Subaru Forester 11 2001 Service Manual

Maintenance and service

Maintenance schedule 1 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Maintenance precautions 1 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Engine hood 11-6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Engine compartment overview 1 1-8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Engine oil 11-9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cooling system 1 1-14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Engine coolant 11-15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Air cleaner element 1 1-18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Spark plugs 1 1-19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Drive belts 1 1-20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Manual transmission oil 11-21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Automatic transmission fluid 1 1-22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Front differential gear oil (Automatic transmission

vehicles) 11-24

Rear differential gear oil 1 1-25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Power steering fluid 11-27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brake fluid 11-28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Clutch fluid 11-30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brake booster 11-31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Battery 11-31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Windshield washer fluid 11-33. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Replacement of windshield wiper blades 11-34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brake pedal 11-37. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Clutch pedal (Manual transmission vehicles) 1 1-38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Replacement of brake pad and lining 11-39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Parking brake stroke 1 1-40. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tires and wheels 11-41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tire pressure 11-41. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tire rotation 11-42. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aluminum wheels (If equipped) 11-43. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fuses 11-44. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Main fuse and fusible link 1 1-47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installation of accessories 1 1-47. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Replacing bulbs 1 1-48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

Headlight 11-49. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fog light (if equipped) 11-50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Front turn signal, parking light and front side marker light 11-51. . . . .

Rear combination lights 11-52. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

License plate light 11-53. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Interior light and luggage compartment light 11-54. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Spot light 11-55. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

High mount stop light 11-55. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11-2

Maintenance and service

Maintenance schedule

The scheduled maintenance items required to be serviced at regular in­tervals are shown in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.

For details of your maintenance schedule, read the separate “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet”.

Maintenance precautions

When maintenance and service are required, it is recommended that all
work be done by an authorized SUBARU dealer.

If you perform maintenance and service by yourself, you should familiar­ize yourself with the information provided in this section on general main­tenance and service for your SUBARU.

Incorrect or incomplete service could cause improper or unsafe vehicle
operation. Any problems caused by improper maintenance and service
performed by you are not eligible for warranty coverage.

WARNING

D Testing of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle must NEVER be per­formed on a single two-wheel dynamometer or similar apparatus
nor should you install the FWD fuse in the engine compartment.
Attempting to do so will result in transmission damage and in
uncontrolled vehicle movement and may cause an accident or
injuries to persons nearby .
D Always select a safe area when performing maintenance on
your vehicle.
D Always be very careful to avoid injury when working on the ve­hicle. Remember that some of the materials in the vehicle may be
hazardous if improperly used or handled, for example, battery
acid.
D Your vehicle should only be serviced by persons fully compe­tent to do so. Serious personal injury may result to persons not
experienced in servicing vehicles.

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11-3

D Always use the proper tools and make certain that they are
well maintained.
D Never get under the vehicle supported only by a jack. Always
use a safety stand to support the vehicle.
D Never keep the engine running in a poorly ventilated area,
such as a garage or other closed areas.
D Do not smoke or allow open flames around the fuel or battery.
This will cause a fire.
D Wear adequate eye protection to guard against getting oil or
other fluids in your eyes. If something does get in your eyes,
thoroughly wash it out with clean water.
D Because the fuel system is under pressure, replacement of the
fuel filter should be performed only by your SUBARU dealer.
D The SRS airbag has no user-serviceable parts. Tampering with
or disconnecting the system’s wiring could result in accidental
inflation of the airbag or could make the system inoperative,
which may result in serious injury. The wiring harnesses of the
SRS airbag system are covered with yellow insulation and the
connectors of the system are yellow, for easy identification. Do
not use electrical test equipment on any circuit related to the SRS
airbag system. For required servicing of the SRS airbag, see your
nearest SUBARU dealer.

J Before checking or servicing in the engine

compartment

D Always stop the engine and set the parking brake firmly to pre­vent the vehicle from moving.
D Always let the engine cool down. Engine parts become very
hot when the engine is running and remain hot for some time af­ter the engine is stopped.
D Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components. This may cause a fire.
D 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.

11-4

Maintenance and service

J When you do checking or servicing in the engine

compartment while the engine is running

A running engine can be dangerous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away from the cooling fan, belts and any
other moving engine parts. Removing rings, watches and ties is
advisable.

