steering SUBARU LEGACY 2001 3.G Owner's Manual

7-10If the eng ine d oes not start within ten sec ond s, wa
it a while and then turn
the ig nition switc h to the “START ” p osition ag ain while d ep ressing the ac -
c elerator p ed al half way d own.
6. Confirm that all warning and ind ic ator lig hts hav e g one out after the
eng ine has started . The fuel injec tion system autom atic ally lowers the
id le sp eed as the eng ine warms up .
While the eng ine is warming up , make sure that the selec tor lever is at
the “P ” or “N ” p osition and that the p arking b rake is ap p lied .
Starting the engine during cold weather below –4F
(–20 C)
If the eng ine is d iffic ult to start using the norma l method (without d e-
p ressing the ac c elerator p ed al), turn the ig nition switc h to the “START ”
p osition while slig htly d ep ressing the ac c elerator p ed al.
Starting a flooded engine
If the eng ine d oes not start, it may b e flood ed (ex c essive fuel in the en-
g ine).
In c ase of a flood ed eng ine, turn the starter motor for five sec ond s with
the ac c elerator p ed al fully d ep ressed . Rep eat this two or three times until
the eng ine starts. Release the ig nition switc h and ac c elerator p ed al as
soon as the eng ine starts.
Stopping the engine
WARNING
Do not stop the engine when the vehicle 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 ignition
switch, causing the steering wheel to lock.
The ig nition switc h should b e turned off only when the eng ine is id ling .

7-206. Remove the sc rewd river from the hole. Dep ress the
b rake p ed al and
start the eng ine.
Take your vehic le to the nearest SUBARU d ealer imme d iately to have the
system rep aired . Rear viscous limited slip differential (LSD) (if equipped)
CAUTION
Never start the engine while a tire on one side is jacked up, as
the vehicle may move. If one rear tire is spinning in mud, avoid continued spinning at
high speed as this could adversely affect the LSD. If a different size rear tire is temporarily used (as in an emer-
gency), it will adversely affect the LSD. Always replace it with aregular size tire as soon as possible.
The LSD p rovid es op timum d istrib ution of p ower ac c o rd ing to the d iffer-
enc e in revolutions b etween the rig ht and left rear wheels that may b e
c aused b y c ertain d riving c ond itions, thereb y imp ro ving d riving stab ility
on snow-c overed , mud d y or other slip p ery road s. Power steering
CAUTION
Do not hold the steering wheel at the fully locked position left or right for more than five seconds. This may damage the powersteering pump.
The p ower steering system op erates only when the en g ine is running .
If you lose p ower steering assist b ec ause the eng in e stop s or the system
fails to func tion, you c an steer b ut it will take m uc h more effort.

Starting and operating7-21
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NOTE Right after the engine has been started and before it has warmed up, you may hear a noise coming from areas adjacent to the powersteering pump which is located at the right-front area of the enginecompartment. This noise is normal. It does not indicate power steer-ing system trouble. Braking
Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This can
cause dangerous overheating of the brakes and needless wearon the brake pads and linings.
When the brakes get wet
When d riving in rain or after washing the vehic le, the b rakes may g et
wet. As a result, b rake stop p ing d istanc e will b e l ong er. To d ry the
b rakes, d rive the vehic le at a safe sp eed while lig htly d ep ressing the
b rake p ed al to heat up the b rakes. Use of engine braking
Rememb er to make use of eng ine b raking in ad d ition to foot b raking .
When d esc end ing a g rad e, if only the foot b rake is used , the b rakes
may start working imp rop erly b ec ause of b rake fluid overheating ,
c aused b y overheated b rake p ad s. To help p revent th is, shift into a
lower g ear to g et strong er eng ine b raking . Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not d ep ress the b rake p ed al sud d enly when a tire is p unc tured .
This c ould c ause a loss of c ontrol of the vehic le. Keep d riving straig ht
ahead while g rad ually red uc ing sp eed . Then slowly p ull off the road
to a safe p lac e.

Starting and operating7-23
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ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence because
you are driving with an ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
The ABS system does not always decrease stopping distance.
You should always maintain a safe following distance from othervehicles. When driving on badly surfaced roads, gravel roads, icy road,
or over deep newly fallen snow, stopping distances may be long-er for a vehicle with the ABS system than one without. When driv-ing under these conditions, therefore, reduce your speed and
leave ample distance from other vehicles. When you feel the ABS system operating, you should maintain
constant brake pedal pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal
since doing so may defeat the operation of the ABS system.
The ABS system p revents the loc k-up of wheels whic h may oc c ur d uring
sud d en b raking or b raking on slip p ery road surfac es . This help s p revent
the loss of steering c ontrol and d irec tional stab il ity c aused b y wheel
loc k-up .
When the ABS system is op erating , you may hear a c h attering noise or
feel a slig ht vib ration in the b rake p ed al. This is normal when the ABS
op erates.
The ABS system will not op erate when the vehic le sp eed is b elow
ap p roximately 6 mp h (10 km/h).
ABS system self-check
You may feel a slig ht shoc k in the b rake p ed al and hear the op erating
sound of ABS from the eng ine c omp artment just after the vehic le is

