tires SUBARU IMPREZA WRX 2002 2.G User Guide

Driving tips
8-9
– CONTINUED –
aid kit and portable phone or citizens band radio. Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous areas or over rough terrain. Slow down and employ extra caution at all times.
When driving off-road, you will not have the benefit
of marked traffic lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and the like. Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive
either straight up or straight down the slopes. A ve-
hicle can much more easily tip over sideways than it
can end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down
slopes that are too steep. Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at
higher speeds. Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering
wheel. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injureyour hands. Instead drive with your fingers andthumbs on the outside of the rim. If driving through water, such as when crossing
shallow streams, first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the stream bed for firmness and
ensure that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The water
should be shallow enough that it does not reach the
vehicle’ s undercarriage. Water entering the engine
air intake or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never attempt to drive through
rushing water; regardless of its depth, it can wash
away the ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle rollover.
Always check your brakes for effectiveness im-
mediately after driving in sand, mud or water. Do
this by driving slowly and stepping on the brake
pedal. Repeat that process several times to dry outthe brake discs and brake pads. Do not drive or park over or near flammable mate-
rials such as dry grass or fallen leaves, as they may
burn easily. The exhaust system is very hot while en- gine is running and right after the engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard. After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand,
rivers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, pa-
per, rags, stones, sand, etc. adhering to or trapped
on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with these ma-
terials trapped or adhering to the underbody, a
mechanical breakdown or fire could occur. Secure all cargo carried inside the vehicle and
make certain that it is not piled higher than the seat-
backs. During sudden stops or jolts, unsecured car-
go could be thrown around in the vehicle and cause
injury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. Thoseloads raise the vehicle ’s center of gravity and make

Driving tips
8-10
it more prone to tip over. If you must rock the vehicle to free it from sand or
mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly and
move the selector lever back and forth between “D”
and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels
when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you
can obtain better traction by starting the vehicle withthe transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and
AT). Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than
those specified in this manual. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-
driving conditions such as rough roads or off roads
will necessitate more frequent replacement of engine
oil, brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified
in the maintenance schedule described in the “War -
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your Subaru while
operating it off-road and not using common sense
precautions such as those listed above is not eligi-ble for warranty coverage. Winter driving
HG8001AA

Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire
chains, a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares, asmall shovel, and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures
reduce battery capacity. The battery must be in
good condition to provide enough power for cold
winter starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder
starting.

Driving tips
8-11
– CONTINUED –
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage or sepa-
rate the rubber weather strips around the door. If the
door is frozen, use hot water to melt the ice, and af-
terwards thoroughly wipe the water away. Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an anti-
freeze solution. Do not use engine antifreeze or oth-
er substitutes because they may damage the paintof the vehicle.
Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice
from your shoes because that could make the ped-
als slippery and dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before driving, check that the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and all oth-
er controls operate smoothly. Clear away ice and snow that has accumulated un-
der the fenders to avoid making steering difficult.
During severe winter driving, stop when and where itis safe to do so and check under the fenders peri-
odically.
Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when parking for long
periods in cold weather since it could freeze in that
position. Instead, observe the following:
1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for manual trans-
mission vehicles, and in “P” for automatic transmis-
sion vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent the ve-
hicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or when it
snows, raise the wiper blades off the glass to pre-vent damage to 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 onthe brake system, which could cause poor braking
action. Check for snow or ice buildup on the sus-
pension, disc brakes and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, being care-ful not to damage the disc brakes and brake hoses
and ABS harness.

Driving tips
8-12
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the
exhaust pipe and from around your vehicle ifyou park the vehicle in snow with the engine running.
Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel
system and the risk of its freezing, use of an anti-
freeze additive in the fuel tank is recommended dur-
ing 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 ex-
tended period, it is best to have the fuel tank filled to
capacity. Driving on snowy and icy roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-speed driving,
and sharp turning when driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between your ve-
hicle and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid the needfor sudden 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 cancause the wheels to lock, possibly leading to loss of
vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) e
nhances your
vehicle’ 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 surfaces. NOTE The optional 17-inch tires for the WRX are sum- mer tires. Compared with winter and all-season tires, summer tires give significantly less grip on
snowy and icy road surfaces. Avoid driving onsnowy and icy road surface with summer tires.

