2014 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX warning light

9-8In case of emergency/Flat tires
16. Store the flat tire in the spare tire
compartment. Put in the spacer and tight-
en the attaching bolt firmly.
Also store the jack, jack handle and wheel
nut wrench in their storage locations.
WARNING
Never place a tire or tire changing
tools in the passenger compartment
after changing wheels. In a sudden
stop or collision, loose equipment
could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in
the proper place. &
Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec. models)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with the warning message
indicated by sending a signal from a
sensor that is installed in each wheel
when tire pressure is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven.
Also, this system may not react immedi-
ately to a sudden drop in tire pressure (for
example, a blow-out caused running over
a sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, never brake suddenly and keep driving
straight ahead while gradually redu-
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the vehicle
placard on the door pillar on thedriver
’s side. If this light still illumi-
nates while driving after adjusting
the tire pressure, a tire may have
significant damage and a fast leak
that causes the tire to lose air
rapidly. If you have a flat tire, replace
it with a spare tire as soon aspossible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
Do not inject any tire liquid or

aerosol tire sealant into the tires, as
this may cause a malfunction of the
tire pressure sensors.
If the light illuminates steadily after
blinking for approximately one min-
ute, promptly contact a SUBARU
dealer to have the system inspected.Jump starting
WARNING
. Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID.
Do not let it come in contact with
the eyes, skin, clothing or thevehicle.
If battery fluid gets on you,
thoroughly flush the exposed
area with water immediately. Get
medical help if the fluid has
entered your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally
swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water,
and obtain immediate medicalhelp.
Keep everyone including chil-
dren away from the battery.
. The gas generated by a battery
explodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or
light a match while jump starting.
. Never attempt jump starting if the
discharged battery is frozen. It
could cause the battery to burst
or explode.
. Whenever working on or around
a battery, always wear suitable eye protectors, and remove metal
objects such as rings, bands or
other metal jewelry.
. Be sure the jumper cables and
clamps on them do not have
loose or missing insulation.
Do not jump start unless cables
in suitable condition are avail-able.
. A running engine can be danger-
ous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away
from the cooling fan, belts and
any other moving engine parts.
Removing rings, watches and
ties is advisable.
. Jump starting is dangerous if it
done incorrectly. If you are un-
sure about the proper procedure
for jump starting, consult a com-
petent mechanic.
When your vehicle does not start due to a
run down (discharged) battery, the vehicle
may be jump started by connecting your
battery to another battery (called the
booster battery) with jumper cables.
In case of emergency/Jump starting9-9
– CONTINUED –

&When checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
while the engine is running
WARNING
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving
engine parts. Removing rings,
watches and ties is advisable. Engine hood
WARNING
Always check that the hood is
properly locked before you start
driving. If it is not, it might fly open
while the vehicle is moving and
block your view, which may cause
an accident and serious bodily in-
jury.
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their originalposition.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.
3. Release the secondary hood release
by moving the lever between the front
grille and the hood toward the left.
4. Lift up the hood.
To close the hood:
1. Lower the hood to a height of approxi-
mately 5.9 in (15 cm) above its closed
position and then let it drop.
2. After closing the hood, be sure the
hood is securely locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it
from a slightly higher position. Do not push
thehoodforciblytocloseit.Itcould
deform the metal.
Maintenance and service/Engine hood11-5

brake pad wear indicator, it will
result in the need for costly brake
rotor repair or replacement.
& Breaking-in of new brake
pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining,
use only genuine SUBARU parts. After
replacement, the new parts must be
broken in as follows. ! Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40
mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake
pedal lightly. Repeat this five or moretimes. ! Parking brake lining
1.Drivethevehicleataspeedof
approximately 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button
pushed in, pull the parking brake lever
SLOWLY and GENTLY (pulling with a
force of approximately 33.7 lbf [150 N,
15.3 kgf]).
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately
220 yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking
brake to cool down. Repeat this proce-dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the parking brake stroke is out of the specified
range, adjust it by turning the adjusting nut
located on the parking brake lever.
Parking brake stroke: 7–8 notches / 45 lbf (200 N, 20.4 kgf)
WARNING
A safe location and situation should
be selected for break-in driving.
CAUTION
Pulling the parking brake lever too
forcefully may cause the rear
wheels to lock. To avoid this, be
certain to pull the lever up slowly
and gently. Parking brake strokeCheck the parking brake stroke according
to the maintenance schedule in the“
Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
When the parking brake is properly
adjusted, braking power is fully applied
by pulling the lever up 7 to 8 notches
gently but firmly (approximately 45 lbf [200
N, 20.4 kgf]). If the parking brake lever
stroke is not within the specified range,
have the brake system checked and
adjusted at your SUBARU dealer.
Maintenance and service/Parking brake stroke11-23

