SUBARU IMPREZA 2006 2.G Owners Manual

7-24 Starting and operating
Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) system
The EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle ’s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS system and uses some of the ABS
system ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD function fails, the EBD
system also stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction.
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 simultaneously during driv-
ing.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are ap-
plied harder than usual and the vehicle ’s
motion may therefore 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 near-
est SUBARU dealer and have the system
inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated 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 in-
spected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the“ MIN ” mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle. In-
stead, have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair.
700360

Starting and operating 7-25
– CONTINUED –
Parking your vehicle
Parking brake
To set the parking brake, press the brake
pedal firmly and hold it down while fully
pulling up the parking brake lever.
To release the parking brake, pull the le-
ver up slightly, press the release button,
then lower the lever while keeping the but-
ton pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the
engine is running, the parking brake warn-
ing light comes on. After starting the vehi-
cle, be sure that the warning light has
gone out before the vehicle is driven. Re-
fer to the “Warning and indicator lights ”
section (chapter 3).
Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always set the
parking brake firmly and put the shift lever
in the “1 ” (1st) for an upgrade or “R ” (Re-
verse) for a downgrade for manual trans-
mission vehicles, or in the “P ” (Park) posi-
tion for automatic transmission vehicles.
Always set the parking brake firmly when
parking your vehicle. Never rely on the
transmission alone to hold the vehicle.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
If at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.
700336
Never drive while the parking brake
is set because this will cause unnec-
essary wear on the brake linings.
Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.

7-26 Starting and operating
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is head-
ed up the hill, the front wheels should be
turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.
700136
700137
Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot or
sunny days, the temperature in a
closed vehicle could quickly be-
come high enough to cause se-
vere or possibly fatal injuries to
people.
Do not park the vehicle over flam-
mable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If engine
exhaust gas enters the passenger
compartment, occupants in the
vehicle could die from carbon
monoxide (CO) contained in the
exhaust gas.
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), pay attention to blocks
and other obstructions on the
ground when parking. The under-
spoilers could be damaged by con-
tact with them.

Starting and operating 7-27
– CONTINUED –
Cruise control
Cruise control enables you to maintain a
constant vehicle speed without holding
your foot on the accelerator pedal and it is
operative when the vehicle speed is 25
mph (40 km/h) or more. Make sure the
main switch is turned “OFF ” when the
cruise control is not in use to avoid unin-
tentionally setting the cruise control.
NOTE
If you move the cruise control lever or
press the main switch button while
turning the ignition switch “ON ”, the
cruise control function is deactivated
and the “CRUISE ” indicator light flash-
es. To reactivate the cruise control
function, turn the ignition switch back
to the “ACC ” or “LOCK ” position, and
then turn it again to the “ON ” position.
To set cruise control0
1. Push the main switch button.
The “ ” indicator light on the com-
bination meter will come on.
2. Depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle reaches the desired speed.
3. Push the control lever downward in the “
SET/COAST ” direction and release it.
Then release the accelerator pedal.
At this time, the “ ” indicator light is
illuminated in the combination meter.
Do not use the cruise control under
any of the following conditions. This
may cause loss of vehicle control:
driving up or down a steep grade
driving on slippery or winding
roads
driving in heavy traffic
300332
700361
300333
700362

7-28 Starting and operating
The vehicle will maintain the desired
speed.
Vehicle speed can be temporarily in-
creased while driving with the cruise con-
trol activated. Simply depress the acceler-
ator pedal to accelerate the vehicle. When
the accelerator pedal is released, the ve-
hicle will return to and maintain the previ-
ous cruising speed.
To temporarily cancel the
cruise control
There are five ways to cancel the cruise
control temporarily:
Pull the control lever in the “CANCEL ”
direction.
Depress the brake pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal (manual trans-
mission vehicles only).
Shift the selector lever into the “N ” posi-
tion (automatic transmission vehicles
only).
Shift the shift lever into neutral position
(manual transmission vehicles only).
The “ ” indicator light in the combi-
nation meter goes off when the cruise
control is cancelled.
To resume the cruise control after it has
been temporarily canceled and with vehi-
cle speed of approximately 20 mph (32
km/h) or more, push the control lever up-
ward in the “RES/ACC ” direction to return
to the original cruising speed automatical-
ly.
The “ ” indicator light in the combi-
nation meter will automatically come on at
this time.
To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise
control:
Push the main switch again.
Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC ” or
“ LOCK ” position (but only when the vehi-
cle is completely stopped).
To change the cruising speed
To increase the speed (by control le-
ver)
Push the control lever upward in the “ RES/ACC ” direction and hold it until the
vehicle reaches the desired speed. Then,
release the control lever. The vehicle
speed at that moment will be memorized
and treated as the new set speed.
When the difference between the actual
vehicle speed and the set speed is less
than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the set speed can
be increased 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time
by pressing the control lever upward in the “ RES/ACC ” direction quickly.
700161
300334

