ABS SUBARU IMPREZA 2004 2.G User Guide

7-33
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
!Steps to take if EBD system fails
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system, the system
stops working and the brake system warning light and
ABS warning light come on simultaneously.
The EBD system may be faulty if the brake system
warning light and ABS warning light illuminate simulta-
neously during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conventional braking
system will still function. However, the rear wheels will
be more prone to locking when the brakes are applied
harder than usual and the vehicle’s motion may there-
fore become somewhat harder to control. If the brake system warning light and ABS warning light illuminate simultaneously, take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both warning lights go
out, the EBD system may be faulty. Drive carefully to
the nearest SUBARU dealer and have the system in- spected.
4. If both warning lights come on again and stay illu-
minated after the engine has been restarted, shut
down the engine again, apply the parking brake, and
check the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “MIN” mark,
the EBD system may be faulty. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the system inspect- ed.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “MIN” mark, DO
NOT drive the vehicle. Instead, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
"
Driving with the brake system warning light
on is dangerous. This indicates your brake sys-
tem may not be working properly. If the light re-
mains on, have the brakes inspected by a SUB-
ARU dealer immediately." If at all in doubt about whether the brakes are
UG7020CA

8-12
Driving tips
starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them
with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage or separate
the rubber weather strips around the door. If the door
is frozen, use hot water to melt the ice, and afterwards
thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an anti-
freeze solution. Do not use engine antifreeze or other
substitutes because they may damage the paint of the
vehicle. !
Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice
from your shoes because that could make the pedals
slippery and dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driving, check
that the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and all other
controls operate smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has accumulated under
the fenders to avoid making steering difficult. During
severe winter driving, stop when and where it is safe
to do so and check under the fenders periodically. !
Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when parking for long
periods in cold weather since it could freeze in that po-
sition. Instead, observe the following:
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual trans-
mission vehicles, and in “P” for automatic transmission
vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent the vehicle
from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or when it snows,
raise the wiper blades off the glass to prevent damageto them.
When the vehicle has been left parked after use on
roads heavily covered with snow, or has been left
parked during a snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor braking action.
Check for snow or ice buildup on the suspension, disc
brakes and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, being careful
not to damage the disc brakes and brake hoses andABS harness.
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under
your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust

8-13
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
pipe and from around your vehicle if you parkthe vehicle in snow with the engine running.
! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel sys-
tem and the risk of its freezing, use of an antifreeze ad-
ditive in the fuel tank is recommended during cold
weather.
Use only additives that are specifically designed for
this purpose. When an antifreeze additive is used, its
effect lasts longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used for an extend-
ed period, it is best to have the fuel tank filled to capac-
ity. ! Driving on snowy and icy roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden brak-
ing, abrupt acceleration, high-speed driving, and
sharp turning when driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle
and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid the need for sud-
den braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake
effectively to control the vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can
cause the wheels to lock, possibly leading to loss of
vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehi-
cle’s braking performance on snowy and icy roads.
Refer to the “ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)” section in
chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery sur- faces.
NOTE
The following tires are summer tires. Compared
with winter and all-season tires, summer tires give
significantly less grip on snowy and icy road sur-
faces. Avoid driving on snowy and icy road sur-
face with summer tires."
225/45R17 tires for WRX-STi
" Optional 215/45R17 tires for WRX
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads
such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause
loss of vehicle control.

8-39
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
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 prac-
tice. When backing up with a trailer, never accelerate
or steer rapidly. When turning back, grip the 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 deal-er. !
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 overheat-
ing of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden
downshifts. " When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er 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 relatively prone to
overheating under these conditions. If the water tem-
perature gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT
zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates,
immediately switch off the air conditioner and stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheating” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and
indicator lights” section in chapter 3." If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid
using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an
uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to over-
heat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automat-
ic transmission, avoid driving with the gear selector le-
ver in “D” when towing a heavy trailer to prevent fluid
1 2
HS8023BB

8-40
Driving tips
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 should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the
vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the
regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the park-
ing brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmission)
or “P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the en-
gine.

9-18
In case of emergency
terioration of the center differential.
! Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in an emergen-
cy (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle from mud, sand or
snow).
Front towing hook:
1. Take out the towing hook, screwdriver and wheel
nut wrench from the on board tool bag.
2. Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the slot at point A
on the front passenger side fog light cover, then use it
to pry the cover upward. The tabs at point A on the fog light cover will come free of the bumper.
3. Pull the entire fog light cover toward you.
4. Screw the towing hook into the threaded hole until
its thread becomes invisible.
5. Tighten the towing hook securely using the wheel
nut wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from the vehicle
and stow it in the tool bag.
Fit the fog light cover on the bumper.
"
Do not use the towing hook except when tow-
ing your vehicle.
A
UG9030BB
UG9526BA

11 - 3 8
Maintenance and service
"
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air.
Any absorbed moisture can cause a dangerous
loss of braking performance." If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there
may be a leak. If you suspect a problem, have
the vehicle checked at your SUBARU dealer.
" Never use different brands of brake fluid to-
gether. " When adding brake fluid, be careful not to al-
low any dirt into the reservoir. " Never splash the brake fluid over painted sur-
faces or rubber parts. Alcohol contained in the
brake fluid may damage them.
! Recommended brake fluid
FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 brake fluid
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) !Checking the fluid level
1) “MAX” level mark
2) “MIN” level mark
MAXMIN
HGB056HB
1
2

11 -3 9
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
1) “MAX” level mark
2) “MIN” level mark
Check the fluid level on the outside of the reservoir. If
the level is below “MIN” level mark, add the recom-
mended clutch fluid to “MAX” level mark.
Use only clutch fluid from a sealed container.
" Clutch fluid absorbs moisture from the air.
Any absorbed moisture can cause improper
clutch operation. " If the vehicle requires frequent refilling, there
may be a leak. If you suspect a problem, have the vehicle checked at your SUBARU dealer."
Never use different brands of clutch fluid to-
gether. " When clutch fluid is added, be careful not to
allow any dirt into the tank.
! Recommended clutch fluid
FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 brake fluid
MAXMIN
HGB055CB
1
2

12-6
Specifications
Fuses and circuits !
Fuse panel located behind the coin tray
1
23456
78 9101112
13 14 15
16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23
HSC001BB
Fuse panelFuse ratingCircuit
115A"Heater fan
215A"Heater fan
315A"Power door lock
" Remote keyless entry
420A"Cigarette lighter
" Remote controlled rear
view mirrors
510A"Tail light
" Parking light
615A"SRS airbag
715A"Fog light
820A"ABS solenoid
915A"Radio
10Empty
1115A"Engine ignition system
" SRS airbag
" AT control system

12-7
Specifications
– CONTINUED –
1210A"Illumination brightness
control
1310A"Combination meter
" SRS lamp
1410A"Rear window wiper and
washer
1530A"Windshield wiper and
washer
1620A"Brake light
1715A"Air conditioner
1815A"Backup light
" Cruise control
1920A"Mirror heater
20Empty
21Empty
2210A"ABS ignition
Fuse panelFuse ratingCircuit
2320A"Accessory power outlet
(cargo)
" Seat heater
Fuse panelFuse ratingCircuit