2014 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX lock

9-16In case of emergency/Rear gate–if the rear gate cannot be unlocked
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ”position while the
vehicle is being towed because
the steering wheel and the direc-
tion of the wheels will be locked.
. Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater
effort to operate the brake pedal
and steering wheel.
CAUTION
. If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
. Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the
engine running. Rear gate
–if the rear gate
cannot be unlocked
In the event that you cannot open the rear
gate by operating the rear gate opener
button, you can open it from inside the
cargo area.
1. Remove the access cover at the
bottom-center of the rear gate trim.
2. Locate the rear gate open lever behind
the rear gate trim panel.
CAUTION
Never operate the rear gate open
lever with fingers because doing so
may cause an injury. Always use a
flat-head screwdriver or a similartool.
3. Slide the lever to the right position
using a flat-head screwdriver to open the
rear gate.

CAUTION
. Be careful not to damage brake
hoses, sensor harnesses, and
other parts when washing sus-
pension components.
. Be careful not to flush the engine
bottom for a long time. It may
cause damage of some electricalparts.
! Using a warm water washer
. Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle. . Do not wash the same area continu-
ously.. If a stain will not come out easily, wash
by hand. Some warm water washers are
of the high temperature, high pressure
type, and they can damage or deform the
resin parts such as moldings, or cause
water to leak into the vehicle.
& Waxing and polishing
Always wash and dry the vehicle before
waxing and polishing.
Use a good quality polish and wax and
apply them according to the manufac-turer ’s instructions. Wax or polish when
the painted surface is cool. Be sure to polish and wax the chrome trim,
as well as the painted surfaces. Loss of
wax on a painted surface leads to loss of
the original luster and also quickens the
deterioration of the surface. It is recom-
mended that a coat of wax be applied at
least once a month, or whenever the
surface no longer repels water.
If the appearance of the paint has dimin-
ished to the point where the luster or tone
cannot be restored, lightly polish the
surface with a fine-grained compound.
Never polish just the affected area, but
include the surrounding area as well.
Always polish in only one direction. A
No. 2000 grain compound is recom-
mended. Never use a coarse-grained
compound. Coarse-grained compounds
have a smaller grain-size number and
could damage the paint. After polishing
with a compound, coat with wax to restore
the original luster. Frequent polishing with
acompoundoranincorrectpolishing
technique will result in removing the paint
layer and exposing the undercoat. When
in doubt, it is always best to contact your
SUBARU dealer or an auto paint specia-list.
CAUTION
Do not use any agents with organic solvents on the surface of the bulb
assembly cover. However, if a polish
or wax with organic solvents is
applied to the cover surface, com-
pletely wipe off the polish or wax.
Otherwise, the cover surface may bedamaged.
NOTE
Be careful not to block the windshield
washer nozzles with wax when waxing
the vehicle. & Cleaning aluminum wheels
. Promptly wipe the aluminum wheels
clean of any kind of grime or agent. If dirt
is left on too long, it may be difficult to
clean off. . Do not use soap containing grit to
clean the wheels. Be sure to use a neutral
cleaning agent, and later rinse thoroughly
with water. Do not clean the wheels with a
stiff brush or expose them to a high-speed
washing device. . Clean the vehicle (including the alumi-
num wheels) with water as soon as
possible when it has been splashed with
sea water, exposed to sea breezes, or
driven on roads treated with salt or otheragents.
Appearance care/Exterior care10-3

10-4Appearance care/Corrosion protection
Corrosion protection
Your SUBARU has been designed and
built to resist corrosion. Special materials
and protective finishes have been used on
most parts of the vehicle to help maintain
fine appearance, strength, and reliableoperation. &Most common causes of corrosion
The most common causes of corrosion are:
1. The accumulation of moisture retain-
ing dirt and debris in body panel sections,
cavities, and other areas.
2. Damage to paint and other protective
coatings caused by gravel and stone
chips or minor accidents.
Corrosion is accelerated on the vehicle when:
1. It is exposed to road salt or dust
control chemicals, or used in coastal
areas where there is more salt in the air,
or in areas where there is considerable
industrial pollution.
2. It is driven in areas of high humidity,
especially when temperatures range just
above freezing.
3. Dampness in certain parts of the vehicle remains for a long time, even
though other parts of the vehicle may be
dry.
4. High temperatures will cause corro-
sion to parts of the vehicle which cannot
dry quickly due to lack of proper ventila-tion.
& To help prevent corrosion
Wash the vehicle regularly to prevent
corrosion of the body and suspension
components. Also, wash the vehicle
promptly after driving on any of the
following surfaces. . roads that have been salted to prevent
them from freezing in winter. mud, sand, or gravel
. coastal roads
After the winter has ended, it is recom-
mended that the underbody be given a
very thorough washing.
Before the beginning of winter, check the
condition of underbody components, such
as the exhaust system, fuel and brake
lines, brake cables, suspension, steering
system, floor pan, and fenders. If any of
them are found to be rusted, they should
be given an appropriate rust prevention
treatment or should be replaced. Contact
your SUBARU dealer to perform this kind of maintenance and treatment if you needassistance.
Repair chips and scratches in the paint as
soon as you find them.
Check the interior of the vehicle for water
and dirt accumulation under the floor mats
because that could cause corrosion.
Occasionally check under the mats to
make sure the area is dry.
Keep your garage dry. Do not park your
vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated
garage. In such a garage, corrosion can
be caused by dampness. If you wash the
vehicle in the garage or put the vehicle
into the garage when wet or covered with
snow, that can cause dampness.
If your vehicle is operated in cold weather
and/or in areas where road salts and other
corrosive materials are used, the door
hinges and locks, trunk lid lock, and hood
latch should be inspected and lubricated
periodically.

