fuel SUBARU OUTBACK 2000 3.G Owner's Manual

Driving tips8-5
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CONTINUED –
The c atalytic c onverter is installed in the exhaust
system. It serves as
c atalyst to red uc e HC, CO and NOx in exhaust g ases, thus p rovid ing
c leaner exhaust.
To avoid d amag e to the c atalytic c onverter: Use only unlead ed fuel. Even a small amount of lead ed fuel will d am-
ag e the c atalytic c onverter. Never start the eng ine b y p ushing or p ulling the ve hic le.
Avoid rac ing the eng ine.
Never turn off the ig nition switc h while the vehic l e is moving .
Keep your eng ine tuned -up . If you feel the eng ine r unning roug h (mis-
firing , b ac kfiring or inc omp lete c omb ustion), have your vehic le c hec ked
and rep aired b y an authorized SUBARU d ealer. Do not ap p ly und erc oating or rust p revention treatm ent to the heat
shield of c atalytic c onverter and the exhaust syste m.
Periodic inspections
To keep your vehic le in the b est c ond ition at all t imes, always have the
rec ommend ed maintenanc e servic es listed in the main tenanc e sc hed ule
in the “Warranty and Maintenanc e Booklet ” p erformed at the sp ec ified
time or mileag e intervals.
Driving in foreign countries
When p lanning to use your vehic le in another c ountr y:
Confirm the availab ility of the c orrec t fuel. (Refe r to the “Fuel req uire-
ment ” sec tion in c hap ter 7.)
Comp ly with all reg ulations and req uirements of eac h c ountry.

8-12When the vehic le has b een left p arked after use on
road s heavily c ov-
ered with snow, or has b een left p arked d uring a sn owstorm, ic ing
may d evelop on the b rake system, whic h c ould c ause p oor b raking
ac tion. Chec k for snow or ic e b uild up on the susp en sion, d isc b rakes
and b rake hoses und erneath the vehic le.
If there is c aked snow or ic e, remove it, b eing c ar eful not to d amag e
the d isc b rakes and b rake hoses and ABS harness. n Refueling in cold weather
To help p revent moisture from forming in the fuel s ystem and the risk
of its freezing , use of an antifreeze ad d itive in t he fuel tank is rec om-
mend ed d uring c old weather.
Use only ad d itives that are sp ec ific ally d esig ned f or this p urp ose.
When an antifreeze ad d itive is used , its effec t las ts long er if the tank is
refilled whenever the fuel level reac hes half emp ty .
If your SUBARU is not g oing to b e used for an exten d ed p eriod , it is
b est to have the fuel tank filled to c ap ac ity. 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 p revent skid d ing and slip p ing , avoid sud d en b rak ing , ab rup t ac -
c eleration, hig h-sp eed d riving , and sharp turning w hen d riving on
snowy or ic y road s.
Always maintain amp le d istanc e b etween your vehic le and the vehic le
ahead of you to avoid the need for sud d en b raking .
To sup p lement the foot b rake, use the eng ine b rake effec tively to c on-
trol the vehic le sp eed . (Shift into a lower g ear wh en nec essary.)
Avoid shifting d own ab rup tly. Suc h b ehavior c an c au se the wheels to
loc k, p ossib ly lead ing to loss of vehic le c ontrol.
An anti-loc k b rake system (ABS) e nhanc es your vehic le’s braking perfor-
manc e on snowy and ic y road s. Refer to the “ABS (Anti-Loc k Brake Sys-
tem) ” section in chapter 7 for information on b raking on slip p ery sur-
fac es.

8-16injury. Also, overloading can shorten the life of your vehicle.
Do not place anything on the rear shelf behind the rear seat-
back (for sedan) or the extended luggage cover (for station wag-on). Such items could tumble forward in the event of a sudden
stop or a collision. This could cause serious injury.
CAUTION
Do not carry spray cans, containers with flammable or corrosiveliquids or any other dangerous items inside the vehicle.
NOTE
For better fuel economy, do not carry unneeded cargo. Vehicle capacity weight
HB0382
HB8015BA
The load c ap ac ity of your vehic le is d etermined b y weig ht, not b y avail-
ab le c arg o sp ac e. The maximum load you c an c arry in your vehic le is
shown as the Vehic le Cap ac ity Weig ht on the tire in formation lab el at-
tac hed to the d river ’s sid e d oor jamb . It inc lud es the total weig ht of d river
and all p asseng ers and their b elong ing s, any op tion al eq uip ment suc h
as a trailer hitc h, roof rac k or b ike c arrier, etc . , and the tong ue load of a
trailer.

