tailgate SUBARU BAJA 2003 1.G Owners Manual

xiii
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HBF048BB
1 Rear window defogger switch (page 3-26)
2 Fuel filler lid (page 7-4)
3 Child safety locks (page 2-20)
4 Towing hook (page 9-22)
5 Tailgate (page 2-23) 6
Tie-down hooks (page 9-22)
7 Bulb replacement (page 11-52)
8 Licence plate bracket (page2-24)

2
Keys and doors Keys2-2
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Door locks 2-3
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Power door locking switches 2-5
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Remote keyless entry system (if equipped) 2-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle finder function 2-8
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Security system (if equipped) 2-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child safety locks 2-20
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Windows 2-21
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Power windows 2-21
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Tailgate 2-23
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License plate bracket 2-24
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Switchback door 2-26
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Switchback door indicator light 2-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moonroof 2-30
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Tilting/sliding moonroof 2-30
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Keys and doors2-23
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Passengers’ side switches
HB2005BB
HB2009CB
To open the window, push the switch down and hold it until the win-
dow reaches the desired position. To close the window, pull the switch
up and hold it until the window reaches the desired position.
When the lock switch on the power window switch cluster, located on the driver ’s side door, is in the “LOCK” position, the passengers ’ win-
dows cannot be operated with the passengers ’ switches.
Tailgate
CAUTION
Keep the tailgate closed when the vehicle is moving. If you mustdrive with the tailgate open, use the optional Subaru BedExtender and place the License Plate Bracket at its fully lowered/
open position. Cargo must not stick out beyond the Extender.Otherwise a dangerous road hazard or personal injury couldresult.

2-24
HB2050BA
Before opening the tailgate, remove any object on the upper surface of
the rear bumper to avoid damaging the tailgate.
To open the tailgate, lift up on its handle while pulling the tailgate toward
you. The support cables hold the tailgate open. See “Loading your vehicle ” section in Chapter 8 for precautions in load-
ing cargo.
To close the tailgate, firmly push it upward until it latches.
After you put the tailgate back up, pull it back toward you to be sure it
latches securely.
License plate bracket
HB2051BA
When you drive with the tailgate open and with the bed extender used,

Keys and doors2-25
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the license plate bracket must be placed at its fully lowered/open posi-
tion to make the rear license plate visible.
CAUTION
In order to avoid damaging the license plate bracket or the bum-
per, the license plate bracket must be in its fully lowered/openposition before the tailgate is lowered.
HB2053BA
HB2054BA
To use the license plate bracket at its lowered/open position, push the
two release buttons and pull the license plate bracket up until it clicks.And then open the tailgate.
If your vehicle is equipped with a trailer hitch, remove the ball mount
from the hitch receiver tube before opening the tailgate. Failure to follow
this procedure could result in damage to the license plate bracket.
When you drive with the tailgate closed, the license plate bracket must
be restored to its original position.
To restore the license plate bracket to its original position, close the tail-gate, and then pull the license plate bracket down until it clicks.
If the license plate bracket is hard to be restored to its original position, mud may have accumulated on the back of the license plate bracket.
Remove accumulated mud before pulling the license bracket down.

Interior and exterior equipments6-15
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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

Interior and exterior equipments6-17
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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.

6-18
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.

Interior and exterior equipments6-19
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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

Driving tips8-9
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After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones, sand, etc. adhering to
or trapped on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or adhering to
the underbody, a mechanical breakdown or fire could occur. Secure all cargo carried inside the vehicle and make certain that it is
not piled higher than the seatbacks. During sudden stops or jolts, unse-
cured cargo could be thrown around in the vehicle and cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone to tip over. Cargo should be evenly distributed over the cargo bed. Keep heavier
items as low and far forward as possible. Loading the vehicle improperly
can deteriorate handling capability and contribute to loss of vehicle con-
trol. Be sure the cargo is secured properly. Unsecured cargo in the cargo
bed can be thrown around when driving on off-road. To prevent loose
cargo from entering the passenger compartment, always close the
switchback door while driving off-road. Always close the tailgate while driving off-road. Also remove the bed
extender (if so equipped) to avoid damage. If you must rock the vehicle to free it from sand or mud, depress the
accelerator pedal slightly and move the selector lever back and forth be-tween “D” and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the best pos-
sible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can obtain better
traction by starting the vehicle with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both
for MT and AT). Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than those specified in this
manual. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driving conditions such
as rough roads or off roads will necessitate more frequent replacement of
engine oil, brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified in the main-
tenance schedule described in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your Subaru while operating it off-road
and not using common sense precautions such as those listed above is