
Pull the switch rearward to reduce the 
initial LSD torque. When the lowest posi-
tion of the driver’s control center differen-
tial indicator light illuminates, the initial
LSD torque will be minimum. Under this
condition, only the Mechanical LSD torque
will limit the differential action.
CAUTION
. Do not operate the control switch
when a wheel slippage occurs. 
Wait until the wheelspin has been
brought under control.
. Under any of the following con-
ditions after setting to the man-
ual mode, pull the center differ-
ential control switch to minimize
the initial LSD torque: .
When a temporary spare tire is
installed
. When your vehicle is towed
. When the vehicle is stopped
with the manual mode se-lected
NOTE . A higher initial LSD torque setting
gives the vehicle greater traction when 
driving straight ahead but makes cor-
nering more difficult. Remember this
when adjusting the initial LSD torque.
In general, higher initial LSD torque
settings assist driving on slippery
roads and lower settings for non-slip-
pery roads. When the vehicle is stuck
in snow or mud, setting the initial LSD
torque to the maximum will help to free
the vehicle.. The setting of the initial LSD torque
will remain even when the auto mode is
selected or the ignition switch is turned
to the “LOCK ”position. However, the
initial LSD torque will be minimized
when the battery is disconnected andreconnected.. During cornering or when making
turns (especially when going into the
garage), the rotational difference be-
tween the front and rear wheels may cause a braking effect accompanied by
vibration and noise. This does not
indicate a problem. The phenomenon
will disappear when setting the initial
LSD torque to the minimum. 
In the auto mode, it controls the initial 
LSD torque automatically. While in the
auto mode, this phenomenon some-
times occurs depending on the driving
condition, however, it does not indicate
a problem..
Use the center differential indicator
light only as a rough indication of the
initial LSD torque.. If you operate the center differential
control switch while quickly accelerat- 
ing or turning a tight corner, you may 
feel slight shocks. This is due to
differential action by the center differ-
ential and does not indicate a problem. & Temporary release
When the driver stops the vehicle and 
pulls the parking brake lever after manu- 
ally setting the initial LSD torque, the LSD 
torque is temporarily minimized. However
the indicator on the combination meter
continues to show the driver ’s selected
initial LSD torque. When the driver re-
leases the parking brake lever, the initial
LSD torque set by the driver is restored.
Starting and operating/Driver ’s Control Center Differential (DCCD) (STI)7-21  

Electronic Brake Force Dis- 
tribution (EBD) system 
The EBD system maximizes the effective- 
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle’s
loading condition and speed. 
The EBD system is an integral part of the 
ABS system and uses some of the ABSsystem ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD system malfunction, the
EBD system also stops working. 
When the EBD system is operating, you 
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. &
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system, 
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously. 
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if 
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving. 
Even if the EBD system malfunctions, the 
conventional braking system will still func-
tion. However, the rear wheels will be 
more prone to locking when the brakes 
are applied harder than usual and thevehicle ’s motion may therefore become
somewhat harder to control. 
If the brake system warning light and ABS 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-
Starting and operating/Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system7-27
– CONTINUED –  

low pressure threshold, the low tire 
pressure warning light should turn
off a few minutes later. 
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. 
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 minute, promptly
contact a SUBARU dealer to have
the system inspected.CAUTION
. Do not place metal film or any
metal parts in the cargo area/ 
trunk. This may cause poor re-
ception of the signals from the
tire pressure sensors, and the
tire pressure monitoring system
will not function properly.
. FCC WARNING
Changes or modifications not
expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance
could void the user ’s authority
to operate the equipment.
NOTE 
This device complies with Part 15 of 
the FCC Rules and RSS-Gen of IC
Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this de-
vice may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesiredoperation. Parking your vehicle &
Parking brake
To set the parking brake, depress the 
brake pedal firmly and hold it down until 
the parking brake lever is fully pulled up.
To release the parking brake, pull the lever 
up slightly, press the release button, then 
lower the lever while keeping the button pressed. 
When the parking brake is set while the 
engine is running, the parking brake
warning light illuminates. After starting
the vehicle, be sure that the warning light
has turned off before the vehicle is driven.
Refer to “Parking brake warning ”F 3-19.
Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle7-33
– CONTINUED –  

