system.
&Air conditioner compressor
shut-off when engine is
heavily loaded
To improve acceleration and gas mileage,the air conditioner compressor is designedto temporarily shut off during air condi-tioner operation whenever the acceleratoris fully depressed such as during rapidacceleration or when driving on a steepupgrade.
&Refrigerant for your climate
control system
Your air conditioner uses ozone friendlyrefrigerant HFC134a. Therefore, the meth-od of adding, changing or checking therefrigerant is different from the method forCFC12 (freon). Consult your SUBARUdealer for service. Repairs needed as aresult of using the wrong refrigerant arenot covered under warranty.
Air filtration system
Replace the filter element according to thereplacement schedule shown in the fol-lowing. This schedule should be followedto maintain the filter’sdustcollectionability. Under extremely dusty conditions,the filter should be replaced more fre-quently. It is recommended that you haveyour filter checked or replaced by yourSUBARU dealer. For replacement, werecommend the use of a genuineSUBARU airfilter kit.
Replacement schedule:
Every 15 months or 15,000 miles (24,000km) whichever comes first
&Replacing the air filter
1. Remove the instrument panel sidecover.
NOTE
The instrument panel side cover is heldin place with four pins.
Climate control4-11
–CONTINUED–
8-4Driving tips
Periodic inspections
To keep your vehicle in the best conditionat all times, always have the recom-mended maintenance services listed inthe maintenance schedule in the“War-ranty and Maintenance Booklet”per-formed at the specified time or mileageintervals.
Driving in foreign countries
When planning to use your vehicle inanother country:
.Confirm the availability of the correctfuel. Refer to“Fuel requirements”F7-2.
.Comply with all regulations and re-quirements of each country.
Driving tips for AWD models
WARNING
.Always maintain a safe drivingspeed according to the road andweather conditions in order toavoidhaving an accident on asharp turn, during sudden brak-ing or under other similar condi-tions.
.Always use the utmost care indriving–overconfidence be-cause you are driving an All-Wheel Drive model could easilylead to a serious accident.
.When replacing a tire, you mustuse a tire that is of the same size,circumference, speed symboland load index as the originaltires listed on the tire placard.Using tires of other sizes, cir-cumferences or constructionsmay result in severe mechanicaldamage to the drive train of yourvehicle and may affect ride,handling,braking, speedometer/odometer calibration, and clear-ance between the body and tires.It also may be dangerous andlead to loss of vehicle control.