316 4-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
●Do not wash the engine compartment and area adjacent to it. If water
enters the engine air intake or electrical parts it will cause engine trouble or
a malfunction of the power steering.
●When washing the vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a result, the 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.
●When washing inner fenders, underbody, bumpers and protruding objects
such as exhaust pipes and exhaust finishers, be careful to prevent injuries
from contacting sharp ends.
■Precautions regarding the exhaust pipes
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipes and rear bumper diffusers to
become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipes and diffusers
until they have cooled sufficiently, as touching hot exhaust pipes and rear
bumper diffusers can cause burns.
CAUTION
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If you see coal tar or tree sap on the paint surface
• If you see dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings on the paint
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,
iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled in dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
320 4-1. Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use organic substances such as benzene or gasoline, acidic or
alkaline solutions, dye, bleach or other detergent. Doing so may discolor
the vehicle interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces.
●Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel's or other
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.
●Do not use a chemical agent containing silicone (highly-polymerized sili-
con compound) when cleaning any of the electrical appliances such as the
air conditioning, all switches and their surrounding areas.
If silicon (highly-polymerized silicon compound) contacts these compo-
nents, it may cause the electrical appliances to malfunction.
■Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces.
●Remove any dust, dirt, sand, oil spots etc. on leather surfaces immedi-
ately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
●Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or that contain wax on the uphol-
stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats
up significantly.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if water comes
into contact with electrical components under the floor of the vehicle, and
may also cause the body to rust.
323 4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
■When removing dirt or dust from the Alcantara® areas
Remove dirt or dust from the Alcantara
® areas by lighting brushing with a
soft brush. If this does not remove the dirt or dust, remove it using adhesive
tape.
CAUTION
■When soaking up spilled liquids
Do not press down too firmly with the cloth, tissue paper etc., as doing so
may cause the liquid to further penetrate the material, making soaking up
the liquid more difficult.
If the Alcantara® upholstery surface becomes uneven,
lightly brush it with a soft brush.
Allow the surface to dry completely.
■Oil stains
You will need the following items:
●A cloth that has been dampened with benzene
●A dry cloth
Using a dry cloth or tissue paper, wipe away as much of the
oil as possible to prevent the stained area from expanding.
After patting the area from the outside to the inside from
multiple angles using the cloth dampened with benzene,
soak up the oil and benzene that floats up by patting the
area with a dry cloth.
If the Alcantara
® upholstery surface becomes uneven,
lightly brush it with a soft brush.
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
327
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
General maintenance
Engine compartment
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 approved flushing systems use chemicals and/or sol-
vents 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.
ItemsCheck points
BatteryCheck the connections.
( oP. 344)
Brake fluid At the correct level? ( oP. 342)
Engine coolant At the correct level? ( oP. 340)
Engine oil At the correct level? ( oP. 337)
Exhaust system No fumes or strange sounds?
Radiator/condenser/hosesNot blocked with foreign matter?
( oP. 342)
Washer fluid At the correct level? ( oP. 348)
Listed below are the general maintenance items that should be per-
formed at the intervals specified in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet” (except for Canada) or “Warranty and Service Booklet” (for
Canada). It is recommended that any problem you notice should be
brought to the attention of your SUBARU dealer or qualified service
shop for advice.
331
4
Maintenance and care
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself ser vice precautions
If you perform maintenance yourself, be sure to follow the correct
procedure as given in these sections.
ItemsParts and tools
Battery condition ( oP. 344)•Warm water
• Baking soda
• Grease
• Conventional wrench
(for terminal clamp bolts)
• Distilled water
Brake fluid level ( oP. 342)• FMVSS No.116 fresh DOT 3 or
DOT 4 brake fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding
brake fluid)
Engine coolant level ( oP. 340)• SUBARU Super Coolant or simi-
lar high-quality ethylene glycol-
based non-silicate, non-amine,
non-nitrite and non-borate coolant
with long-life hybrid organic acid
technology.
SUBARU Super Coolant is pre-
mixed with 50% coolant and
50% deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding
engine coolant)
Engine oil level ( oP. 337)• SUBARU approved engine oil or
equivalent
• Rag or paper towel, funnel (used
only for adding engine oil)
Fuses ( oP. 372)• Fuse with same amperage rating
as original
333 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■When working in the engine compartment
●Keep hands, clothing, and tools away from the moving fan and engine
drive belt.
●Be careful not to touch the engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right
after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
●Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper or rags, in the
engine compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel or the bat-
tery. Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
●Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.
■When working near the electric cooling fans or radiator grille
Vehicles without a keyless access with push button start system: Be sure the
engine switch is off. With the engine switch in the “ON” position, the electric
cooling fans may automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or
the coolant temperature is high. ( oP. 342)
Vehicles with a keyless access with push button start system: Be sure the
push-button ignition switch is off. With the push-button ignition switch in
“ON” mode, the electric cooling fans may automatically start to run if the air
conditioning is on and/or the coolant temperature is high. ( oP. 342)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc. from
getting in the eyes.
CAUTION
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive engine wear
due to dirt in the air. Also a backfire could cause a fire in the engine compart-
ment.