SUBARU BAJA 2006 1.G Owners Manual

8-8
Driving tips
y
An AWD vehicle is better able to climb steeper
roads under snowy or slippery conditions than a two
wheel drive vehicle. There is little difference in han-
dling, however, during extremely sharp turns or sud-
den braking. Therefore, when driving down a slope or
turning corners, be sure to reduce your speed and
maintain an ample distance from other vehicles. y When replacing a tire, make sure you use only the
same size, circumference, construction, brand, and
load range as the original tires listed on the tire plac-
ard. Using other sizes, circumferences or construction
may result in severe mechanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle and may affect ride, handling,
braking, speedometer/o dometer calibration, and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be
dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. y If you use a temporary spare tire to replace a flat
tire, be sure to use the original temporary spare tire
stored in the vehicle. Usin g other sizes may result in
severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your
vehicle. y Always check the cold tire pressure before starting
to drive. The recommended tire pressure is provided
on the tire placard, which is located under the door
latch on the driver’s side. y Tire chains should always be placed on the front
wheels only. y
There are some precautions that you must observe
when towing your vehicle. For detail information, see
“Towing” section in chapter 9.

8-9
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
Off road driving
yAlways maintain a safe driving speed accord-
ing to the road and weather conditions in order
to avoid having an accident on a sharp turn,
during sudden braking or under other similar
conditions.y Always use the utmost care in driving – over-
confidence because you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident.
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground clear-
ance, your SUBARU can be driven on ordinary roads
or off-road. But please keep in mind that an AWD
SUBARU is neither a conventional off-road vehicle nor
an all-terrain vehicle. If you do take your SUBARU off-
road, certain common sense precautions such as the
following should be taken: y Make certain that you and all of your passengers
are wearing seatbelts. y Carry some emergency equipment, such as a tow-
ing rope or chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit
and cell phone or citizens band radio. y
Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous areas or over rough terrain.y Slow down and employ extra caution at all times.
When driving off-road, you will not have the benefit of
marked traffic lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and
the like. y Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive ei-
ther straight up or straight down the slopes. A vehicle
can much more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down slopes
that are too steep.y Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher
speeds. y Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering
wheel. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure
your hands. Instead dr ive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim. y If driving through water, such as when crossing
shallow streams, first check the depth of the water and
the bottom of the stream bed for firmness and ensure
that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly and com-
pletely through the stream. The water should be shal-
low enough that it does not reach the vehicle’s under-
carriage. Water entering the engine air intake or the
exhaust pipe or water splashing onto electrical parts
may damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall.
Never attempt to drive through rushing water; regard-

8-10
Driving tips
less of its depth, it can wa
sh away the ground from un-
der your tires, resulting in possible loss of traction and
even vehicle rollover. y Always check your brakes for effectiveness immedi-
ately after driving in sand, mud or water. Do this by
driving slowly and stepping on the brake pedal. Re-
peat that process several times to dry out the brake
discs and brake pads.y Do not drive or park over or near flammable materi-
als such as dry grass or fallen leaves, as they may
burn easily. The exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard. y After driving thro ugh tall grass, m ud, rocks, 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.y Secure all cargo carried inside the vehicle and make
certain that it is not pi led higher than the seatbacks.
During sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could
be thrown around in the vehicle and cause injury. y 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. y
Cargo should be evenly distributed over the cargo
bed. Keep heavier items as low and far forward as
possible. Loading the vehicle improperly can deterio-
rate handling capability and contribute to loss of vehi-
cle control.y Be sure the cargo is secured properly. Unsecured
cargo in the cargo bed can be thrown around when
driving on off-road. To prev ent loose cargo from enter-
ing the passenger compartment, always close the
switchback door while driving off-road. y Always close the tailgate while driving off-road. Also
remove the bed extender (if so equipped) to avoid
damage. y 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 between “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. y 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). y Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than those
specified in this manual. y Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving.
Suspension components are particularly prone to dirt
buildup, so they need to be washed thoroughly.

8-11
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
yFrequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driv-
ing conditions such as rough roads or off roads will ne-
cessitate more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified in
the maintenance 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 pre-
cautions such as those listed above is not eligible for
warranty coverage.Winter driving „ Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire
chains, a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares, a
small shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures re-
duce battery capacity. The battery must be in good
condition to provide enough power for cold winterstarts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder
UB8046AA

8-12
Driving tips
starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them
with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open
may damage or separate
the rubber weather strips around the door. If the door
is frozen, use hot water to melt the ice, and afterwards
thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an anti-
freeze solution. Do not us e engine antifreeze or other
substitutes because they may damage the paint of the
vehicle.
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid contains 58.5%
methyl alcohol and 41.5% surfactant, by volume. Its
freezing temperature varies according to how much it
is diluted, as indicated in the following table.
In order to prevent freezing of washer fluid, check the
freezing temperatures in the table above when adjust-
ing the fluid concentration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with a different concentration from the one us
ed previously, purge the
old fluid from the piping between the reservoir tank
and washer nozzles by operating the washer for a cer-
tain period of time. Otherwise, if the concentration of
the fluid remaining in the piping is too low for the out-
side temperature, it may freeze and block the nozzles.
Adjust the washer fluid concentration appropri-
ately for the outside temperature. If the concen-
tration is inappropriate, sprayed washer fluid
may freeze on the windshield and obstruct your
view, and the fluid may freeze in the reservoir
tank.
T Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice
from your shoes because that could make the pedals
slippery and dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driving, check
that the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and all other
controls operate smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accumulated under
the fenders to avoid making steering difficult. During
Washer Fluid Concentration Freezing Temperature
30% 10.4 °F (–12 °C)
50% –4 °F (–20 °C)
100% –49 °F (–45 °C)