Driving tips
8-13
– CONTINUED –
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads such as snowy or icy roads. This may
cause loss of vehicle control.
Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure the wiper
blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear win-
dow. If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield
or rear window, use the defroster with the airflow
control dial in the “t ” position and the temperature
control dial set for maximum warmth until the wiper
blades are completely thawed out. If your vehicle is
equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blades. To thaw out the rear wiper
blade, use the rear window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts to stick
on the surface of the windshield despite wiper
operation, use the defroster with the airflow controldial in “t ” and the temperature control dial set for
maximum warmth. After the windshield gets warmed
enough to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away
using the windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the wiper from working effectively. If snow is stuck on the
wiper arm, pull off the road to a safe place, then
remove it. If you stop the car at road side, use the
hazard warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades (winter blades) during the seasons you
could have snow and sub-zero temperatures.
Blades of this type give superior wiping perfor-
mance in snowy conditions. Be sure to use blades
that are suitable for your vehicle.
Corrosion protection
Refer to the “Corrosion protection ” section (chapter
10). Snow tires
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter
(snow) tires, make sure you use only the same size, construction and load range as the origi-nal tires listed on the tire placard. Using other
sizes and construction may affect speedome-ter/odometer calibration and clearance be-tween the body and tires. It also may be dan-

Driving tips
8-14
gerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. You must install four winter tires that are of
the same size, construction, brand, and loadrange. Mixing other sizes or constructions
may result in severe mechanical damage to
the drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speedometer/ odometer calibration. It also may be danger-ous and lead to loss of vehicle control. Do not use a combination of radial, belted
bias or bias tires since it may cause danger-ous handling characteristics and lead to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires ” as
original equipment, which are designed to provide
an adequate measure of traction, handling and
braking performance in year-round driving. In winter,
it may be possible to enhance performance through
use of tires designed specifically for winter drivingconditions.
The optional 17-inch tires for the WRX are summer
tires. Compared with winter and all-season tires,
summer tires give significantly less grip on snowy
and icy road surfaces. Therefore, use of winter tires
is strongly recommended when driving with such
road conditions. When you choose to install winter tires on your ve-
hicle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type.
You must install four winter tires that are of the samesize, construction, brand and load range and you
should never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous handling charac-
teristics. When you choose a tire, make sure that
there is enough clearance between the tire and ve-
hicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless
of the type of tires on your vehicle.
Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require
the use of tire chains, in which case put the chains
on the front wheels only. Use only SAE class S type
chains that are of the correct size for your tires so asnot to damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h).
When a temporary spare tire is on a front wheel, re-
place the temporary spare tire with the rear tire onthe same side of the vehicle, and then fit chains on
the front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire

Driving tips
8-15
– CONTINUED –
chains — overconfidence because you are driving
with tire chains could easily lead to a serious acci-dent.
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be fitted with optional
215/45 R17 tires for the WRX because of lack
of clearance between the tire and body.
Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow,
sand, or mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly
and move the selector lever back and forth between
“D” and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. Forthe best possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels
when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you
can obtain better traction by starting the vehicle with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and
AT). Refer to the “Automatic transmission” section in
chapter 7 for information on holding the transmis- sion in 2nd position. Loading your vehicle
WARNING

Never allow passengers to ride on the
folded rear seatback, in the trunk or in the car-
go area. Doing so may result in serious injury. Never stack luggage or other cargo higher
than the top of the seatback because it couldtumble forward and injure passengers in the event of a sudden stop or accident. Keep lug-
gage or cargo low, as close to the floor aspossible.
HG1006BA