Starting and operating 7-29
To increase the speed (by accelera-
tor pedal)
1. Depress the accelerator pedal to accel-
erate the vehicle to the desired speed.
2. Push the control lever downward in the “ SET/COAST ” direction once. Now the
desired speed is set and the vehicle will
keep running at that speed without de-
pressing the accelerator pedal.
NOTE
If the difference between the actual ve-
hicle speed when the control lever is
pushed downward and the speed last
time you set is less than 4 mph (6.8 km/
h), the vehicle speed will be lowered by
1 mph (1.6 km/h). This occurs because
the cruise control system unit regards
this lever operation as that intended to
decrease the vehicle speed.
To decrease the speed (by control
lever)
Push the control lever downward in the“ SET/COAST ” direction and hold it until
the vehicle reaches the desired speed.
Then, release the control lever. The vehi-
cle speed at that moment will be memo-
rized and treated as the new set speed.
When the difference between the actual
vehicle speed and the set speed is less
than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the set speed can
be lowered 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time by
pressing the control lever downward in the“ SET/COAST ” direction quickly.
To decrease the speed (by brake
pedal)
1. Depress the brake pedal to release cruise control temporarily.
2. When the speed decreases to the de-
sired speed, press the control lever down-
ward in the
“SET/COAST ” direction once.
Now the desired speed is set and the ve-
hicle will keep running at that speed with-
out depressing the accelerator pedal.
300333

8
Driving tips
New vehicle break-in driving – the first 1,000
miles (1,600 km) .................................. ............ 8-2
Fuel economy hints ................................ ........... 8-2
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) ......... 8-2
Catalytic converter ............................... .............. 8-3
Periodic inspections .............................. ............ 8-4
Driving in foreign countries ...................... ........ 8-4
Driving tips for AWD vehicles ..................... ...... 8-5
Off road driving .................................. ................ 8-6
All AWD models except OUTBACK SPORT and vehicles with 17 inch tires ....................... ............ 8-6
OUTBACK SPORT ..................................... ............. 8-6
Winter driving .................................... ................. 8-8
Operation during cold weather ..................... ......... 8-8
Driving on snowy and icy roads .................... ........ 8-9
Corrosion protection .............................. ................ 8-10
Snow tires ........................................ ....................... 8-10
Tire chains ....................................... ........................ 8-11
Rocking the vehicle ............................... ................. 8-12
Loading your vehicle .............................. ........... 8-12
Vehicle capacity weight ........................... .............. 8-13
GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Gross Axle Weight Rating) ..................... ...... 8-14
Roof rail and crossbar (if equipped) .............. ....... 8-14
Trailer hitch (if equipped) ....................... ........... 8-17
Connecting a trailer .............................. .................. 8-17
When you do not tow a trailer ..................... .......... 8-19Trailer towing ....................................
.................. 8-19
Warranties and maintenance ........................ ......... 8-19
Maximum load limits ............................... ............... 8-20
Trailer hitches ................................... ...................... 8-23
Connecting a trailer .............................. .................. 8-24
Trailer towing tips ............................... .................... 8-25

8-2 Driving tips
Driving tipsNew vehicle break-in driving – the first 1,000 miles (1,600
km)
The performance and long life of your ve-
hicle are dependent on how you handle
and care for your vehicle while it is new.
Follow these instructions during the first
1,000 miles (1,600 km):
Do not race the engine. And do not al-
low engine speed to exceed 4,000 rpm ex-
cept in an emergency.
Do not drive at one constant engine or
vehicle speed for a long time, either fast or
slow.
Avoid starting suddenly and rapid accel-
eration, except in an emergency.
Avoid hard braking, except in an emer-
gency.
The same break-in procedures should be
applied to an overhauled engine, newly
mounted engine or when brake pads or
brake linings are replaced with new ones.
Fuel economy hints
The following suggestions will help to
save your fuel.
Select the proper gear position for the
speed and road conditions.
Avoid sudden acceleration or decelera-
tion. Always accelerate gently until you
reach the desired speed. Then try to main-
tain that speed for as long as possible.
Do not pump the accelerator and avoid
racing the engine.
Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
Keep the engine properly tuned.
Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure shown on the tire placard, which
is located under the door latch on the driv-
er ’s side. Low pressure will increase tire
wear and fuel consumption.
Use the air conditioner only when nec-
essary.
Keep the front and rear wheels in prop-
er alignment.
Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or
cargo.
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon
monoxide)
Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains car-
bon monoxide, a colorless and
odorless gas which is dangerous,
or even lethal, if inhaled.
Always properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from entering
the vehicle.
Never run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
Avoid remaining in a parked vehi-
cle for a lengthy time while the en-
gine is running. If that is unavoid-
able, then use the ventilation fan
to force fresh air into the vehicle.
Always keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system always
works properly.

Driving tips 8-3
– CONTINUED –
NOTE
Due to the expansion and contraction
of the metals used in the manufacture
of the exhaust system, you may hear a
crackling sound coming from the ex-
haust system for a short time after the
engine has been shut off. This sound is
normal.
Catalytic converter
Turbo models
Non-turbo modelsThe catalytic converter is installed in the
exhaust system. It serves as catalyst to
reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust gas-
es, thus providing cleaner exhaust.
To avoid damage to the catalytic convert-
er:
Use only unleaded fuel. Even a small
amount of leaded fuel will damage the cat-
alytic converter.
Never start the engine by pushing or
pulling the vehicle.
Avoid racing the engine.
Never turn off the ignition switch while
the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel
the engine running rough (misfiring, back-
firing or incomplete combustion), have
your vehicle checked and repaired by an
authorized SUBARU dealer.
Do not apply undercoating or rust pre-
vention treatment to the heat shield of cat-
alytic converter and the exhaust system.
If at any time you suspect that ex-
haust fumes are entering the vehi-
cle, have the problem checked
and corrected as soon as possi-
ble. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with all win-
dows fully open.
Keep the trunk lid (Sedan) or rear
gate (Wagon) closed while driving
to prevent exhaust gas from en-
tering the vehicle.
800232
800218
Avoid fire hazards. Do not drive or
park the vehicle anywhere near
flammable materials (e.g. grass,
paper, rags or leaves), because
the catalytic converter operates at
very high temperatures.