2016 SUBARU WRX brake fluid

“ ” appears, downshifting is possible.
When both indicators appear, upshifting
and downshifting are both possible. When
the vehicle stops (for example, at traffic
signals), the downshift indicator turns off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the
shift paddle behind the steering wheel.
To upshift to the next higher gear position,
pull the shift paddle that has “ + ” indicated
on it. To downshift to the next lower gear
position, pull the shift paddle that has “ – ”
indicated on it.
To deselect the manual mode, return the
select lever to the “ D ” position from the “ M ”
position. CAUTIONDo not place or hang anything on
the shift paddles. Doing so may
result in accidental gear shifting.
NOTE Please read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode.
. If you attempt to shift down when
the engine speed is too high, i.e., when
a downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible.
. If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond.
. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the shift paddle twice in rapid succes-
sion.
. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stops
moving.
. If the temperature of the transmis-
sion fluid becomes too high, the “ AT
OIL TEMP ” warning light on the combi-
nation meter will illuminate. Immedi-
ately stop the vehicle in a safe location and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off.
. By selecting the Sport Sharp (S#)
mode, upshifting will not occur auto-
matically. According to the road condi-
tions, shift change manually so that the
tachometer needle does not enter the
red zone. Also, if the engine revolu-
tions reach the specified number, the
fuel supply will be cut. In this case,
perform shift up operation.
& Shift lock function The shift lock function helps prevent the
improper operation of the select lever.
. The select lever cannot be operated
unless the ignition switch is turned to the
“ ON ” position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
. The select lever cannot be moved from
the “ P ” position to any other position
before the brake pedal is depressed.
Depress the brake pedal first, and then
operate the select lever.
. Only the “ P ” position allows you to turn
the ignition switch from the “ ACC ” position
to the “ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position and remove
the key from the ignition switch.
. If the ignition switch is turned to the
“ LOCK ” / “ OFF ” position while the select
lever is in the “ N ” position, the select leverStarting and operating/Continuously variable transmission
– CONTINUED –7-27

Braking & Braking tips WARNINGNever rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking.
! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep
driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place.
& Brake system ! Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit
brake systems. Each circuit works diag-
onally across the vehicle. If one circuit of
the brake system should fail, the other half
of the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer
to the floor than usual and you will need to
press it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop the
vehicle.
! Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to depress the pedal much
harder than normal and the braking dis-
tance will increase. ! Brake assist system
WARNINGDo not be overconfident about the
brake assist. It is not a system that
brings more braking ability to the
vehicle beyond its braking capabil-
ity. Always use the utmost care
when driving regarding vehicle
speed and safe distance.
CAUTIONWhen you need to brake suddenly,
continue depressing the brake pedal
strongly to obtain the effect of the
brake assist.
Brake assist is a driver assistance system.
It assists the brake power when the driver
cannot depress the brake pedal strongly
and the brake power is insufficient.
Brake assist generates the brake power
according to the speed at which the driver
depresses the brake pedal.
NOTE When you depress the brake pedal
strongly or suddenly, the following
phenomena occur. However, even
though these occur, they do not indi- Starting and operating/Braking
– CONTINUED –7-35

Starting and operating/Vehicle Dynamics Control system
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps.
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat location.
2. Apply the parking brake and turn off
the engine.
3. Restart the engine.
4. Release the parking brake.
Even if both warning lights turn off:
The EBD system may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain illuminated after restarting
the engine:
1. Turn off the engine again.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Check the brake fluid level. For details
about checking the brake fluid level, refer
to “ Checking the fluid level ” F 11-25.
. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“ MIN ” mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
. If the brake fluid level is below the
“ MIN ” mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING. Driving with the brake system
warning light illuminated is dan-
gerous. This indicates your brake
system may not be working
properly. If the light remains
illuminated, have the brakes in-
spected by a SUBARU dealer
immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair. Vehicle Dynamics Control
system WARNINGAlways use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving a vehicle with the
Vehicle Dynamics Control system
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
CAUTION. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, winter tires should be
used when driving on snow-cov-
ered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reduced
considerably. Simply having a
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem does not guarantee that the
vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
. Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-7-38

Driving tips/Driving precaution
conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles.
. Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom-
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver ’ s side.
. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle
under hard-driving conditions such as
steep hills or dusty roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of the follow-
ing items than that specified in the
“ Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ” .
– Engine oil
– Brake fluid
– Rear differential gear oil
– Manual transmission oil (MT mod-
els)
– Continuously variable transmission
fluid (CVT models)
– Front differential gear oil (CVT
models)
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detailed information, refer to “ Towing ”
F 9-12. Driving precaution Water entering the engine air intake or the
exhaust pipe or water splashing onto
electrical parts may damage your vehicle
and may cause it to stall. Never attempt to
drive through rushing water; regardless of
its depth, it can wash away the ground
from under your tires, resulting in possible
loss of traction and even vehicle rollover. 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 winter
starts.
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.8-6