Driving tips
8-18
bly) plus the vehicle capacity weight. In addition, the total weight applied to each axle
(GAW) must never exceed the GAWR. The front and
rear GAWs can be adjusted by relocating luggageinside the vehicle.Even if the total weight of your luggage is lower than
the vehicle capacity weight, either front or rear GAW
may exceed the GAWR, depending on the distribu-
tion of the luggage.
If you carry heavy loads in the vehicle, you should
confirm that GVW and front and rear GAWs are with-
in the GVWR and GAWR by putting your vehicle on
a vehicle scale, found at a commercial weighing sta-tion.
Do not use replacement tires with a lower load range than the originals because they may lower the
GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher load range than the originals do not in-
crease the GVWR and GAWR limitations.
Roof rail and crossbar (if equipped)
HB8016BC
1) Crossbar kit
The roof rail is not designed to carry cargo by itself.
Cargo can be carried after securing the roof cross-
bar kit to the roof rail and installing the appropriate
carrying attachment. When installing the roof cross-
bar kit, follow the manufacturer ’s instructions.
When you carry cargo on the roof using the roof
crossbar kit and a carrying attachment, never ex-
ceed the maximum load limit explained below. You
should also be careful that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and
front and rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). See the “Loading your vehicle ” section in this chap-

Driving tips
8-27
– CONTINUED –
Trailer towing
Your car is designed and intended to be used pri-
marily as a passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer puts additional loads on your car ’s engine, dri-
vetrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an
adverse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and sat-
isfaction depend upon proper use of correct equip-
ment and cautious operation of your vehicle. Seekthe advice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in
purchasing a hitch and other necessary towing
equipment appropriate for your vehicle. In addition,
be sure to follow the instructions on correct installa-
tion and use provided by the trailer and other towing
equipment manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or
vehicle damage that result from trailer towing equip-
ment, or from any errors or omissions in the instruc- tions accompanying such equipment or for your fail-
ure to follow the proper instructions. Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage or malfunction caused by trailer towing. If you use
your vehicle to tow a trailer, more frequent mainte-
nance will be required due to the additional load. (Refer to
“Maintenance schedule under severe driv-
ing conditions ” in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer be towedwith a new vehicle or a vehicle with any new power-
train component (engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of driving. Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load limits ex-
plained below. Exceeding the maximum loadlimits could cause personal injury and/or ve-hicle damage.
CAUTION
Adequate size trailer brakes are required
when the trailer and its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total
weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load. Make sure the load and its distribution in your
vehicle and trailer are acceptable.

Driving tips
8-32
Trailer hitches
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and trailer.
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body of your
vehicle to install a commercial trailer hitch. If you do, dangerous exhaust gas, water or mud may enter the passenger compartment
through the drilled hole. Exhaust gas containscarbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless
gas which is dangerous, or even lethal, if
inhaled. Also, drilling the frame or under-body of your vehicle could cause deterioration of strength of your vehicle and cause corrosionaround the drilled hole.
CAUTION
Do not modify the vehicle exhaust system,
brake system, or other systems when instal- ling a hitch or other trailer towing equipment. Do not use axle-mounted hitches as they
can cause damage to the axle housing, wheelbearings, wheels or tires.
WAGON including OUTBACK SPORT
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer hitch is recom-
mended. A genuine SUBARU hitch is available from
your SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoidable, be sure
the hitch is suited to your vehicle and trailer. Consult
with a professional hitch supplier to assist you in
choosing an appropriate hitch for your vehicle. Be
sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bum-
per. The bumper is not designed to handle that typeof load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check that the
hitch mounting bolts and nuts are tight.
SEDAN
SUBARU does not offer accessory trailer hitches.
Consult with a professional hitch supplier to assist
you in choosing an appropriate hitch for your ve-
hicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s
instructions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bum-
per. The bumper is not designed to handle that typeof load.Regularly check that the hitch mounting bolts and
nuts are tight.