2012 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX adding oil

3-16Instruments and controls
The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and illuminate steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately. &Charge warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good
condition but the light remains illuminated,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately. &Oil pressure warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system
is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remains illuminated, contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer immediately.
For details about checking the engine oil
level or adding the engine oil, refer to“
Engine oil ”F 11-8.
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light illumi-
nated. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
& Rear differential oil
temperature warning
light (STI)
CAUTION
Reduce vehicle speed and park the
vehicle in a safe place as soon as
possible if the R.DIFF TEMP light
illuminates. Continued driving with
this light illuminated can damage
the rear differential and other parts
of the powertrain.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the rear
differential oil temperature is too hot.
At this time, the driver ’s control center
differential will automatically cancel the current torque-distribution ratio setting and
adopt its minimum ratio.
If the light illuminates while driving, reduce
vehicle speed and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place. Park the vehicle for
several minutes. After the light turns off,
you can start driving.
If the light does not turn off, contact the
nearest SUBARU dealer for service.
NOTE . If the tire pressures are not correct
and/or the tires are not all the same
size and brand, the rear differential will
be heavily loaded when the vehicle is
driven, resulting in an abnormally high
oil temperature.. The rear differential oil will deterio-
rate if its temperature increases en-
ough for the rear differential oil tem-
perature warning light to illuminate. It is
advisable to have the rear differential
oil replaced as soon as possible. & Low tire pressure
warning light (U.S.-spec. models)
When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will illuminate for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure

11-8Maintenance and service
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-
tionedintheWarrantyandMainte-
nance Booklet, engine oil is consumed
or deteriorated more quickly than un-
der 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 fre-
quently. Please refer to the Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet for more de-tails.. 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, contact your SUBARU deal-
er. &
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 that has the “” symbol on top, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
3. Be sure the level gauge is correctly
inserted until it stops.
1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
4. 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
. Use only engine oil with the
recommended grade and vis-
cosity.
. 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

11-10Maintenance and service
thin coat of engine oil to the seal.
9. 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.
10. 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
rotation
Black 15208AA100 1 rotation
Blue 15208AA12A 7/8
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 spilled oil is not promptly
wiped up, the oil could cause afire.
11. Reinstall under cover.
12. Pour engine oil through the filler neck.
For the oil capacity (guideline), refer to “
Engine oil ”F 12-5.
The oil quantity indicated above is onlyguideline.
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 temperature 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.
13. Start the engine and make sure that no
oil leaks appear around the filter ’s rubber
seal and drain plug.
14. 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.
CAUTION
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. &
Recommended grade and viscosity
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recom-
mended grade and viscosity.
Refer to “Engine oil ”F 12-5.
NOTE
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 en-gine. & Synthetic oil
You should use synthetic engine oil that
meets the same requirements given for
conventional engine oil. When using
synthetic oil, you must use oil of the same
classification, viscosity and grade shown
in this Owner ’s Manual. Refer to “Engine
oil ”F 12-5. Also, you must follow the oil
and filter changing intervals shown in the
Warranty and Maintenance booklet.
NOTE
Synthetic oil of the grade and viscosity
noted in chapter 12 is the recom-

11-12Maintenance and service
&Engine coolant
! Checking the coolant level
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.
1) “FULL ”level mark
2) “LOW ”level mark
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.
3. After refilling the reserve tank and the
radiator, reinstall the cap and check that
the rubber gaskets inside the radiator cap
are in the proper position.
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
. 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
It may be difficult to change the coolant.
Have the coolant changed by your
SUBARU dealer if necessary.
The coolant should be changed according
to the maintenance schedule in the“ Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.

11-16Maintenance and service
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 through the level
gauge hole to bring the level up to the
upper level.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill manual trans-
mission 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.
NOTE
There is no transmission oil level
gauge for STI. Consult your SUBARU
dealer to check the oil level. & Recommended grade and viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to“ Manual transmission and rear differential
gear oil ”F 12-6. Rear differential gear oil
There is no rear differential gear oil level
gauge. To check the rear differential gear
oil level, we recommend that you consult
your SUBARU dealer for inspection. &
Recommended grade and viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own base
oils and additives. Never use different
brands together. For details, refer to“ Manual transmission and rear differential
gear oil ”F 12-6.

Power steering fluid &Checking the fluid level
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 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 extremely low, it may
indicate possible leakage. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for an inspection.
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.
. 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.
& Recommended fluid
Refer to “Fluids ”F 12-7.
Maintenance and service
11-17

&Lubricants
NOTE
Each quantity indicated here is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on the
temperature and other factors. ! Engine oil
For checking, adding and replacing procedure, or other details, refer to “Engine oil ”F 11-8.
Oil grade SAE viscosity No. and
applicable temperature Engine oil capacity
API classification SM or SN
with the words “
ENERGY CONSERVING ”or
“ RESOURCE CONSERVING ”orILSAC GF-4 or GF-5, which can be
identified with the ILSAC certification
mark (Starburst mark) 5W-30 synthetic
oil is the required oil for
optimum engine performance and pro-
tection. Conventional oil may be used if
synthetic oil is unavailable.
*: 10W-30, 10W-40, 5W-30 or 5W-40
conventional oil may be used if replen-
ishment is needed but should be changed
to 5W-30 synthetic oil at the next oil change.
· When adding the oil from L to F level:
1.1 US qt (1.0 liter, 0.9
Imp qt)
· When changing the oil and oil filter:
- Except STI:
4.4 US qt (4.2 liters, 3.7
Imp qt)
- STI:
4.5 US qt (4.3 liters, 3.8
Imp qt) Specifications
12-5
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