Driving tips8-17
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CONTINUED –

GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and
Gross Axle Weight Rating)
HBF019BB
The c ertific ation lab el attac hed to the d river ’s sid e d oor shows GVWR
(Gross Vehic le Weig ht Rating ) and GAWR (Gross Axle Weig ht Rating ).
The GVW (Gross Vehic le Weig ht) must never exc eed th e GVWR. GVW is
the c omb ined total of weig ht of the vehic le, fuel, d river, all p asseng ers,
lug g ag e, any op tional eq uip ment and trailer tong ue load . Therefore, the
GVW c hang es d ep end ing on the situation. The GVWR eq uals Curb
Weig ht (ac tual weig ht of your vehic le – inc lud ing stand ard eq uip ment,
fluid s, emerg enc y tools and sp are tire assemb ly) p l us the vehic le c ap ac -
ity weig ht.
In ad d ition, the total weig ht ap p lied to eac h axle (GAW) must never ex-
c eed the GAWR. The front and rear GAWs c an b e ad jus ted b y reloc ating
lug g ag e insid e the vehic le.
Even if the total weig ht of your lug g ag e is lower t han the vehic le c ap ac ity
weig ht, either front or rear GAW may exc eed the GAW R, d ep end ing on
the d istrib ution of the lug g ag e.
If you c arry heavy load s in the vehic le, you should c onfirm that GVW and
front and rear GAWs are within the GVWR and GAWR b y p utting your
vehic le on a vehic le sc ale, found at a c ommerc ial w eig hing station.
Do not use rep lac ement tires with a lower load rang e than the orig inals
b ec ause they may lower the GVWR and GAWR limitation s. Rep lac ement
tires with a hig her load rang e than the orig inals d o not inc rease the

8-26Trailer towing
Your c ar is d esig ned and intend ed to b e used p rimar
ily as a p asseng er-
c arrying vehic le. Towing a trailer p uts ad d itional load s on your c ar’s en-
g ine, d rivetrain, b rakes, tires and susp ension and has an ad verse effec t
on fuel ec onomy.
If you d o d ec id e to tow a trailer, your safety and satisfac tion d ep end
up on p rop er use of c orrec t eq uip ment and c autious o p eration of your ve-
hic le. Seek the ad vic e of your SUBARU d ealer to ass ist you in p urc has-
ing a hitc h and other nec essary towing eq uip ment ap p rop riate for your
vehic le. In ad d ition, b e sure to follow the instruc tions on c orrec t installa-
tion and use p rovid ed b y the trailer and other towi ng eq uip ment
manufac turers.
SUBARU assumes no resp onsib ility for injuries or ve hic le d amag e that
result from trailer towing eq uip ment, or from any e rrors or omissions in
the instruc tions ac c omp anying suc h eq uip ment or for your failure to fol-
low the p rop er instruc tions.
Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties d o not ap p ly to vehic le d amag e or malfunc tion
c aused b y trailer towing . If you use your vehic le t o tow a trailer, more
freq uent maintenanc e will b e req uired d ue to the ad d itional load .
(Refer to “Maintenanc e sc hed ule und er severe d riving c ond ition s” in
the “Warranty and Maintenanc e Booklet ”.)
Und er no c irc umstanc es should a trailer b e towed wi th a new vehic le
or a vehic le with any new p owertrain c omp onent (eng ine, transmis-
sion, d ifferential, wheel b earing s, etc .) for the f irst 1,000 miles (1,600
km) of d riving . Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load limits explained below. Exceed- ing the maximum load limits could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.

Appearance care10-3
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CONTINUED –

Washing the underbody
Chemic als, salts and g ravel used for d eic ing road s urfac es are ex-
tremely c orrosive, ac c elerating the c orrosion of un d erb od y c omp o-
nents, suc h as the exhaust system, fuel and b rake l ines, b rake
c ab les, floor p an and fend ers, and susp ension.
Thoroug hly flush the und erb od y and insid e of the fe nd ers with luke-
warm or c old water at freq uent intervals to red uc e the harmful effec ts
of suc h ag ents. Using a warm water washer
Keep a g ood d istanc e of 12 in (30 c m) or more b etwe en the wash-
er nozzle and the vehic le. Do not wash the same area c ontinuously.
If a stain will not c ome out easily, wash b y hand . Some warm water
washers are of the hig h temp erature, hig h p ressure typ e, and they
c an d amag e or d eform the resin p arts suc h as mould i ng s, or c ause
water to leak into the vehic le.
Waxing and polishing
Always wash and d ry the vehic le b efore waxing and p olishing .
Use a g ood q uality p olish and wax and ap p ly them ac c ord ing to the
manufac turer ’s instruc tions. Wax or p olish when the p ainted surf ac e is
c ool.
Be sure to p olish and wax the c hrome trim, as well as the p ainted sur-
fac es. Loss of wax on a p ainted surfac e lead s to lo ss of the orig inal lus-
ter and also q uic kens the d eterioration of the surf ac e. It is rec ommend ed
that a c oat of wax b e ap p lied at least onc e a month , or whenever the
surfac e no long er rep els water.
If the ap p earanc e of the p aint has d iminished to th e p oint where the lus-
ter or tone c annot b e restored , lig htly p olish the surfac e with a fine-
g rained c omp ound . Never p olish just the affec ted ar ea, b ut inc lud e the
surround ing area as well. Always p olish in only one d irec tion. A No. 2000
g rain c omp ound is rec ommend ed . Never use a c oarse-g rained c om-
p ound . Coarser g rained c omp ound s have a smaller g ra in-size numb er
and c ould d amag e the p aint. After p olishing with a c omp ound , c oat with