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11-5

Engine hood

WARNING

Always check that the hood is properly locked before you start
driving. If it is not, it might fly open while the vehicle is moving
and block your view, which may cause an accident and serious
bodily injury .

HS0024

HS0026

HS0025

To open the hood:

1. Pull the hood release knob under the instrument panel.

2. Release the secondary hood release located under the front of the
engine hood by moving the lever toward the left. Lift up the hood, release
the hood prop from its retainer and put the end of the hood prop into the
slot in the hood.

11-6

Maintenance and service

To close the hood:

1. Lift the hood slightly and remove the hood prop from the slot in the
hood and return the prop to its retainer.

2. Lower the hood until it approaches about 6 in. (15 cm) from the
closed position and let it drop.

3. After closing the hood, be sure the hood is securely locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it from a slightly higher position.

Do not push the hood forcibly to close it. It could deform the metal.

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11-7

Engine compartment overview

1 Manual transmission oil level

gauge (MT) (page 11-21) or
Differential gear oil level
gauge (AT) (page 11-24)

2 Air cleaner element

(page 11-18)

3 Clutch fluid reservoir

(page 11-30)

4 Automatic transmission fluid

level gauge (page 11-22)

5 Brake fluid reservoir

(page 11-28)

6 Fuel filter

7 Windshield washer tank

8 Fuse box (page 11-44)
9 Battery (page 11-31)
Q Engine oil filler cap

W Engine coolant reservoir

E Engine oil level gauge

R Power steering fluid reservoir

T Radiator cap (page 11-15)

HGA017BB

(page 11-33)

(page 11-9)

(page 11-15)

(page 11-9)

(page 11-27)

11-8

Engine oil

B Checking the oil level

Check the engine oil level at each fuel stop.

Maintenance and service

front

Upper
level

Lower­level

Notch

OM-H2727HS0173

1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the engine.

2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and insert it again.

3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly inserted until it stops with the
graphic symbol on its top appearing as shown in the illustra­tion.

4. Pull out the dipstick again and check the oil level on it. If it is below
the lower level, add oil to bring the level up to the upper level.

CAUTION

Use only engine oil with the recommended grade and viscosity .

If you check the oil level just after stopping the engine, wait a few min­utes for the oil to drain back into the oil pan before checking the level.

Just after driving or while the engine is warm, the engine oil level
reading may be in a range between the upper level and the notch
mark. This is caused by thermal expansion of the engine oil.

To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not add any additional oil
above the upper level when the engine is cold.

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11-9

B Changing the oil and oil filter

Change the oil and oil filter according to the maintenance schedule in
the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed more frequently than
listed in the maintenance schedule when driving on dusty roads,
when short trips are frequently made when towing a trailer, or when
driving in extremely cold whether.

1. Warm up the engine by letting the engine idle for about 10 minutes
to ease draining the engine oil.

2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the engine.

3. Remove the oil filler cap.

Drain plug

HS0174

4. Drain out the engine oil by removing the drain plug while the en­gine is still warm. The used oil should be drained into an appropriate
container and disposed of properly.

WARNING

Be careful not to burn yourself with hot engine oil.

5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain plug with a clean cloth and
tighten it securely with a new sealing washer after the oil has com­pletely drained out.

11-10

Maintenance and service

Oil filter

Drain plug

Sealing washer

HS0176HS0175

6. Remove the under cover.

7. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter wrench.

8. Before installing a new oil filter, apply a thin coat of engine oil to the
seal.

9. Clean the rubber seal seating area of the lower crank case and
install the oil filter by hand turning. Be careful not to twist or damage
the seal.

10. Tighten it approximately two-thirds of a turn after the seal makes
contact with underside of the crank case.

CAUTION

Never over tighten the oil filter because that can result in an oil
leak.

11. Reinstall the under cover.

12. Pour the specified amount of engine oil through the filler neck.

Oil capacity: 4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)

13. Start the engine and make sure that no oil leaks appear around
the filter’s rubber seal.

14. Run the engine until it reaches the normal operating temperature.
Then stop the engine and wait a few minutes to allow the oil drain
back. Check the oil level again and if necessary, add more engine oil.

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11-11

B Recommended grade and viscosity

CAUTION

Use only engine oil with the recommended grade and viscosity .

Oil grade: API classification SJ or SH with the words “ENERGY

CONSERVING II” (if you cannot obtain the oil with SJ
or SH grade, you may use SG grade oil.) or the new
API mark (Starburst mark) displayed on the container.

