wheel SUBARU BAJA 2003 1.G Repair Manual

11
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule11-3
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Maintenance precautions 11-3
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Engine hood 11-5
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Engine compartment overview 11-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine oil 11-8
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Cooling system 11-13
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Engine coolant 11-14
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Air cleaner element 11-17
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Spark plugs 11-19
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Drive belts 11-20
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Manual transmission oil 11-21
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Automatic transmission fluid 11-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) 11-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear differential gear oil 11-25
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Power steering fluid 11-27
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Brake fluid 11-28
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Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) 11-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake booster 11-31
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Brake pedal 11-32
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Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) 11-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacement of brake pad and lining 11-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake stroke 11-35
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Tires and wheels 11-36
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Types of tires 11-36
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Tire inspection 11-37
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Tire pressures and wear 11-37
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Wheel balance 11-40
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Wear indicators 11-41
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Tire rotation 11-42
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Tire replacement 11-42
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Wheel replacement 11-43
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Aluminum wheels 11-44
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Windshield washer fluid 11-44
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Replacement of windshield wiper blades 11-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Battery 11-48
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Maintenance and service11-3
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CONTINUED –
Maintenance schedule
The scheduled maintenance items required to be serviced at regular in-
tervals are shown in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
For details of your maintenance schedule, read the separate “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Maintenance precautions
When maintenance and service are required, it is recommended that all
work be done by an authorized SUBARU dealer.
If you perform maintenance and service by yourself, you should familiar-
ize yourself with the information provided in this section on general main-
tenance and service for your SUBARU.
Incorrect or incomplete service could cause improper or unsafe vehicle
operation. Any problems caused by improper maintenance and service
performed by you are not eligible for warranty coverage. WARNING
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle must NEVER be per-
formed on a single two-wheel dynamometer or similar apparatus.Attempting to do so will result in transmission damage and inuncontrolled 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 injury when working on the ve-
hicle. Remember that some of the materials in the vehicle may behazardous if improperly used or handled, for example, batteryacid. Your vehicle should only be serviced by persons fully compe-
tent to do so. Serious personal injury may result to persons not
experienced in servicing vehicles.

Maintenance and service11-35
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nParking brake lining
WARNING
A safe location and situation should be selected for break-in driv- ing.
CAUTION
Pulling the parking brake lever too forcefully may cause the rear
wheels to lock. To avoid this, be certain to pull the lever up slowly
and gently.
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of about 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button pushed in, pull the parking
brake lever SLOWLY and GENTLY. (Pulling with a force of approxi-mately 33 lb [147 N, 15 kg].)
3. Drive the vehicle for about 220 yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking brake to cool down. Repeat
this procedure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the parking brake stroke is out
of the specified range, adjust it by turning the adjusting nut located
on the parking brake lever.Parking brake stroke: 7 — 8 notches / 44 lb (196 N, 20 kg)
Parking brake stroke
Check the parking brake stroke according to the maintenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”. When the parking brake is
properly adjusted, braking power is fully applied by pulling the lever up
seven to eight notches gently but firmly (about 44 lb, 196 N, 20 kg). If the
parking brake lever stroke is not within the specified range, have the
brake system checked and adjusted at your SUBARU dealer.

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HB4001CB
Tires and wheels Types of tires
You should be familiar with type of tires present on your vehicle.
All season tires
The factory-installed tires on your new vehicle are all season tires.
All season tires are designed to provide an adequate measure of trac-
tion, handling and braking performance in year-round driving includ-
ing snowy and icy road conditions. However all season tires do not
offer as much traction performance as winter (snow) tires in heavy or
loose snow or on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by “ALL SEASON ” and/or “M+S” (Mud &
Snow) on the tire sidewall. Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability tires best suited for highway
driving under dry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for driving on slippery roads such as on
snow-covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered or icy roads, we strongly
recommend the use of winter (snow) tires.
When installing winter tires, be sure to replace all four tires.

Maintenance and service11-37
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Winter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving on snow-covered and icy
roads. However winter tires do not perform as well as summer tires
and all season tires on roads other than snow-covered and icy roads.
Tire inspection
Check on a daily basis that the tires are free from serious damage, nails,
and stones. At the same time, check the tires for abnormal wear.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immediately if you find any problem. NOTE When the wheels and tires strike curbs or are subjected to harsh
treatment as when the vehicle is driven on a rough surface, they can suffer damage that cannot be seen with the naked eye. This type of
damage does not become evident until time has passed. Try not todrive over curbs, potholes or on other rough surfaces. If doing so is
unavoidable, keep the vehicle ’s speed down to a walking pace or
less, and approach the curbs as squarely as possible. Also, makesure the tires are not pressed against the curb when you park thevehicle. If you feel unusual vibration while driving or find it difficult to
steer the vehicle in a straight line, one of the tires and/or wheelsmay be damaged. Drive slowly to the nearest authorized SUBARUdealer and have the vehicle inspected. Tire pressures and wear
Maintaining the correct tire pressures helps to maximize the tires ’ service
lives and is essential for good running performance. Check and, if nec-
essary, adjust the pressure of each tire (including the spare) at least
once a month (for example, during a fuel stop) and before any long jour-
ney.
Check the tire pressures when the tires are cold. Use a pressure gauge
to adjust the tire pressures to the values shown on the tire placard. The
tire placard is located on the door pillar on the driver ’s side.