7-26
Whenever suspension components, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a vehicle equipped with VDC, have an authorized SUBARU dealer perform an inspection of that system. The following precautions should be observed in order to
ensure that the VDC system is operating properly:
–All four wheels should be fitted with tires of the same size,
type, and brand. Furthermore, the amount of wear should bethe same for all four tires.– Keep the tire pressure at the proper level as shown on the
label attached to the vehicle ’s door pillar.
– Use only the special temporary spare tire to replace a flat
tire.
When d riving on slip p ery road s or making sud d en tur ns to avoid
ob stac les in the vehic le ’s p ath, c ertain situations may oc c ur where the
vehic le may slip sid eways or where the rear of the vehic le may swing
outward . When the VDC system d etermines either of t hese c irc um-
stanc es is ab out to oc c ur, it c ontrols — and op erates in c onjunc tion with
— the Anti-loc k Brake System and the Trac tion Contro l System to sup -
p ress sud d en c hang es in vehic le attitud e and motion , thus imp roving
d irec tional stab ility d uring d riving .
Anti-loc k Brake System (ABS) func tion:
The ABS c ontrols the b rake system elec tronic ally. I t p revents loc king
of the wheels so that d irec tional stab ility and ste ering wheel resp on-
siveness c an b e maintained even when b raking on sli p p ery surfac es.
In the unlikely event that a malfunc tion should oc c ur in the ABS, it will
still b e p ossib le to stop the vehic le using normal b raking .
Trac tion Control System (TCS) func tion:
The TCS limits sp inning of the d rive wheels on slip p ery surfac es; in
this, it help s ensure that an ap p rop riate d eg ree of trac tion and steer-
ing are maintained . The VDC op eration ind ic ator lig ht will turn on
when the TCS ac tivates. Vehic le Dynamic s Control
To assist in maintaining d irec tional stab ility, the VDC help s sup p ress
sid eways slip p ing of the vehic le when the steering wheel is turned
sud d enly or when c ornering on a slip p ery surfac e. T he VDC op eration

Starting and operating7-27
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ind ic ator lig ht will flash on and off when this sys
tem ac tivates.
NOTE Slight twitching of the brake pedal may be felt when the VDC-sys-
tem operates; a small degree of vehicle or steering wheel shaking may also be noticed in this situation. These are normal effects of
VDC operation and are no cause for alarm. When driving off immediately after starting the engine, a short-
lived operation noise may be noticed coming from the enginecompartment. This noise is generated as a result of a check beingperformed on the VDC system and is normal. Depending on the timing of activation of the brakes, certain situa-
tions may occur just after driving off where the brake pedal seemsto exhibit a jolting motion. This too is a consequence of the VDCoperational check and is normal. Activation of the VDC system will cause operation of the steering
wheel to feel slightly different compared to that for normal condi-tions. Even if the vehicle is equipped with a VDC system, it is important
that winter tires be used when driving on snow-covered or icyroads. (All four wheels should be fitted with tires of the same sizeand brand). Furthermore, if snow chains are to be used, they shouldbe fitted on the front wheels. When a vehicle is fitted with snow
chains, however, the effectiveness of the VDC system is reduced
and this should be taken into account when driving the vehicle insuch a condition. It is always important to reduce speed when approaching a cor-
ner, even if the vehicle is equipped with VDC. All four wheels should be fitted with tires of the same size, type,
and brand; furthermore, the amount of wear should be the same for
all four tires. If these precautions are not observed and non-match-ing tires are used, it is quite possible that the VDC system will beunable to operate correctly as intended. Always turn off the engine before replacing a tire as failure to do
so may render the VDC system unable to operate correctly.

Starting and operating7-33
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When p arking on a hill, always turn the steering wh
eel. When the vehic le
is head ed up the hill, the front wheels should b e t urned away from the
c urb . When fac ing d ownhill, the front wheels should b e turned into the
c urb .
Cruise control (if equipped)
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control under any of the following condi- tions. This may cause loss of vehicle control: driving up or down a steep grade
driving on slippery or winding roads
driving in heavy traffic
Cruise c ontrol enab les you to maintain a c onstant v ehic le sp eed without
hold ing your foot on the ac c elerator p ed al and it i s op erative when the
vehic le sp eed is 25 mp h (40 km/h) or more. Make sur e the main switc h is
turned “OFF ” when the c ruise c ontrol is not in use to avoid uni ntentionally
b y setting the c ruise c ontrol.
To set cruise control
HG0312
HB3002BB
Cruise control lever
1. Push the “CRUISE ” main switc h.
2. Dep ress the ac c elerator p ed al until the vehic le r eac hes to the d e-
sired sp eed .

