wheel SUBARU IMPREZA 2006 2.G Owner's Manual

Starting and operating 7-5
– CONTINUED –
light comes on. Engine misfires as a re-
sult of an empty tank could cause dam-
age to the engine.
State emission testing (U.S.
only)
At state inspection time, remember to
tell your inspection or service station
in advance not to place your Subaru
AWD vehicle on a two-wheel dyna-
mometer. Otherwise, serious transmis-
sion damage will result.
Some states have started using dyna-
mometers in their state inspection pro-
grams in order to meet their obligation un-
der federal law to implement stricter vehi-
cle emission standards to reduce air pollu-
tion from vehicles. A dynamometer is a
treadmill or roller-like testing device that
allows your vehicle
’s wheels to turn while
the vehicle remains in one place. Depend-
ing on the severity of a state ’s air pollution
problems, the states must adopt either a“ basic ” or “enhanced ” vehicle emission in-
spection test. Normally, a portion of the
basic emission test consists of an emis-
sion inspector inserting an analyzer probe
into the exhaust pipe of an idling vehicle
for a short period of time. States with more
severe air pollution problems are required
to adopt an enhanced vehicle emission
test. This test simulates actual driving
conditions on a dynamometer and permits
more accurate measurement of tailpipe emitted pollution than the basic emission
test.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agen-
cy (EPA) and states using two-wheel dy-
namometers in their emission testing pro-
grams have
EXEMPTED Subaru AWD
vehicles from the portion of the testing
program that involves a two-wheel dyna-
mometer.
There are some states that use four-wheel
dynamometers in their testing programs.
When properly used, that equipment will
not damage an AWD Subaru vehicle.
Under no circumstances should the rear
wheels be jacked off the ground, nor
should the driveshaft be disconnected for
state emission testing.
Never add any cleaning agents to
the fuel tank. The addition of a
cleaning agent may cause dam-
age to the fuel system.
Make sure that the cap is tight-
ened until it clicks to prevent fuel
spillage in the event of an acci-
dent.
Do not let fuel spill on the exterior
surfaces of the vehicle.
Fuels may cause paint damage,
which is not covered under the
SUBARU Limited Warranty.
Always use a genuine SUBARU
fuel filler cap. If you use the wrong
cap, it may not fit or have proper
venting, and your fuel tank and
emission control system might be
damaged.
Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehi-
cle must NEVER be performed on a
single two-wheel dynamometer. At-
tempting to do so will result in un-
controlled vehicle movement and
may cause an accident or injuries to
persons nearby.

7-8 Starting and operating
ing.
1) Turn the ignition switch to the “OFF ”
position and wait for at least 10 sec-
onds. After checking that the parking
brake is firmly set, turn the ignition
switch to the “START ” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal slightly
(approximately a quarter of the full
stroke). Release the accelerator pedal
as soon as the engine starts.
2) If this fails to start the engine, turn the
ignition switch back to the “OFF ” posi-
tion and wait for at least 10 seconds.
Then fully depress the accelerator ped-
al and turn the ignition switch to the“ START ” position. If the engine starts,
quickly release the accelerator pedal.
3) If this fails to start the engine, turn the
ignition switch again to the “OFF ” posi-
tion. After waiting for 10 seconds or
longer, turn the ignition switch to the“ START ” position without depressing
the accelerator pedal.
4) If the engine still refuses to start, con-
tact your nearest SUBARU dealer for
assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have gone out after the engine has
started. The fuel injection system auto-
matically lowers the idle speed as the en-
gine warms up.
While the engine is warming up, make sure that the selector lever is at the
“P ” or
“ N ” position and that the parking brake is
applied.
NOTE
The engine may be difficult to start
when the battery has been disconnect-
ed and reconnected (for maintenance
or other purposes). This difficulty is
caused by the electronically controlled
throttle ’s self-diagnosis function. To
overcome it, keep the ignition switch in
the “ON ” position for approximately 10
seconds before starting the engine.
Stopping the engine
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling.
If you restart the engine while the
vehicle is moving, shift the selector
lever into the “N ” position. Do not
attempt to place the selector lever of
a moving vehicle into the “P ” posi-
tion.
Do not stop the engine when the ve-
hicle is moving. This will cause loss
of power to the power steering and
the brake booster, making steering
and braking more difficult. It could
also result in accidental activation
of the “LOCK ” position on the igni-
tion switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.

7-10 Starting and operating
Maximum allowable speeds
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear. The tachometer ’s needle will en-
ter the red area if these speeds are ex-
ceeded.
With the exception of cases where sudden
acceleration is required, the vehicle
should not be driven with the tachometer ’s
needle inside the red area. Failure to ob-
serve this precaution can lead to exces-
sive engine wear and poor fuel economy.
NOTE
Never exceed posted speed limits.
Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to
hold your vehicle at a standstill on an up-
grade. Either of those actions may cause
clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to la-
bor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 5th, 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear
as necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking effect. Remember, if you
“ride ” (over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock
when the vehicle rapidly accelerates or
rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This
phenomenon is not an indication of a
problem in your vehicle.Gear mph (km/h)
1st 33 (53)
2nd 50 (81)
3rd 68 (110)4th 114 (143)
When shifting down a gear, ensure
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to ob-
serve this precaution can lead to en-
gine over-revving and this in turn
can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine brakes when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accident in-
creased.

