depth of the water and the bottom of thestream bed for firmness and ensure thatthe bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowlyand completely through the stream. Thewater should be shallow enough that itdoes not reach the vehicle’s undercar-riage. Water entering the engine air intakeor the exhaust pipe or water splashingonto electrical parts may damage yourvehicle and may cause it to stall. Neverattempt to drive through rushing water;regardless of its depth, it can wash awaythe ground from under your tires, resultingin possible loss of traction and evenvehicle rollover.
.Always check your brakes for effec-tiveness immediately after driving in sand,mud or water. Do this by driving slowlyand stepping on the brake pedal. Repeatthat process several times to dry out thebrake discsand brake pads.
.Do not drive or park over or nearflammable materials such as dry grass orfallen leaves,as they may burn easily. Theexhaust system is very hot while theengine is running and right after enginestops. This could create a fire hazard.
.After driving through tall grass, mud,rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that thereis no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on theunderbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used withthese materials trapped or adhering to theunderbody, a mechanical breakdown orfire could occur.
.Secure all cargo carried inside thevehicle and make certain that it is notpiled higher than the seatbacks. Duringsudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargocould be thrown around in the vehicle andcause injury. Do not pile heavy loads onthe roof. Those loads raise the vehicle’scenter of gravity and make it more proneto tip over.
.If you must rock the vehicle to free itfrom sand or mud, depress the acceleratorpedal slightly andmove the select leverback and forth between“D”and“R”repeatedly. Do not race the engine. Forthe best possible traction, avoid spinningthe wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
.When the road surface is extremelyslippery, you can obtain better traction bystarting the vehicle with the transmissionin 2nd than 1st.
.Never equip your vehicle with tireslarger than thosespecified in this manual.
.Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving. Suspension components areparticularly prone to dirt buildup, so theyneed to be washed thoroughly.
.Frequent driving of an AWD modelunder hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitatemore frequent replacement of engine oil,brake fluid and transmission oil than thatspecified in the maintenance scheduledescribed in the“Warranty and Mainte-nance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to yourSUBARU while operating it off-road andnot using common sense precautionssuch as those listed above is not eligiblefor warranty coverage.
Driving tips8-7
Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions................................... 11-3Before checking or servicing in the enginecompartment.................................................... 11-4When you do checking or servicing in the enginecompartment while the engine is running.......... 11-4
Engine hood....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview.......................... 11-6
Engine oil............................................................ 11-7Checking the oil level......................................... 11-7Changing the oil and oil filter.............................. 11-8Recommendedgrade and viscosity.................... 11-9Synthetic oil....................................................... 11-9
Cooling system................................................ 11-10Hose and connections...................................... 11-10Engine coolant................................................. 11-11
Air cleaner element.......................................... 11-12Replacing the air cleaner element..................... 11-12
Spark plugs...................................................... 11-13Recommended spark plugs.............................. 11-13
Drive belts........................................................ 11-13
Automatic transmission fluid.......................... 11-14Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-14Recommended fluid......................................... 11-15
Front differential gear oil................................. 11-15Checking the oil level....................................... 11-15Recommended grade and viscosity.................. 11-16
Rear differential gear oil.................................. 11-16Recommended grade and viscosity.................. 11-16
Power steering fluid........................................ 11-16Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-16Recommended fluid......................................... 11-17
Brake fluid........................................................ 11-17Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-17Recommended brake fluid............................... 11-18
Brakebooster.................................................. 11-18
Brake pedal...................................................... 11-19Checking the brake pedal free play.................. 11-19Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-19
Replacement of brake pad and lining............ 11-19Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings....... 11-20
Parking brake stroke....................................... 11-20
Tires and wheels.............................................. 11-21Types of tires................................................... 11-21Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).......... 11-21Tire inspection................................................. 11-22Tire pressuresand wear.................................. 11-23Wheel balance................................................. 11-25Wear indicators............................................... 11-25Tire rotation direction mark.............................. 11-25Tire rotation..................................................... 11-26Tire replacement.............................................. 11-26Wheel replacement.......................................... 11-27
Aluminum wheels............................................ 11-27
Windshield washer fluid.................................. 11-28
Replacement of wiper blades......................... 11-29Windshield wiper blade assembly..................... 11-30Windshield wiper blade rubber ......................... 11-30Rear window wiper blade assembly.................. 11-31
Maintenance and service
11
Brake pedal
Check the brake pedal free play andreserve distance according to the main-tenance schedule in the“Warranty andMaintenance Booklet”.
&Checking the brake pedal
free play
1) 0.02–0.08 in (0.5–2.0 mm)
Stop the engine and firmly depress thebrake pedal several times. Lightly pull thebrake pedal up with one finger to checkthe free play with a force of less than 2 lbf(10 N, 1 kgf).
If the free play is not within properspecification, contact your SUBARU deal-er.
&Checking the brake pedal
reserve distance
1) More than 2.16 in (55 mm)
Depress the pedal with a force of approxi-mately 66 lbf (294 N, 30 kgf) and measurethe distance between the upper surface ofthe pedal pad and the floor.
When the measurement is smaller thanthe specification, or when the pedal doesnot operate smoothly, contact with yourSUBARU dealer.
Replacement of brake pad
and lining
CAUTION
If you continue to drive despite thescraping noise from the audiblebrake pad wear indicator, it willresult in the need for costly brakerotor repair or replacement.
The disc brakes have audible wearindicators on the brake pads. If the brakepads wear close to their service limit, thewear indicator makes a very audiblescraping noise when the brake pedal isapplied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time
Maintenance and service11-19
–CONTINUED–
11-20Maintenance and service
you apply the brake pedal, have the brakepads serviced by your SUBARU dealer assoon as possible.
&Breaking-in of new brake
pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining,use only genuine SUBARU parts. Afterreplacement, the new parts must bebroken in as follows.
!Brakepad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brakepedal lightly. Repeat this five or moretimes.
!Parking brake lining
WARNING
A safe location and situation shouldbe selected for break-in driving.
CAUTION
Pressing the parking brake pedaltoo forcefully may cause the rearwheels to lock. To avoid this, becertain to press the pedal slowlyand gently.
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed ofapproximately 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. Depress the parking brake pedalSLOWLY and GENTLY. (Pressing with aforce of approximately 34 lbf [150 N, 15kgf].)
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately220 yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parkingbrake to cool down. Repeat this proce-dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If theparking brake stroke is out of the specifiedrange, adjust it by turning the adjusting nutlocated on the parking brake pedal.
Parking brake stroke:
5–6 notches / 67 lbf (300 N, 30 kgf)
Parking brake stroke
Check the parking brake stroke accordingto the maintenance schedule in the“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.When the parking brake is properlyadjusted, braking power is fully appliedby depressing the pedal five to six notchesgently but firmly (approximately 67 lbf [300N, 30 kgf]). If the parking brake pedalstroke is not within the specified range,have the brake system checked andadjusted at your SUBARU dealer.