2013 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX Owners Manual

6-12Interior equipment
Cargo area cover (5-door)
The cargo area cover is provided for
covering the cargo area and to protect its
contents from direct sunlight. This cover is
detachable to make room for additionalcargo. &Using the cover
To extend the cover, pull the end of the
cover out of the housing, then insert its
hooks into the catches as shown. To
rewind it, unhook it from the catches and
it will rewind automatically. You should
hold on to the cover and guide it back into
the cover housing while it is rewinding.
WARNING
Do not place anything on the ex-
tended cover. Putting excessive
weight on the extended cover can
break it and an object on the cover
could tumble forward in the event of
a sudden stop or collision. This
could cause serious injury.
CAUTION
Be careful not to scratch the rear
gate stays while extending and
rewinding the cover.
Scratches on the stays could cause
leakage of gas from the stays, which
may result in their inability to hold
the rear gate open. &
To remove the cover
1. Rewind the cover.
2. Push the bar to the right side and
shorten the bar.
3. Take it off the retainer.

&To install the cover housing
1. Shorten the bar.
2. Insert the projections located on the
both ends of the sleeve into the recesses
of the retainers. Cargo tie-down hooks (5-door)The cargo area is equipped with four tie-
down hooks so that cargo can be secured
with a cargo net or ropes.
When using the tie-down hooks, turn them
down out of the storing recesses. When
not in use, put the hooks up into the
storing recesses.
CAUTION
The cargo tie-down hooks are de-
signed only for securing light cargo.
Never try to secure cargo that
exceeds the capacity of the hooks.
The maximum load capacity is 44
lbs (20 kg) per hook. Interior equipment
6-13

6-14Interior equipment
Under-floor storage compart-
ment (if equipped)
4-door models
5-door models
The storage compartment is located under the floor of the trunk (4-door) or the cargo
area (5-door), and it can be used to store
small items. To open the lid, pull the tabup.
NOTE . The shape of the storage compart-
ment may be different depending on
the model.. When storing a flat tire, put the
storage tray in the trunk (4-door) or
the cargo area (5-door).
CAUTION
. Always keep the lids closed while
driving to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of a sudden
stop or an accident.
. Do not store spray cans, contain-
ers with flammable or corrosive
liquids or any other dangerous
items in the storage compart-ment.

Fuel...................................................................... 7-3
Fuel requirements ............................................... 7-3
Fuel filler lid and cap ........................................... 7-4
State emission testing (U.S. only) ...................... 7-7
Preparing to drive ............................................... 7-8
Starting the engine .............................................. 7-9
Stopping the engine ........................................... 7-10
Remote engine start system (dealer option) .............................................................. 7-10
Starting your vehicle .......................................... 7-10
Remote start safety features ............................... 7-11
Entering the vehicle while it is running via remote start ................................................................. 7-11
Entering the vehicle following remote engine start shutdown ......................................................... 7-11
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the interior of the vehicle ............................................................. 7-11
Service mode ..................................................... 7-11
Remote engine start transmitter programming and programmable feature option ..................... 7-12
System maintenance .......................................... 7-12
Manual transmission –6 speeds (STI) ............. 7-14
Selecting reverse gear ........................................ 7-15
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-15
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-16
Manual transmission –5 speeds (except
STI) ................................................................... 7-16
Shifting speeds .................................................. 7-17
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-17 Driver
’s Control Center Differential (DCCD)
(STI) ................................................................. 7-18
To change mode of driver ’s control center
differential ....................................................... 7-18
Auto mode ........................................................ 7-19
Manual mode ..................................................... 7-20
Temporary release ............................................. 7-21
SI-DRIVE (STI) .................................................... 7-22
Intelligent (I) mode ............................................. 7-22
Sport (S) mode .................................................. 7-22
Sport Sharp (S#) mode. ...................................... 7-23
SI-DRIVE selector .............................................. 7-23
Limited slip differential (LSD) (STI) .................. 7-24
Power steering ................................................... 7-24
Braking ............................................................... 7-24
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-24
Brake system .................................................... 7-25
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............. 7-25
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) .......................... 7-26
ABS system self-check ...................................... 7-26
ABS warning light .............................................. 7-26
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 mode switch (STI) . ..... 7-29
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch (except STI) ................................................................. 7-30 Starting and operating
7

Starting and operatingTire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec. models) ......................................... 7-32
Parking your vehicle .......................................... 7-33
Parking brake ..................................................... 7-33
Parking tips ....................................................... 7-33
Hill start assist system ...................................... 7-35
To activate/deactivate the Hill start assist system (STI) ................................................................. 7-35 Hill start assist warning light/Hill start assist OFF
indicator light .................................................. 7-37
Cruise control .................................................... 7-37
To set cruise control .......................................... 7-37
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ............. 7-38
To turn off the cruise control .............................. 7-39
To change the cruising speed ............................ 7-39
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 7-40
Cruise control set indicator light ... ..................... 7-40