7-34Starting and operating/Parking your vehicle
CAUTION
Never drive while the parking brake 
is set because this will cause un-
necessary wear on the brake lin-
ings. Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.
& Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always per-
form the following items. . Apply the parking brake firmly.
. Put the shift lever in “1 ” (1st) for an
upgrade or “R ” (Reverse) for a down-
grade. 
Never rely on the transmission alone to 
hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the 
steering wheel. When the vehicle is
headed up the hill, the front wheels should
be turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels 
should be turned into the curb.
WARNING
. Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could 
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, the tempera-
ture in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to
cause severe or possibly fatal
injuries to people.
. Do not park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
. Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occu- 
pants in the vehicle could die 
from carbon monoxide (CO) con-
tained in the exhaust gas.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under- 
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), pay attention to blocks   

and other obstructions on the 
ground when parking. The under-
spoilers could be damaged by con-
tact with them.Hill start assist system
CAUTION
The Hill start assist system is a 
device only for helping the driver
to START the vehicle on an uphill
grade. To prevent accidents when
the vehicle is parked on a slope, be
sure to firmly set the parking brake.
When setting the parking brake,
make sure that the vehicle remains
stationary when the clutch pedal isreleased.
The Hill start assist system is a device to
make starting on an uphill grade easier.
On an uphill grade, when the clutch pedal is depressed while the brake pedal is also 
depressed, braking power is maintained
temporarily by the Hill start assist system
when the brake pedal is released. The
driver is therefore able to start the vehicle
the same way as on a level grade, just
using the clutch and accelerator pedal.
The Hill start assist system does not 
operate when the vehicle is facing down-
hill. And the Hill start assist system may
not operate on slight grades. 
When starting in reverse and using the Hill 
start assist system, a braking effect may
be felt even after the brake pedal has
been released. However, this braking
effect should disappear once the clutch
pedal is released. 
A slight jolt may be felt when the vehicle
Starting and operating/Hill start assist system7-35
– CONTINUED –   

7-36Starting and operating/Hill start assist system
begins to move forward after being re- versed. 
If the braking power of the Hill start assist 
system is insufficient after the brake pedal
is released, apply more braking power by 
depressing the brake pedal again. &To activate/deactivate the Hill 
start assist system (STI)
CAUTION
While the Hill start assist system is 
deactivated, when starting on an
uphill grade, braking power is not
maintained if the brake pedal is
released. Start on an uphill grade
by using the parking brake.
You can activate/deactivate the Hill start
assist system according to the followingprocedure. ! To deactivate
1. Stop your vehicle in a flat and safe 
place and apply the parking brake. 
2. Turn off the engine.
3. Restart the engine.
4. Confirm the following items. .The ABS warning light turns off.
. The Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF
indicator light turns off. . The Brake system warning light
illuminates.5. Press the Vehicle Dynamics Control 
OFF switch and hold it until the Vehicle
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light
turns off. The Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light will illuminate in green,
change to yellow, remain illuminated in
yellow for several seconds and then turnoff. 
6. Within 5 seconds after the Vehicle 
Dynamics Control OFF indicator light
turns off, release the Vehicle Dynamics
Control OFF switch.   

!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
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 shift lever in “1 ” or “R ”.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to 
prevent the vehicle from moving. 
When the vehicle is parked in snow or 
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them. 
When the vehicle has been left parked 
after use on roads heavily covered with snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle. 
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, 
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-ness.
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.
! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather. 
Use only additives that are specifically 
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty. 
If your SUBARU is not going to be used for an extended period, it is best to have 
the fuel tank filled to capacity. &
Driving on snowy and icy roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid 
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high- 
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads. 
Always maintain ample distance between 
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking. 
To supplement the foot brake, use the 
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.) 
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha- 
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control. 
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en- 
hances your vehicle ’s braking perfor-
manceonsnowyandicyroads.For
information on braking on slippery sur-
faces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) ”F 7-26 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system ”F 7-28.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on 
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
Driving tips/Winter driving8-7
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1) Wheel nut wrench 
2) Screwdriver 
3) Jack 
4) Towing hook (eye bolt)
The jack handle is stored under the floor of 
the trunk (4-door) or the cargo area (5-
door). The jack and towing hook are
stored in the tool bucket that is located in
the recess of the spare tire wheel. 
Also, the tools in the tool bag can be 
stored in the tool bucket as illustrated. 
For how to use the jack, refer to “Flat tires ”
F 9-5. Flat tires 
If you have a flat tire while driving, never 
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safeplace. &
Changing a flat tire
WARNING
. Do not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface. 
The jack can come out of the
jacking point or sink into the
ground and this can result in a
severe accident.
. Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get
under the vehicle while support-
ing the vehicle with this jack. .
Always turn off the engine before
raising the flat tire off the ground
using the jack. Never swing or
push the vehicle supported with
the jack. The jack can come out
of the jacking point due to a jolt
and this can result in a severeaccident.
1. Park on a hard, level surface, when-
ever possible, then stop the engine. 
2. Set the parking brake securely and 
shift the shift lever in reverse. 
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher 
and have everyone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear 
of the tire diagonally opposite the flat tire. 
5. Take out the jack, jack handle and 
wheel nut wrench.
In case of emergency/Flat tires9-5
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