Subaru 2003 Legacy - Manual (Page 337)

8
Driving tips
8-39
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nearest SUBARU dealer.
n Driving on grades
D Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift into lower gear
(if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the engine braking effect
and prevent overheating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sud-
den downshifts.
D When driving uphill in hot weather, the air conditioner may turn off
automatically to protect the engine from overheating.
D When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to the water tem-
perature gauge pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP warning
light (for AT vehicles) since the engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these conditions. If the water temperature
gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP
warning light illuminates, immediately switch off the air conditioner
and stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheat” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and indicator lights”
section in chapter 3.
D If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid using the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an uphill slope instead of using
the parking brake or foot brake. That may cause the transmission fluid
to overheat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automatic trans-
mission, avoid driving with the gear selector lever in “D” when towing
a heavy trailer to prevent fluid overheating. A lower gear should be
used.
n Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and trailer when parking.
Apply the parking brake firmly. You should not park on a hill or slope.
But if parking on a hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the regular brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the parking brake; slowly