light SUBARU BAJA 2006 1.G Manual Online

6-20
Interior and exterior equipments
Cargo lamp
The cargo lamp comes on and goes off whenever the
cargo lamp switch is pushed regardless of the position
of the ignition switch. The cargo lamp indicator light lo-
cated in the meter panel will illuminate when the cargo
lamp is on.
When leaving your vehicle, make sure the lamp is
turned off to avoid battery discharge.
Do not switch on the cargo lamp while drivingto avoid distracting other drivers.
UB3018AA
UB7023DA

6-28
Interior and exterior equipments
1) Internal hard bed cover release handle
To open the hard bed cover from inside the cargo bed,
turn the yellow handle in the direction of the arrow
marked on it. The cover is now unlocked. Then, while
holding the handle in the turned position, push up the
hard bed cover to open it.
The handle is made of material that remains lumines-
cent for approximately an hour in the dark cargo bed
space after it is exposed to ambient light even for ashort time. T
Inspection
Move the release handle in the direction of the arrow
at least twice a year and check that it works smoothly.
If the movement of the rele ase handle feels restricted
or not entirely smooth du ring operation, or the handle
and/or handle base is cracked, contact your SUBARU
dealer. „ Opening and closing the hard bed cov- er
yKeep the front and rear covers closed while
driving. y When opening the rear cover while the vehi-
cle is stopped, secure it to one of the rear sport
UB6081BA
1
UB6080BA

6-30
Interior and exterior equipments
2. Raise the cover slightly while holding the key in the
unlock position. After making
sure that the cover is
completely unlocked, remove the key from the key cyl-
inder and open the cover slowly to the fully opened po-sition.
3. When closing the cover, lower the cover until it ap-
proaches approximately 6 in (15 cm) from the closed
position and let it drop. The cover will lock automatical-ly.
4. After closing the cover, be sure the cover is secure-
ly locked.
If this does not lock the cover, release it from a slightly
higher position. Do not push the cover forcibly to lock it. T Rear section
1. Unlock the rear section of the cover. (Refer to
“Locking and unlocking the bed cover” in this section.) 2. Raise the cover slightly while holding the key in the
unlock position. After making
sure that the cover is
completely unlocked, remove the key from the key cyl-
inder and open the cover slow ly until it contacts the
rear sport bars.
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6-32
Interior and exterior equipments
ly locked.
If this does not lock the cover, release it from a slightly
higher position. Do not push the cover forcibly to lock it. „
Removal and installation of the hard bed cover
1) Brackets
y When removing the bed cover, never remove
the brackets shown in the above drawing. y
Removal and installation work should be per-
formed by at least two adults. y During the removal and installation work, be
careful not to trap yo ur fingers between the
cover and cargo bed.
The bed cover can be removed and reinstalled as de-
sired. T Removal
1. Open the front section of the cover. (Refer to
“Opening and closing the hard bed cover” in this sec-
tion.)
2. Take out the wheel nut wrench from the tool bag.
(Refer to “Jack and tools” section in chapter 9.)
1
UB6075BA

6-42
Interior and exterior equipments
Sport activity lights (if equipped)
1) Indicator light
The sport activity lights will operate only when the
parking brake is engaged. Push the “SPORT LIGHTS”
switch to turn the sport activity lights on.
Press the switch agai n to turn them off.
The indicator light located on the switch will illuminate
when the sport activity lights are on.
NOTE y In most states, the sport activity lights must
have stone shields installed when the vehicle is operated on public roads. y
In most states, the sport activity lights may not
be operated when the vehicle is in motion on a
public road.
The sport activity lights mount to the vehicle front cross bar. The sport activi ty lights cross bar wire har-
ness connects to the roof wire harness and then to the
vehicle’s electrical system.
A tool is provided which will activate the sport activity
lights’ positioning to be modified, so that each lamp
can be aimed or rotated. The lamps can be mounted
in two positions, upright (normal) or forward (down-
ward). The lamps should be rotated to the forward
1
UB6041BB
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6-43
Interior and exterior equipments
– CONTINUED –
(downward) position when washing your vehicle. If you choose to remove sport activity lights, the follow-
ing sequence should be utilized:
1. Disconnect the roof harness from the cross bar har-
ness connector.
2. Attach the water proof connector cap to the roof
harness connector.
3. Care should be used when removing or installing
this electrical product.

7-1
7
Starting and operating
Fuel ................................................................ 7-2 Fuel requirements ............................................. 7-2
Fuel filler door and cap .................................... 7-4
State emission testing (U.S. only) ............... 7-6
Preparing to drive ......................................... 7-8
Starting the engine ....................................... 7-9 Manual transmission vehicle ........................... 7-9
Automatic transmission vehicle ...................... 7-10
Stopping the engine ..................................... 7-11
Manual transmission .................................... 7-12 Shifting speeds ................................................. 7-13
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-14
Automatic transmi ssion (Non-turbo
models) ...................................................... 7-14 Selector lever .................................................... 7-15
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-19
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-19
Automatic transmission (Turbo models) ... 7-21
Selector lever .................................................... 7-22
Selector lever reverse inhibiting function ...... 7-25
Selection of SPORTSHIFT mode (manual mode) ................................................ 7-26
Driving tips ........................................................ 7-29
Shift lock release .............................................. 7-29
Limited slip differential (LSD) ...................... 7-30
Power steering .............................................. 7-31
Braking .......................................................... 7-31 Braking tips ....................................................... 7-31
Brake system ..................................................... 7-32 Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ........ 7-32
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ..................... 7-33 ABS system self-check .................................... 7-33
ABS warning light ............................................. 7-34
Parking your vehicle ..................................... 7-35
Cruise control ................................................ 7-37 To set cruise control ........................................ 7-38
To temporarily cancel the cruise control ....... 7-39
To turn off the cruise control ........................... 7-39
To change the cruising speed ......................... 7-39
Cruise control set indicator light .................... 7-40

