tow SUBARU IMPREZA 2003 2.G Owner's Guide

Driving tips
8-37
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large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel and slow down immediately but
gradually.When passing other vehicles, considerable dis-
tance is required because of the added weight and
length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn 2) Right turn
Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes
practice. When backing up with a trailer, never
accelerate or steer rapidly. When turning back, gripthe bottom of the steering wheel with one hand and
turn it to the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn.
If the ABS warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have
repairs performed immediately by the nearest
SUBARU dealer.
Driving on grades
Before going down a steep hill, slow down and
shift into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in
order to utilize the engine braking effect and prevent
overheating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not make
sudden downshifts. When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condi-
tioner may turn off automatically to protect the
engine from overheating. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature gauge pointer (for all
vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP warning light (for AT
vehicles) since the engine and transmission are rel-
atively prone to overheating under these conditions.
If the water temperature gauge pointer approaches
the OVERHEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately switch off the air condi-
tioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place.Refer to the “Engine overheat ” section in chapter 9,
and “Warning and indicator lights ” section in chap-
ter 3.

Driving tips
8-38
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission,
avoid using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of using the parking brakeor foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluid
to overheat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission, avoid driving with the gear selector lever in “D” when towing a heavy trailer to
prevent fluid overheating. A lower gear should be used.
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
You should not park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or slope cannot be avoided, you shouldtake the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under boththe vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the
regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb theload.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the
parking brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmis- sion) or “P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the
engine.

9
9-1
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If you park your vehicle in case of
an emergency 9-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Temporary spare tire (if equipped) 9-3 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Flat tires 9-5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing a flat tire 9-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jump starting 9-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to jump start 9-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine overheating 9-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If steam is coming from the engine compartment 9-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If no steam is coming from the engine compartment 9-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Towing 9-18
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Towing and tie-down hooks 9-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using a flat-bed truck 9-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Towing with all wheels on the ground 9-22 . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance tools 9-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jack and jack handle 9-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In case of emergency

In case of emergency
9-4
1) Spare fuse
2) FWD connector
NOTE
(If your vehicle is AWD with automatic transmis-
sion, except Turbo models) Before driving your
vehicle with the temporary spare tire, put a spare fuse inside the FWD connector in the main fuse box located in the engine compartment and con-firm that the Front-wheel drive warning light
“FWD” in the combination meter comes on. The
all wheel drive capability of the vehicle has now
deactivated. After re-installing the conventional tire, remove the spare fuse from the FWD con- nector in order to reactivate all wheel drive.
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not
designed to sustain the towing load. Use ofthe temporary spare tire when towing can result in failure of the spare tire and/or less
stability of the vehicle and may lead to anaccident.
CAUTION
Never use any temporary spare tire other than the original. Using other sizes may result in
severe mechanical damage to the drive trainof your vehicle.

In case of emergency
9-18
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is
not turning, immediately turn the engine off and con-
tact your authorized dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature has
dropped, turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the overheated
zone, turn the engine off.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, check the
coolant level in the reserve tank.If the coolant level is below the “LOW” mark, add
coolant up to the “FULL” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, add
coolant to the reserve tank. Then remove the radia- tor cap and fill the radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot radiator,
first wrap a thick cloth around the radiator cap, then
turn the cap counterclockwise slowly without press-
ing down until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been fully re-
leased, remove the cap by pressing down and turn-ing it. Towing
If towing is necessary, it is best done by your
SUBARU dealer or a commercial towing service.
Observe the following procedures for safety.
WARNING
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT and MT) with the front wheels raised off the groundwhile the rear wheels are on the ground, orwith the rear wheels raised off the groundwhile the front wheels are on the ground. This

In case of emergency
9-19
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will cause the vehicle to spin away due to the
operation or deterioration of the center differ-ential.
Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in an emer-
gency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle from mud, sandor snow). Front towing hook (eye bolt):
1. Take out the towing hook, screwdriver and wheel
nut wrench from the on board tool bag.
2. Pry off the cover on the front bumper using a
screwdriver, and you will find a threaded hole for at-

In case of emergency
9-20
taching the towing hook.
3. Screw the towing hook into the threaded hole un-
til its thread can no longer be seen.
4. Tighten the towing hook securely with a wheel nut
wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from the
vehicle and stow it in the tool bag. Put the threaded
hole cover on the front bumper.
WARNING
Do not use the towing hook except when
towing your vehicle. Be sure to remove the towing hook after
towing. Leaving the towing hook mounted onthe vehicle could interfere with proper opera- tion of the SRS airbag system in a frontal col- lision. Rear towing hook:
CAUTION
Do not apply excessive lateral load to the tow- ing hook.

In case of emergency
9-21
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Tie-down hooks:
1) Tie-down hook
2) Towing and tie-down hook
CAUTION
Use only specified towing hook and tie-
down hook. Never use suspension parts or other body parts for towing or tie-down pur- poses. Never use the tie-down hook on the under-
side of the vehicle closest to the muffler fortowing purposes.
Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your vehicle. Use
the following procedures to ensure safe transporta-

In case of emergency
9-22
tion.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” position for au-
tomatic transmission vehicles or “1st” for manual
transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier properly with safety chains. Each of safety chain should be
equally tightened and care must be taken not to pull
the chains so tightly that the suspension bottomsout.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front underspoiler and rear underspoiler (both optional), be carefulnot to scrape them when placing the vehicleon the carrier and when removing the vehicle
from the carrier.
Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Check the transmission and differential oil levels
and add oil to bring it to the upper level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the transmis-sion in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the “ACC” posi-
tion while the vehicle is being towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to prevent
damage to the vehicle.

In case of emergency
9-23
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WARNING
Never turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”
position while the vehicle is being towed be-
cause the steering wheel and the direction ofthe wheels will be locked. Remember that the brake booster and pow-
er steering do not function when the engine is not running. Because the engine is turned off,
it will take greater effort to operate the brakepedal and steering wheel.
CAUTION
If transmission failure occurs, transport
your vehicle on a flat-bed truck. Do not run the engine while being towed in
this method. Transmission damage could re- sult if the vehicle is towed with the engine running. For vehicles with automatic transmission,
the traveling speed must be limited to lessthan 20 mph (30 km/h) and the traveling dis-tance to less than 31 miles (50 km). For greater speeds and distances, transport your
vehicle on a flat-bed truck. Maintenance toolsYour vehicle is equipped with the following mainte-
nance tools:
Wheel cover remover (vehicles with wheel covers)
Screwdriver
Towing hook (eye bolt)
Wheel nut wrench