Subaru Baja (2006 year). Instruction

6-14

Interior and exterior equipments

There are four hooks on the back panel behind the
rear seatback.
These hooks can be used for installing a cargo net so
that small and light items can be held next to the back
panel when the rear seatback is in the down position.

Fold the rear seatback forward by pulling the release
knob up for access to the hooks.

There are two hooks on the back of the rear seatback.
Using these hooks and the two hooks at the bottom of
the back panel, it is possible to use a cargo net to re-
tain luggage on the folded-down rear seatback.

After returning the seatback to its original posi-
tion, make sure that the rear seatback has been
securely locked. When securely locked, the red
marks on the locking knobs are no longer visi-
ble.

UB6054BA

6-15

Interior and exterior equipments

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Floor mat (if equipped)

Make sure the driver’s floor mat is placed back
in its proper location and correctly secured on
its retaining pin. If the floor mat slips forward
and interferes with the movement of the pedals
during driving, it could cause an accident.

A retaining pin is located on the driver’s side of the ve-
hicle. The floor mat is secured using the built-in grom-
met, by placing the grommet over the pin and pushing
downward.

HS6039BA

600513

6-16

Interior and exterior equipments

Cargo bed

y Never fill gasoline containers on the cargo
bed. Static electricity may ignite gasoline vapor
when filling portable containers. Approved
containers must be removed from the vehicle
and placed on the ground when filling.
Do not fill any portable container on a vehicle.
y Never allow anyone to ride in the cargo bed.
It is not designed for passengers. They should
ride in the seats with the seatbelts securely fas-
tened. Otherwise they are much more likely to

suffer serious injury or death in a sudden brak-
ing or in a collision.

y Do not exceed the cargo load rating of your
vehicle. Refer to the “Loading your vehicle”
section in chapter 8.
y Be sure cargo is secured properly. Unse-
cured cargo in the cargo bed can be thrown
around during sudden braking, in a sharp turn
or during rapid acceleration, which could cre-
ate a dangerous road hazard.
y To avoid creating a dangerous road hazard or
causing personal injury, cargo must not stick
out beyond the tailgate.
y Never drive the vehicle with the tailgate open
unless the optional SUBARU Bed Extender is
used.

Cargo should be placed in the cargo bed. Make sure
all items are secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle balanced. Locating the
weight as low and far forward as possible helps main-
tain balance.
There are two water drain holes at both sides of the

UB1149BA

6-17

Interior and exterior equipments

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front end of the cargo bed. Keep those holes clear and
free from obstructions.

Cargo tie-down hooks

The cargo bed is equipped with four tie-down hooks so
that cargo can be secured with a luggage net or ropes.

Bed extender (if equipped)

The bed extender is designed to increase the usable
cargo area of the bed.

y When the tailgate and bed extender are in the
“open/outward” position, the license plate
bracket must be lowered and locked into posi-
tion before the vehicle is driven (see section
“License plate bracket” under the heading of
“Tailgate” in chapter 2 for more information on
the function of the license plate bracket). In or-
der to avoid damaging the license plate bracket
or the bumper, make certain that the license
plate bracket is in its fully lowered/open posi-
tion before the tailgate is lowered.
y Do not exceed the cargo load rating of your
vehicle. Refer to “Loading your vehicle” sec-
tion in chapter 8.
y Locking buckles must be engaged into the
tailgate latch while the vehicle is in motion.
y When the bed extender is not in use, the tail-
gate should be closed.
y Do not use the bed extender or tailgate to se-
cure cargo.

UB6032BA

6-18

Interior and exterior equipments

y Remove the bed extender for vehicle “Off
Road” use.
y To avoid creating a dangerous road hazard or
causing personal injury, cargo must not stick
out beyond the bed extender.
y To avoid damage, the tailgate and bed ex-
tender must remain in the closed/inward posi-
tion when towing with a trailer hitch.
y To avoid damage, clean the bed extender
only with soap, water and a soft brush.

Operation

Open/Outward Position – To use the bed extender in
the open/outward position, simply lower your license
plate bracket (see section “License plate bracket” un-
der heading of “Tailgate” in chapter 2), open your tail-
gate, and rotate the bed extender until it sits on the tail-
gate.

