four wheel drive SUBARU BAJA 2006 1.G Owners Manual

3-2
Instruments and controls
Instruments and controlsIgnition switchIgnition switch
y
Never turn the igniti on switch to “LOCK”
while the vehicle is being driven or towed be-
cause that will lock the steering wheel, prevent-
ing steering control. And when the engine is
turned off, it takes a much greater effort than
usual to steer. y Before leaving the vehicle, always remove
the key from the ignition switch for safety and
never allow an unattended child to remain in
the vehicle. Failure to follow this procedure
could result in injury to a child or others. Chil-
dren could operate the power windows, the
sunroof or other controls or even make the ve-
hicle move.
The ignition switch has four positions: LOCK, ACC,
ON and START.
NOTE y Keep the ignition switch in the “LOCK” position
when the engine is not running. y Using electrical accessories for a long time with
the ignition switch in th e “ON” or “ACC” position
can cause the battery to go dead.
If the ignition switch will not move from the
“LOCK” position to the “ACC” position, turn the
steering wheel slightly to the left and right as you
turn the ignition switch.y If the key is attached to a keyholder or to a large
bunch of other keys, centrifugal force may act on
it as the vehicle moves, resulting in unwanted
turning of the ignition switch. Also, if a large key-
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Instruments and controls
„
Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when the tank is
nearly empty approximately 2.6 US gal (10.0 liters, or
2.2 Imp gal). It only operates when the ignition switch
is in the “ON” position.
NOTE
This light does not go out unless the tank is re-
plenished up to an internal fuel quantity of approx-
imately 3.7 US gal (14 liters, 3.1 Imp gal).
(Turbo models only)
Promptly put fuel in the tank whenever the low
fuel warning light comes on. Engine misfires as
a result of an empty tank could cause damage
to the engine.
„ All-Wheel Drive warning light
(AT vehicles)
„All-Wheel Drive warning light
„ AWD warning light
„ Warning light s
„ All-Wheel DriveThe All-Wheel Drive warning light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes
out after approximately two seconds. T
Turbo models
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters or with the air pressure excessively
low in any of its tires. T Non-turbo models
This light comes on when All-Wheel Drive is disen-
gaged and the drive mechanism is switched to Front
Wheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters or with the air pressure excessively
low in any of its tires.
Continued driving with the AWD warning light
flashing can lead to powertrain damage. If the
AWD warning light flashes, promptly park in a
safe place then check whether all four tires are
the same diameter and whether any of the tires
has a puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason.

7-7
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
obligation under federal law to implement stricter vehi-
cle emission standards to reduce air pollution from ve-
hicles. A dynamometer is a treadmill or roller-like test-
ing device that allows your vehicle’s wheels to turn
while the vehicle remains in one place. Depending on
the severity of a state’s air pollution problems, the
states must adopt either a “basic” or “enhanced” vehi-
cle emission inspection test. Normally, a portion of the
basic emission test consists of an emission inspector
inserting an analyzer probe into the exhaust pipe of an
idling vehicle for a short period of time. States with
more severe air pollution problems are required to
adopt an enhanced vehicle emission test. This test
simulates actual driving conditions on a dynamometer
and permits more accurate measurement of tailpipe
emitted pollution than the basic emission test.
The U.S. Environmental Pr otection Agency (EPA) and
states using two-wheel dyna mometers in their emis-
sion testing programs have EXEMPTED SUBARU
AWD vehicles from the portion of the testing program
that involves a two-wheel dynamometer.
There are some states that use four-wheel dynamom-
eters in their testing pr ograms. When properly used,
that equipment will not damage an AWD SUBARU ve-
hicle.
Under no circumstances should the rear wheels be jacked off the ground, nor should the driveshaft be dis-
connected for state emission testing. The EPA has issued regulation
s for inspecting the On-
Board Diagnostic (OBD) system as part of the state
emissions inspection. The OBD system is designed to
detect engine and transmission problems that might
cause vehicle emissions to exceed allowable limits.
These inspections apply to all 1996 model year andnewer passenger cars and li ght trucks. Over 30 states
plus the District of Columbia have implemented the
OBD system inspection. y The inspection of the OBD system consists of a vi-
sual operational check of the “CHECK ENGINE”
warning light/malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and an examination of the OBD system with an electronic
scan tool while the engine is running.y A vehicle passes the OB D system inspection if
proper the “CHECK ENGINE” warning light/MIL illu-
mination is observed, there is no stored diagnostic
trouble codes, and the OBD system readiness moni-tors are complete. y A vehicle fails the OBD inspection if the “CHECK
ENGINE” warning light/MIL is not properly operating
or there is one or more di agnostic trouble codes stored
in vehicle’s computer with the “CHECK ENGINE”
warning light/MIL illuminated.

8-7
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
Driving tips for AWD vehicles
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. 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 provide added traction during acceler-
ation, and added engine braking force during deceler-
ation.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle may handle
differently than an ordinary two wheel drive vehicle
and it contains some f eatures unique to AWD. For
safety purposes as well as to avoid damaging the
AWD system, you should keep the following tips in mind:HS8003BA

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.

11 - 4 6
Maintenance and service
Parking brake strokeParking
Brake stroke
Check the parking brake stroke according to the main-
tenance 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 (approximately
44 lbs [196 N, 20 kg]). If the parking brake lever stroke
is not within the specified range, have the brake sys-
tem checked and adjusted at your SUBARU dealer.
Tires and wheelsTires and wheels
„ Types of tires„Tires
„ TypesYou should be familiar with type of tires present on your vehicle. TAll 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 traction, handling and braking perfor-
mance in year-round driving including 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. T Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability tires best suit-
ed 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 fourtires.
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