10-62. It is d riven in areas of hig h humid ity, esp ec iall
y when temp eratures
rang e just ab ove freezing .
3. Damp ness in c ertain p arts of the vehic le remains for a long time,
even thoug h other p arts of the vehic le may b e d ry.
4. Hig h temp eratures will c ause c orrosion to p arts o f the vehic le
whic h c annot d ry q uic kly d ue to lac k of p rop er vent ilation.
To help prevent corrosion
Wash the vehic le freq uently. If you d rive on salted road s in the winter
or if you live in a c oastal area, you should flush the und erb od y with
fresh water freq uently.
After the winter has end ed , it is rec ommend ed that the und erb od y b e
g iven a very thoroug h washing .
Before the b eg inning of winter, c hec k the c ond ition of und erb od y
c omp onents, suc h as the exhaust system, fuel and b r ake lines, b rake
c ab les, susp ension, steering system, floor p an, and fend ers. If any of
them are found to b e rusted , they should b e g iven a n ap p rop riate rust
p revention treatment or should b e rep lac ed . Contac t your SUBARU
d ealer to p erform this kind of maintenanc e and trea tment if you need
assistanc e.
Rep air c hip s and sc ratc hes in the p aint as soon as you find them.
Chec k the interior of the vehic le for water and d ir t ac c umulation und er
the floor mats b ec ause that c ould c ause c orrosion. Oc c asionally
c hec k und er the mats to make sure the area is d ry.
Keep your g arag e d ry. Do not p ark your vehic le in a d amp , p oorly
ventilated g arag e. In suc h a g arag e, c orrosion c an b e c aused b y
d amp ness. If you wash the vehic le in the g arag e or p ut the vehic le
into the g arag e when wet or c overed with snow, that c an c ause
d amp ness.
If your vehic le is op erated in c old weather and /or in areas where road
salts and other c orrosive materials are used , the d oor hing es and
loc ks, trunk lid loc k, and hood latc h should b e ins p ec ted and lub ri-
c ated p eriod ic ally.

11-4
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 support 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 performed 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, thorough-
ly wash it out with clean water. Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS airbag system or
seatbelt pretensioner system, or attempt to take its connectorsapart, as that may activate the system or it can render it inopera-tive. The wiring and connectors of these systems are yellow for
easy identification. NEVER use a circuit tester for these wiring. If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner needs service, con-
sult your nearest SUBARU dealer. Before checking or servicing in the engine compart- ment
Always stop the engine and set the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving. Always let the engine cool down. Engine parts become very
hot when the engine is running and remain hot for some time af-ter the engine is stopped. Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components. 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 oper-
ate suddenly even when the engine is stopped.

Maintenance and service11-7
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CONTINUED –
Engine compartment overview
HBB036BB
1 Manual transmission oil level
g aug e (MT) (p ag e 11-20) or
Differential g ear oil level g aug e
(AT) (p ag e 11-23)
2 Air c leaner element
(p ag e 11-17)
3 Clutc h fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-29)
4 Automatic transmission fluid
level g aug e (p ag e 11-21)
5 Brake fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-27)
6 Fuel filter 7
Wind shield washer tank
(p ag e 11-39)
8 Fuse b ox (p ag e 11-43)
9 Battery (p ag e 11-42)
Q Eng ine oil filler c ap
(p ag e 11-8)
W Eng ine c oolant reservoir
(p ag e 11-14)
E Rad iator c ap (p ag e 11-14)
R Eng ine oil level g aug e
(p ag e 11-8)
T Power steering fluid reservoir
(p ag e 11-26)

11-8Engine oil
Checking the oil level
Chec k the eng ine oil level at eac h fuel stop .
OM-H0189HBB004BA
1. Park the vehic le on a level surfac e and stop the eng ine.
2. Pull out the d ip stic k, wip e it c lean, and insert it ag ain.
3. Be sure the d ip stic k is c orrec tly inserted until it stop s with the
g rap hic symb ol
on its top ap p earing as shown in the illustra-
tion.
4. Pull out the d ip stic k ag ain and c hec k the oil lev el on it. If it is b elow
the lower level, ad d oil to b ring the level up to t he up p er level.
CAUTION
Use only engine oil with the recommended grade and viscosity.
If you c hec k the oil level just after stop p ing the eng ine, wait a few min-
utes for the oil to d rain b ac k into the oil p an b ef ore c hec king the level.
Just after d riving or while the eng ine is warm, the eng ine oil level
read ing may b e in a rang e b etween the up p er level a nd the notc h
mark. This is c aused b y thermal exp ansion of the en g ine oil.
To p revent overfilling the eng ine oil, d o not ad d a ny ad d itional oil
ab ove the up p er level when the eng ine is c old .