speed SUBARU LEGACY 2003 3.G Repair Manual

8-2
New vehicle break-in driving
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the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
The performance and long life of your vehicle are dependent on how you
handle and care for your vehicle while it is new. Follow these instructionsduring the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km): Do not race the engine. Break-in engine speed limit
Vehicle with tachometer
Never exceed 4,000 rpm engine speed except for brief acceleration
in an emergency. Vehicle without tachometer (for manual transmission)
Do not exceed the speed limits below for each gear position except
for brief acceleration in an emergency.
mph (km/h)
1st
2nd3rd4th
22 (35)37 (60)50 (80)65 (105)
Vehicles without tachometer (for automatic transmission)
Try to drive at moderate speeds while accelerating and braking
smoothly. Proper gears are selected automatically according to thedriving conditions.
Do not drive at one constant engine or vehicle speed for a long time,
either fast or slow. Avoid starting suddenly and rapid acceleration, except in an emer-
gency. Avoid hard braking, except in an emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be applied to a newly installed or
overhauled engine or when brake pads or brake linings are replacedwith new ones.

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Driving tips8-3
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Fuel economy hints The following suggestions will help to save your fuel.
Select the proper gear position for the speed and road conditions.
Avoid sudden acceleration or deceleration. Always accelerate gently
until you reach the desired speed. Then try to maintain that speed for as long as possible. Do not pump the accelerator and avoid racing the engine.
Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
Keep the engine properly tuned.
Keep the tires inflated to the correct pressure shown on the tire plac-
ard, which is located under the door latch on the driver ’s side. Low pres-
sure will increase tire wear and fuel consumption. Use the air conditioner only when necessary.
Keep the front and rear wheels in proper alignment.
Avoid carrying unnecessary luggage or cargo.
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide)
WARNING
Never inhale engine exhaust gas. Engine exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas which is danger-ous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Always properly maintain the engine exhaust system to pre-
vent engine exhaust gas from entering the vehicle. Never run the engine in a closed space, such as a garage, ex-
cept for the brief time needed to drive the vehicle in or out of it. Avoid remaining in a parked vehicle for a lengthy time while
the engine is running. If that is unavoidable, then use the ventila-tion fan to force fresh air into the vehicle. Always keep the front ventilator inlet grille free from snow,
leaves or other obstructions to ensure that the ventilation system
always works properly.

8-6
Driving tips for AWD vehicles
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on a sharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easily leadto a serious accident.
OM-H0154
All wheel drive distributes the engine power to all four wheels. AWD
vehicles provide better traction when driving on slippery, wet or snow-
covered roads and when moving out of mud, dirt and sand. By shifting
power between the front and rear wheels, SUBARU AWD can also pro-vide added traction during acceleration, and added engine braking
force during deceleration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle may handle differently than an
ordinary two wheel drive vehicle and it contains some features unique to
AWD. For safety purposes as well as to avoid damaging the AWD sys-tem, you should keep the following tips in mind: An AWD vehicle is better able to climb steeper roads under snowy or
slippery conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle. There is little differ-
ence in handling, however, during extremely sharp turns or sudden brak-

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Driving tips8-7
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ing. Therefore, when driving down a slope or turning corners, be sure to
reduce your speed and maintain an ample distance from other vehicles.
When replacing a tire, make sure you use only the same size, circum-
ference, construction, brand, and load range as the original tires listed on
the tire placard. Using other sizes, circumferences or construction may re-
sult in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and
may affect ride, handling, braking, speedometer/odometer calibration, and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control. 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
may result in severe mechanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle. Always check the cold tire pressure before starting to drive. The rec-
ommended tire pressure is provided on the tire placard, which is locatedunder the door latch on the driver ’s side.
Tire chains should always be placed on the front wheels only.
There are some precautions that you must observe when towing your
vehicle. For detail information, see “Towing” section in chapter 9.
Off road driving
WARNING
Always maintain a safe driving speed according to the road
and weather conditions in order to avoid having an accident on asharp turn, during sudden braking or under other similar condi-tions. Always use the utmost care in driving – overconfidence
because you are driving an all wheel drive vehicle could easilylead to a serious accident.
All AWD models except OUTBACK
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 sit-
uations in which driving surfaces a relatively level, obstruction-free