Fuel
CAUTION
Use of a fuel which is low in quality
or use of an inappropriate fuel
additive may cause engine damage.
& Fuel requirements
! Except STI
The engine is designed to operate usingpremium unleaded gasoline with an
octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON) or
higher . If premium unleaded gasoline is
not available, regular unleaded gasoline
with an octane rating of 87 AKI (90 RON)
or higher may be temporarily used. For
optimum engine performance and drive-
ability, it is required that you use premium
grade unleaded gasoline. NOTE
Be sure to use premium unleaded
gasoline of 91 AKI (95 RON) or higher.
If other gasoline (lower than 91 AKI (95
RON)) is used, knocking, reduced out-
put and poor accelerator response willresult. !
STI
The engine is designed to operate at
maximum performance using unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 93 AKI
(98 RON) or higher . If 93 AKI (98 RON)
fuel is not readily available in your area,
unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of
91 AKI (95 RON) may be used with no
detriment to engine durability or driveabil-
ity. However, you may notice a slight
decrease in maximum engine perfor-
mance while using 91 AKI (95 RON) fuel.
Use of 91 AKI (95 RON) fuel will not affect
your warranty coverage. ! Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the
Research Octane and Motor Octane
numbers and is commonly referred to as
the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane
rating can cause persistent and heavy
knocking, which can damage the engine.
Do not be concerned if your vehicle
sometimes knocks lightly when you drive
up a hill or when you accelerate. Contact
your SUBARU dealer if you use a fuel with
the specified octane rating and your
vehicle knocks heavily or persistently. ! Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed
to accept only an unleaded gasoline filler nozzle. Under no circumstances should
leaded gasoline be used because it will
damage the emission control system and
may impair driveability and fuel economy. !
Gasoline for California-certified LEV
If your vehicle was certified to California ’s
low emission vehicle (LEV) standards as
indicated on the underhood tune-up label,
it is designed to optimize engine and
emission performance with gasoline that
meets the clean burning low-sulfur Cali-
fornia gasoline specifications. If you live in
any other state than California, your
vehicle will operate on gasoline meeting
Federal specifications. Gasoline sold out-
side California is permitted to have higher
sulfur levels, which may affect the perfor-
mance of your vehicle ’s catalytic converter
and may produce a sulfur exhaust odor or
smell. SUBARU recommends that you try
a different brand of unleaded gasoline
having lower sulfur to determine if the
problem is fuel related before returning
your vehicle to an authorized dealer forservice. ! MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl). If
you use such fuels, your emission control Starting and operating
7-3
– CONTINUED –

7-4Starting and operating
system performance may deteriorate and
the CHECK ENGINE warning light/Mal-
function indicator light may turn on. If this
happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is
determined that the condition is caused
by the type of fuel used, repairs may not
be covered by your warranty. !Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent
additives will help prevent deposits from
forming in your engine and fuel system.
This helps keep your engine in tune and
your emission control system working
properly, and is a way of doing your part
for cleaner air. If you continuously use a
high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never
need to add any fuel system cleaning
agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with
materials called oxygenates. Use of these
fuels can also help keep the air cleaner.
Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol
(ethyl or grain alcohol) may be used in
your vehicle, but should contain no more
than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines, which are designed to reduce vehicle
emissions. SUBARU approves the use of
reformulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains,
you should ask your service station
operators if their gasolines contain deter-
gents and oxygenates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emis-sions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels
suited for your vehicle as explained in the
following description. .
Fuel should be unleaded and have an
octane rating no lower than that specified
in this manual. . Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is
sometimes mixed with unleaded gasoline.
Methanol can be used in your vehicle
ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the fuel
mixture ANDif it is accompanied by
sufficient quantities of the proper cosol-
vents and corrosion inhibitors required to
prevent damage to the fuel system. Do not
use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT
under these conditions. . If undesirable driveability problems are
experienced and you suspect they may be
fuel related, try a different brand of gaso-
line before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer. . Fuel system damage or driveability problems which result from the use of
improper fuel are not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
CAUTION
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle. Because
fuel may damage the paint, be sure
to wipe off any spilled fuel quickly.
Paint damage caused by spilled fuel
is not covered under the SUBARU
Limited Warranty.
& Fuel filler lid and cap
! Refueling
Only one person should be involved in
refueling. Do not allow others to approach
the area of the vehicle near the fuel filler
pipe while refueling is in progress.
Be sure to observe any other precautions
that are posted at the service station.

1. To open the fuel filler lid, pull the lid
release lever up. The lever is on the floor
at the left of the driver’s seat.
WARNING
Before opening the fuel filler cap,
first touch the vehicle body or a
metal portion of the fuel pump or
similar object to discharge any
static electricity that may be present
on your body. If your body is carry-
ing an electrostatic charge, there is
a possibility that an electric spark
could ignite the fuel, which could
burn you. To avoid acquiring a new
static electric charge, do not get
back into the vehicle while refueling
is in progress.
1) Open
2) Close
2. Remove the fuel filler cap by turning it slowly counterclockwise.
WARNING
. Gasoline vapor is highly flam-
mable. Before refueling, always
first stop the engine and close all
vehicle doors and windows.
Make sure that there are no
lighted cigarettes, open flames
or electrical sparks in the adja-
cent area. Only handle fuel out-
doors. Quickly wipe up any
spilled fuel.
. When opening the cap, grasp it
firmly and turn it slowly to the
left. Do not remove the cap
quickly. Fuel may be under pres-
sure and spray out of the fuel
filler neck, especially in hot
weather. If you hear a hissing
sound while you are removing
the cap, wait for the sound to
stop and then slowly open the
cap to prevent fuel from spraying
out and creating a fire hazard. Starting and operating
7-5
– CONTINUED –