suspension SUBARU LEGACY 2007 User Guide

Black plate (344,1)
北米Model "A2420BE-B" EDITED: 2006/ 7/ 26
10-2
Appearance care
Exterior care& Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance 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.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or faulty
power steering respectively. .
Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging the
wiper arm and other compo-
nents. Ask the automatic car-
wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
(Station wagon models only)
NOTEWhen having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’ s
beauty is frequent 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 lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in direct
sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
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.
!
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-
pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-
sion.
After driving off-road or muddy or sandy
roads, wash the mud and sand off the
underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.
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Black plate (345,1)
北米Model "A2420BE-B" EDITED: 2006/ 7/ 26
NOTEBe careful not to damage brake hoses,
sensor harnesses, and other parts
when washing suspension compo-
nents.
! Using a warm water washer
. Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle.
. Do not wash the same area continu-
ously.
. If a stain will not come out easily, wash
by hand. Some warm water washers are
of the high temperature, high pressure
type, and they can damage or deform the
resin parts such as mouldings, or cause
water to leak into the vehicle.& Waxing and polishingAlways wash and dry the vehicle before
waxing and polishing.
Use a good quality polish and wax and
apply them according to the manufac-
turer ’s instructions. Wax or polish when
the painted surface is cool.
Be sure to polish and wax the chrome trim,
as well as the painted surfaces. Loss of
wax on a painted surface leads to loss of
the original luster and also quickens the
deterioration of the surface. It is recom- mended that a coat of wax be applied at
least once a month, or whenever the
surface no longer repels water.
If the appearance of the paint has dimin-
ished to the point where the luster or tone
cannot be restored, lightly polish the
surface with a fine-grained compound.
Never polish just the affected area, but
include the surrounding area as well.
Always polish in only one direction. A
No. 2000 grain compound is recom-
mended. Never use a coarse-grained
compound. Coarser grained compounds
have a smaller grain-size number and
could damage the paint. After polishing
with a compound, coat with wax to restore
the original luster. Frequent polishing with
acompoundoranincorrectpolishing
technique will result in removing the paint
layer and exposing the undercoat. When
in doubt, it is always best to contact your
SUBARU dealer or an auto paint specia-
list.
NOTEBe careful not to block the windshield
washer nozzles with wax when waxing
the vehicle.&
Cleaning aluminum wheels. Promptly wipe the aluminum wheels clean of any kind of grime or agent. If dirt
is left on too long, it may be difficult to
clean off.
.
Do not use soap containing grit to
clean the wheels. Be sure to use a neutral
cleaning agent, and later rinse thoroughly
with water. Do not clean the wheels with a
stiff brush or expose them to a high-speed
washing device.
. Clean the vehicle (including the alumi-
num wheels) with water as soon as
possible when it has been splashed with
sea water, exposed to sea breezes, or
driven on roads treated with salt or other
agents.
Appearance care
10-3
10
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Black plate (346,1)
北米Model "A2420BE-B" EDITED: 2006/ 7/ 26
10-4
Appearance care
Corrosion protectionYour SUBARU has been designed and
built to resist corrosion. Special materials
and protective finishes have been used on
most parts of the vehicle to help maintain
fine appearance, strength, and reliable
operation.& Most common causes of
corrosionThe most common causes of corrosion
are:
1. The accumulation of moisture retain-
ing dirt and debris in body panel sections,
cavities, and other areas.
2. Damage to paint and other protective
coatings caused by gravel and stone
chips or minor accidents.
Corrosion is accelerated on the vehicle
when:
1. It is exposed to road salt or dust
control chemicals, or used in coastal
areas where there is more salt in the air,
or in areas where there is considerable
industrial pollution.
2. It is driven in areas of high humidity,
especially when temperatures range just
above freezing.
3. Dampness in certain parts of the
vehicle remains for a long time, even though other parts of the vehicle may be
dry.
4. High temperatures will cause corro-
sion to parts of the vehicle which cannot
dry quickly due to lack of proper ventila-
tion.
&
To help prevent corrosionWash the vehicle regularly to prevent
corrosion of the body and suspension
components. Also, wash the vehicle
promptly after driving on any of the
following surfaces:
. roads that have been salted to prevent
them from freezing in winter
. mud, sand, or gravel
. coastal roads
After the winter has ended, it is recom-
mended that the underbody be given a
very thorough washing.
Before the beginning of winter, check the
condition of underbody components, such
as the exhaust system, fuel and brake
lines, brake cables, suspension, steering
system, floor pan, and fenders. If any of
them are found to be rusted, they should
be given an appropriate rust prevention
treatment or should be replaced. Contact
your SUBARU dealer to perform this kind
of maintenance and treatment if you need assistance.
Repair chips and scratches in the paint as
soon as you find them.
Check the interior of the vehicle for water
and dirt accumulation under the floor mats
because that could cause corrosion.
Occasionally check under the mats to
make sure the area is dry.
Keep your garage dry. Do not park your
vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated
garage. In such a garage, corrosion can
be caused by dampness. If you wash the
vehicle in the garage or put the vehicle
into the garage when wet or covered with
snow, that can cause dampness.
If your vehicle is operated in cold weather
and/or in areas where road salts and other
corrosive materials are used, the door
hinges and locks, trunk lid lock, and hood
latch should be inspected and lubricated
periodically.
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Black plate (386,1)
北米Model "A2420BE-B" EDITED: 2006/ 7/ 26
11-38
Maintenance and service
. Abnormally high tire pressure (tread
worn in center)Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire
magnifies the effects of road-surface
bumps and dips, possibly resulting in
vehicle damage.
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
& Wheel balanceEach 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 sys-
tem problems and abnormal tire wear. If
you suspect that the wheels are not
correctly balanced, have them checked
and adjusted by your SUBARU dealer.
Also have them adjusted after tire repairs
and after tire rotation.NOTELoss of correct wheel alignment*
causes the tires to wear on one side
and reduces the vehicle ’s running
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 indicators1) New tread
2) Worn tread
3) Tread wear indicatorEach 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
replaced when the tread wear indicator
appears as a solid band across the tread.
WARNING
When a tire ’s tread wear indicator
becomes visible, the tire is worn
beyond the acceptable limit and
must be replaced immediately. With
a tire in this condition, driving at
high speeds in wet weather can
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Black plate (431,1)
北米Model "A2420BE-B" EDITED: 2006/ 7/ 26
suspension, axles and other parts of
the body.
Therefore, this means that the vehicle
cannot necessarily be loaded up to
the tire ’s maximum load rating on the
tire sidewall.& Adverse safety conse-
quences of overloading on
handling and stopping and
on tiresOverloading could affect vehicle
handling, stopping distance, vehicle
and tire as shown in the following.
This could lead to an accident and
possibly result in severe personal
injury..
Vehicle stability will deteriorate.
.
Heavy and/or high-mounted loads
could increase the risk of rollover.
.
Stopping distance will increase.
.
Brakes could overheat and fail.
.
Suspension, bearings, axles and
other parts of the body could break or
experience accelerated wear that will
shorten vehicle life.
.
Tires could fail.
.
Tread separation could occur.
.
Tire could separate from its rim.
& Steps for Determining Cor-
rect Load Limit1. Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed XXX pounds ”on
your vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from XXX
kilograms or XXX pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity. For example, if
the “XXX ”amount equals 1,400 lbs
(635kg). and there will be five- 150 lbs
(68 kg) passengers in your vehicle,
the amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1,400 750 (5 6150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on
the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calculated
in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-11
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