
7-12Starting and operating
2. Remove the circuit board from the 
bottom half of the case and slide the white
plastic battery holder out from under the
battery tab releasing the batteries. Re-
move the old batteries and replace with
new ones. Be sure to observe the (+) sign
on the old batteries before removing them
to ensure that the new batteries are
inserted properly (battery “+ ” should be
pointed away from the transmitter circuit
board on both batteries). 
3. Carefully snap the case halves back 
together, then test the remote engine startsystem.
NOTE 
This device complies with Part 15 of 
the FCC Rules and with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause
undesired operation. 
Changes or modifications not ex- 
pressly approved by the party respon-
sible for compliance could void theuser
’s authority to operate the equip-
ment. Automatic transmission 
The automatic transmission is electroni- 
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has a
manual mode and a SPORT mode.
WARNING
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ”
position into the “D ” or “R ” position
while depressing the accelerator 
pedal. This may cause the vehicle
to jump forward or backward.
CAUTION
. Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is comple- 
tely stopped. Shifting while the
vehicle is moving may cause
damage to the transmission.
. Do not race the engine for more
than 5 seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
. Avoid shifting from one of the
forward driving positions into the  

“R ” position or vice versa until
the vehicle has completely 
stopped. Such shifting may
cause damage to the transmis-sion.
. When parking the vehicle, first
securely apply the parking brake
and then place the select lever inthe “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the select
lever in any other position as
doing so could result in a dead
battery.
NOTE . When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, the automatic transmis- 
sion will upshift to higher engine
speeds than when the coolant tempera- 
ture is sufficiently high in order to 
shorten the warm-up time and improve
driveability. The gearshift timing will
automatically shift to the normal timing
after the engine has warmed up.. Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has
collected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current
condition of your vehicle. Optimized
shifting will be restored as the vehicle
continues to be driven for a while.
& Select lever
: With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while pressing the button in.
: Shift while pressing the button in.: Shift without pressing the button.
The select lever has four positions, “P ”,
“ R ”, “N ”, “D ”and also has manual gate for
using “SPORT ”mode or manual mode.
1) Select lever button
! P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and 
starting the engine. 
In this position, the transmission is me- 
chanically locked to prevent the vehicle
from rolling freely. 
When you park the vehicle, first set the 
parking brake fully, then shift into the “P ”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the transmission. 
To shift the select lever from the “P ”to any
other position, you have to depress the 
brake pedal fully then push the select
lever button on the lever knob when the
ignition switch is in the “ON ”position. This
prevents the vehicle from lurching when it Starting and operating
7-13
– CONTINUED –    

Gearshifts can be performed using the 
select lever.
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly 
pushing the select lever toward the“+ ”
end of the manual gate. 
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly 
pulling the select lever toward the “  ”
end of the manual gate. NOTE 
Please read the following points care- 
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode. . When the temperature of the engine
oil is higher than normal, warning 
beeps are emitted and the shift position
indicator shows “  ”. If these warnings
are issued, deselect the manual mode
to protect the engine from damage. .
The transmission does not automa-
tically shift up in the manual mode.
Perform gearshifts in accordance with
road conditions so that the tachometer
needle does not enter the red zone. If
the engine speed reaches a predeter-
mined level, a fuel-cut function will
operate. Shift up if this happens. Also,
the transmission may automatically
shift up to protect the engine.. If you attempt to shift down when
the engine speed is too high, i.e., when
a downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible. . If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis- 
sion will not respond.. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the select lever twice in rapid succes-sion.. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stopsmoving.. If the temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid becomes too high,the “AT OIL TEMP ”warning light will
illuminate and upshifts to 5th gear will
not be possible. Immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe 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 set 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 aproblem. . A slight reduction in output torque may
occur before the engine warms up. Starting and operating
7-17
– CONTINUED –  