&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

11-32Maintenance and service/Replacement of wiper blades
level gauge or the“FULL ”mark on the
tank.
Use windshield washer fluid. If windshield
washer fluid is unavailable use clean
water.
In areas where water freezes in winter,
use an anti-freeze type windshield washer
fluid. SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid
contains 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
Concentration Freezing
Temperature
30% 10.48F( 12 8C)
50% 48F( 20 8C)
100% 49 8F( 45 8C)
CAUTION
Never use engine coolant as washer
fluid because it could cause paintdamage.
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. Replacement of wiper blades
Grease, wax, insects, or other material on
the windshield or the wiper blade results in
jerky wiper operation and streaking on the
glass. If you cannot remove the streaks
after operating the windshield washer or if
the wiper operation is jerky, clean the
outer surface of the windshield (or rear
window) and the wiper blades using a
sponge or soft cloth with a neutral
detergent or mild-abrasive cleaner. After
cleaning, rinse the windshield and wiper
blades with clean water. The windshield is
clean if beads do not form when you rinse
the windshield with water.
CAUTION
. Do not clean the wiper blades
with gasoline or a solvent, such
as paint thinner or benzine. This
will cause deterioration of the
wiper blades.
. While removing the wiper blades
from the wiper arms, do not
return the wiper arms to the
original positions. Otherwise,
the windshield surface may bescratched.
. When returning the raised wiper
arms to the original positions,

carefully return the wiper arms
on the windshield by hand. You
should not return the wiper arms
to the windshield only by the
return spring. Otherwise, the wi-
per arms may be deformed and/
or the windshield surface may bescratched.
If you cannot eliminate the streaking even
after following this method, replace the
wiper blades using the following proce-dures. &
Windshield wiper blade as- sembly
! Type A
1. Raise the wiper arm off the windshield.
1) Stopper
2. Remove the wiper blade assembly by
holding its pivot area and pushing it in the
direction shown by the arrow while de-
pressing the wiper blade stopper.
3. Install the wiper blade assembly to the
wiper arm. Make sure that it locks in place.
4. Hold the wiper arm by hand and slowly
lower it in position. !
Type B
1. Raise the wiper arm off the windshield.
1) Open the cover
2) Pull down the wiper blade
2. Remove the wiper blade assembly by
opening the cover and pulling it down in
the direction shown in the illustration.
3. Install the wiper blade assembly to the
wiper arm. Make sure that it locks in place.
4. Hold the wiper arm by hand and slowly
lower it in position.
Maintenance and service/Replacement of wiper blades11-33
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11-34Maintenance and service/Replacement of wiper blades
&Windshield wiper blade rub-
ber (type A and type B)
NOTE
The following illustrations show the
replacement procedures of the blade
rubber for a type A wiper blade assem-
bly, however the replacement proce-
dures are the same for a type B wiper
blade assembly.
1) Metal support
1. Grasp the locked end of the blade
rubber assembly and pull it firmly until the
stoppers on the rubber are free of the
metal support.
1) Metal spines
2. If the new blade rubber is not provided
with two metal spines, remove the metal
spines from the old blade rubber and
install them in the new blade rubber.
3. Align the claws of the metal support with the grooves in the rubber and slide
the blade rubber assembly into the metal
support until it locks.
1) Stopper
4. Be sure to position the claws at the
end of the metal support between the
stoppers on the rubber as shown. If the
rubber is not retained properly, the wiper
blade may scratch the windshield. NOTE
The illustration shows the replacement
procedure for type A rubber wiper
blades, however the replacement pro-
cedure is the same for type B. Perform
the replacement of type B wiper blades
following the procedure in this section.