11-24Maintenance and service/Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels &Types of tires
You should be familiar with type of tires
present on your vehicle. ! All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
an adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving including snowy and icy road
conditions. However all season tires do
not offer as much traction performance as
winter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snow
or on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by “ALL
SEASON ”and/or “M+S ”(Mud & Snow) on
the tire sidewall. ! Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited for highway driving under
dry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for driving
on slippery roads such as on snow-
covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered
or icy roads, we strongly recommend the
use of winter (snow) tires.
When installing winter tires, be sure to
replace all four tires. !
Winter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving on
snow-covered and icy roads. However
winter tires do not perform as well as
summer tires and all season tires on roads
other than snow-covered and icy roads.
& Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low. The tire pressure monitor-
ing system will activate only when the
vehicle is driven. Also, this system may
not react immediately to a sudden drop in
tire pressure (for example, a blow-out
caused by running over a sharp object).
If you adjust the tire pressures in a warm
garage and will then drive the vehicle in
cold outside air, the resulting drop in tire
pressures may cause the low tire pressure
warning light to illuminate. To avoid this
problem when adjusting the tire pressures
in a warm garage, inflate the tires to
pressures higher than those shown on the
tire placard. Specifically, inflate them by an
extra 1 psi (6.9 kPa, 0.07 kgf/cm
2) for
every difference of 10 8F (5.6 8C) between
the temperature in the garage and the temperature outside. By way of example,
the following table shows the required tire
pressures that correspond to various out-
side temperatures when the temperature
in the garage is 60
8F (15.6 8C).
Example:
Tire size: P205/55R16 89V and
P205/50R17 88V
Standard tire pressures:
Front: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm
2)
Rear: 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm2)
Garage temperature: 60 8F (15.6 8C)
Outside
temperature Adjusted pressure
[psi (kPa, kgf/cm
2)]
Front Rear
30 8F( 18C) 36 (250, 2.5) 35 (240, 2.4)
10 8F( 12 8C) 38
(265, 2.65) 37
(255, 2.55)
10 8F( 23 8C) 40 (280, 2.8) 39 (270, 2.7)
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates when you drive the vehicle in
cold outside air after adjusting the tire
pressures in a warm garage, re-adjust the
tire pressures using the method described
above. Then, increase the vehicle speed
to at least 20 mph (32 km/h) and check to
see that the low tire pressure warning light
turns off a few minutes later. If the low tire
pressure warning light does not turn off,

