steering SUBARU LEGACY 2004 4.G Owner's Guide

10-2
Appearance care
Appearance careExterior care „
Washing
yWhen washing the vehicle, the brakes may
get wet. As a result, the brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the
vehicle at a safe speed while lightly pressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes.y Do not wash the engine compartment and ar-
eas adjacent to it. If water enters the engine air
intake, electrical parts or the power steering flu-
id reservoir, it will cause engine trouble or
faulty power steering respectively.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s beauty is fre-
quent washing. Wash the vehicle at least once a
month to avoid contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty of luke-
warm or cold water. Do not wash the vehicle with hot
water and in direct sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot and bird droppings
should be washed off by using a light detergent, as re- quired. If you use a light detergent, make certain that
it is a neutral detergent. Do not use strong soap or
chemical detergents. All cleaning agents should be
promptly flushed from the surface and not allowed to
dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of
lukewarm water. Wipe the remaining water off with a
chamois or soft cloth.
NOTE y
Before having your vehicle washed in an auto-
matic car wash, retract the pillar mounted antenna
to prevent it from being damaged.y When having your vehicle washed in an auto-
matic car wash, make sure beforehand that the car
wash is of suitable type. Automatic car wash
brushes or other equipment may damage the rear
wiper and rear/roof spoiler (if equipped). T Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for deicing road sur-
faces are extremely corrosive, accelerating the corro-
sion of underbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor pan
and fenders, and suspension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and inside of the
fenders with lukewarm or cold water at frequent inter-
vals to reduce the harmful effects of such agents.

11 - 1
11
Maintenance and service
Ma inte nan ce sche du le .. ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 11-3
Ma in te nan ce precau tio ns ... ... .. ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 11-3
B ef ore checki ng o r servicing in th e e ngi ne
c o m part ment ..... ..................... ..................... ... 11-4
W hen y ou do c h ecking or servic ing in t h e
e ngi ne c omp artme nt while the engi ne is
r u nn ing ............... ..................... ..................... ... 11-5
En gine ho od .. ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 11-5
Engine compartment overview ................... 11-8 2.5 liter models .................................................. 11-8
2.5 liter CALIFORNIA spec models ................. 11-9
3.0 liter models .................................................. 11-10
Engine oil ...................................................... 11-11 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-11
Changing the oil and oil filter .......................... 11-12
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-15
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .............................. 11-16
Cooling system ............................................. 11-17 Hose and connections ...................................... 11-18
Engine coolant .................................................. 11-18
Air cleaner element ...................................... 11-22 Replacing the air cleaner element ................... 11-22
Spark plugs ................................................... 11-25 Recommended spark plugs ............................. 11-25
Drive belts ..................................................... 11-26 2.5 liter models .................................................. 11-26
3.0 liter models .................................................. 11-26
Manual transmission oil ............................... 11-27 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-27 Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-27
Automatic transmission fluid ...................... 11-28 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-28
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-30
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ...... 11-30 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-30
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-31
Rear differential gear oil ............................... 11-32 Checking the gear oil level .............................. 11-32
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-34
Power steering fluid ...................................... 11-35 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-35
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-36
Brake fluid ..................................................... 11-36 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-36
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-37
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................ 11-38 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-38
Recommended clutch fluid .............................. 11-38
Brake booster ................................................ 11-39
Brake pedal .................................................... 11-39 Checking the brake pedal free play ................ 11-39
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ... 11-40
Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) ............... 11-40Checking the clutch function .......................... 11-40
Checking the clutch pedal free play ............... 11-41
Replacement of brake pad and lining ......... 11-41 Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .... 11-42

11 - 8
2Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview „
2.5 liter models
12 3 45678
9
10
11
12
13
14
UBB036BB
1) Manual transmission oil level
gauge (MT) (page 11-27) or Dif-
ferential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-30)
2) Air cleaner element (page 11- 22)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-
38)
4) Automatic transmission fluid lev- el gauge (page 11-28)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11- 36)
6) Fuel filter
7) Windshield washer tank (page 11-51)
8) Fuse box (page 11-59)
9) Battery (page 11-58)
10) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-11)
11) Engine coolant reservoir (page
11-18)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-18)
13) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-
11)
14) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-35)

11 - 9
2Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
„2.5 liter CALIFORNIA spec models
1
13 12 10 11 9 8
23
45 67
UBB099BB
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-
22)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge (MT) (page 11-27) or Dif-
ferential gear oil level gauge
(AT) (page 11-30)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-
38)
4) Automatic transmission fluid lev- el gauge (page 11-28)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11- 36)
6) Windshield washer tank (page
11-51)
7) Fuse box (page 11-59)
8) Battery (page 11-58)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-11)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-18)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11- 11)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-18)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-35)

11 - 1 0
2Maintenance and service „
3.0 liter models
12 3 45 67
8
9
10
11
12
13
UBB058BB
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-
22)
2) Differential gear oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-30)
3) Automatic transmission fluid lev- el gauge (page 11-28)
4) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-
36)
5) Fuel filter
6) Windshield washer tank (page
11-51)
7) Fuse box (page 11-59)
8) Battery (page 11-58)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-11)
10) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-18)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11- 11)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-18)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir (page 11-35)

