battery SUBARU FORESTER 2003 SG / 2.G Owner's Manual

7-14
Starting and operating
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
with 4-forward speeds and 1-reverse speed.
NOTE
Immediately after a disconnected battery is recon-
nected or ATF (automatic transmission fluid) is re-
placed, you may feel that the automatic
transmission operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected and stored in
memory to allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current condition
of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored
as the vehicle continues to be driven for a while.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.

Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting
while the vehicle is moving may cause damage
to the transmission.
Do not race the engine for more than five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or the tires are on
blocks. This may cause the automatic transmis-
sionfluidtooverheat. Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such
shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.

7-23
Starting and operating
–CONTINUED –
cles. When driving on badly surfaced roads, gravel
roads, icy roads, or over deep newly fallen
snow, stopping distances may be longer for a
vehicle with the ABS system than one without.
When driving under these conditions, there-
fore, reduce your speed and leave ample dis-
tance from other vehicles. When you feel the ABS system operating,
you should maintain constant brake pedal pres-
sure. Do not pump the brake pedal since doing
so may defeat the operation of the ABS system.
ABS system self-check
You may feel a slight shock in the brake pedal and
hear the operating sound of ABS from the engine com-
partment just after the vehicle is started. This is
caused by an automatic functional test of the ABS sys-
tem being carried out and does not indicate any abnor-
mal condition.
ABS warning light
The ABS warning light comes on when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes out after
about two seconds.
This is an indication that the ABS system is working
properly.
When driving with an insufficient battery voltage such
as when the engine is jump started, the ABS warning
light may come on. This is due to the low battery volt-
age and does not indicate a malfunction. When the
battery becomes fully charged, the light will go out.
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8-9
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
cessitate more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified in
the maintenance schedule described in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to your Subaru while
operating it off-road and not using common sense pre-
cautions such as those listed above is not eligible for
warranty coverage.
Always 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. 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.
Winter driving Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire
chains, a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares, a
small shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures re-
duce battery capacity. The battery must be in good
condition to provide enough power for cold winterstarts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder
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9-9
In case of emergency
–CONTINUED –
age locations.
Never place a tire or tire changing tools in the
passenger compartment after changing
wheels. In a sudden stop or collisions, loose
equipment could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in the proper
place.
Jump starting
Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID. Do not let it
come in contact with the eyes, skin, clothing or
the vehicle.
If battery fluid gets on you, thoroughly flush the
exposed area with water immediately. Get med-
ical help if the fluid has entered your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, imme-
diately drink a large amount of milk or water,
and obtain immediate medical help.
Keep everyone including children away from
the battery. The gas generated by a battery explodes if a
flame or spark is brought near it. Do not smoke
or light a match while jump starting. Never attempt jump starting if the discharged
battery is frozen. It could cause the battery to
burst or explode. Whenever working on or around a battery, al-
ways wear suitable eye protectors, and remove
metal objects such as rings, bands or other
metal jewelry. Be sure the jumper cables and clamps on
them do not have loose or missing insulation.

9-10
In case of emergency
Do not jump start unless cables in suitable con-
dition are available.
A running engine can be dangerous. Keep
your fingers, hands, clothing, hair and tools
away from the cooling fan, belts and any other
moving engine parts. Removing rings, watches
andtiesisadvisable.
When your vehicle does not start due to a run down
(discharged) battery, the vehicle may be jump started
by connecting your battery to another battery (called
the booster battery) with jumper cables.
Jump starting is dangerous if it done incorrectly. If you
are unsure about the proper procedure for jump start-
ing, consult a competent mechanic. Howtojumpstart
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12 volts and the
negative terminal is grounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another vehicle, do not let
the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and accessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in the sequence
illustrated.

9-11
In case of emergency
–CONTINUED –
1) Booster battery
2) Engine lifting bracket
23
1
4
+
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+
1
2
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1) Connect one jumper cable to the
positive (+) terminal on the dis-
charged battery.
2) Connect the other end of the
jumper cable to the positive (+) ter-
minal of the booster battery.
3) Connect one end of the other
cable to the negative (–) terminal
of the booster battery.
4) Connect the other end of the ca-
ble to the engine lifting bracket.
Make sure that the cables are not
near any moving parts and that the
cable clamps are not in contact
with any other metal.
5. Start the engine of the vehicle
with the booster battery and run it at
moderate speed. Then start the en-
gine of the vehicle that has the dis-
charged battery.
6. When finished, carefully discon-
nect the cables in exactly the reverse order.