11-40
Abnormally high tire pressure (tread worn in center)
HSB013AA
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magnifies the effects of road-surface
bumps and dips, possibly resulting in vehicle damage.
If the tire placard shows tire pressures for the vehicle when fully loaded
and for the vehicle when towing a trailer, adjust the tire pressures to the
values that match current loading conditions.
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with excessively low tire pressures can
cause the tires to deform severely and to rapidly become hot. Asharp increase in temperature could cause tread separation, and
destruction of the tires. The resulting loss of vehicle controlcould lead to an accident.
Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when your vehicle was new, but the
wheels will become unbalanced as the tires become worn during use.
Wheel imbalance causes the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at certain
vehicle speeds and detracts from the vehicle ’s straight-line stability. It
can also cause steering and suspension system problems and abnormal
tire wear. If you suspect that the wheels are not correctly balanced, have
them checked and adjusted by your SUBARU dealer. Also have them
adjusted after tire repairs and after tire rotation.

Maintenance and service11-41
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NOTE Loss of correct wheel alignment* causes the tires to wear on one side and reduces the vehicle ’s running stability. Contact your
SUBARU dealer if you notice abnormal tire wear.
* : The suspension system is designed to hold each wheel at a certain alignment
(relative to the other wheels and to the road) for optimum straight-line stability and
cornering performance. Wear indicators
Each tire incorporates a tread wear indicator, which becomes visible
when the depth of the tread grooves decreases to 0.063 in. (1.6 mm). A
tire must be replaced when the tread wear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
OM-H0231
WARNING
When a tire ’s tread wear indicator becomes visible, the tire is
worn beyond the acceptable limit and must be replaced immedi-
ately. With a tire in this condition, driving at high speeds in wetweather can cause the vehicle to hydroplane. The resulting lossof vehicle control can lead to an accident.
NOTE
For safety, inspect the tire tread regularly and replace the tires be- fore their tread wear indicators become visible. A) New tread
B) Worn tread
1) Tread wear indicator

11-42
Tire rotation
OM-H0230
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To maximize the life of each tire
and ensure that the tires wear uniformly, it is best to rotate the tires every
7,500 miles (12,500 km). Rotating the tires involves switching the front
and rear tires on the right-hand side of the vehicle and similarly switching
the front and rear tires on the left-hand side of the vehicle. (Each tiremust be kept on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn tire at the time of rotation. After
tire rotation, adjust the tire pressures and make sure the wheel nuts are
correctly tightened.
After driving approximately 600 miles (1,000 km), check the wheel nuts
again and retighten any nut that has become loose. Tire replacement
The wheels and tires are important and integral parts of your vehicle ’s
design; they cannot be changed arbitrarily. The tires fitted as standard
equipment are optimally matched to the characteristics of the vehicle
and were selected to give the best possible combination of running per-
formance, ride comfort, and service life. It is essential for every tire to
have a size and construction matching those shown on the tire placard
and to have a speed symbol and load index matching those shown on
the tire placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts from controllability, ride com-
fort, braking performance, speedometer accuracy and odometer accu-

Maintenance and service11-43
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racy. It also creates incorrect body-to-tire clearances and inappropriately changes the vehicle ’s ground clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of manufacturer, brand (tread
pattern), construction, and size. You are advised to replace the tires with
new ones that are identical to those fitted as standard equipment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU recommends replacing all four tires at the same time.
WARNING
All four tires must be the same in terms of manufacturer, brand
(tread pattern), construction, degree of wear, speed symbol, loadindex and size. Mixing tires of different types, sizes or degrees ofwear can result in damage to the vehicle ’s power train. Use of dif-
ferent types or sizes of tires can also dangerously reduce con-trollability and braking performance and can lead to an accident. Use only radial tires. Do not use radial tires together with
belted bias tires and/or bias-ply tires. Doing so can dangerously
reduce controllability, resulting in an accident.
Wheel replacement
When replacing wheels due, for example, to damage, make sure the re-
placement wheels match the specifications of the wheels that are fitted
as standard equipment. Replacement wheels are available from
SUBARU dealers.
WARNING
Use only those wheels that are specified for your vehicle. Wheelsnot meeting specifications could interfere with brake caliper op-eration and may cause the tires to rub against the wheel wellhousing during turns. The resulting loss of vehicle control couldlead to an accident.

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Aluminum wheels
Aluminum wheels can be scratched and damaged easily. Handle them
carefully to maintain their appearance, performance, and safety. When any of the wheels is removed and replaced for tire rotation or to
change a flat, always check the tightness of the wheel nuts after driving
approximatly 600 miles (1,000 km). If any nut is loose, tighten it to the
specified torque. Never apply oil to the threaded parts, wheel nuts, or tapered surface
of the wheel. Never let the wheel rub against sharp protrusions or curbs.
Be sure to fit tire chains on uniformly and completely around the tire,
otherwise the chains may scratch the wheel. When wheel nuts, balance weights, or the center cap is replaced, be
sure to replace them with genuine SUBARU parts designed for aluminumwheels.
Windshield washer fluid
CAUTION
Never use engine coolant as washer fluid because it could cause paint damage.
Check the level of the washer fluid at each fuel stop. If the level is low, fill
the fluid up to the neck of the reservoir.Use windshield washer fluid. If windshield washer fluid is unavailable use
clean water.
In areas where water freezes in winter, use an anti-freeze type windshield
washer fluid. 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 below.