8-13
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
severe winter driving, stop when and where it is safe
to do so and check under the fenders periodically. TParking in cold weather
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under
your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the engine running.
Do not use the parking brake when parking for long
periods in cold weather since it could freeze in that po-
sition. Instead, observe the following.
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual trans-
mission vehicles, and in “P” for automatic transmission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent the vehicle
from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or when it snows,
raise the wiper blades off the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked after use on
roads heavily covered with snow, or has been left
parked during a snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor braking action. Check for snow or ice buildup on the suspension, disc
brakes and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, being careful
not to damage the disc brakes and brake hoses and ABS harness. T
Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel sys-
tem and the risk of its freez ing, use of an antifreeze ad-
ditive in the fuel tank is recommended during cold
weather.
Use only additives that are specifically designed for
this purpose. When an antifreeze additive is used, its
effect lasts longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used for an extend-
ed period, it is best to have the fuel tank filled to capac-
ity. „ Driving on snowy and icy roads
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads
such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause
loss of vehicle control.

8-14
Driving tips
Avoid prolonged continuous driving in snow-
storms. Snow will enter the engine’s intake sys-
tem and may hinder the air flow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even breakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden brak-
ing, abrupt acceleration, high-speed driving, and
sharp turning when driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid the need for sud-
den braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake
effectively to control the vehicle speed. (Shift into a
lower gear when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can
cause the wheels to lock, po ssibly leading to loss of
vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehi-
cle’s braking performance on snowy and icy roads.
Refer to the “ABS (Anti-lo ck Brake System)” section in
chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery sur- faces. T
Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure the wiper
blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster wit h the airflow control dial
in the “ ” position and the temperature control dial
set for maximum warmth until the wiper blades are
completely thawed out. If your vehicle is equipped with
a wiper deicer, it is helpful to thaw the windshield wiper
blades.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stick on
the surface of the windshield despite wiper operation,
use the defroster with the airflow control dial in “ ”
and the temperature control dial set for maximum
warmth. After the windshield gets warmed enough to
melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away using the
windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the wiper from
working effectively. If snow is stuck on the wiper arm,
pull off the road to a safe pl ace, then remove it. If you
stop the vehicle at road side, use the hazard warning
flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades
(winter blades) during the seasons you could have
snow and sub-zero temperatures. Blades of this type

8-15
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
give superior wiping performance in snowy conditions.
Be sure to use blades that are suitable for your vehi-cle.
During high-speed driving, non-freezing type
wiper blades may not perform as well as stan-
dard wiper blades. If this happens, reduce the
vehicle speed.
NOTE
When the season requiring non-freezing type wip-
er blades is over, replace them with standard wip-
er blades. „Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection” section (chapter
10). „ Snow tires
yWhen replacing original tires with winter
(snow) tires, make sure you use only the same size and construction as recommended. Using
other sizes and construction may affect speed-
ometer/odometer calibration and clearance be-
tween the body and tires. It also may be danger-
ous and lead to loss of vehicle control.y
You must install four winter tires that are of
the same size, circumferences, construction,
brand, and load range. Mixing other sizes, cir-
cumferences or constructions may result in se-
vere mechanical damage to the drive train of
your vehicle and may affect ride, handling,
braking and speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion. It also may be dangerous and lead to loss
of vehicle control.y Do not use a combination of radial, belted
bias or bias tires since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristi cs and lead to an acci-
dent.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires” which
are designed to provide an adequate measure of trac-tion, handling and braking performance in year-round
driving. In winter, it may be possible to enhance per-
formance through use of tires designed specifically for
winter driving conditions.
If you choose to install winte r tires on your vehicle, be
sure to use the correct tire size and type. You must in-

8-16
Driving tips
stall four winter tires that
are of the same size, con-
struction, brand and load range and you should never
mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may re-
sult in dangerous handling characteristics. When you
choose a tire, make sure that there is enough clear-
ance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of
the type of tires on your vehicle.
Your vehicle comes with P225/60R16 “all season
tires” as original equipment. You should be aware
that some winter tires with that same size designa-
tion may actually be too large for the vehicle and
may cause rubbing on sharp turns. Listed in the
following is the winter ti re size that we recom-
mend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size
P215/60R16 Studless
„ Tire chains
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed in the
following because of lack of clearance between the tires and vehicle body.y
P225/60R16 tires
yP215/60R16 winter (snow) tires
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require the
use of tire chains, in which case put the chains on the
front wheels only. Use only SAE class S type chains
that are of the correct size for your tires so as not to
damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below
19 mph (30 km/h). When a temporary spare tire is on
a front wheel, replace the temporary spare tire with the
rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and then fit
chains on the front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire
chains – overconfidence because you are driving with
tire chains could easily lead to a serious accident.
„ Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand,
or mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly and
move the selector lever back and forth between “D”
and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when
trying to free the vehicle.

8-17
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can
obtain better traction by st arting the vehicle with the
transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
Refer to the “Automatic transmission” section in chap-
ter 7 for information on holding the transmission in 2ndposition.Loading your vehicle
Never allow passengers to ride on a folded rear
seatback or in the cargo bed. Doing so may re-
sult in serious injury.
y Never stack luggage or other cargo higher
than the top of the seatback because it could
tumble forward and injure passengers in the
HS8005BA