
8-6Driving tips/Winter driving
Winter driving
&Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such 
as a window scraper, a bag of sand,
flares, a small shovel and jumper cables. 
Check the battery and cables. Cold 
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winterstarts. 
It normally takes longer to start the engine 
in very cold weather conditions. Use an
engine oil of a proper grade and viscosity
for cold weather. Using heavy summer oil
will make it harder to start the engine. 
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them with deicer or glycerin. 
Forcing a frozen door open may damage 
or separate the rubber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen,
use hot water to melt the ice, and after- 
wards thoroughly wipe the water away. 
Use a windshield washer fluid that con- 
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes
because they may damage the paint of
the vehicle. 
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid con- 
tains 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 Con- centration Freezing Temperature
30% 10.4 8F(  12 8C)
50%  48F(  20 8C)
100%  
49 8F(  45 8C)
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.  

10. Insert the jack handle into the jack- 
screw, and turn the handle until the tire
clears the ground. Do not raise the vehicle
higher than necessary. 
11. Remove the wheel nuts and the flat tire.12. Before putting the spare tire on, clean 
the mounting surface of the wheel and hub
with a cloth. 
13. Put on the spare tire. Replace the 
wheel nuts. Tighten them by hand.
WARNING
Do not use oil or grease on the 
wheel studs or nuts when the spare
tire is installed. This could cause the
nuts to become loose and lead to anaccident.
14. Turn the jack handle counterclockwise
to lower the vehicle.
15. Use the wheel nut wrench to securely 
tighten the wheel nuts to the specified
torque, following the tightening order in theillustration. 
For the wheel nut tightening torque, refer to “Tires ”F 12-9. Never use your foot on
the wheel nut wrench or a pipe extension
on the wrench because you may exceed
the specified torque. Have the wheel nut
torque checked at the nearest automotive
service facility.
In case of emergency/Flat tires9-7
– CONTINUED –     

9-12In case of emergency/Engine overheating
Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia- 
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. & If steam is coming from the 
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone 
away from the vehicle until it cools down. & If no steam is coming from 
the engine compartment
NOTE 
For details about how to check the 
coolant level or how to add coolant,
refer to “Engine coolant ”F 11-12.
1. Keep the engine running at idlingspeed. 2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment. Refer to
“Engine hood ”
F 11-5.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off
the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair. 
3. After the engine coolant temperature 
has dropped, turn off the engine. 
If temperature gauge stays in the over- 
heated zone, turn off the engine. Refer to“ Temperature gauge ”F 3-10.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reservetank. 
If the coolant level is below the “LOW ”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL ”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve 
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant. 
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot 
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it. Towing 
If towing is necessary, it is best done by 
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following
procedures for safety.
WARNING
Never tow AWD models with the 
front wheels raised off the ground
while the rear wheels are on the
ground, or with the rear wheels
raised off the ground while the front
wheels are on the ground. This will
cause the vehicle to spin away due
to the operation or deterioration of
the center differential.  

Rear tie-down hooks:
The rear tie-down hooks are located near 
each of the jack-up reinforcements.
WARNING
Use the rear tie-down hooks only for 
downward anchoring. If they are
used to anchor the vehicle in any
other direction, cables may slip off
the hooks, possibly causing a dan-
gerous situation. &
Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your 
vehicle. Use the following procedures to
ensure safe transportation. 
1. Shifttheshiftleverintothe “1st ”
position.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier 
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under- 
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), be careful not to scrape
them when placing the vehicle on
the carrier and when removing the
vehicle from the carrier.
& Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Release the parking brake and put the 
transmission in the neutral position. 
2. The ignition switch should be in the “Acc ”position while the vehicle is being
towed. 
3. Take up slack in the towline slowly to 
prevent damage to the vehicle.
In case of emergency/Towing9-15
– CONTINUED –    

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-5
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-5
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-6
Turbo models except STI .................................... 11-6
STI..................................................................... 11-7
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-8
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-8
Changing the oil and oil filter .............................. 11-9
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-10
Synthetic oil ..................................................... 11-10
Cooling system ................................................ 11-11
Cooling fan, hose and connections ................... 11-11
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-12
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-13
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-13
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-14
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-14
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-15
Manual transmission oil .................................. 11-16
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-16
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-16
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-17
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-17Power steering fluid
........................................ 11-17
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-17
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-18
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-18
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-18
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-19
Clutch fluid ....................................................... 11-19
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-19
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-20
Brake booster .................................................. 11-20
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-21
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-21
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-21
Clutch pedal ..................................................... 11-21
Checking the clutch function ............................ 11-21
Checking the clutch pedal free play .................. 11-22
Hill start assist system .................................... 11-22
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-22
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-23
Parking brake stroke ....................................... 11-23
Tires and wheels .............................................. 11-24
Types of tires ................................................... 11-24
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) ...................................................... 11-24
Tire inspection ................................................. 11-25
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-26
Wheel balance ................................................. 11-28
Wear indicators ............................................... 11-28
Tire rotation direction mark .............................. 11-29
Tire rotation ..................................................... 11-29
Maintenance and service
11 

11-4Maintenance and service/Maintenance precautions
guard against getting oil or fluids 
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water.
. Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seat-
belt pretensioner system, or at-
tempt to take its connectors
apart, as that may activate the
system or it can render it inop-
erative. NEVER use a circuit
tester for this wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt
pretensioner needs service, con-
sult your nearest SUBARU deal-
er. &
Before checking or servicing 
in the engine compartment
WARNING
. Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre- 
vent the vehicle from moving.
. Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after
the engine is stopped.
. Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
. Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position,
thecoolingfanmayoperate
suddenly even when the engine
is stopped.
. Before performing any servicing
on a vehicle equipped with a
remote engine start system (a 
dealer option) temporarily place 
that system in the service mode
to prevent it from unexpectedly
starting the engine. &
When checking or servicing 
in the engine compartment
CAUTION
Do not contact the belt cover while 
checking the components in the
engine compartment. Doing so may
cause your hand to slip off the belt
cover and result in an unexpected
injury.  

11-6Maintenance and service/Engine compartment overview
Engine compartment overview &Turbo models except STI1) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-17)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge (MT) (page 11-16)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-19) 
4) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-18) 
5) Fuse box (page 11-38) 
6) Battery (page 11-37) 
7) Windshield washer tank (page 11-31) 
8) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8) 
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-12) 
10) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
11) Radiator cap (page 11-12) 
12) Air cleaner case (page 11-13)  

&STI1) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-17)
2) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-19) 
3) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-18) 
4) Fuse box (page 11-38)
5) Battery (page 11-37) 
6) Windshield washer tank (page 11-31) 
7) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8) 
8) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-12) 
9) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8) 
10) Radiator cap (page 11-12) 
11) Air cleaner case (page 11-13)
Maintenance and service/Engine compartment overview11-7