SUBARU BAJA 2003 1.G Owners Manual

Starting and operating7-15
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speeds and 1-reverse speed. NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is reconnected or ATF (au- tomatic transmission fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the auto-matic transmission operation is somewhat unusual.This results from erasure or invalidation of data the on-board com-puter has collected and stored in memory to allow the transmissionto shift at the most appropriate times for the current condition ofyour vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored as the vehicle con-tinues to be driven for a while. Selector lever
HB7010AA
HB7036BB
The selector lever has seven positions.

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P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and starting the engine.
In this position, the transmission is mechanically locked to prevent the
vehicle from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the parking brake fully, then shift
into the “P” position. Do not hold the vehicle with only the transmis-
sion. A shift interlock function is employed in the automatic transmission
system to ensure safe starting of the vehicle.
To shift the selector lever from the “P” to the any other position, you
have to depress the brake pedal fully when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position. This prevents the vehicle from lurching when it is
started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “P” position with the brake
pedal depressed, refer to the “Shift lock release ” section in this Chap-
ter. R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from “N” to “R” position, first stop the vehicle completely then
move the lever to “R” position.
N (Neutral)
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the selector lever in the “N” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no effect in this condition and the risk of an accident is consequently increased.
This position is for restarting a stalled engine.
In this position the wheels and transmission are not locked. In this
position, the transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll freely, even onthe slightest incline unless the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neutral.

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During coasting, the engine braking does not act. D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable gear from 1st to
4th according to the vehicle speed and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this position, press the acceler- ator pedal fully to the floor and hold that position. The transmission
will automatically downshift to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position. n While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to 4th gear is prevented from
taking place when the accelerator is released. This minimizes the
chance of subsequent downshifting to a lower gear when accelerat-
ing again. This prevents repeated upshifting and downshifting result-ing in a smoother operation of the vehicle. NOTE
The transmission may downshift to 2nd or 1st gear, depending on the way the accelerator pedal is pressed to accelerate the vehicleagain. n While going down a hill
When descending a steep hill, depressing the brake pedal will cause
the transmission to downshift to 3rd gear, thus applying engine brak-
ing. Reacceleration for a short time will cause the transmission to up-
shift normally. NOTE In some cases, depressing the brake pedal on a downhill grade
does not result in an automatic downshift to 3rd gear. This canhappen when the automatic transmission fluid temperature is
very low, for example, during driving shortly after the vehicle has
been parked for an extended period of time. When the ATF tem-perature has risen to a certain level, automatic downshift normal-ly takes place. In the meantime, downshift manually for engine

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braking as required. Also, downshifting when braking downhill will not occur at
speeds above approximately 50 mph (80 km/h). 3 (Third)
This position is for using engine braking when going down a hill or for
climbing a grade.
The transmission automatically shifts into a suitable gear from 1st to
3rd according to the vehicle speed and the acceleration you require.
When more acceleration is required in this position, press the acceler- ator pedal fully to the floor and hold that position. The transmission
will automatically downshift to 2nd or 1st gear. When you release the
pedal, the transmission will return to the original gear position. 2 (Second)
This position is for using engine braking when going down a hill or for
climbing a steep grade.
In this position, the transmission holds in the 2nd gear.
Use this position when starting off from a standstill on slippery road
surfaces such as mud or snow. It will ensure greater traction. 1 (First)
This position is for driving up or down very steep grades, or driving
through mud or sand, or on slippery surfaces. In this position, the
transmission holds in the 1st gear. Maximum speeds
WARNING
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the vehicle is not travel- ling at a speed exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speed for thegear which is about to be selected. Failure to observe this pre-caution can lead to engine over-revving and this in turn canresult in engine damage.In addition, sudden application of engine brakes when the vehicleis travelling on a slippery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost and the risk of

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an accident increased.
The following tables show the maximum speeds that are possible with
each different gear. The tachometer ’s (if so equipped) needle will
enter the red area if these speeds are exceeded.
When shifting down a gear, it is important to confirm that the current
vehicle speed is not in excess of the Maximum Allowable Speed ofthe gear which is about to be selected.
Exceeding the Maximum Allowable Speeds will result in over-revving
of the engine. In addition a powerful engine brake will engage and
control of the vehicle may be lost.
mph (km/h)
Position
BAJA
131 (50)
262 (100)
3102 (164)
NOTE In order to prevent over-revving during deceleration of the
vehicle, the transmission will remain in the current gear if thespeed of the vehicle is in excess of the Maximum AllowableSpeed for the gear to which the selector lever has been moved. Driving tips
Always apply the foot or parking brake when the vehicle is
stopped in the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position.
Always set the parking brake when parking your vehicle. Do not
hold the vehicle with only the transmission. Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary position on an uphill grade
by using the “D”, “3”, “2”, or “1” position. Use the brake instead.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock when the vehicle rapidly
accelerates or rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This phenomenondoes not indicate a fault.

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Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from the “P” position with the brake
pedal depressed and the ignition switch in the “ON” position, perform
the following steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the engine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the edge with the regular screwdriver.
HB7020BA
HB7010CA
4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and move the selector lever from the“P” to the “N” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole. Depress the brake pedal and
start the engine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU dealer immediately to have the
system repaired.

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Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped)
CAUTION
Never start the engine while a tire on one side is jacked up, as
the vehicle may move. If one rear tire is spinning in mud, avoid continued spinning at
high speed as this could adversely affect the LSD. If a different size rear tire is temporarily used (as in an emer-
gency), it will adversely affect the LSD. Always replace it with aregular size tire as soon as possible.
The LSD provides optimum distribution of power according to the differ-
ence in revolutions between the right and left rear wheels that may be
caused by certain driving conditions, thereby improving driving stability
on snow-covered, muddy or other slippery roads. Power steering
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the fully locked position left or right for more than five seconds. This may damage the powersteering pump.
The power steering system operates only when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system
fails to function, you can steer but it will take much more effort. NOTE Right after the engine has been started and before it has warmed up, you may hear a noise coming from areas adjacent to the powersteering pump which is located at the right-front area of the enginecompartment. This noise is normal. It does not indicate power steer-ing system trouble.

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Braking Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can
cause dangerous overheating of the brakes and needless wearon 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 thebrake pedal to heat up the brakes. Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addition to foot braking.
When descending 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 roadto a safe place.
Brake system Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit brake systems. Each circuit
works diagonally 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 dis-
tance will be needed to stop the vehicle.

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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, resulting in poor braking power.The brakes will continue to work even when the brake booster com-
pletely stops functioning. If this happens, however, you will have to
push the pedal much harder than normal and the braking distance
will increase.
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators
OM-H0163
The disc brake pad wear warning indicators on the disc brakes give a
warning noise when the brake pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard from the disc brakes whilebraking, immediately have your vehicle checked by your SUBARU deal-
er.

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ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence because
you are driving with an ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
The ABS system does not always decrease stopping distance.
You should always maintain a safe following distance from othervehicles. When driving on badly surfaced roads, gravel roads, icy road,
or over deep newly fallen snow, stopping distances may be long-er for a vehicle with the ABS system than one without. When driv-ing under these conditions, therefore, reduce your speed and
leave ample distance from other vehicles. When you feel the ABS system operating, you should maintain
constant brake pedal pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal
since doing so may defeat the operation of the ABS system.
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which may occur during
sudden braking or braking on slippery road surfaces. This helps prevent
the loss of steering control and directional stability caused by wheellock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a chattering noise or
feel a slight vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal when the ABSoperates. The ABS system will not operate when the vehicle speed is below
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h). ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and hear the operating
sound of ABS from the engine compartment just after the vehicle is