SUBARU FORESTER 2006 Owners Manual

9-10
In case of emergency
Engine overheatingIf the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place.„If steam is coming from the
engine compartmentTurn off the engine and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down.„If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment1. Keep the engine running at idling
speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature
has dropped, turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the
overheated zone, turn off the engine.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reserve
tank.
If the coolant level is below the “LOW”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it.
TowingIf towing is necessary, it is best done by
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following pro-
cedures for safety.
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT
and MT) with the front wheels raised
off the ground while the rear wheels
are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while
the front wheels are on the ground.
This will cause the vehicle to spin
away due to the operation or deteri-
oration of the center differential.
900014
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In case of emergency
9-11
– CONTINUED –
„Towing and tie-down hooksThe towing hooks should be used only in
an emergency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle
from mud, sand or snow).
Front towing hook: Rear towing hook:
Tie-down hooks:1) Tie-down hooks
2) Towing and tie-down hooks
600441
To prevent deformation to the front
bumper and the towing hook, do not
apply excessive lateral load to the
towing hooks.
900234
2
2
1
1
900238
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9-12
In case of emergency
„Using a flat-bed truckThis is the best way to transport your vehi-
cle. Use the following procedures to en-
sure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” po- sition for automatic transmission vehicles
or “1st” for manual transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
„
Towing with all wheels on the
ground1. Check the transmission and differential
oil levels and add oil to bring it to the upper
level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the
“ACC” position while the vehicle is being towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
y
Use only the specified towing
hooks and tie-down hooks. Never
use suspension parts or other
parts of the body for towing or tie-
down purposes.
y Never use the tie-down hook on
the underside of the vehicle clos-
est to the muffler for towing pur-
poses.
900018
900019
yNever turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK” position while the ve-
hicle is being towed because the
steering wheel and the direction
of the wheels will be locked.yRemember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not run-
ning. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater ef-
fort to operate the brake pedal and
steering wheel.
y If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
y Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the en-
gine running.
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In case of emergency
9-13
Rear gate – if the rear gate cannot be unlockedIn the event that you cannot unlock the
rear gate by operating the power door
locking switches or the remote keyless en-
try system, you can unlock it from inside
the cargo area.
0
1. Remove the access cover at the bot-
tom-center of the rear gate trim.2. Locate the rear gate lock release lever
behind the rear gate trim panel.
3. Unlock the rear gate by pressing the le-
ver inside the trim upward.
4. Open the rear gate from outside by
raising the rear gate handle.
y
For vehicles with automatic trans-
mission, the traveling speed must
be limited to less than 20 mph (30
km/h) and the traveling distance
to less than 31 miles (50 km). For
greater speeds and distances,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
900020
900021
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9-14
In case of emergency
Moonroof – if the moonroof cannot be closedIf the moonroof cannot be closed with the
moonroof switch, you can close the moon-
roof manually.
1. Remove the plug on the roof trim locat-
ed to the rear of the moonroof by inserting
the end of the flat-head screwdriver be-
tween the roof and plug and prying it off.2. Insert a hex-headed wrench in the end
of the motor shaft.
To close the moonroof, turn the wrench
counterclockwise.
Have your vehicle checked and repaired
by an authorized SUBARU dealer.
Maintenance toolsYour vehicle is equipped with the following
maintenance tools:
Screwdriver
Wheel nut wrench
Hex-head wrench (for vehicle with
moonroof)
900235
900236
900265
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In case of emergency
9-15
„Jack and jack handleThe jack is stored under the left side of the
cargo floor.
The jack handle is stowed under the rear-
left and center lids in the cargo area. For how to use the jack, refer to the “Flat
tires” section in this chapter.
900003900004
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10
Appearance care
Exterior care ....................................................... 10-2
Washing ................................................................... 10-2
Waxing and polishing ............................................. 10-3
Cleaning aluminum wheels .................................... 10-3
Corrosion protection .......................................... 10-3
Most common causes of corrosion ...................... 10-3
To help prevent corrosion ..................................... 10-4
Cleaning the interior .......................................... 10-4
Seat fabric ............................................................... 10-4
Leather seat materials ............................................ 10-5
Synthetic leather upholstery ................................. 10-5
Ashtray .................................................................... 10-5
Climate control panel, audio panel, instrument panel, console panel, switches, combination
meter, and other plastic surfaces ....................... 10-5
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10-2
Appearance care
Appearance care
Exterior care„Washing
NOTEWhen having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure be-
forehand that the car wash is of suit-
able type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the ve-
hicle at least once a month to avoid con-
tamination 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.
T Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for deic-
ing road surfaces are extremely corrosive,
accelerating the corrosion of underbody components, such as the exhaust system,
fuel and brake lines, brake cables, floor
pan and fenders, and suspension.
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 un-
derbody.
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.
NOTEBe careful not to damage brake hoses,
sensor harnesses, and other parts
when washing suspension compo-
nents.
T
Using a warm water washer
y Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle.
y Do not wash the same area continuous-
ly.
y If a stain will not come out easily, wash
by hand. Some warm water washers are
y
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.
y Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If wa-
ter enters the engine air intake,
electrical parts or the power steer-
ing fluid reservoir, it will cause en-
gine trouble or faulty power steer-
ing respectively.
y Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become tan-
gled around it, damaging the wip-
er arm and other components.
Ask the automatic car-wash oper-
ator 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.
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Appearance care
10-3
– CONTINUED –
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 ap-
ply them according to the manufacturer’s
instructions. Wax or polish when the paint-
ed 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 sur-
face 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 sur-
face with a fine-grained compound. Never
polish just the affected area, but include
the surrounding area as well. Always pol-
ish in only one direction. A No. 2000 grain
compound is recommended. 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 a compound or an incorrect
polishing technique will result in removing
the paint layer and exposing the under-
coat. When in doubt, it is always best to
contact your SUBARU dealer or an auto
paint specialist.
NOTEBe careful not to block the windshield
washer nozzles with wax when waxing
the vehicle.„
Cleaning aluminum wheelsyPromptly 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.
y Do not use soap containing grit to clean
the wheels. Be sure to use a neutral clean-
ing 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.
y Clean the vehicle (including the alumi-
num wheels) with water as soon as possi-
ble when it has been splashed with sea
water, exposed to sea breezes, or driven
on roads treated with salt or other agents.
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 cor-
rosionThe most common causes of corrosion
are:
1. The accumulation of moisture retaining
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 pol-
lution.
2. It is driven in areas of high humidity, es-
pecially when temperatures range just
above freezing.
3. Dampness in certain parts of the vehi-
cle remains for a long time, even though
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