SUBARU BAJA 2003 1.G Owners Manual

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Cargo bed
HB1149BA
WARNING
Never fill gasoline containers on the cargo bed. Static electric-
ity may ignite gasoline vapor when filling portable containers. Ap- proved containers must be removed from the vehicle and placedon the ground when filling.Do not fill any portable container on a vehicle. Never allow anyone to ride in the cargo bed. It is not designed
for passengers. They should ride in the seats with the seat belts
securely fastened. Otherwise they are much more likely to sufferserious injury or death in a sudden braking or in a collision.
CAUTION
Do not exceed the cargo load rating of your vehicle. Refer to
the “Loading your vehicle ” section in Chapter 8.
Be sure cargo is secured properly. Unsecured cargo in the
cargo bed can be thrown around during sudden braking, in asharp turn or during rapid acceleration, which could create a dan-gerous road hazard. To avoid creating a dangerous road hazard or causing per-
sonal injury, cargo must not stick out beyond the tailgate. Never drive the vehicle with the tailgate open unless the

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optional Subaru Bed Extender is used.
Cargo should be placed in the cargo bed. Make sure all items are
secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle balanced. Locating the weight as low and
far forward as possible helps maintain balance.
There are two water drain holes at both sides of the front end of the car-
go bed. Keep those holes clear and free from obstructions. Cargo tie-down hooks
HB6032BA
The cargo bed is equipped with four tie-down hooks so that cargo can
be secured with a luggage net or ropes.

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Bed extender (if equipped)
The bed extender is designed to increase the usable cargo area of the bed.
CAUTION
When the tailgate and bed extender are in the “open/outward”
position, the license plate bracket must be lowered and lockedinto position before the vehicle is driven (see section “License
plate bracket ” under the heading of “Tailgate” in Chapter 2 for
more information on the function of the license plate bracket). In
order to avoid damaging the license plate bracket or the bumper,
make certain that the license plate bracket is in its fully lowered/open position before the tailgate is lowered. Do not exceed the cargo load rating of your vehicle. Refer to
“ Loading your vehicle ” section in Chapter 8.
Locking buckles must be engaged into the tailgate latch while
the vehicle is in motion. When the bed extender is not in use, the tailgate should be
closed. Do not use the bed extender or tailgate to secure cargo.
Remove the bed extender for vehicle “Off Road ” use.
To avoid creating a dangerous road hazard or causing per-
sonal injury, cargo must not stick out beyond the bed extender. To avoid damage, the tailgate and bed extender must remain in
the closed/inward position when towing with a trailer hitch. To avoid damage, clean the bed extender only with soap, water
and a soft brush.

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Operation
HB8032AA
Open/Outward Position – To use the bed extender in the open/out-
ward position, simply lower your license plate bracket (see section “ Licence plate bracket ” under heading of “Tailgate” in Chapter 2),
open your tailgate, and rotate the bed extender until it sits on the tail-gate.
HB8033AA
After you have rotated the bed extender, lock the black buckle pin
into the tailgate latch by pushing downward until you hear two clicks.
Then tighten the tether straps. Repeat this process for the other side.
When you want to return the tailgate and the bed extender to the
closed/inward position, pull on the tailgate release handle to disen-gage the tethers.

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NOTE
Use care when rotating bed extender. Do not permit the buckles to come in contact with vehicle sheet metal and bed trim. Closed/Inward Position – With the tailgate closed and the bed
extender in the inward position, small loads can be placed inside the
vehicle bed between the tailgate and the extender (groceries, icechests, etc.).
HB8035AA
The bed extender should be secured to the rear set of vehicle cargo
hooks. Latch the buckle onto the rear cargo hooks and then tighten
the tether straps. To disengage the tethers, loosen the tether straps
and depress the latch pin. Bed extender removal
HB8036BA

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The bed extender can be removed from the vehicle by rotating the
extender into a vertical position then lifting straight up.
Cargo lamp
HB4010IA
HB3018AA
The cargo lamp comes on and goes off whenever the cargo lamp switch
is pushed regardless of the position of the ignition switch. The cargolamp indicator light located in the meter panel will illuminate when thecargo lamp is on.
When leaving your vehicle, make sure the lamp is turned off to avoid bat-
tery discharge.
CAUTION
Do not switch on the cargo lamp while driving to avoid distract-ing other drivers.