the tire pressure monitoring system may
not be functioning normally. In this event,
go to a SUBARU dealer to have the
system inspected as soon as possible.
While the vehicle is driven, friction be-
tween tires and the road surface causes
the tires to warm up. After illumination of
the low tire pressure warning light, any
increase in the tire pressures caused by
an increase in the outside air temperature
or by an increase in the temperature in the
tires can cause the low tire pressure
warning light to turn off.
System resetting is necessary when the
wheels are changed (for example, a
switch to snow tires) and new TPMS
valves are installed on the newly fitted
wheels. Have this work performed by a
SUBARU dealer following wheel replace-ment.
It may not be possible to install TPMS
valves on certain wheels that are on the
market. Therefore, if you change the
wheels (for example, a switch to snow
tires), use wheels that have the same part
number as the standard-equipment
wheels. Without four operational TPMS
valve/sensors on the wheels, the TPMS
will not fully function and the warning light
on the combination meter will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approximatelyone minute.
When a tire is replaced, adjustments are
necessary to ensure continued normal
operation of the tire pressure monitoring
system. As with wheel replacement, there-
fore, you should have the work performed
by a SUBARU dealer.
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
does not illuminate briefly after the
ignition switch is turned ON or the
light illuminates steadily after blink-
ing for approximately one minute,
you should have your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-ble.
If this light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep
driving straight ahead while gradu-
ally reducing speed. Then slowly
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and serious
personal injury could occur.
If this light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, a tire may have significant
damage and a fast leak that causes
the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU dealer
to have the system inspected.
& Tire inspection
Check on a daily basis that the tires are
free from serious damage, nails, and
stones. At the same time, check the tires
for abnormal wear.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately if you find any problem. NOTE . When the wheels and tires strike
curbs or are subjected to harsh treat-
ment as when the vehicle is driven on a
Maintenance and service/Tires and wheels11-25
– CONTINUED –

11-28Maintenance and service/Tires and wheels
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to anaccident.
& Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when
your vehicle was new, but the wheels will
become unbalanced as the tires become
worn during use. Wheel imbalance causes
the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at
certain vehicle speeds and detracts from
the vehicle ’s straight-line stability. It can
also cause steering and suspension sys-
tem problems and abnormal tire wear. If
you suspect that the wheels are not
correctly balanced, have them checked
and adjusted by your SUBARU dealer.
Also have them adjusted after tire repairs
and after tire rotation.
CAUTION
Loss of correct wheel alignment
causes the tires to wear on one side
and reduces the vehicle ’s running
stability. Contact your SUBARU
dealer if you notice abnormal tire
wear. NOTE
The suspension system is designed to
hold each wheel at a certain alignment
(relative to the other wheels and to the
road) for optimum straight-line stability
and cornering performance. &
Wear indicators1) New tread
2) Worn tread
3) Tread wear indicator
Each tire incorporates a tread wear
indicator, which becomes visible when
the depth of the tread grooves decreases
to 0.063 in (1.6 mm). A tire must be
replaced when the tread wear indicator
appears as a solid band across the tread.
WARNING
When a tire ’s tread wear indicator
becomes visible, the tire is worn
beyond the acceptable limit and
must be replaced immediately. With
a tire in this condition, driving at
high speeds in wet weather can
cause the vehicle to hydroplane.
The resulting loss of vehicle control
can lead to an accident.
NOTE
For safety, inspect tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their tread
wear indicators become visible.

Battery
WARNING
. Before beginning work on or near
any battery, be sure to extinguish
all cigarettes, matches, and light-
ers. Never expose a battery to an
open flame or electric sparks.
Batteries give off a gas which is
highly flammable and explosive.
. For safety, in case an explosion
does occur, wear eye protection
or shield your eyes when work-
ing near any battery. Never lean
over a battery.
. Do not let battery fluid contact
eyes, skin, fabrics, or paint be-
cause battery fluid is a corrosive
acid. If battery fluid gets on your
skin or in your eyes, immediately
flush the area with water thor-
oughly. Seek medical help imme-
diately if acid has entered theeyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally
swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water,
and seek medical attention im-
mediately.
. To lessen the risk of sparks, remove rings, metal watchbands,
and other metal jewelry. Never
allow metal tools to contact the
positive battery terminal and any-
thing connected to it WHILE you
are at the same time in contact
with any other metallic portion of
the vehicle because a short cir-
cuit will result.
. Keep everyone including children
away from the battery.
. Charge the battery in a well-
ventilated area.
. Battery posts, terminals and re-
lated accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive
harm. Batteries also contain
other chemicals known to the
State of California to cause can-
cer.
Wash hands after handling.
1) Cap
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
It is unnecessary to periodically check the
battery fluid level or periodically refill with
distilled water.
However, if the battery fluid level is below
the lower level, remove the cap. Fill to the
upper level with distilled water.
CAUTION
Never use more than 10 amperes
when charging the battery because
it will shorten battery life.
Maintenance and service/Battery11-37