brake fluid SUBARU IMPREZA WRX 2004 2.G User Guide

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
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HS8023BB

11 - 1
11
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ................................. 11-3
Maintenance precautions ............................ 11-3 Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................. 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is
running ............................................................ 11-5
Engine hood .................................................. 11-5
Engine compartment overview ................... 11-8 2.5 liter model .................................................... 11-8
2.0 liter (Turbo) model ...................................... 11-9
2.5 liter (Turbo) model ...................................... 11-10
Engine oil ...................................................... 11-11 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-11
Changing the oil and oil filter .......................... 11-12
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-16
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .............................. 11-18
Synthetic oil ....................................................... 11-18
Cooling system ............................................. 11-18 Cooling fan, hose and connections ................ 11-19
Engine coolant .................................................. 11-19
Air cleaner element ...................................... 11-23 Replacing the air cleaner element ................... 11-23
Spark plugs ................................................... 11-26 Recommended spark plugs ............................. 11-27
Drive belts ..................................................... 11-27
Manual transmission oil ............................... 11-28 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-28
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-30 Automatic transmission fluid ...................... 11-31
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-31
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-32
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ...... 11-33 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-33
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-33
Rear differential gear oil ............................... 11-34 Checking the gear oil level .............................. 11-34
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-35
Power steering fluid ...................................... 11-36 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-36
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-37
Brake fluid ..................................................... 11-37 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-37
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-38
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................ 11-38 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-38
Recommended clutch fluid .............................. 11-39
Brake booster ................................................ 11-40
Brake pedal .................................................... 11-40 Checking the brake pedal free play ................ 11-40
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ... 11-41
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) ........................... 11-41 Checking the clutch function .......................... 11-41
Checking the clutch pedal free play ............... 11-42
Replacement of brake pad and lining ......... 11-42 Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .... 11-43
Parking brake stroke .................................... 11-44
Tires and wheels ........................................... 11-44

11 - 4
Maintenance and service
the materials in the vehicle may be hazardous if
improperly used or handled, for example, bat- tery acid."
Your vehicle should only be serviced by per-
sons fully competent to do so. Serious person-
al injury may result to persons not experienced
in servicing vehicles. " Always use the proper tools and make certain
that they are well maintained. " Never get under the vehicle supported only
by a jack. Always use a safety stands to sup-
port the vehicle. " Never keep the engine running in a poorly
ventilated area, such as a garage or other
closed areas. " Do not smoke or allow open flames around
the fuel or battery. This will cause a fire. " Because the fuel system is under pressure,
replacement of the fuel filter should be per-
formed only by your SUBARU dealer. " Wear adequate eye protection to guard
against getting oil or fluids in your eyes. If
something does get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water. " Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS air-
bag system or seatbelt pretensioner system, or
attempt to take its connectors apart, as that may activate the system or it can render it inop-
erative. The wiring and connectors of these
systems are yellow for easy identification. NEV-
ER use a circuit tester for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner
needs service, consult your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
! Before checking or servicing in the en-
gine compartment
"Always stop the engine and set the parking
brake firmly to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing. " Always let the engine cool down. Engine
parts become very hot when the engine is run-
ning and remain hot for some time after the en-
gine is stopped. " Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid or any other fluid on hot engine compo-
nents. This may cause a fire. " Always remove the key from the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position, the cooling fan may operate suddenly

11 - 8
Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview !
2.5 liter model
12 345 67
8
9
10
11
12
13
UGB505BB
1) Manual transmission oil level
gauge (MT) (page 11-28) or Dif-
ferential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-33)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11- 23)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11- 38)
4) Automatic transmission fluid lev-
el gauge (page 11-31)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-
37)
6) Windshield washer tank (page 11-54)
7) Fuse box (page 11-60)
8) Battery (page 11-58)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-11)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-19)
11) Radiator cap (page 11-19)
12) Engine oil level gauge (page 11- 11)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-36)

11 - 9
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
!2.0 liter (Turbo) model
34 5 6 7
1
2
13 12 11 10 9 8
HGB005CB
1) Manual transmission oil level gauge (MT) (page 11-28) or Dif-
ferential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-33)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11- 23)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11- 38)
4) Automatic transmission fluid lev-
el gauge (page 11-31)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-
37)
6) Windshield washer tank (page 11-54)
7) Fuse box (page 11-60)
8) Battery (page 11-58)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-11)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-19)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-
11)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-19)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-36)

11 - 1 0
Maintenance and service !
2.5 liter (Turbo) model
34 5 6
7
1
2
12 11 10 9 8
UGB070BB
1) Manual transmission oil level gauge (MT) (page 11-28)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11-
23)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11- 38)
4) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11- 37)
5) Windshield washer tank (page
11-54)
6) Fuse box (page 11-60)
7) Battery (page 11-58)
8) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-11)
9) Engine coolant reservoir (page
11-19)
10) Engine oil level gauge (page 11- 11)
11) Radiator cap (page 11-19)
12) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-36)

11 -3 1
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
Automatic transmission fluid !Checking the fluid level
The automatic transmission fluid expands largely as
its temperature rises; the fluid level differs according to
fluid temperature. Therefore, there are two different
scales for checking the level of hot fluid and cold fluid
on the dipstick.
Though the fluid level can be checked without warm-
ing up the fluid on the “COLD” range, we recommend
checking the fluid level when the fluid is at operating
temperature. ! Checking the fluid level when the fluid is hot
1. Drive the vehicle several miles to raise the temper-
ature of the transmission fluid up to normal operating
temperature; 158 to 176 °F (70 to 80 °C) is normal.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and set the park-
ing brake.
3. First shift the selector lever in each position. Then
shift it in the “P” position, and run the engine at idling
speed. 1) Yellow handle
HGB056JB
1

11 -3 7
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
Be careful not to burn yourself because the flu-id may be hot.
"When power steering fluid is being added,
use only clean fluid, and be careful not to allow
any dirt into the tank. And never use different
brands together.
" Avoid spilling fluid when adding it in the tank.
! Recommended fluid
“Dexron III” Type Automatic Transmission Fluid
Brake fluid !Checking the fluid level
1) “MAX” level mark
2) “MIN” level mark
Check the fluid level monthly.
Check the fluid level on the outside of the reservoir. If
the level is below “MIN”, add the recommended brake
fluid to “MAX”.
Use only brake fluid from a sealed container.
MAXMAX
MINMIN
HGB056GB
1 2

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