API Service label

1

New API Certification Mark
(Starburst Mark)

2

3

1 Indicates the oil quality by API designations
2 Indicates the SAE oil viscosity grade
3 Indicates that the oil has fuel saving capabilities

In choosing an oil, you want the proper quality and viscosity, as well
as one that will add to fuel economy. The following table lists the rec­ommended viscosities and applicable temperatures.
When adding oil, different brands may be used together as long as
they are the same API classification and SAE viscosity as those rec­ommended by SUBARU.

Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects fuel economy. Oils of lower vis­cosity provide better fuel economy. However, in hot weather, oil of
higher viscosity is required to properly lubricate the engine.

11-12

Maintenance and service

SAE viscosity number and applicable
temperature

OM-H2756

B Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving

conditions

If the vehicle is used in desert areas, in areas with very high tempera­tures, or used for heavy-duty applications such as a towing a trailer,
use of oil with the following grade and viscosities is recommended.

API classification SJ or SH:
SAE viscosity No.: 30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50

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11-13

Cooling system

WARNING

Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has
been shut off and has cooled down completely. Since the coolant
is under pressure, you may suffer serious burns from a spray of
boiling hot coolant when the cap is removed.

CAUTION

D The cooling system has been filled at the factory with a high
quality, corrosion-inhibiting, year-around coolant which provides
protection against freezing down to –33°F (–36°C). For adding,
use genuine SUBARU coolant or an equivalent: a mixture of 50%
soft water and 50% ethylene-glycol basis coolant. Use of improp­er coolants may result in corrosion in the cooling system. It is im­portant to maintain protection against freezing and corrosion,
even if freezing temperatures are not expected. Never mix differ­ent kinds of coolant.
D Do not splash the engine coolant over painted parts. The alco­hol contained in the engine coolant may damage the paint sur­face.

B Hose and connections

Your vehicle employs an electric cooling fan which is thermostatically
controlled to operate when the engine coolant reaches a specific tem­perature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operate even when the engine
coolant temperature gauge exceeds the normal operating range, the
cooling fan circuit may be defective. Check the fuse and replace it if
necessary. If the fuse is not blown, have the cooling system checked
by your SUBARU dealer.

If frequent addition of coolant is necessary, there may be a leak in the
engine cooling system. It is recommended that the cooling system
and connections be checked for leaks, damage, or looseness.

11-14

Maintenance and service

J Engine coolant

B Checking the coolant level

Check the coolant level at each fuel stop.

“FULL”
level mark

“LOW”
level mark

HS0178

1. Check the coolant level on the outside of the reservoir while the
engine is cool.

2. If the level is close to or lower than the “LOW” level mark, add
coolant up to the “FULL” level mark. If the reserve tank is empty, re­move the radiator cap and refill as required.

Rubber gaskets

HG0115

3. After refilling the reserve tank and the radiator, reinstall the caps
and check that the rubber gaskets inside the radiator cap are in the
proper position.

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11-15

B Changing the coolant

WARNING

Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until the engine has
been shut off and has cooled down completely. Since the coolant
is under pressure, you may suffer serious burns from a spray of
boiling hot coolant when the cap is removed.

Change the engine coolant in the following procedures according to
the maintenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Book-
let”.

1. Remove the under cover.

2. Place a proper container under the drain plug and loosen the drain
plug.

HSA002BBHSA001BB

3. Loosen the radiator cap to drain the coolant from the radiator. Then
drain the coolant from the reserve tank. Tighten the drain plug secure­ly.

4. Install the under cover.

11-16

Maintenance and service

“FULL”
level mark

“LOW”
level mark

HS0178HSA003BB

5. Slowly pour the coolant and fill to the radiator filler neck and to the
reserve tank’s “FULL” level mark. Do not pour the coolant too quickly,
as this may lead to insufficient air bleeding and trapped air in the sys­tem.

Coolant capacity

6.6 US qt (6.2 liters, 5.5 Imp qt)

Rubber gaskets

HG0115

6. Put the radiator cap back on and tighten firmly. At this time, make
sure that the rubber gaskets in the radiator cap are correctly in place.

7. Start and run the engine for more than five minutes at 2,000 to
3,000 rpm.

8. Stop the engine and wait until the coolant cools down (122 to
140°F [50 to 60 °C]). If there is any loss of coolant, add coolant to the

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11-17