8-8and otherwise similar to on-road d riving c ond itions
. Op erating it und er
other than those c ond itions c ould sub jec t the vehic le to exc essive
stress whic h mig ht result in d amag e not elig ib le fo r rep air und er war-
ranty. If you d o take your SUBARU off road , you sho uld review the
c ommon sense p rec autions in the next sec tion (ap p li c ab le to the
OUTBACK) for g eneral g uid anc e. But p lease keep in m ind that your
vehic le ’s off-road c ap ab ilities are more limited than those of the OUT-
BACK.
Never attemp t to d rive throug h p ools and p ud d les, o r road s flood ed
with water. Water entering the eng ine air intake or the exhaust p ip e or
water sp lashing onto elec tric al p arts may d amag e yo ur vehic le and
may c ause it to stall. OUTBACK
Bec ause of the AWD feature and hig her g round c leara nc e, your
Sub aru c an b e d riven on ord inary road s or off-road . But p lease keep
in mind that an AWD Sub aru is a p asseng er c ar and i s neither a c on-
ventional off-road vehic le nor an all-terrain vehic le. If you d o take your
Sub aru off-road , c ertain c ommon sense p rec autions s uc h as the fol-
lowing should b e taken: Make c ertain that you and all of your p asseng ers ar e wearing seat
b elts. Carry some emerg enc y eq uip ment, suc h as a towing ro p e or
c hain, a shovel, wheel b loc ks, first aid kit and p o rtab le p hone or c iti-
zens b and rad io. Drive c arefully. Do not take unnec essary risks b y d riving in d ang er-
ous areas or over roug h terrain. Slow d own and emp loy extra c aution at all times. Wh en d riving off-
road , you will not have the b enefit of marked traff ic lanes, b anked
c urves, traffic sig ns and the like. Do not d rive ac ross steep slop es. Instead , d rive ei ther straig ht up
or straig ht d own the slop es. A vehic le c an muc h mor e easily tip over
sid eways than it c an end over end . Avoid d riving st raig ht up or d own
slop es that are too steep . Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, esp ec ially at hig her sp eed s.
Do not g rip the insid e or sp okes of the steering wh eel. A b ad

Driving tips8-11
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Keep the d oor loc ks from freezing b y sq uirting them
with d eic er or
g lyc erin.
Forc ing a frozen d oor op en may d amag e or sep arate t he rub b er
weather strip s around the d oor. If the d oor is froz en, use hot water to
melt the ic e, and afterward s thoroug hly wip e the wa ter away.
Use a wind shield washer fluid that c ontains an anti freeze solution. Do
not use eng ine antifreeze or other sub stitutes b ec a use they may d am-
ag e the p aint of the vehic le.n Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehic le, remove any snow or ic e from your shoes
b ec ause that c ould make the p ed als slip p ery and d an g erous.
While warming up the vehic le b efore d riving , c hec k that the ac c elera-
tor p ed al, b rake p ed al, and all other c ontrols op er ate smoothly.
Clear away ic e and snow that has ac c umulated und er the fend ers to
avoid making steering d iffic ult. During severe wint er d riving , stop
when and where it is safe to d o so and c hec k und er the fend ers p eri-
od ic ally. n Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under your vehicle. Keep snow clear of the exhaust pipe and from around your
vehicle if you park the vehicle in snow with the engine running.
Do not use the p arking b rake when p arking for long p eriod s in c old
weather sinc e it c ould freeze in that p osition. Ins tead , ob serve the fol-
lowing :
1. Plac e the shift lever in “1 ” or “R ” for manual transmission vehic les,
and in “P ” for automatic transmission vehic les.
2. Use tire stop s und er the tires to p revent the veh ic le from moving .
When the vehic le is p arked in snow or when it snows , raise the wip er
b lad es off the g lass to p revent d amag e to them.

Driving tips8-37
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Trailer towing tips CAUTION
Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days. When towing a trailer, steering, stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be different from normal operation. For
safety’ s sake, you should employ extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never speed. You should also keep the fol-lowing tips in mind:
n Before starting out on a trip
Chec k that the vehic le and vehic le-to-hitc h mountin g are in g ood
c ond ition. If any p rob lems are ap p arent, d o not tow the trailer.
Chec k that the vehic le sits horizontally with the t railer attac hed . If
the vehic le is tip p ed sharp ly up at the front and d own at the rear,
c hec k the total trailer weig ht, GVW, GAWs and tong u e load ag ain,
then c onfirm that the load and its d istrib ution are ac c ep tab le.
Chec k that the tire p ressures are c orrec t.
Chec k that the vehic le and trailer are c onnec ted p r op erly. Confirm
that. –the trailer tong ue is c onnec ted p rop erly to the hit c h b all.
– the trailer lig hts c onnec tor is c onnec ted p rop erly and trailer’s
b rake lig hts illuminate when the vehic le ’s b rake p ed al is p ressed ,
and that the trailer ’s turn sig nal lig hts flash when the vehic le ’s turn
sig nal lever is op erated .
– the safety c hains are c onnec ted p rop erly.
– all c arg o in the trailer is sec ured safety in p osit ion.
– the sid e mirrors p rovid e a g ood rearward field of v iew without a
sig nific ant b lind sp ot.
Suffic ient time should b e taken to learn the “feel ” of the vehic le/
trailer c omb ination b efore starting out on a trip . In an area free of traf-
fic , p rac tic e turning , stop p ing and b ac king up .