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 following
table. Washer Fluid Con-
centration Freezing Temperature
30% 10.4 8 F( − 12 8 C)
50% − 4 8 F( − 20 8 C)
100% − 49 8 F( − 45 8 C)
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
thepipingistoolowfortheoutside
temperature, it may freeze and block the
nozzles.
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.
! Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery and
driving dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before
driving, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has
accumulated under the fenders to avoid
making steering difficult. During severe winter driving, stop when and where it is
safe to do so and check under the fenders
periodically.
! Parking in cold weather
WARNINGSnow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the engine
running.
CAUTION. Do not use the parking brake
when parking for long periods in
cold weather since it could freeze
in that position.
. When the vehicle is parked in
snow or when it snows, raise the
wiper blades off the glass to
prevent damage to them.
. When the vehicle has been left
parked after use on roads heavily
covered with snow, or has been
left parked during a snowstorm,
icing may develop on the brake
system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow Driving tips/Winter driving
– CONTINUED –8-7

Maintenance schedule ....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3Before checking or servicing in the engine
compartment .................................................... 11-4
When checking or servicing in the engine
compartment .................................................... 11-5
When checking or servicing in the engine
compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-5
Maintenance tips ................................................ 11-6Removing and reinstalling clips .......................... 11-6
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-9
Engine compartment overview ........................ 11-11STI................................................................... 11-11
Except STI ....................................................... 11-12
Engine oil .......................................................... 11-13Engine oil consumption .................................... 11-13
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-13
Changing the oil and oil filter ............................ 11-15
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-16
Synthetic oil ..................................................... 11-16
Cooling system ................................................ 11-17Cooling fan, hose and connections ................... 11-17
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-18
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-19
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-19
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-21
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-21
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-22
Manual transmission oil .................................. 11-23
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-23 Continuously variable transmission fluid ...... 11-23
Front differential gear oil (CVT models) and
rear differential gear oil ................................ 11-23Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-23
Power steering fluid (STI) ............................... 11-24Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-24
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-24
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-25Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-25
Clutch fluid (MT models) ................................. 11-26Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-26
Brake booster .................................................. 11-27
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-27Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-27
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ....... 1 1-28
Clutch pedal (MT models) ............................... 11-28Checking the clutch function ............................ 11-28
Checking the clutch pedal free play .................. 11-28
Hill start assist system .................................... 11-29
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-29Breaking-in of new brake pads (models with
electronic parking brake system) .................... 11-29
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings
(models without electronic parking brake
system) ......................................................... 11-30
Parking brake stroke (models without
electronic parking brake system) ................ 11-30Maintenance and service
11

Maintenance 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 preten-
sioner needs service, consult
your nearest SUBARU dealer.
NOTE SUBARU does not endorse the use of
non-SUBARU approved flushing sys-
tems and strongly advises against
performing these services on a
SUBARU vehicle. Non-SUBARU ap-
proved flushing systems use chemi-
cals and/or solvents which have not
been tested or approved by SUBARU.
SUBARU warranties do not cover any
part of the vehicle which is damaged by
adding or applying chemicals and/or
solvents other than those approved or
recommended by SUBARU. & Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment WARNING. Always stop the engine and apply
the parking brake to prevent 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 has stopped.
. Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
. When the ignition switch is in the
“ ON ” position, the cooling fan
may operate suddenly even
when the engine is stopped. If
your body or clothes come into
contact with a rotating fan, that
could result in serious injury. To
avoid risk of injury, perform the
following precautions.
– Models with push-button start
system:
Always turn the push-button
ignition switch to the “ OFF ”
position and confirm that the operation indicator on the
switch is turned off. Then take
the access key out from the
vehicle.
– Models without push-button
start system:
Always remove the key from
the ignition switch.
. 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.11-4

Engine compartment overview & STI 1) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
2) Brake fluid reservoir/Clutch fluid reservoir
(page 11-25)
3) Fuse box (page 11-42)
4) Battery (page 11-41)
5) Windshield washer tank (page 11-38)
6) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-13)
7) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-18)
8) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-13)
9) Coolant filler tank cap (page 11-18)
10) Air cleaner case (page 11-19)Maintenance and service/Engine compartment overview
– CONTINUED –11-11