7-12 Starting and operating
Turbo models
mph (km/h)
Driving tips
Do not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal and do not use the clutch to
hold your vehicle at a standstill on an up-
grade. Either of those actions may cause clutch damage.
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shift lever. This may cause wear on the
transmission components.
When it is necessary to reduce vehicle
speed due to slow traffic, turning corners,
or driving up steep hills, downshift to a
lower gear before the engine starts to la-
bor.
On steep downgrades, downshift the
transmission to 4th, 3rd or 2nd gear as
necessary; this helps to maintain a safe
speed and to extend brake pad life.
In this way, the engine provides a braking
effect. Remember, if you
“ride ” (over use)
the brakes while descending a hill, they
may overheat and not work properly.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock
when the vehicle rapidly accelerates or
rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This
phenomenon is not an indication of a
problem in your vehicle.
Driver ’s Control Center Dif-
ferential (DCCD) (WRX-STI)1st 34 (54)
2nd 59 (95)
3rd 85 (136)
When shifting down a gear, ensure
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to ob-
serve this precaution can lead to en-
gine over-revving and this in turn
can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine brakes when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accident in-
creased.
Always use the utmost care when
driving. Being overconfident be-
cause you are driving a vehicle with
a driver ’s control center differential
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
700379

Starting and operating 7-13
– CONTINUED –
The driver’s control center differential al-
lows you to freely change the degree of
limitation of the differential action (limited
slip differential (LSD) torque) of your vehi-
cle ’s center differential.
By using the center differential control di-
al, you can set an initial LSD torque to
match the road surface conditions, driving
conditions and your driving style.
1) LSD torque
2) Traction torque
A) Initial LSD torque (adjustable)
B) Mechanical LSD torque
NOTE
If you rapidly depress and release the
accelerator pedal while driving at low
speed, you may hear a knocking sound
from the vicinity of the center differen-
tial and rear differential. This sound oc-
curs because of the structure of the
center differential. It does not indicate
a problem.
Auto mode
In the auto mode, the system estimates
the driving and road conditions using sig-
nals from the wheel speed sensor, throttle
position sensor, steering angle sensor
and brake switch, etc. According to the re-
sult, it electronically and automatically
controls the degree of limitation of the dif-
ferential action (LSD torque) to optimize
the differential action of the center differ-
ential. When the ignition switch is turned
ON, the “AUTO ” indicator light in the com-
bination meter comes on. The system can
be switched to a manual mode.
Manual mode
In the manual mode, you can use the cen-
ter differential control dial to adjust the ini-
In the event of failure of the driver
’s
control center differential, the “ ”
indicator light will flash. Have the
vehicle inspected by your SUBARU
dealer.
700378
LOCK1
2A
B
700123

Starting and operating 7-15
Turn the dial rearward to reduce the initial
LSD torque; when the white line reaches
the rearmost position, the initial LSD
torque will be minimum and the “ ” indi-
cator light will come on. Under this condi-
tion, only the Mechanical LSD torque will
limit the differential action.
NOTE
A higher initial LSD torque setting
gives the vehicle greater traction when
driving straight ahead but makes cor-
nering more difficult. Remember this
when adjusting the initial LSD torque.
In general, higher initial LSD torque
settings assist driving on slippery
roads and lower settings for non-slip-
pery roads. If you become stuck in
snow or mud, turning the center differ-
ential control dial to the frontmost po-
sition will help move the vehicle out.
(The “LOCK ” indicator will come on at
the frontmost position.)
During cornering or when making
turns (especially when getting into the
garage), the rotational difference be-
tween the front and rear wheels may
cause a braking effect accompanied by vibration and noise. This does not indi-
cate a problem. The phenomenon will
disappear when you turn the center dif-
ferential control dial to the rearmost
position (minimum initial LSD torque
position).
Use the center-differential indicator
light only as a rough indication of the
initial LSD torque.
If you operate the center differential
control dial while quickly accelerating
or turning a tight corner, you may feel
slight shocks. This is due to differential
action by the center differential and
does not indicate a problem.
Temporary release
When the driver stops the vehicle and
pulls the parking-brake lever after manual-
ly setting the initial LSD torque, the LSD
torque is temporarily minimized. However
the indicator in the combination meter
continues to show the driver ’s selected ini-
tial LSD torque. When the driver releases
the parking-brake lever, the initial LSD
torque set by the driver is restored.
Do not turn the control dial when
a wheel slippage occurs. Wait un-
til the wheelspin has been
brought under control.
700358
Under any of the following condi-
tions, turn the center differential
control dial to the rearmost posi-
tion to minimize the initial LSD
torque:
When a temporary spare tire is
installed
When your vehicle is towed
When the vehicle is stopped
with the manual mode selected

