONTINUED –
11-8Maintenance 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 full level
when the engine is cold. & 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 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 beexposed.
7. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrench.
8. Clean the rubber seal seating area of
the bottom of engine and install the oil
filter by hand turning. Be careful not to
twist or damage the seal.
9. Tighten the oil filter by the amount
indicated in the following table after the
seal makes contact with the bottom ofengine.Oil filter color Part number Amount of ro-
tation
Black 15208AA031 3/4 rotation
CAUTION
. Never over tighten the oil filter
because that can result in an oil leak.
. Thoroughly wipe off any engine
oil that has spilled over the
exhaust pipe and/or under-cover.
If left unremoved, the oil could
catch fire.
10. Reinstall the cover under the oil filter.
11. Pour engine oil through the filler neck. Oil capacity (guideline):
6.7 US qt (6.3 liters, 5.5 Imp qt)
The oil quantity indicated above is only a
guideline. The necessary quantity of oil
depends on the quantity of oil that has
been drained. The quantity of drained oil
differs slightly depending on the tempera-
ture of the oil and the time the oil is left
flowing out. After refilling the engine with
oil, therefore, you must use the level
gauge to confirm that the level is correct.
12. Start the engine and make sure that no
oil leaks appear around the filter ’s rubber
seal and drain plug.
13. Run the engine until it reaches the
normal operating temperature. Then stop
the engine and wait a few minutes to allow
the oil drain back. Check the oil level
again and if necessary, add more engineoil.
& Recommended grade and viscosity
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recom-
mended grade and viscosity. Oil grade:
ILSAC GF-4, which can be identified with
the ILSAC certification mark (Starburst mark)
or API classification SM with the words“ENERGY CONSERVING ”
These recommended oil grades can be
identified by looking for either or both of
the following marks displayed on the oil
container.
ILSAC Certification Mark (Starburst Mark) Maintenance and service
11-9
– CONTINUED –
Cooling system
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 isremoved.
CAUTION
. Vehicles are filled at the factory
with SUBARU Super Coolant that
does not require the first change
for 11 years/137,500 miles (11
years/220,000 km). This coolant
should not be mixed with any
other brand or type of coolant
during this period. Mixing with a
different coolant will reduce the
life of the coolant. Should it be
necessary to top off the coolant
for any reason, use only
SUBARU Super Coolant.
If the SUBARU Super Coolant is
diluted with another brand or
type, the maintenance interval is shortened to that of the mixingcoolant.
. Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface.
& Hose and connections
Your vehicle employs an electric cooling
fan which is thermostatically controlled to
operate when the engine coolant reaches
a specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operate
even when the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge exceeds the normal operating
range, the cooling fan circuit may be
defective. Check the fuse and replace it
if necessary. If the fuse is not blown, have
the cooling system checked by your
SUBARU dealer.
If frequent addition of coolant is neces-
sary, there may be a leak in the engine
cooling system. It is recommended that
the cooling system and connections be
checked for leaks, damage, or looseness. &
Engine coolant
! Checking the coolant level
Check the coolant level at each fuel stop.
1. Check the coolant level on the outside
of the reservoir while the engine is cool.
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. Maintenance and service
11-11
– CONTINUED –
&Recommended fluid
Use one of the following types of auto-
matic transmission fluid. SUBARU ATF
IDEMITSU ATF HP
NOTE
Using any non-specified type of auto-
matic transmission fluid could result in
damage inside the transmission. When
replacing the automatic transmission
fluid, be sure to use a fluid of the types
specified above. Front differential gear oil &
Checking the oil level
1) Yellow handle
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the level gauge, wipe it clean,
and insert it again.
1) Upper level
2) Lower level
3. Pull out the level gauge 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. Maintenance and service
11-17
– CONTINUED –
11-18Maintenance and service
&Recommended grade and viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together.
Oil grade: API classification GL-5
SAE viscosity No. and applicable tempera- ture Rear differential gear oil &
Checking the gear oil level
Your 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 level
Remove 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 viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together.
Oil grade: API classification GL-5
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. Maintenance and service
11-19
– CONTINUED –
11-20Maintenance and service
.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.
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.
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 isbetween “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 extreme low, it may
indicate possible leakage. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for inspection.
& Recommended fluid
Use one of the following types of auto-
matic transmission fluid. SUBARU ATF
IDEMITSU ATF HP “Dexron III ”Type Automatic Transmis-
sion Fluid Brake fluid &
Checking the fluid level
WARNING
. Never let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake
fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with
clean water. For safety, when
performing this work, wearing
eye protection is advisable.
. Brake fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause a dangerous loss
of braking performance.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
CAUTION
. When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
. Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.