11 - 2
Maintenance and service
Tire inspection ................................................. 11-38
Tire pressures and wear ................................. 11-38
Wheel balance .................................................. 11-41
Wear indicators ................................................ 11-41
Tire rotation ...................................................... 11-42
Tire replacement .............................................. 11-43
Wheel replacement .......................................... 11-43
Aluminum wheels (If equipped) ................. 11-44
Windshield washer fluid ............................. 11-45
Replacement of windshield wiper blades . 11-46
Battery .......................................................... 11-49
Fuses ............................................................ 11-50
Main fuse ...................................................... 11-53
Installation of accessories ......................... 11-53
Replacing bulbs ........................................... 11-54 Headlight .......................................................... 11-55
Front turn signal, side marker light and
parking lights ................................................... 11-57
Front fog light .................................................. 11-61
Rear combination lights .................................. 11-61
License plate light ........................................... 11-62
Dome light, map light and cargo area light ... 11-63
High mount stop light ..................................... 11-64

11 - 4
Maintenance and service
the materials in the vehicle may be hazardous if
improperly used or handled, for example, bat-
tery acid.
Your vehicle should only be serviced by per-
sons fully competent to do so. Serious person-
al injury may result to persons not experienced
in servicing vehicles. Always use the proper tools and make certain
that they are well maintained. Never get under the vehicle supported only
by a jack. Always use a safety stands to sup-
port the vehicle. Never keep the engine running in a poorly
ventilated area, such as a garage or other
closed areas. Do not smoke or allow open flames around
the fuel or battery. This will cause a fire. Because the fuel system is under pressure,
replacement of the fuel filter should be per-
formed only by your SUBARU dealer. Wear adequate eye protection to guard
against getting oil or fluids in your eyes. If
something does get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water. Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS air-
bag system or seatbelt pretensioner system, or
attempt to take its connectors apart, as that may activate the system or it can render it inop-
erative. The wiring and connectors of these
systems are yellow for easy identification. NEV-
ER use a circuit tester for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner
needs service, consult your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
Before checking or servicing in the en-
gine compartment
Always stop the engine and set the parking
brake firmly to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing. Always let the engine cool down. Engine
parts become very hot when the engine is run-
ning and remain hot for some time after the en-
gine is stopped. Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid or any other fluid on hot engine compo-
nents. This may cause a fire. Always remove the key from the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position, the cooling fan may operate suddenly

11 - 8
Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview
1
23
4 5 67
8
9
10
11
12
13
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1) Manual transmission oil level
gauge (MT) (page 11-22) or Dif-
ferential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-26)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11- 19)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-
31)
4) Automatic transmission fluid lev-
el gauge (page 11-24)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11- 30)
6) Windshield washer tank (page
11-45)
7) Fuse box (page 11-50)
8) Battery (page 11-49)
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-14)
10) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-9)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11- 9)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-14)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-29)

11 -4 9
Maintenance and service
–CONTINUED –
Battery
Before beginning work on or near any bat-
tery, be sure to extinguish all cigarettes, match-
es, and lighters. Never expose a battery to an
open flame or electric sparks. Batteries give off
a gas which is highly flammable and explosive. For safety, in case an explosion does occur,
wear eye protection or shield your eyes when
working near any battery. Never lean over a bat-tery. Do not let battery fluid contact eyes, skin,
fabrics, or paint because battery fluid is a cor-
rosive acid. If battery fluid gets on your skin or
in your eyes, immediately flush the area with
water thoroughly. Seek medical help immedi-
ately if acid has entered the eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, imme-
diately drink a large amount of milk or water,
and seek medical attention immediately. To lessen the risk of sparks, remove rings,
metal watchbands, and other metal jewelry.
Never allow metal tools to contact the positive
battery terminal and anything connected to it
WHILE you are at the same time in contact with any other metallic portion of the vehicle be-
cause a short circuit will result.
Keep everyone including children away from
the battery. Charge the battery in a well-ventilated area.
Battery posts, terminals and related accesso-
ries contain lead and lead compounds, chemi-
cals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands af-
ter handling.
1) Cap
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
UP P E
R LE V E
LUPPER LEVEL
LOWER LEVELLOWER LEVEL
1
2 3
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