
1-28Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
viceable parts. For required ser-vicing of front seatbelt retractorsequipped with seatbelt preten-sioners, see your nearestSUBARU dealer.
.When discarding front seatbeltretractor assemblies or scrap-ping the entire vehicle due tocollision damage or for otherreasons, consult your SUBARUdealer.
&System monitors
A diagnostic system continually monitorsthe readiness of the seatbelt pretensionerwhile the vehicle is being driven. Theseatbeltpretensioners share the controlmodule with the airbag system. Therefore,if any malfunction occurs in a seatbeltpretensioner, the SRS airbag systemwarning light will illuminate. For details,refer to“SRS airbag system monitors”F1-71.
&System servicing
WARNING
.When discarding a seatbelt re-tractor assembly or scrappingthe entire vehicle damaged by a
collision, consult your SUBARUdealer.
.Tampering with or disconnectingthe system’s wiring could resultin accidental activation of theseatbelt pretensioner and/or air-bag or could make the systeminoperative, which may result inserious injury. Do not use elec-trical test equipment on anycircuit related to the seatbeltpretensioner and airbag sys-tems. For required servicing ofthe seatbelt pretensioner, seeyour nearest SUBARU dealer.
CAUTION
The front sub sensors are locatedon both sides of the radiator panel,and the airbag control module in-cludingthe impact sensors is lo-cated under the center console. Ifyou need service or repair in thoseareas or near the front seatbeltretractors, we recommend that youhave an authorized SUBARU dealerperform the work.
NOTE
If the front part of the vehicle isdamaged in an accident to the extentthat the seatbelt pretensioner does notoperate, contact your SUBARU dealeras soon as possible.
&Precautions against vehicle
modification
Always consult your SUBARU dealer ifyou want to install any accessory parts toyour vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the followingmodifications. Such modificationscan interfere with proper operationof the seatbelt pretensioners.
.Attachment of any equipment(bush bar, winches, snow plow,skid plate, etc.)other than genu-ine SUBARU accessory parts tothe front end.
.Modification of the suspensionsystem or front end structure.
.Installation of a tire of differentsize and construction from thetires specified on the vehicleplacard attached to the doorpillar or specified for individual

1-56Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
!Operation
1) Driver’s side2) Passenger’s side
The SRS airbag can function only whenthe ignition switch is in the“ON”position.
The SUBARU advanced frontal airbag
system is designed to determine theactivation or deactivation condition of thefront passenger’sSRSfrontalairbagdepending on the total load on the frontpassenger’s seat monitored by the frontpassenger’s occupant detection systemweight sensor. For this reason, only thedriver’s SRS frontal airbag may deploy inthe event of a collision, but this does notmeanfailure of the system.
If the front sub sensors located on bothsides of the radiator panel and the impactsensors in the airbag control moduledetect a predetermined amount of forceduring a frontal collision, the controlmodule sends signals to the airbagmodule(s) (only driver’s module or bothdriver’s and front passenger’s modules)instructing the module(s) to inflate theSRS frontal airbag(s). The driver’s andfront passenger’s SRS frontal airbags usedual stage inflators. The two inflators ofeach airbag are triggered either sequen-tially or simultaneously, depending on theseverity of impact, backward-forward ad-justmentof the driver’s seat position andfastening/unfastening of the seatbelt in thecase of the driver’s SRS frontal airbag anddepending on the severity of impact andthe total load on the seat in the case of thefront passenger’s SRS frontal airbag.
After deployment, the SRS airbag imme-diately starts to deflate so that the driver’svision is not obstructed. The time requiredfrom detecting impact to the deflation ofthe SRS airbag after deployment is short-er than the blink of an eye.
When only the driver’s SRS frontal airbagdeploys and both the driver’s and frontpassenger’s SRS frontal airbags deploy,the driver’s and front passenger’s seatbeltpretensioners operate at the same time.
Although it is highly unlikely that the SRSairbag would activate in a non-accidentsituation, should it occur, the SRS airbagwill deflate quickly, not obscuring visionand will not interfere with the driver’sability to maintain control of the vehicle.
When the SRS airbag deploys, a sudden,fairly loud inflation noise will be heard andsome smoke will be released. Theseoccurrencesare a normal result of thedeployment. This smoke does not indicatea fire in the vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS airbag systemcomponents around the steeringwheel and dashboard with barehands right after deployment. Doingso can cause burns because the

