SUBARU IMPREZA 2006 2.G Owners Manual
Page 281 of 365
Maintenance and service
Tires and wheels ................................................ 11-30
Types of tires .................................... ...................... 11-30
Tire inspection ................................... ..................... 11-30
Tire pressures and wear ........................... ............. 11-30
Wheel balance ..................................... ................... 11-32
Wear indicators ................................... .................... 11-33
Tire rotation ..................................... ........................ 11-33
Tire replacement .................................. ................... 11-33
Wheel replacement ................................. ................ 11-34
Aluminum wheels ................................... ............ 11-35
Intercooler water spray (WRX-STI) ................. .. 11-35
Windshield washer fluid ........................... ......... 11-36
Replacement of wiper blades ....................... ..... 11-37
Windshield wiper blades assembly .................. .... 11-37
Windshield wiper blade rubber ..................... ........ 11-38
Rear window wiper blade assembly .................. ... 11-38
Rear window wiper blade rubber .................... ...... 11-39
Battery ........................................... ...................... 11-40
Fuses ............................................. ...................... 11-41
Main fuse ......................................... .................... 11-43
Installation of accessories ....................... ......... 11-43
Replacing bulbs ................................... ............... 11-44
Headlights (WRX-STI) .............................. ............... 11-45
Headlights (Except WRX-STI) ....................... ......... 11-46
Front turn signal light bulbs ..................... ............. 11-48
Parking light ..................................... ....................... 11-48
Front fog light ................................... ...................... 11-48
Rear combination lights ........................... .............. 11-48
License plate light ............................... ................... 11-50
Dome light, map light and cargo area light ........ .. 11-50Trunk light .......................................
........................ 11-51
High mount stop light ............................. ............... 11-51
Page 282 of 365
Maintenance and service 11-3
CONTINUED
Maintenance and serviceMaintenance schedule
The scheduled maintenance items re-
quired to be serviced at regular intervals
are shown in the Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet .
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet .
Maintenance precautions
When maintenance and service are re-
quired, it is recommended that all work be
done by an authorized SUBARU dealer.
If you perform maintenance and service
by yourself, you should familiarize your-
self with the information provided in this
section on general maintenance and ser-
vice for your SUBARU.
Incorrect or incomplete service could
cause improper or unsafe vehicle opera-
tion. Any problems caused by improper
maintenance and service performed by
you are not eligible for warranty coverage.
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive ve-
hicle must NEVER be performed
on a single two-wheel dynamome-
ter or similar apparatus. Attempt-
ing to do so will result in transmis-
sion damage and in uncontrolled
vehicle movement and may cause
an accident or injuries to persons
nearby.
Always select a safe area when
performing maintenance on your
vehicle.
Always be very careful to avoid in-
jury when working on the vehicle.
Remember that some of the mate-
rials in the vehicle may be hazard-
ous if improperly used or handled,
for example, battery acid.
Your vehicle should only be ser-
viced by persons fully competent
to do so. Serious personal injury
may result to persons not experi-
enced in servicing vehicles.
Always use the proper tools and
make certain that they are well
maintained.
Never get under the vehicle sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use
a safety stands to support the ve-
hicle.
Never keep the engine running in
a poorly ventilated area, such as a
garage or other closed areas.
Do not smoke or allow open
flames around the fuel or battery.
This will cause a fire.
Because the fuel system is under
pressure, replacement of the fuel
filter should be performed only by
your SUBARU dealer.
Page 283 of 365
11-4 Maintenance and service
Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
When you do checking or ser-
vicing in the engine compart-
ment while the engine is run-
ning
Engine hood
0
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their original
positions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.
Wear adequate eye protection to
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly wash
them out with clean water.
Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seatbelt
pretensioner system, or attempt
to take its connectors apart, as
that may activate the system or it
can render it inoperative. The wir-
ing and connectors of these sys-
tems are yellow for easy identifi-
cation. NEVER use a circuit tester
for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pre-
tensioner needs service, consult
your nearest SUBARU dealer.
Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after the
engine is stopped.
Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the ON position, the
cooling fan may operate suddenly
even when the engine is stopped.
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving en-
gine parts. Removing rings, watch-
es and ties is advisable.
B00002
Page 284 of 365
Maintenance and service 11-5
3. Release the secondary hood release
located under the front grille by moving
the lever toward the left.
Lift up the hood, release the hood prop
from its retainer and put the end of the hood prop into the slot in the hood.
To close the hood:
1. Lift the hood slightly and remove the
hood prop from the slot in the hood and re-
turn the prop to its retainer.
2. Lower the hood until it approaches ap-
proximately
12 in (30 cm) from the closed
position and let it drop.
After closing the hood, be sure the hood is
securely locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it
from a slightly higher position. Do not
push the hood forcibly to close it. It could
deform the metal.
B00447
B00448
Always check that the hood is prop-
erly locked before you start driving.
If it is not, it might fly open while the
vehicle is moving and block your
view, which may cause an accident
and serious bodily injury.
