SUBARU BAJA 2003 1.G Owners Manual

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HB9063BA
5. Secure the flat tire by tightening the tire holding rod.
The tire holding rod and retainer are designed solely to secure a flat
tire in emergency. Do not use them for another purpose such as se-
curing cargo.
6. Store the jack and wheel nut wrench in their storage locations.
7. Put the rubber cap back in its original position after everything has
been restored. Driving with the temporary spare tire
Your spare tire is only a temporary spare which is designed for tem-
porary emergency use only. When driving with the temporary spare
tire, follow the instructions and precautions described in the “Tempo-
rary spare tire ” section in this Chapter.
Replace the temporary spare tire with a conventional tire as soon asyou can.

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Jump startingWARNING
Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID. Do not let it come in contact
with the eyes, skin, clothing or the vehicle. If battery fluid gets on you, thoroughly flush the exposed area
with water immediately. Get medical help if the fluid has enteredyour eyes. If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water, and obtain immediate medicalhelp.
Keep everyone including children away from the battery. The gas generated by a battery explodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or light a match while jump start-ing. Never attempt jump starting if the discharged battery is frozen.
It could cause the battery to burst or explode. Whenever working on or around a battery, always wear suit-
able eye protectors, and remove metal objects such as rings,
bands or other metal jewelry. Be sure the jumper cables and clamps on them do not have
loose or missing insulation.Do not jump start unless cables in suitable condition are avail-able. A running engine can be dangerous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away from the cooling fan, belts and anyother moving engine parts. Removing rings, watches and ties isadvisable.
When your vehicle does not start due to a run down (discharged) bat-
tery, the vehicle may be jump started by connecting your battery to
another battery (called the booster battery) with jumper cables.
Jump starting is dangerous if it done incorrectly. If you are unsure about
the proper procedure for jump starting, consult a competent mechanic.

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How to jump start
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 volts and the negative terminal
is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not let the two ve-hicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and accessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in the sequence illustrated.
HB8007BB
1 Connect one jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal on the
discharged battery. 2 Connect the other end of the jumper cable to the positive (+)
terminal of the booster battery.3 Connect one end of the other cable to the negative ( –) terminal
of the booster battery.

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4Connect the other end of the cable. To the engine lifting brack-
et.
Make sure that the cables are not near any moving parts and that
the cable clamps are not in contact with any other metal.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery and run it at
moderate speed. Then start the engine of the vehicle that has the dis-
charged battery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect the cables in exactly the re-
verse order.

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Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has been shut off and has fully cooled down. When the engine is hot,the coolant is under pressure. Removing the cap while the engineis still hot could release a spray of boiling hot coolant, which
could burn you very seriously.
If the engine overheats, pull off the road safely and stop the vehicle in asafe place. If steam is coming from the engine compartment
Turn the engine off and get everyone away from the vehicle until itcools down. If no steam is coming from the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compartment.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is not turning, im-
mediately turn the engine off and contact your authorized dealer for
repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature has dropped, turn off the en-gine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the overheated zone, turn the en-
gine off.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, check the coolant level in
the reserve tank.If the coolant level is below the “MIN” mark, add coolant up to the
“MAX” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, add coolant to the reserve
tank. Then remove the radiator cap and fill the radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot radiator, first wrap a thick
cloth around the radiator cap, then turn the cap counterclockwise
slowly without pressing down until it stops. Release the pressure from

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the radiator. After the pressure has been fully released, remove the
cap by pressing down and turning it.
Towing
WARNING
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT and MT) with the front wheelsraised off the ground while the rear wheels are on the ground, orwith the rear wheels raised off the ground while the front wheelsare on the ground. This will cause the vehicle to spin away due tothe operation or deterioration of the center differential.
HB9064BA
If towing is necessary, it is best done by your SUBARU dealer or a com-
mercial towing service. Observe the following procedures for safety.
Towing and tie-down hooks
CAUTION
Use only specified towing hooks and tie-down hooks. Never
use suspension parts or other body parts for towing or tie-downpurposes. Never use the tie-down hook closest to the muffler under the
vehicle for towing purposes. Do not apply excessive lateral load to the towing hooks.

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HB9065BB
HB9066BB
HB9066CBHB9070BB
The towing hooks should be used only in an emergency (e.g., to free
a stuck vehicle from mud, sand or snow).
The front towing hook is located on the inside of the towing hook cov- er below the right-hand headlight.

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nTowing hook cover removal procedure
HB9067BBHB9068BB
The towing hook cover is secured by tabs that fit into corresponding
slots in the vehicle body.
To remove the cover:
1. Push on the position A while pulling the portion B toward you.
2. Push on the portion C and pull the cover.
n Towing hook cover installation procedure
hB9069BA
To reinstall the towing hook cover, push it in on both sides while push-
ing it back to its original position. Make certain that the tabs at the
end of the cover are securely inserted into the corresponding slots inthe vehicle ’s body.

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Using a flat-bed truck
HB9072AA
This is the best way to transport your vehicle. Use the following proce-
dures to ensure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” position for automatic transmis-
sion vehicles or “1st” for manual transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier properly with safety chains.
Each safety chain should be equally tightened and care must be tak-en not to pull the chains so tightly that the suspension bottoms out. Towing with all wheels on the ground
WARNING
Never turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” position while the
vehicle is being towed because the steering wheel and the direc- tion of the wheels will be locked. Remember that the brake booster and power steering do not
function when the engine is not running. Because the engine isturned off, it will take greater effort to operate the brake pedal andsteering wheel.

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CAUTION
If transmission failure occurs, transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck. Do not run the engine while the vehicle is being towed using
this method. Transmission damage could result if the vehicle istowed with the engine running. For vehicles with automatic transmission, the traveling speed
must be limited to less than 20 mph (30 km/h) and the traveling
distance to less than 30 miles (50 km). For greater speeds and
distances, transport your vehicle on a flat-bed truck.
HB9071AA
1. Check the transmission and differential oil levels and add oil to
bring it to the upper level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the transmission in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the “ACC” position while the ve-
hicle is being towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to prevent damage to the ve-hicle.