SUBARU BRZ 2013 1.G Owners Manual

Maintenance and care4
271
4-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior......... 272
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior.......... 276
Cleaning and protecting the Alcantara ®
area ....... 280
4-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements .................. 282
General maintenance....... 285
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs........................ 288 4-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions .................... 289
Engine hood ..................... 292
Engine compartment ........ 294
Tires ................................. 308
Tire inflation pressure ...... 315
Wheels ............................. 319
Air conditioning filter......... 322
Transmitter/access key battery ............................ 325
Checking and replacing fuses .............................. 329
Light bulbs........................ 337

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4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
Handling the antennaBefore washing the vehicle, the antenna can be removed. Removal
Installation
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime
condition.
● Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any
dirt and dust.
● Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a
chamois.
● For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thor-
oughly with water.
● Wipe away any water.
● Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors and remove the antenna before washing the vehicle.
Start washing from the front of the vehicle. Make sure to re-install the
antenna and extend the mirrors before driving.
●When having your vehicle washed in an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of suitable type to avoid scratches to the
vehicle surface and harm to your vehicle’s paint.
●Vehicles with a rear spoiler: In certain automatic car washes, the rear
spoiler may interfere with machine operation. This may prevent the vehi-
cle from being cleaned properly or result in damage to the rear spoiler.
■High pressure car washes
●Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity
of the windows and door frames as water may enter the cabin.
●Before car wash, check that the fuel filler lid on your vehicle is closed
properly.
■Aluminum wheels (if equipped)
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use
hard brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical
cleaners. Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.
●Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after
driving for long distance in the hot weather.
●Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
■Parts containing resin such as the bumper
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
●Do not wash the engine compartment and area adjacent to it. If water
enters the engine air intake or electrical parts it will cause engine trouble or
a malfunction of the power steering.
●When washing the vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a result, the brake
stopping distance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a
safe speed while lightly depressing the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
■Precautions regarding the exhaust pipes
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipes and rear bumper diffusers to
become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipes and diffusers
until they have cooled sufficiently, as touching hot exhaust pipes and rear
bumper diffusers can cause burns.
CAUTION
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:

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4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
●Do not apply wax on the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■Antenna installation and removal precautions
●Before driving, ensure that the antenna is installed.
●When the antenna is removed, such as before entering an automatic car
wash, make sure to store it in a suitable place so as not to lose it. Also,
before driving, make sure to reinstall the antenna in its original position.
■To prevent damage to the windshield wiper arms
When lifting the wiper arms away from the windshield, pull the driver side
wiper arm upward first, and repeat for the passenger side. When returning
the wipers to their original position, do so from the passenger side first.
■To prevent damage to the antenna
Remove the antenna in the following situations:
●When the antenna will touch the ceiling of a garage or other such places
●When a car cover is to be used to cover the vehicle
●When using an automatic car wash

276
4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle's interior and
keep it in top condition:
■Protecting the vehicle interior ●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty sur-
faces with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
● When the interior is extremely dirty, wipe away the dirt using a
soft cloth slightly dampened with diluted neutral detergent.
■Cleaning the leather areas ●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
● Wipe any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with
diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool detergent.
● Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off all remaining traces of detergent.
● Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remain-
ing moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded ventilated
area.
■Synthetic leather areas ●Remove loose dirt using a vacuum cleaner.
● Apply a mild soap solution to the synthetic leather.
● Allow the solution to soak in for a few minutes. Remove the
dirt and wipe off the solution with a clean, damp cloth.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
■Caring for leather areas
SUBARU recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a
year to maintain the quality of the vehicle’s interior.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. Use a
sponge or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not apply
water. Excellent results are obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as possi-ble.
■Seatbelts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge. Also
check the belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
WARNING
■Water in the vehicle
●Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle.
Doing so may cause electrical components etc. to malfunction or catchfire.
●Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior wet. (→ P. 92)
Electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or not function
properly, resulting in death or severe injury.
■Cleaning the interior (especially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel may reflect off
the windshield, obstructing the driver's view and leading to an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use organic substances such as benzene or gasoline, acidic or
alkaline solutions, dye, bleach or other detergent. Doing so may discolor
the vehicle interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces.
●Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel's or other
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.
●Do not use a chemical agent containing silicone (highly-polymerized sili-
con compound) when cleaning any of the electrical appliances such as the
air conditioning, all switches and their surrounding areas.
If silicon (highly-polymerized silicon compound) contacts these compo-
nents, it may cause the electrical appliances to malfunction.
■Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces.
●Remove any dust, dirt, sand, oil spots etc. on leather surfaces immedi-
ately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
●Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or that contain wax on the uphol-
stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats
up significantly.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if water comes
into contact with electrical components under the floor of the vehicle, and
may also cause the body to rust.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■Cleaning the inside of the rear window
●Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires.
●Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window, as this may cause
damage to the rear window defogger heater wires. Use a cloth dampened
with lukewarm water to gently wipe the window clean. Wipe the window in
strokes running parallel to the heater wires.
■When cleaning the instrument panel
When small grains of sand and so forth have gotten into instrument panel’s
surface and cannot be wiped away using a cloth, use a clay bar without add-
ing water. Forcibly trying to wipe the surface clean with a brush or sponge
may scratch the surface or fragments of the cloth may be left in the surface.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the Alcantara® area∗
∗: If equipped
The following procedures will protect and keep your vehicle’s
Alcantara
®
upholstery in top condition:
■Day-to-day cleaning
Perform the following procedures regularly (approximately once
a month).
Wipe the entire Alcantara ®
area with a soft cloth that has
been dampened with lukewarm water (approximately 104 °F
[40 °C]) and squeezed out.
Do not wipe too hard. Doing so may make the Alcantara ®
uphol-
stery surface become uneven. Also, only use a clean cloth.
Once dry, brush the area with a soft brush.
■Liquid stains ● If liquid is spilled, lightly pat the area with a tissue paper or
similar to soak up the liquid.
● When mud, coffee, etc., has dried on the Alcantara ®
uphol-
stery, remove it by lightly brushing the area with a soft brush
or similar.
We recommend using a vacuum cleaner to clean up the area after
the above has been performed.
When a stain cannot be removed using the above procedures,
remove it by performing the following:
Lightly wipe the stained area from the outside to the inside
from multiple angles with a soft cloth that has been damp-
ened with lukewarm water (approximately 104 °F [40 °C])
and squeezed out.
Do not wipe the area so strongly that it causes the Alcantara ®
upholstery surface to become uneven. Also, prepare a clean
cloth, and always use a clean area of the cloth.
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