Page 285 of 365
11-6 Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview
Non-turbo models
1 2 3 4 5 6
7
8
9
10
11
13 12
B00464
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-18) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-21)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-20)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-41)
7) Battery (page 11-40)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-36)
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-
12)
10) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
11) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-12)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page
11-24)
Page 286 of 365
Maintenance and service 11-7
Turbo models
1 2 3 4 5 6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
B00466
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-18) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-21)
3) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-20)
4) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-41)
7) Battery (page 11-40)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-36)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11- 12)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-12)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page
11-24)
Page 287 of 365
11-8 Maintenance and service
Engine oil
Checking the oil level
Check the engine oil level at each fuel
stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly insert-
ed until it stops with the graphic
symbol on its top appearing as
shown in the illustration.
1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
4. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the up-
per level.
If you check the oil level just after stopping
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan before checking
the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is
warm, the engine oil level reading may be
in a range between the upper level and
the notch mark. This is caused by thermal
expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not
add any additional oil above the upper lev-
el when the engine is cold.
Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule in the Warran-
ty and Maintenance Booklet .
The engine oil and oil filter must be
changed more frequently than listed in the
maintenance schedule when driving on
dusty roads, when short trips are frequent-
ly made, or when driving in extremely cold
whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the en-
gine idle for approximately 10 minutes to
ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
B00467
Use only engine oil with the rec-
ommended grade and viscosity.
Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If en-
gine oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
1 2
3
B00418
Page 288 of 365
Maintenance and service 11-9
CONTINUED
Turbo models
Non-turbo models
4. Drain out the engine oil by removing
the drain plug while the engine is still warm. The used oil should be drained into
an appropriate container and disposed of
properly.
5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain
plug with a clean cloth and tighten it se-
curely with a new sealing washer after the
oil has completely drained out.
6. Remove under cover.
Turbo models
Non-turbo models
7. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter
wrench.
8. Before installing a new oil filter, apply a
thin coat of engine oil to the seal.
9. Clean the rubber seal seating area of
the bottom of engine and install the oil fil-
ter by hand turning. Be careful not to twist
or damage the seal.
10.Tighten the oil filter by the amount indi-
cated in the following table after the seal
makes contact with the bottom of engine.
B00449
B00450
Be careful not to burn yourself with
hot engine oil.
B00451
B00452
Page 289 of 365
11-10 Maintenance and service
11.Reinstall under cover.
12.Pour engine oil through the filler neck.
Oil capacity (guideline):
4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
The oil quantity indicated above is only
guideline.
The necessary quantity of oil depends on
the quantity of oil that has been drained.
The quantity of drained oil differs slightly
depending on the temperature of the oil
and the time the oil is left flowing out. After refilling the engine with oil, therefore, you
must the dipstick to confirm that the level
is correct.
13.Start the engine and make sure that no
oil leaks appear around the filter
s rubber
seal and drain plug.
14.Run the engine until it reaches the nor-
mal operating temperature. Then stop the
engine and wait a few minutes to allow the
oil drain back. Check the oil level again
and if necessary, add more engine oil.
Recommended grade and
viscosity
Oil grade:
ILSAC GF-4, which can be identified
with the ILSAC certification mark
(Starburst mark)
or API classification SM with the
words ENERGY CONSERVING
These recommended oil grades can be
identified by looking for either or both of
the following marks displayed on the oil container.
API Service label
1) Indicates the oil quality by API designa-
tions
2) Indicates the SAE oil viscosity grade
3) Indicates that the oil has fuel saving ca- pabilities
Oil filter color Part number
Amount of ro-
tation
Black 15208AA100 1 rotation
White 15208AA09A 2/3
3/4 rota-
tion
Never over tighten the oil filter be-
cause that can result in an oil leak.
Thoroughly wipe off any engine
oil that has spilled over the ex-
haust pipe and/or under-cover. If
left unremoved, the oil could
catch fire.
Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the ex-
haust pipe, it may cause a bad smell,
smoke, and/or a fire.
APISERVICES
NERGYCONRVING
SAE
5W-30
1
2
3
B00446
Page 290 of 365
Maintenance and service 11-11
ILSAC Certification Mark (Starburst
Mark)
In choosing an oil, you want the proper
quality and viscosity, as well as one that
will add to fuel economy. The following ta-
ble lists the recommended viscosities and
applicable temperatures.
When adding oil, different brands may be
used together as long as they are the
same API classification and SAE viscosity
as those recommended by SUBARU.
SAE viscosity No. and applicable tem-
perature
*: 5W-30 is recommended.
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects fuel
economy. Oils of lower viscosity provide
better fuel economy. However, in hot
weather, oil of higher viscosity is required
to properly lubricate the engine.
Recommended grade and
viscosity under severe driv-
ing conditions
If the vehicle is used in desert areas, in ar- eas with very high temperatures, or used
for heavy-duty applications such as tow-
ing a trailer, use of oil with the following
grade and viscosities is recommended.
API classification SM (or SL):
SAE viscosity No.: 30, 40, 10W-50,
20W-40, 20W-50
Synthetic oil
You can use synthetic engine oil that
meets the same requirements given for
conventional engine oil. When using syn-
thetic oil, you must use oil of the same
classification, viscosity and grade shown
in this owner s manual, and must follow
the oil and filter changing intervals shown
in the maintenance schedule.B00014
Use only engine oil with the recom-
mended grade and viscosity.
B00522
5W-30*
10W-30, 10W-40
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20 0 60 20 80 10040