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11-8Maintenance and service
.Be careful not to spill engine oilwhen adding it. If oil touches theexhaust pipe, it may cause a badsmell, smoke, and/or a fire. Ifengine oil gets on the exhaustpipe, be sure to wipe it off.
If you check the oil level just after stoppingthe engine, wait a few minutes for the oil todrain back into the oil pan before checkingthe level.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do notadd any additional oil above the full levelwhen the engine is cold.
&Changing the oil and oil filter
CAUTION
.If you change your own oil, besure to drain all the oil from thefilter before disposal.
.Do not dispose of used engine oilby placing it in the trash, or bypouring it onto the ground, intosewers, or into any body of water.Check with your local govern-ment office for the proper dis-posal options available to you.
Change the oil and oil filter according tothe maintenance schedule in the“War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must bechanged more frequently than listed inthe maintenance schedule when drivingon dusty roads, when short trips arefrequently made, or when driving inextremely cold weather.
1. Warm up the engine by letting theengine idle for approximately 10 minutesto ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface andstop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
4. Drain out the engine oil by removingthe drain plug while the engine is stillwarm. The used oil should be drained intoan appropriate container and disposed ofproperly.
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourself withhot engine oil.
5. Wipe the seating surface of the drainplug with a clean cloth and tighten itsecurely with a new sealing washer afterthe oil has completely drained out.
6. Open the access cover by removingthe five clips and turning the access covercounterclockwise. The oil filter will beexposed.
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&Recommended fluid
Refer to“Fluids”F12-7.
NOTE
Using any non-specified type of auto-matic transmission fluid could result indamage inside the transmission. Whenreplacingthe automatic transmissionfluid, be sure to use the specified type.
Front differential gear oil
&Checking the oil level
1) Yellow handle
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface andstop the engine.
2. Pull out the level gauge, wipe it clean,and insert it again.
1) Upper level2) Lower level
3. Pull out the level gauge again andcheck theoil level on it. If it is below thelower level, add oil to bring the level up tothe upper level.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill front differ-ential gear oil when adding it. If oiltouches the exhaust pipe, it maycause a bad smell, smoke, and/or afire. If oil gets on the exhaust pipe,be sure to wipe it off.
Maintenance and service11-15
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11-16Maintenance and service
&Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own baseoils and additives. Never use differentbrands together. For details, refer to“Frontdifferential and rear differential gear oil”F12-6.
Rear differential gear oil
There is no oil level gauge. To check therear differential gear oil level, consult yourSUBARU dealer for inspection.
&Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own baseoils and additives. Never use differentbrands together. For details, refer to“Frontdifferential and rear differential gear oil”F12-6.
Power steering fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourselfbecause the fluid may be hot.
CAUTION
.When power steering fluid isbeing added, use only clean fluid,and be careful not to allow anydirt into the tank. And never usedifferent brands together.
.Be careful not to spill powersteering fluid when adding it. If
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power steering fluid touches theexhaust pipe, it may cause a badsmell, smoke, and/or a fire. Ifpower steering fluid gets on theexhaust pipe, be sure to wipe itoff.
The power steering fluid expands greatlyas its temperature rises; the fluid leveldiffers according to fluid temperature.Therefore, the reservoir tank has twodifferent checking ranges for hot and coldfluids.
Check the power steering fluid levelmonthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,and stop the engine.
2. Check the fluid level of the reservoirtank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle hasbeen run: Check that the oil level isbetween“HOT MIN”and“HOT MAX”onthe surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle isrun: Check that the oil level is between“COLD MIN”and“COLD MAX”on thesurface of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than theapplicable“MIN”line, add the recom-mended fluid as necessary to bring thelevel between the“MIN”and“MAX”line.
If the fluid level is extreme low, it mayindicate possible leakage. Consult yourSUBARU dealer for inspection.
&Recommended fluid
Refer to“Fluids”F12-7.
Brake fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
.Never let brake fluid contact youreyes because brake fluid can beharmful to your eyes. If brakefluid gets in your eyes, immedi-ately flush them thoroughly withclean water. For safety, whenperforming this work, wearingeye protection is advisable.
.Brake fluid absorbs moisturefrom the air. Any absorbed moist-ure can cause a dangerous lossof braking performance.
.If the vehicle requires frequentrefilling, there may be a leak. Ifyou suspecta problem, have thevehicle checked at your SUBARUdealer.
CAUTION
.When adding brake fluid, be care-ful not to allow any dirt into thereservoir.
.Never splash the brake fluid overpainted surfaces or rubber parts.
Maintenance and service11-17
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12-4Specifications
&Engine oil
For the checking, adding and replacing procedure or other details, refer to“Engine oil”F11-7.
NOTE
The procedure for changing the engine oil and oil filter should be performed by a properly-trained expert. It is recommendedthat you have this service performed by your SUBARU dealer.
!Approved engine oil
Always use the SUBARU approved engine oil. For further details, please contact your SUBARU dealer.If the approved engine oil is unavailable, use the alternative engine oil described on the next page.
!Alternative engine oil
If the SUBARU approved oil is unavailable, the following alternative oil can be used.
NOTE
.Each quantity indicated is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on thetemperature and other factors..In choosing an oil, you want the proper quality and viscosity, as well as one that will enhance fuel economy. Oils of lowerviscosity provide better fuel economy. However, in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is required to properly lubricate theengine. The following table lists the recommended viscosities and applicable temperatures..When adding oil, different brands may be used togetheras long as they are the same API classification and SAE viscosityas those recommended by SUBARU.
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Oil gradeSAE viscosity No. andapplicable temperatureEngine oil capacity
API classification SM or SN withthe words“ENERGY CONSERVING”or“RESOURCE CONSERVING”
or
ILSAC GF-4 or GF-5, which canbe identified with the ILSACcertification mark (Starburstmark)
Your vehicle is designed to use 5W-30conventional motor oil, however 5W-30synthetic may be used for optimumengine performance.
If you do choose to use synthetic oil,we recommend that you continue usingsynthetic for the life of your vehicle.
–Adding the oil from L to F level:1.1 US qt (1.0 liter, 0.9 Imp qt)–Changing the oil and oil filter:6.9 US qt (6.5 liters, 5.7 Imp qt)
Specifications12-5
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