11 - 2 6
2Maintenance and service
Drive belts
The alternator, power steering pump, and air condi-
tioner compressor depend on drive belts. Satisfactory
performance requires that belt tension be correct. „
2.5 liter models
1) Power steering pump pulley
2) Air conditioner compressor pulley
3) Crank pulley in (mm)
To check belt tension, place a straightedge (ruler)
across two adjacent pulleys and apply a force of 22 lbs
(98 N, 10 kg) midway between the pulleys by using a
spring scale. Belt deflection should be the amount
specified. „ 3.0 liter models
It is unnecessary to check belt tension periodically be-
cause your engine is equipped with an automatic belt
tension adjuster. However, replacement of the belt
should be done according to the maintenance sched-
ule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”. Con-
sult your SUBARU dealer for replacement.
If a belt is loose, cracked, or worn, contact your SUBARU dealer.
2
3 A
B
1
HSB033BB
Deflection
New belt Used belt
A 0.28 – 0.35 (7.0 – 9.0) 0.35 – 0.43 (9.0 – 11.0)
B 0.30 – 0.33 (7.5 – 8.5) 0.35 – 0.40 (9.0 – 10.0)

11 -3 5
2Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
Power steering fluid „Checking the fluid level
1) Reservoir tank
Be careful not to burn yourself because the flu-id may be hot.
y 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.
y
Avoid spilling fluid when adding it in the tank.
The power steering fluid expands greatly as its tem-
perature rises; the fluid level differs according to fluid
temperature. Therefore, the reservoir tank has two dif-
ferent checking ranges for hot and cold fluids.
Check the power steering fluid level monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, and stop the en-
gine.
1) Specified range
1
UBB030BB
1 1
HSB045BB

11 -4 5
2Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
a pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the
values shown on the tire placard. The tire placard is lo-
cated on the door pillar on the driver’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms up the tires and
increases the tire pressures. Also, the tire pressures
are affected by the ambient temperature. It is best to
check tire pressure outdoors before driving the vehi- cle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air inside it expands,
causing the tire pressure to increase. Be careful not to
mistakenly release air from a warm tire to reduce itspressure.
NOTE yThe air pressure in a tire increases by approxi-
mately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3 kg/cm 2
) when the tire
becomes warm. y The tires are considered cold when the vehicle
has been parked for at least three hours or has
been driven less than one mile (1.6 km).
Do not let air out of warm tires to adjust pres-sure. Doing so will result in low tire pressure. Incorrect tire pressures detract from controllability and
ride comfort, and they cause the tires to wear abnor-mally. y
Correct tire pressure (tread worn evenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering is responsive. Roll-
ing resistance is low, so fuel consumption is also low-er.
HSB052AA

11 -4 7
2Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
of vehicle control could lead to an accident.
„ Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when your vehicle
was new, but the wheels will become unbalanced as
the tires become worn during use. Wheel imbalance
causes the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at certain
vehicle speeds and detracts from the vehicle’s
straight-line stability. It can also cause steering and
suspension system problems and abnormal tire wear.
If you suspect that the wheels are not correctly bal-
anced, have them checked and adjusted by your
SUBARU dealer. Also have them adjusted after tire re-
pairs and after tire rotation.
NOTE
Loss of correct wheel alignment* causes the tires
to wear on one side and reduces the vehicle’s run-
ning stability. Contact your SUBARU dealer if you
notice abnormal tire wear.
*: The suspension system is designed to hold each wheel at
a certain alignment (relative to the other wheels and to the
road) for optimum straight-line stability and cornering perfor-
mance. „
Wear indicators
A) New tread
B) Worn tread
1) Tread wear indicator
Each tire incorporates a tread wear indicator, which
becomes visible when the depth of the tread grooves
decreases to 0.063 in (1.6 mm). A tire must be re-
placed when the tread wear indicator appears as a
solid band across the tread.
When a tire’s tread wear indicator becomes vis-
A 1B
HSB055BB

12-4
Specifications „
Capacities
Fuel tank16.9 US gal (64 liters, 14.1 Imp gal)
Engine oil2.5 liter4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
3.0 liter5.6 US qt (5.3 liters, 4.6 Imp qt)
Transmission oil (MT)3.7 US qt (3.5 liters, 3.1 Imp qt)
Transmission fluid (AT)9.8 US qt (9.3 liters, 8.2 Imp qt)
AT differential gear oil1.3 US qt (1.2 liters, 1.1 Imp qt)
Rear differential gear oilL-S (AT), L (AT)0.9 US qt (0.9 liter, 0.8 Imp qt)
Others0.8 US qt (0.8 liter, 0.7 Imp qt)
Power steering gear fluid0.7 US qt (0.7 liter, 0.6 Imp qt)
Engine coolant2.5 literMT7.2 US qt (6.8 liters, 6.0 Imp qt)
AT7.1 US qt (6.7 liters, 5.9 Imp qt)
3.0 liter8.4 US qt (7.9 liters, 7.0 Imp qt)