SUBARU LEGACY 2002 3.G Owners Manual

Driving tips8-5
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The catalytic converter is installed in the exhaust system. It serves as
catalyst to reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust gases, thus providing
cleaner exhaust.
To avoid damage to the catalytic converter: Use only unleaded gasoline. Even a small amount of leaded gasoline
will damage the catalytic converter. Never start the engine by pushing or pulling the vehicle.
Avoid racing the engine.
Never turn off the ignition switch while the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel the engine running rough (mis-
firing, backfiring or incomplete combustion), have your vehicle checked
and repaired by an authorized SUBARU dealer. Do not apply undercoating or rust prevention treatment to the heat
shield of catalytic converter and the exhaust system.
Periodic inspections
To keep your vehicle in the best condition at all times, always have the
recommended maintenance services listed in the maintenance schedulein the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ” performed at the specified
time or mileage intervals.
Driving in foreign countries
When planning to use your vehicle in another country: Confirm the availability of the correct fuel. (Refer to the “Fuel require-
ment” section in chapter 7.)
Comply with all regulations and requirements of each country.

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Driving tips for AWD vehiclesWARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on a sharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easily leadto a serious accident.
OM-H0154
All wheel drive distributes the engine power to all four wheels. AWD
vehicles provide better traction when driving on slippery, wet or snow-
covered roads and when moving out of mud, dirt and sand. By shifting
power between the front and rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also pro-vide added traction during acceleration, and added engine braking
force during deceleration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle may handle differently than an
ordinary two wheel drive vehicle and it contains some features unique to
AWD. For safety purposes as well as to avoid damaging the AWD sys-tem, you should keep the following tips in mind: An AWD vehicle is better able to climb steeper roads under snowy or
slippery conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle. There is little differ-
ence in handling, however, during extremely sharp turns or sudden brak-

Driving tips8-7
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ing. Therefore, when driving down a slope or turning corners, be sure to
reduce your speed and maintain an ample distance from other vehicles.When replacing a tire, make sure you use only the same size, circum-
ference, construction, brand, and load range as the original tires listed on
the tire placard. Using other sizes, circumferences or construction may re-
sult in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and
may affect ride, handling, braking, speedometer/odometer calibration, and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control. 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. Using other sizes
may result in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle. Always check the cold tire pressure before starting to drive. The rec-
ommended tire pressure is provided on the tire placard, which is locatedunder the door latch on the driver ’s side.
Tire chains should always be placed on the front wheels only.
There are some precautions that you must observe when towing your
vehicle. For detail information, see “Towing” section in chapter 9.
Off road driving
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on asharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence
because you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easilylead to a serious accident.
All AWD models except OUTBACK
Your AWD vehicle is neither a conventional off-road vehicle nor an all
terrain vehicle. It is a passenger car designed primarily for on-road
use. The AWD feature gives it some limited off-road capabilities in sit-
uations in which driving surfaces a relatively level, obstruction-free

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and otherwise similar to on-road driving conditions. Operating it under other than those conditions could subject the vehicle to excessive
stress which might result in damage not eligible for repair under war-
ranty. If you do take your SUBARU off road, you should review the
common sense precautions in the next section (applicable to the
OUTBACK) for general guidance. But please keep in mind that your
vehicle’s off-road capabilities are more limited than those of the OUT-
BACK.
Never attempt to drive through pools and puddles, or roads flooded
with water. Water entering the engine air intake or the exhaust pipe or
water splashing onto electrical parts may damage your vehicle andmay cause it to stall. OUTBACK
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground clearance, your
Subaru can be driven on ordinary roads or off-road. But please keep
in mind that an AWD Subaru is a passenger car and is neither a con-
ventional off-road vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. If you do take your
Subaru off-road, certain common sense precautions such as the fol-lowing should be taken: Make certain that you and all of your passengers are wearing seat
belts. Carry some emergency equipment, such as a towing rope or
chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit and portable phone or citi-zens band radio. Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in danger-
ous areas or over rough terrain. 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. Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive either 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. Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher speeds.
Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering wheel. A bad

Driving tips8-9
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bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive with your fingers and thumbs on the outside of the rim.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 completely through the stream. The water should be shallow
enough that it does not reach the vehicle ’s undercarriage. Water en-
tering 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; regardless of its
depth, it can wash away the ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle rollover. Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driv-
ing in sand, mud or water. Do this by driving slowly and stepping on
the brake pedal. Repeat that process several times to dry out thebrake discs and brake pads. Do not drive or park over or near flammable materials 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. 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
underbody. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or ad-
hering 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,
unsecured cargo could be thrown around in the vehicle and cause
injury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. Those loads raise the ve-
hicle’ s center of gravity and make it more prone to tip over.
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 possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to freethe vehicle. When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can obtain better

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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 re-
placement of engine oil, brake fluid and transmission oil than that spe-
cified 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 precautions such as those listedabove is not eligible for warranty coverage.
Winter driving
HB3010AA
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 reduce battery ca-
pacity. The battery must be in good condition to provide enough pow-
er for cold winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for cold weather.
Heavy summer oil will cause harder starting.

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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 antifreeze solution. Do
not use engine antifreeze or other substitutes because they may dam-age the paint of the vehicle. nBefore 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 accelera-
tor 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 severe winter driving, stop
when and where it is safe to do so and check under the fenders peri-
odically. n Parking in cold weather
WARNING
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 position. Instead, observe the fol-lowing:
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual transmission 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.

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When the vehicle has been left parked after use on roads heavily cov-
ered with snow, or has been left parked during a snowstorm, icingmay 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. nRefueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel system and the risk
of its freezing, use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel tank is recom-
mended 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 extended period, it is
best to have the fuel tank filled to capacity. Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause loss of vehicle control.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden braking, abrupt ac-
celeration, high-speed driving, and sharp turning when driving on
snowy or icy roads.Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle and the vehicleahead of you to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake effectively to con-
trol the vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can cause the wheels to
lock, possibly leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehicle ’s braking per-
formance on snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS (Anti-Lock Brake
System)” and “VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) system ” section in
chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery surfaces.

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nWiper 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 with the airflow
control button/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. To thaw out the rear wiper blade,
use the rear window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stick on the surface of
the windshield despite wiper operation, use the defroster with the air-
flow control button/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 effec-
tively. If snow is stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to a safe
place, then remove it. If you stop the car 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 give superior wiping performance in snowy condi-
tions. Be sure to use blades that are suitable for your vehicle. Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection ” section (chapter 10).

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Snow tires All models except Outback
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make
sure you use only the same size, construction and load range as the original tires listed on the tire placard. Using other sizes andconstruction may affect speedometer/odometer calibration and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerousand lead to loss of vehicle control. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, cir-
cumferences, construction, brand, and load range. Mixing othersizes, circumferences or constructions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speedometer/odometer calibration. Italso may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. Do not use a combination of radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous handling characteristics and leadto an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires ” which are designed to
provide an adequate measure of traction, handling and braking per-
formance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be possible to en-
hance performance through use of tires designed specifically for win-ter driving conditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use the
correct tire size and type. You must install four winter tires that are ofthe same size, construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may result in dan-
gerous handling characteristics. When you choose a tire, make sure
that there is enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of the type of tires on your vehicle.