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 a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep
driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place.
& Brake system
! Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has a dual circuit brake
system. Each circuit works diagonally
across the vehicle. If one circuit of the
brake system should fail, the other half of
the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer
to the floor than usual and you will need to
depress it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop thevehicle. ! Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold 
vacuum to assist braking force. If engine
manifold vacuum becomes insufficient,
such as when driving at high altitude, a
vacuum pump assures a sufficient va-
cuum to operate the brake booster. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power. 
The brakes will continue to work even 
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to depress the pedal much harder than normal and the braking dis-
tance will increase. NOTE 
Some sound accompanying operation 
of the vacuum pump may be heard 
from the engine compartment during 
driving. This does not indicate a mal-function. !
Brake assist system
WARNING
Do not be overconfident about the 
brake assist. It is not a system that
brings more braking ability to the
vehicle beyond its braking capabil-
ity. Always use the utmost care
when driving regarding vehicle
speed and safe distance.
CAUTION
When you need to brake suddenly, 
continue depressing the brake pedal
strongly to bring the effect of the
brake assist.
NOTE 
When you depress the brake pedal Starting and operating
7-19
– CONTINUED – 

warning light illuminate simultaneously, 
take the following steps. 
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, 
flat location. 
2. Shut down the engine, apply the 
parking brake, and then restart it. 
3. Release the parking brake. If both 
warning lights turn off, the EBD system
may be malfunctioning. 
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU 
dealer and have the system inspected. 
4. If both warning lights illuminate again 
and remain illuminated after the engine
has been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level. Refer to“Brake fluid ”
F 11-18.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the“ MIN ”mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected. 
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING
. Driving with the brake system
warning light illuminated is dan- gerous. This indicates your brake 
system may not be working
properly. If the light remains
illuminated, have the brakes in-
spected by a SUBARU dealer
immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair. Vehicle Dynamics Control system
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with a Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a ser-
ious accident.
CAUTION
. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control 
system, winter tires should be
used when driving on snow-cov- 
ered or icy roads; in addition, 
vehicle speed should be reduced
considerably. Simply having a
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem does not guarantee that the
vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
. Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-
namics Control is no guarantee Starting and operating
7-23
– CONTINUED – 

the underbody. If the vehicle is used with 
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. .Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not 
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator 
pedal slightly and move the select lever 
back and forth between “D ” and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For 
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. . When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by 
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. . Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.. Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are 
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. . Frequent driving of an AWD model
under hard-driving conditions such as rough roads or off roads will necessitate 
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the
“Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Winter driving
&
Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such 
as a window scraper, a bag of sand,
flares, a small shovel and jumper cables. 
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. Driving tips
8-7
– CONTINUED –  

8-8Driving tips
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 concen-
tration appropriately for the out- 
side temperature. If the concen-
tration is inappropriate, sprayed
washer fluid may freeze on the
windshield and obstruct your
view, and the fluid may freeze in 
the reservoir tank.
. State or local regulations on
volatile organic compounds may 
restrict the use of methanol, a
common windshield washer anti-
freeze additive. Washer fluids
containing non-methanol anti-
freeze agents should be used
only if they provide cold weather
protection without damaging
your vehicle ’s paint, wiper blades
or washer system.
! Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that could make the pedals slippery and
driving dangerous. 
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
winter driving, stop when and where it is
safe to do so and check under the fenders
periodically. !
Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust 
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the enginerunning.
Do not use the parking brake when
parking for long periods in cold weather
since it could freeze in that position.
Instead, you should observe the followingtips. 
1. Place the select lever in “P ”position.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to 
prevent the vehicle from moving. 

.Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a 
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn. . If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing 
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer. ! Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces- 
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically 
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge 
pointer and AT OIL TEMP warning light
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating under
these conditions. If the water temperature
gauge pointer approaches the OVER-
HEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately turn off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle in the
nearest safe location. For further instruc-
tions and additional information, refer to
the following sections.
–“If you park your vehicle in an
emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-14
–“ Temperature gauge ”F 3-9
–“ AT OIL TEMP warning light ”F 3-13
NOTE 
The temperature of engine coolant is 
less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT
zone in the “D ” position than in the
manual mode position. . Avoid using the accelerator pedal to
stay stationary on an uphill slope instead 
of using the parking brake or foot brake.
That may cause the transmission fluid tooverheat. ! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both 
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake firmly. You should not
park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you
should take the following steps. 
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down. 
2. Have someone place wheel blocks 
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels. 3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load. 
4. Apply the regular brakes and then 
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes. 
5. Shift into
“P ”and shut off the engine. Driving tips
8-27