7-2
Starting and operating
Starting and operatingFuel
Use of a fuel which is low in quality or use of an
inappropriate fuel ad
ditive may cause engine
damage.
„ Fuel requirements
T Non-turbo models
The 2.5-liter engine is designed to operate using un-
leaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 AKI or
higher. T Turbo models
The 2.5-liter turbo engine is designed to operate using
premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of
91 AKI or higher. If premium unleaded gasoline is not
available, regular unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 87 AKI or higher may be temporarily used.
For optimum engine performance and driveability, it is
required that you use premium grade unleaded gaso-
line. T
Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the av erage of the Research Oc-
tane and Motor Octane numbers and is commonly re-
ferred to as the Anti Knock Index (AKI).
Using a gasoline with a lower octane rating can cause
persistent and heavy knocking, which can damage the
engine. Do not be concerned if your vehicle some-
times knocks lightly when you drive up a hill or when
you accelerate. See your dealer or a qualified service
technician if you use a fuel with the specified octane
rating and your vehicle kno cks heavily or persistently.
T Unleaded gasoline
The neck of the fuel filler pipe is designed to accept
only an unleaded gasoline filler nozzle. Under no cir-
cumstances should leaded gasoline be used because
it will damage the emission control system and may
impair driveability and fuel economy. T Gasoline for Califo rnia-certified LEV
Your vehicle was certified to California’s low emission
vehicle (LEV) standards as indicated on the under-
hood tune-up label, it is designed to optimize engine
and emission control system performance with gaso-
line that meets the clean bu rning low-sulfur California
gasoline specifications. If you live in any other state
than California, your vehicle will operate on gasoline
meeting Federal specifications. Gasoline sold outside

7-3
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
California is permitted to have higher sulfur levels,
which may affect the performance of your vehicle’s
catalytic converter and may produce a sulfur exhaust
odor or smell. SUBARU recommends that you try a
different brand of unleaded gasoline having lower sul-
fur to determine if the problem is fuel related before re-
turning your vehicle to an authorized dealer for ser-
vice. T MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane-enhancing additive
called MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tri-
carbonyl). If you use such fuels, your emission control
system performance may de teriorate and the CHECK
ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp may
turn on. If this happens, return to your authorized
SUBARU Dealer for service. If it is determined that the
condition is caused by the type of fuel used, repairs
may not be covered by your warranty. T Gasoline for cleaner air
Your use of gasoline with detergent additives will help
prevent deposits from forming in your engine and fuel
system. This helps keep yo ur engine in tune and your
emission control system work ing properly, and is a
way of doing your part for cleaner air. If you continu-
ously use a high quality fuel with the proper detergent
and other additives, you should never need to add any fuel system cleaning agents to your fuel tank.
Many gasolines are now blended with materials called
oxygenates. Use of these fuels can also help keep the
air cleaner. Oxygenated blend fuels, such as MTBE
(Methyl Tertiary Butyl ether) or ethanol (ethyl or grain
alcohol) may be used in your vehicle, but should con-
tain no more than 15% MTBE or 10% ethanol for the
proper operation of your SUBARU.
In addition, some gasoline suppliers are now produc-
ing reformulated gasoline, which is designed to reduce
vehicle emissions. SUBARU ap
proves the use of re-
formulated gasoline.
If you are not sure what the fuel contains, you should
ask your service station oper ators if their gasoline con-
tains detergents and oxy genates and if they have
been reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions.
As additional guidance, only use fuels suited for your
vehicle as explained in the following. y Fuel should be unleaded and have an octane rating
no lower than that specified in this manual. y Methanol (methyl or wood alcohol) is sometimes
mixed with unleaded gasoline. Methanol can be used
in your vehicle ONLY if it does not exceed 5% of the
fuel mixture AND if it is accomp anied by sufficient
quantities of the proper cosolvent and corrosion inhib-

7-4
Starting and operating
itors required to prevent
damage to the fuel system.
Do not use fuel containing methanol EXCEPT under
these conditions. y If undesirable driveability problems are experienced
and you suspect they may be fuel related, try a differ-
ent brand of gasoline before seeking service at your
SUBARU dealer. y Fuel system damage or driv eability problems which
result from the use of improper fuel are not covered
under the SUBARU Limited Warranty. „ Fuel filler door and cap
T Refueling
yGasoline vapor is high ly flammable. Before
refueling, always first stop the engine and make
sure that there are no lighted cigarettes, open
flames or electrical sparks in the adjacent area. y When opening the cap, do not remove the
cap quickly. Fuel may be under pressure and
spray out of the fuel filler neck especially in hot
weather, which may cause injury. y Never fill gasoline containers on the cargo
bed. Static electricity may ignite gasoline vapor
when filling portable containers. Approved containers must be removed from the vehicle
and placed on the ground when filling.
Do not fill any portable container on a vehicle.
y
Never add any cleaning agents to the fuel
tank. The addition of a cleaning agent may
cause damage to the fuel system.
y Make sure that the cap is tightened until it
clicks to prevent fuel spillage in the event of an
accident. y Do not let fuel spill on the exterior surfaces of
the vehicle. Fuels may cause paint damage,
which is not covered under the SUBARU Limit-
ed Warranty.y Always use a genuine SUBARU fuel filler cap.
If you use the wrong cap, it may not fit or have
proper venting, and your fuel tank and emis-
sion control system might be damaged.