SUBARU BRZ 2020 Owners Manual

Maintenance and care4
331
BRZ_U
4-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior......... 332
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior.......... 338
Cleaning and protecting the Alcantara
® area ....... 342
4-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements .................. 344
General maintenance....... 347
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs........................ 350 4-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions .................... 351
Engine hood ..................... 354
Engine compartment ........ 356
Tires ................................. 370
Tire inflation pressure ...... 378
Wheels ............................. 382
Air conditioning filter......... 385
Transmitter/access key battery ............................ 388
Checking and replacing fuses .............................. 393
Light bulbs........................ 401

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4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
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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■
Automatic car washes
● Fold the mirrors before washing the vehicle. Start washing from the front
of the vehicle. Make sure to 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
● As water may enter the cabin, do not bring the nozzle tip near the gaps
around the doors or perimeter of the windows, or spray these areas con-
tinuously.
● Before using the car wash, check that the fuel filler lid on your vehicle is
closed properly.
■ Alloy wheels
● Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent.
● Wash detergent off with water immediately after use.
● To protect the paint from damage, make sure to observe the following
precautions.
• Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergent
• Do not use hard brushes
• Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, such as after
driving or parking in hot weather

334 4-1. Maintenance and care
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■Alloy wheels (vehicles with matte bronze painted wheels)
As matte bronze painted wheels require different cleaning methods than
conventional alloy wheels, be sure to observe the following. For details, con-
sult your SUBARU dealer.
●Remove dirt using water. If the wheels are excessively dirty, use a
sponge or soft cloth dampened with a diluted neutral detergent to remove
the dirt.
● To prevent the matte bronze paint from being damaged, make sure to
observe the following precautions:
• Do not scrub or polish the wheel s using a brush or dry cloth.
• Do not use any wheel coatings or abrasive detergents.
■ Parts containing resin such as the bumper
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■ Brake (vehicles with Brembo
® brake)
● Painted brake calipers
• When using detergent, use neutral detergent. Do not use hard brushes
or abrasive cleaners, as they will damage the paint.
• Do not use detergent on the brake calipers when they are hot.
• Wash detergent off immediately after use.
● Rust may form if the vehicle is parked with wet brake pads or disc rotors,
causing them to stick. Before parking the vehicle after it is washed, drive
slowly and apply the brakes several times to dry the parts.
■ When washing the vehicle
Wear rubber gloves and use a hand brush when washing down underbody,
inner fenders and suspension to effectively remove mud and dirt off.
■ Plated portions
If dirt cannot be removed, clean the parts as follows:
●Use a soft cloth dampened with an approximately 5% solution of neutral
detergent and water to clean the dirt off.
● Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining moisture.
● To remove oily deposits, use alcohol wet wipes or a similar product.

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WARNING
■
When washing the vehicle
● Do not wash the engine compartment.
• Water entering the intake system will cause damage to the engine.
• Water contacting electrical components will cause malfunction of elec-
trical components and in the worst case, they may catch fire.
● 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.
● When washing inner fenders, underbody, bumpers and protruding objects
such as exhaust pipes and exhaust finishers, be careful to prevent injuries
from contacting sharp ends.
■ 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.

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CAUTION
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (alloy wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If you see coal tar or tree sap on the paint surface
• If you see dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings on the paint
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,
iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled in dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
● If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
● To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■ Protective film for side sill plates
Make sure to remove the protective film. Failure to do so may cause rust,
depending on conditions.
■ 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.
■ 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.

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CAUTION
■
When using a high pressure car wash
● Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following parts. The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with high-pressure water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
● Keep the cleaning nozzle at least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from the vehicles
body. Otherwise resin section, such as moldings and bumpers, may be
deformed and damaged. Also, do not continuously hold the nozzle in the
same place.
● Do not spray the lower part of the windshield continuously.
If water enters the air conditioning system intake located near the lower
part of the windshield, the air conditioning system may not operate cor-
rectly.
■ Cleaning the rear bumper cherry red stripe (tS models)
● When using a high pressure car wash (pressure washer) to wash your
vehicle, keep the nozzle a safe distance (11.9 in. [30 cm] or more) from the
stripe. Do not use the high pressure car wash on the same area continu-
ously.
● When using a heated or steam high pressure car wash or extra high-pres-
sure pressure washer, do not point the nozzle directly at the stripe, other-
wise the stripe may come off or be damaged.
● Carefully read the label of a car wash soap before using it, as some car
wash soaps may adversely affect the adhesion strength of the stripe.
● If dirt cannot be removed from the stripe, clean it off using a soft cloth
dampened with a neutral detergent diluted with water.

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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.
● If dirt cannot be removed, wipe it off with a soft cloth damp-
ened with neural detergent diluted to approximately 1%.
● Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off remaining traces of detergent and water.
■ 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.
■ Cleaning the synthetic leather areas
● Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
● Wipe it off with a soft cloth dampened with neutral detergent
diluted to approximately 1%.
● Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off remaining traces of detergent and water.

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■
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 catch
fire.
● Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.
(→ P. 98)
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.

340 4-1. Maintenance and care
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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.