SUBARU IMPREZA WRX 2003 2.G Owners Manual

Driving tips
8-8
Off road driving
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed ac-
cording to the road and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on a sharpturn, during sudden braking or under othersimilar conditions. Always use the utmost care in driving –
overconfidence because you are driving an allwheel drive vehicle could easily lead to a seri-ous accident.
All AWD models except OUTBACK SPORT
Your AWD vehicle is neither a conventional off-road
vehicle nor an all terrain vehicle. It is a passenger
car designed primarily for on-road use. The AWD
feature gives it some limited off-road capabilities in
situation in which driving surfaces a relatively level,
obstruction-free and otherwise similar to on-road driving conditions. Operating it under other than those conditions could subject the vehicle to exces-
sive stress which might result in damage not eligible for repair under warranty. If you do take your
SUBARU off road, you should review the common
sense precautions in the next section (applicable to
the OUTBACK SPORT) for general guidance. Butplease keep in mind that your vehicle
’s off-road ca-
pabilities are more limited than those of the OUT-
BACK SPORT.
Never attempt to drive through pools and puddles,
or roads flooded with water. 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. OUTBACK SPORT
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground
clearance, your Subaru can be driven on ordinary
roads or off-road. But please keep in mind that an
AWD SUBARU is a passenger car and is neither a
conventional off-road vehicle nor an all-terrain ve-
hicle. If you do take your Subaru off-road, certain
common sense precautions such as the following should be taken: Make certain that you and all of your passengers
are wearing seat belts. Carry some emergency equipment, such as a
towing rope or chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first

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 the
engine 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

Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such as tire
chains, a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares, a small 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

Driving tips
8-11
– CONTINUED –
cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder
starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting themwith 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 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 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 it is 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. 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 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 could tumble forward and injure passengers in theevent of a sudden stop or accident. Keep lug-
gage or cargo low, as close to the floor aspossible.

Driving tips
8-16
WARNING
When you carry something inside the ve-
hicle, secure it whenever you can to prevent it from being thrown around inside the vehicleduring sudden stops, sharp turns or in an ac- cident. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These
loads raise the vehicle ’s center of gravity and
make it more prone to tip over. Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri- ous injury during a sudden stop. Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you
do, some parts on your vehicle can break, or itcan change the way your vehicle handles.This could result in loss of control and cause
personal injury. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle. Do not place anything on the rear shelf
behind the rear seatback (for sedan) or the ex-
tended luggage cover (for wagon). Such itemscould tumble forward in the event of a suddenstop or a collision. This could cause serious
injury.
CAUTION
Do not carry spray cans, containers with flam- mable or corrosive liquids or any other dan- gerous items inside the vehicle.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry unneeded cargo. Vehicle capacity weight

Driving tips
8-17
– CONTINUED –
The load capacity of your vehicle is determined by
weight, not by available cargo space. The maximum
load you can carry in your vehicle is shown as the
Vehicle Capacity Weight on the tire information label
attached to the driver ’s side door jamb. It includes
the total weight of driver and all passengers andtheir belongings, any optional equipment such as a
trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier, etc., and the
tongue load of a trailer.
The tire information label also shows recommended
tire inflation pressure under full loading and trailer
towing conditions. Adjust tire inflation pressures
according to the loading conditions. For the tire inflation pressures, refer to the
“Tires and wheel ”
section in Chapter 11. GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and Gross Axle WeightRating)
The certification plate attached to the driver ’s side
door jamb shows GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-
ing) and GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating).
The GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) must never ex- ceed the GVWR. GVW is the combined total of
weight of the vehicle, fuel, driver, all passengers,
luggage, any optional equipment and trailer tongue