After you have rotated the bed extender, lock the black
buckle pin into the tailgate latch by pushing downward
until you hear two clicks. Then tighten the tether
straps. Repeat this process for the other side. When
you want to return the tailgate and the bed extender to
the closed/inward position, pull on the tailgate release
handle to disengage the tethers.

UB8032AA

UB8033AA

6-19

Interior and exterior equipments

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NOTE

Use care when rotating bed extender. Do not per-
mit the buckles to come in contact with vehicle
sheet metal and bed trim.

Closed/Inward Position – With the tailgate closed
and the bed extender in the inward position, small
loads can be placed inside the vehicle bed between
the tailgate and the extender (groceries, ice chests,
etc.).

The bed extender should be secured to the rear set of
vehicle cargo hooks. Latch the buckle onto the rear
cargo hooks and then tighten the tether straps. To dis-
engage the tethers, loosen the tether straps and de-

press the latch pin.

Bed extender removal

The bed extender can be removed from the vehicle by
rotating the extender into a vertical position then lifting
straight up.

UB8035AA

UB8036BA

6-20

Interior and exterior equipments

Cargo lamp

The cargo lamp comes on and goes off whenever the
cargo lamp switch is pushed regardless of the position
of the ignition switch. The cargo lamp indicator light lo-
cated in the meter panel will illuminate when the cargo
lamp is on.
When leaving your vehicle, make sure the lamp is
turned off to avoid battery discharge.

Do not switch on the cargo lamp while driving
to avoid distracting other drivers.

UB3018AA

UB7023DA

6-21

Interior and exterior equipments

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Soft bed cover (if equipped)

Before installing the soft bed cover, carefully
read the warning labels on the inside wall of the
cargo bed.

y Do not place cargo on top of the bed cover.
y Do not use the hard bed cover section as a
step.

y Do not use the bed cover to secure cargo.
y To avoid damage, clean the bed cover with
only soap, water and a soft brush.
y Remove the soft portion of the bed cover be-
fore taking the vehicle through a car wash.

The bed cover is designed to cover the cargo area of
the bed. The bed cover is water resistant, but not wa-
terproof.

Securing the cover

UB6061BA

UB6033AA

6-22

Interior and exterior equipments

To secure the soft portion of the bed cover to the bed,
simply start from either side of the vehicle and place
the plastic strip under the rail. Slide your hand down
the side of the vehicle pushing the plastic strip under
the rail as you go. Continue this around the entire
length of the bed. Fasten both closeout wraps with
Velcro around the rear chrome bars so that they are
secure. Your cover should be tight and ready to con-
ceal items in the bed from view.

Cover removal

UB6034BA

UB6035BA

UB6036BA

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Interior and exterior equipments

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The soft portion of the bed cover can be removed from
the bed cover’s hard section for cleaning or storage.
Unfasten the Velcro on the tube closeout wraps and
firmly pull the cover out to one side.

Cover reinstallation

The soft portion of the bed cover can be reinstalled
onto the bed cover’s hard section. Start by inserting
the left front edge of the soft portion into the right side
of the hard cover. This area is flared out to ease instal-
lation.

As you insert (and pull) the soft portion of the bed cov-
er into the bed cover’s hard section, make sure the
next 10 to 15 inches (250 to 380 mm) of the soft por-
tion are straight and ready to enter the flared out por-
tion of the hard section.

Once you have pulled the soft portion of the bed cover
onto the bed cover’s hard section, make sure the soft
portion is equally centered on both sides. To complete
the installation, refer to “Securing the cover” section in
this chapter.

UB6037BA

UB6038BA

6-24

Interior and exterior equipments

Hard bed cover (if equipped)

1) Warning labels

y Carefully read the warning labels on the in-
side walls of the cargo bed.
y Do not sit, stand or place cargo on this cover.
y Help prevent young children from locking
themselves in the cargo bed. When leaving the
vehicle, make sure the front and rear sections
of the bed cover are both locked. Keep the hard
bed cover key out of reach of children. On hot

or sunny days, the temperature in the cargo
bed could quickly become high enough to
cause death or serious heat-related injuries in-
cluding brain damage to anyone locked inside,
particularly for small children.

y Keep the front and rear covers closed while
driving.
y Do not use the bed cover to hold cargo in po-
sition.
y Clean the bed cover using only cold water or
a clean, soft cloth moistened with cold or luke-
warm water. Cleaning the bed cover in any oth-
er way could result in damage.