7-16 Starting and operating
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled with 4-forward speeds and
1-reverse speed.
NOTE
When the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle ’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.
Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected
and stored in memory to allow the
transmission to shift at the most ap-
propriate times for the current condi-
tion of your vehicle. Optimized shifting
will be restored as the vehicle contin-
ues to be driven for a while.
Selector lever for automatic
transmission
Do not shift from the “P ” or “N ” po-
sition into the “D ”, “3 ”, “2 ”, “1 ” or
“ R ” position while depressing the
accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or back-
ward.
Shift into the “P ” or “R ” position
only after the vehicle is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause dam-
age to the transmission.
Do not race the engine for more
than five seconds in any position
except the “N ” or “P ” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
Avoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the “ R ” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P ” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery.
700034

Starting and operating 7-17
– CONTINUED –
: With the brake pedal depressed,
move the lever along the gate.
: Move the lever along the gate.
The selector lever has seven positions.
P (Park)
This position is for parking the vehicle and
starting the engine.
In this position, the transmission is me-
chanically locked to prevent the vehicle
from rolling freely.
When you park the vehicle, first set the
parking brake fully, then shift into the “P ”
position. Do not hold the vehicle with only
the transmission.
A shift interlock function is employed in
the automatic transmission system to en- sure safe starting of the vehicle.
To shift the selector lever from the
“P ” to
the any other position, you have to de-
press the brake pedal fully when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON ” position. This
prevents the vehicle from lurching when it
is started.
If the shift lever does not move from the “ P ” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed, refer to the “Shift lock release ”
section in this chapter.
R (Reverse)
This position is for backing the vehicle.
To shift from the “N ” to “R ” position, first
stop the vehicle completely then move the
lever to the “R ” position.
N (Neutral)
This position is for restarting a stalled en-
gine.
In this position the wheels and transmis-
sion are not locked. In this position, the
transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll
freely, even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or foot brake is on.
Avoid coasting with the transmission neu-
tral.
During coasting, there is no engine brak-
ing effect.
NOTE
If you stop the engine with the selector
lever in the “N ” position, move the se-
lector lever to the “P ” position immedi-
ately. Otherwise, you may find that the
selector lever soon cannot be moved
to the “P ” position. If you find that the
selector lever cannot be moved from
the “N ” position to the “P ” position,
turn the ignition switch to the “ON ” po-
sition and try again.
D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 4th according to
the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you release
the pedal, the transmission will return to
700332
Do not drive the vehicle with the se-
lector lever in the “N ” (neutral) posi-
tion. Engine braking has no effect in
this condition and the risk of an ac-
cident is consequently increased.

Starting and operating 7-19
– CONTINUED –
NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during
deceleration of the vehicle, the trans-
mission will remain in the current gear
if the speed of the vehicle is in excess
of the Maximum Allowable Speed for
the gear to which the selector lever has
been moved.
Driving tips
Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D ”, “3 ”,
“ 2 ”, “1 ” or “R ” position.
Always set the parking brake when parking your vehicle. Do not hold the vehi-
cle with only the transmission.
Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary
position on an uphill grade by using the “ D ”, “3 ”, “2 ”, or “1 ” position. Use the brake
instead.
The engine may, on rare occasions, knock
when the vehicle rapidly accelerates or
rapidly pulls away from a standstill. This
phenomenon is not an indication of a
problem in your vehicle.
Shift lock release
If the selector lever does not move from
the “P ” position with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the ignition switch in the “ON ”
position, perform the following steps:
To override the shift lock:
1. Set the parking brake and stop the en-
gine.
2. Take out the screwdriver from the tool
bag.
3. Remove the cover by prying on the
edge with the screwdriver.
4. Insert the screwdriver into the hole.
5. Push down on the screwdriver and
move the selector lever from the “P ” to the
“ N ” position.
6. Remove the screwdriver from the hole.
Depress the brake pedal and start the en-
When shifting down a gear, ensure
that the vehicle is not travelling at a
speed exceeding the Maximum Al-
lowable Speed for the gear which is
about to be selected. Failure to ob-
serve this precaution can lead to en-
gine over-revving and this in turn
can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine brakes when the vehicle is
travelling on a slippery surface can
lead to wheel locking; as a conse-
quence, control of the vehicle may
be lost and the risk of an accident in-
creased.
700059
700060

7-20 Starting and operating
gine.
Take your vehicle to the nearest SUBARU
dealer immediately to have the system re-
paired.Limited slip differential (LSD)
(if equipped)
The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in revo-
lutions between the right and left wheels
that may be caused by certain driving con-
ditions, thereby improving driving stability
on snow-covered, muddy or other slippery
roads or when high speed driving.
NOTE (WRX-STI)
The rear differential may emit a knock-
ing sound when the vehicle is driven
slowly with the steering wheel turned
fully to either side. This sound occurs
because of the design of the mechani-
cal LSD. It does not indicate a problem.
Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the
vehicle may move.
If one tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely af-
fect the LSD.
If you use a temporary spare tire
to replace a flat tire, be sure to use
the original temporary spare tire
stored in the vehicle. Using other
sizes will adversely affect the
LSD.