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Bed cover (if equipped)
The bed cover is designed to cover the cargo area of the bed. The bed
cover is water resistant, but not waterproof.
CAUTION
Do not place cargo on top of the bed cover.
Do not use the hard bed cover section as a step.
Do not use the bed cover to secure cargo.
To avoid damage, clean the bed cover with only soap, water
and a soft brush. Remove the soft portion of the bed cover before taking the ve-
hicle through a car wash.
Securing the cover
HB6034BA
HB6033AA
To secure the soft portion of the bed cover to the bed, simply start
from either side of the vehicle and place the plastic strip under the
rail. Slide your hand down the side of the vehicle pushing the plastic
strip under the rail as you go. Continue this around the entire length of
the bed. Fasten both closeout wraps with Velcro around the rear
chrome bars so that they are secure. Your cover should be tight and
ready to conceal items in the bed from view.

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Cover removal
HB6036BA
HB6035AA
The soft portion of the bed cover can be removed from the bed cov- er’ s hard section for cleaning or storage. Unfasten the Velcro on the
roll bar closeout wraps and firmly pull the cover out to one side. Cover reinstallation
HB6037BA
The soft portion of the bed cover can be reinstalled onto the bed cov- er’s hard section. Start by inserting the left front edge of the soft por-
tion into the right side of the hard cover. This area is flared out to easeinstallation.

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HB6038BA
As you insert (and pull) the soft portion of the bed cover into the bed
cover’s hard section, make sure the next 10 to 15 inches (250 to 380
mm) of the soft portion are straight and ready to enter the flared out
portion of the hard section.
Once you have pulled the soft portion of the bed cover onto the bed
cover’ s hard section, make sure the soft portion is equally centered on
both sides. To complete the installation, refer to “Securing the cover ”.
Roof rail and crossbar
CAUTION
For cargo carrying purposes, the roof rail must be used to-
gether with a roof crossbar kit and the appropriate carrying at-tachment. The roof rail must never be used alone to carry cargo.Otherwise, damage to the roof or paint or a dangerous road haz-ard due to loss of cargo could result. When using the roof crossbar kit, make sure that the total
weight of the crossbars, carrying attachment and cargo does not
exceed the maximum load limit. Overloading may cause damageto the vehicle and create a safety hazard.

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HB8037BB
The roof rail is not designed to carry cargo by itself. Cargo can be car-
ried after securing the roof crossbar kit to the roof rail and installing the
appropriate carrying attachment. When installing the roof crossbar kit,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
When you carry cargo on the roof using the roof crossbar kit and a carry-
ing attachment, never exceed the maximum load limit explained below.
You should also be careful that your vehicle does not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and front and rear Gross Axle Weight Rat-
ing (GAWR). See the “Loading your vehicle ” section in Chapter 8 for in-
formation on loading cargo into or onto your vehicle. The maximum load
limit of the cargo, crossbars and carrying attachment must not exceed
100 lb. (45 kg). Place the heaviest load at the bottom, nearest the roof,
and evenly distribute the cargo. Always properly secure all cargo.
Installing carrying attachments on the crossbars
When installing any carrying attachment such as a bike carrier, ski
carrier, kayak carrier, cargo basket, etc. on the crossbars, follow the
manufacturer’ s instructions and make sure that the attachment is se-
curely fixed to the crossbars. Use only attachments designed specifi-
cally for the crossbars. A set of the crossbars is designed to carry
loads (cargo and attachment) of not more than 100 lb. (45 kg). Before
operating the vehicle, make sure that the cargo is properly securedon the attachment.