UB6061BB

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Interior and exterior equipments

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1) Front section
2) Rear section

The hard bed cover can be used to cover the entire
cargo area. Its front section and rear section can be
opened separately. Also, the bed cover can be re-
moved and reinstalled as desired.
The bed cover is water-resistant, but not waterproof.
Water may enter the cargo bed during heavy rain or if
an automatic car wash is used.

Locking and unlocking the bed cover

There is a special key for use with the hard bed cover.
The key number is stamped on the metal plate at-

tached to the key. Write down the key number and
keep it in another safe place, not in the vehicle. This
number is needed to make a replacement key if you
lose your key.

1) Hard bed cover key
2) Key number plate

Unlock the front and rear sections of the bed
cover using the special key only. Never use the
ignition key or door key to do this, as these
keys will damage the bed cover’s key cylinders.

UB6078BA

UB6083BA

6-26

Interior and exterior equipments

The front and rear sections of the bed cover can each
be locked and unlocked. Each section is automatically
locked when it is closed. (Refer to “Opening and clos-
ing the hard bed cover” in this section.)

T Front section

1) Lock
2) Unlock

To unlock the front section, uncover the key cylinder,
insert the key into the key cylinder, and turn it counter-
clockwise.
When the key is released, it automatically returns to
the lock position.

NOTE

If you find the key hard to turn when unlocking the
front section, press the middle of the front section
with your other hand while turning the key.

T Rear section

1) Lock
2) Unlock

To unlock the rear section, uncover the key cylinder,
insert the key into the key cylinder, and turn it counter-
clockwise.
When the key is released, it automatically returns to
the lock position.

UB6079BA

UB6079BB

6-27

Interior and exterior equipments

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NOTE

If you find the key hard to turn when unlocking the
rear section, press the middle of the rear section
with your other hand while turning the key.

Internal hard bed cover release handle

Never allow any child to get in the cargo bed
and play with the release handle. If the driver
starts the vehicle without knowing that a child
is inside the cargo bed and the child opens the
lid using the release handle, the child could fall
out and be killed or seriously injured.

y Do not close the hard bed cover while grip-
ping the release handle. The handle may be
damaged.
y Do not use the handle as a hook to fasten
straps or ropes to secure your cargo in the car-
go bed. Such use may result in damage of the
handle.
y Load the cargo bed so that cargo can not

strike the release handle. If the cargo hits the
handle while the vehicle is being driven, the
handle may be pushed and the hard bed cover
may open. That may cause cargo to fall out of
the cargo bed, which could create a traffic safe-
ty hazard.

The internal release handle is designed to open the
hard bed cover from inside the cargo bed. In the event
that children or adults become locked inside the cargo
bed, the handle allows them to open the cover. The
handle is located at the back of the rear section of the
cover.

6-28

Interior and exterior equipments

1) Internal hard bed cover release handle

To open the hard bed cover from inside the cargo bed,
turn the yellow handle in the direction of the arrow
marked on it. The cover is now unlocked. Then, while
holding the handle in the turned position, push up the
hard bed cover to open it.
The handle is made of material that remains lumines-
cent for approximately an hour in the dark cargo bed
space after it is exposed to ambient light even for a
short time.

T Inspection
Move the release handle in the direction of the arrow
at least twice a year and check that it works smoothly.
If the movement of the release handle feels restricted
or not entirely smooth during operation, or the handle
and/or handle base is cracked, contact your SUBARU
dealer.

Opening and closing the hard bed cov-

y Keep the front and rear covers closed while
driving.
y When opening the rear cover while the vehi-
cle is stopped, secure it to one of the rear sport

UB6081BA

UB6080BA

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Interior and exterior equipments

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bars with the attached strap. Failure to do so
may result in damage to cargo.
y When opening or closing the cover, hold the
cover by hand and open or close the cover
slowly. Be careful not to trap your fingers be-
tween the cover and cargo bed.
y When opening the front cover, be sure to re-
move the key from the key cylinder. With the
key remaining inserted in the key cylinder, the
key cylinder cap may be damaged when the
cover is fully opened.

The front section and rear section of the cover can be
opened and closed independently. Each section is au-
tomatically locked when it is closed.

T Front section
1. Unlock the front section of the cover. (Refer to
“Locking and unlocking the bed cover” in this section.)

Front section fully opened

UB6059BA

UB6066BA

Subaru Baja (2006 year). Instruction - part 14