8-8and otherwise similar to on-road driving conditions. Operating it under other than those conditions could subject the vehicle to excessive
stress which might result in damage not eligible for repair under war-
ranty. If you do take your SUBARU off road, you should review the
common sense precautions in the next section (applicable to the
OUTBACK) for general guidance. But please keep in mind that your
vehicle’
s off-road capabilities are more limited than those of the OUT-
BACK.
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 andmay cause it to stall. OUTBACK
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 con-
ventional off-road vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. If you do take your
Subaru off-road, certain common sense precautions such as the fol-lowing 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 aid kit and portable phone or citi-zens band radio. Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in danger-
ous 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 vehicle 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

8-12When the vehicle has been left parked after use on roads heavily cov-
ered with snow, or has been left parked during a snowstorm, icingmay develop on the brake system, which could cause poor braking
action. Check for snow or ice buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it, being careful not to damage
the disc brakes and brake hoses and ABS harness. n
Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel system and the risk
of its freezing, use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel tank is recom-
mended during 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 extended period, it is
best to have the fuel tank filled to capacity. Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause loss of vehicle control.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid sudden braking, abrupt ac-
celeration, high-speed driving, and sharp turning when driving on
snowy or icy roads.Always maintain ample distance between your vehicle and the vehicleahead of you to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the engine brake effectively to con-
trol the vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behavior can cause the wheels to
lock, possibly leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehicle ’s braking per-
formance on snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS (Anti-Lock Brake
System)” and “VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) system ” section in
chapter 7 for information on braking on slippery surfaces.

8-14
Snow tires All models except Outback
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make
sure you use only the same size, construction and load range as the original tires listed on the tire placard. Using other sizes andconstruction may affect speedometer/odometer calibration and
clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerousand lead to loss of vehicle control. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, cir-
cumferences, construction, brand, and load range. Mixing othersizes, circumferences or constructions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speedometer/odometer calibration. Italso may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. Do not use a combination of radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous handling characteristics and leadto an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires ” which are designed to
provide an adequate measure of traction, handling and braking per-
formance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be possible to en-
hance performance through use of tires designed specifically for win-ter driving conditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use the
correct tire size and type. You must install four winter tires that are ofthe same size, construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may result in dan-
gerous handling characteristics. When you choose a tire, make sure
that there is enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of the type of tires on your vehicle.

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Outback models only
WARNING
When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make
sure you use only the same size and construction as recom- mended. Using other sizes or construction may affect speedome-ter/odometer calibration and clearance between the body and
tires. It also may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, cir-
cumferences, construction, brand, and load range. Mixing othersizes, circumferences or constructions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speedometer/odometer calibration. Italso may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. Do not use a combination of radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous handling characteristics and leadto an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires ” which are designed to
provide an adequate measure of traction, handling and braking per-
formance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be possible to en-
hance performance through use of tires designed specifically for win-ter driving conditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use the
correct tire size and type. You must install four winter tires that are ofthe same size, construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this may result in dan-
gerous handling characteristics. When you choose a tire, make sure
that there is enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of the type of tires on your vehicle.
Your Outback comes with P225/60R16 “all season tires ” as origi-
nal equipment. You should be aware that some winter tires with that same size designation may actually be too large for the

8-16vehicle and may cause rubbing on sharp turns. Listed below is the winter tire size that we recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size P215/60R16 Studless
Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on tires listed below because of lack
of clearance between the tires and vehicle body. P205/55R16 tires for GT models
P225/60R16 tires for OUTBACK models
P215/60R16 winter (snow) tires for OUTBACK models
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 as not 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, replace the temporary
spare tire with the rear tire on the same side of the vehicle, and then fit
chains on the front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire chains – overconfi-
dence because you are driving with tire chains could easily lead to a se-rious accident. 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 be-
tween “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 trac-
tion by starting the vehicle with the transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for
MT and AT).

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Gross Axle Weight (GAW) and Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR)
The total weight applied to each axle (GAW) must never exceed the
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The front and rear GAWs can be
adjusted by relocating passengers and luggage inside the vehicle.
The front and rear GAWR are also shown on the certification label.
HBF019BB
Gross Axle Weight
OM-H2784
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to confirm that the total weight
and weight distribution are within safe driving limits, you should have
your vehicle and trailer weighed at a commercial weighing station.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a change in weight
distribution while driving. nTongue load
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more weight in the back of trailer ’s
axle than in the front, the load is taken off the rear axle of the tow- ing vehicle. This may cause the rear wheels to skid, especiallyduring braking or when vehicle speed is reduced during corner-
ing, resulting in over-steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from 8 to 11 percent of the total
trailer weight and does not exceed the maximum value of 200 lbs (90kg).
The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom scale as shown in