4-10Climate control
–Do not cover the sensors.
The sensors are located as follows.
–Solar sensor: beside windshielddefroster grille
–Interior air temperature sensor: on theside of the driver-side part of the centerpanel
–Outside temperature sensor: behindfront grille
Operating tips for heater and
air conditioner
&Cleaning ventilator grille
Always keep the front ventilator inlet grillefree of snow, leaves, or other obstructionsto ensure efficient heating and defrosting.Since the condenser is located in front ofthe radiator, this area should be kept cleanbecause cooling performance is impairedby any accumulation of insects and leaveson the condenser.
&Efficient cooling after parking
in direct sunlight
After parking in direct sunlight, drive withthe windows open for a few minutes toallow outside air to circulate into the
heated interior. This results in quickercooling by the air conditioner. Keep thewindows closed during the operation ofthe air conditioner for maximum coolingefficiency.
&Lubrication oil circulation in
the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor ata low engine speed (at idle or low drivingspeeds) a few minutes each month duringthe off-season to circulate its oil.
&Checking air conditioning
system before summer sea-
son
Check the air conditioner unit for refriger-ant leaks,hose conditions, and properoperation each spring. Have the air con-ditioning system checked by yourSUBARU dealer.
&Cooling and dehumidifying in
high humidity and low tem-
perature weather conditions
Under certain weather conditions (highrelative humidity, low temperatures, etc.) asmall amount of water vapor emissionfrom the air outlets may be noticed. Thiscondition is normal and does not indicateany problem with the air conditioning

9-14In case of emergency
Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-tor cap until the engine has beenshut off and has fully cooled down.When theengine is hot, the coolantis under pressure. Removing thecap while the engine is still hotcould release a spray of boiling hotcoolant, which could burn you veryseriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off theroad and stop the vehicle in a safe place.
&If steam is coming from the
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyoneaway from the vehicle until it cools down.
&If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment
NOTE
For details about how to check thecoolant level or how to add coolant,refer to“Engine coolant”F11-11.
1. Keep the engine running at idlingspeed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the enginecompartment. Refer to“Engine hood”F11-4.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. Ifthe fan is not turning, immediately turn offthe engine and contact your authorizeddealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperaturehas dropped, turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at theoverheated zone, turn off the engine.
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 reservetank, add coolant to the reserve tank.Then remove the radiator cap and fill theradiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hotradiator, first wrap a thick cloth around theradiator cap, then turn the cap counter-clockwise slowly without pressing downuntil it stops. Release the pressure fromthe radiator. After the pressure has beenfully released, remove the cap by pressingdown and turning it.
Towing
WARNING
Never tow AWD models with thefront wheels raised off the groundwhile the rear wheels are on theground, or with the rear wheelsraised off the ground while the frontwheels are on the ground. This willcause the vehicle to spin away dueto the operation or deterioration ofthe centerdifferential.
If towing is necessary, it is best done byyour SUBARU dealer or a commercialtowing service. Observe the followingprocedures for safety.

11-6Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview1) Air cleaner element (page 11-12)2) Power steering fluid reservoir(page 11-16)3) Differential gear oil level gauge(page 11-15)4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge(page 11-14)5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-17)6) Fuse box (page 11-34)7) Battery (page 11-33)8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-28)9) Radiator cap (page 11-11)10) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-7)11) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-11)12) Engineoil level gauge (page 11-7)

11-10Maintenance and service
mended engine oil for optimum engineperformance. Conventional oil may beused if synthetic oil is unavailable.
Cooling system
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-tor cap until the engine has beenshut off and has cooled downcompletely. Since the coolant isunder pressure, you may sufferserious burns from a spray of boil-ing hot coolant when the cap isremoved.
CAUTION
.Vehicles are filled at the factorywith SUBARU Super Coolant thatdoes not require the first changefor 11 years/137,500 miles (11years/220,000 km). This coolantshould not be mixed with anyother brand or type of coolantduring this period. Mixing with adifferent coolant will reduce thelife of the coolant. Should it benecessary to top off the coolantfor any reason, use onlySUBARU Super Coolant.
If the SUBARU Super Coolant isdiluted with another brand ortype, the maintenance interval is
shortened to that of the mixingcoolant.
.Do not splash the engine coolantover painted parts. The alcoholcontained in the engine coolantmay damage the paint surface.
&Hose and connections
Your vehicle employs an electric coolingfan which is thermostatically controlled tooperate when the engine coolant reachesa specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operateeven when the engine coolant tempera-ture gauge exceeds the normal operatingrange, the cooling fan circuit may bedefective.Check the fuse and replace itif necessary. If the fuse is not blown, havethe cooling system checked by yourSUBARU dealer.
If frequent addition of coolant is neces-sary, there may be a leak in the enginecooling system. It is recommended thatthe cooling system and connections bechecked for leaks, damage, or looseness.

&Engine coolant
!Checking the coolant level
Check the coolant level at each fuel stop.
1. Check the coolant level on the outsideof the reservoir while the engine is cool.
2. If the level is close to or lower than the“LOW”level mark, add coolant up to the“FULL”level mark. If the reserve tank isempty, remove the radiator cap and refillas required.
3. After refilling the reserve tank and theradiator, reinstall the caps and check thatthe rubber gaskets inside the radiator capare in the proper position.
CAUTION
.Be careful not to spill enginecoolant when adding it. If coolanttouches the exhaust pipe, it maycause a bad smell, smoke, and/ora fire. If engine coolant gets onthe exhaust pipe, be sure to wipeit off.
.Do not splash the engine coolantover painted parts. The alcoholcontained in the engine coolantmay damage the paint surface.
!Changing the coolant
It may be difficult to change the coolant.Have the coolant changed by yourSUBARU dealer if necessary.
The coolant should be changed accordingto the maintenance schedule in the“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
Maintenance and service11-11