SUBARU OUTBACK 2000 3.G Owners Manual

Driving tips8-25
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8. Connec t the hitc h wire harness
’s b lac k four –p in wire c onnec tor to
the towing trailer ’s wire harness
HB8021BB
9. Confirm p rop er func tion of the hitc h wire harness b y ind ivid ually
ac tivating the b rake, rig ht turn sig nal, left turn sig nal, stop , and p ark-
ing lig hts on the trailer. NOTE Always disconnect the trailer wire harness before launching or retrieving a watercraft. When you do not tow a trailer
Remove the b all mount from the hitc h rec eiver tub e and insert the
rec eiver c over onto the hitc h rec eiver tub e. Plac e the d ust c ap over the four –p in c onnec tor of the hitc h wire
harness to p rotec t ag ainst p ossib le d amag e. Oc c asionally lub ric ate terminals of the four –p in c onnec tor using
the terminal g rease.

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.

Driving tips8-27
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CONTINUED –
CAUTION
Adequate size trailer brakes are required when the trailer and
its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total weight, GVW,
GAWs and tongue load. Make sure the load and its distribution inyour vehicle and trailer are acceptable.
n Total trailer weight
The total trailer weig ht (trailer weig ht p lus its c arg o load ) must never
exc eed the maximum weig ht shown b elow.
Model
ConditionsMaximum totaltrailer weight
MT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs (906 kg)
AT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs (906 kg)
When towing a trailer on a long uphill grade continuously for over 5 miles (8 km) with an outside temperature of 104 F
(40 C) or above.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
OM-H2781
Total trailer weight

8-28n
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The Gross Vehic le Weig ht (GVW) must never exc eed th e Gross
Vehic le Weig ht Rating (GVWR).
Gross Vehic le Weig ht (GVW) is the c omb ined total of the weig ht of the
vehic le, d river, p asseng ers, lug g ag e, trailer hitc h , trailer tong ue load
and any other op tional eq uip ment installed on your vehic le. Therefore,
the GVW c hang es d ep end ing on the situation. Determi ne the GVW
eac h time b efore g oing on a trip b y p utting your ve hic le and trailer on
a vehic le sc ale.
GVWR is shown on the c ertific ation lab el loc ated on the d river’s d oor
of your vehic le.
HBF019BB
Gross Vehicle Weight
OM-H2782
Gross Axle Weight (GAW) and Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR)
The total weig ht ap p lied to eac h axle (GAW) must ne ver exc eed the
Gross Axle Weig ht Rating (GAWR). The front and rear GAWs c an b e
ad justed b y reloc ating p asseng ers and lug g ag e insid e the vehic le.
The front and rear GAWR are also shown on the c erti fic ation lab el.

Driving tips8-29
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CONTINUED –
HBF019BB
Gross Axle Weight
OM-H2784
To c hec k b oth GVWR and GAWR and to c onfirm that the total weig ht
and weig ht d istrib ution are within safe d riving lim its, you should have
your vehic le and trailer weig hed at a c ommerc ial we ig hing station.
Be sure that all c arg o is firmly sec ured to p revent a c hang e in weig ht
d istrib ution while d riving . n Tongue load
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more weight in the back of trailer ’s
axle than in the front, the load is taken off the rear axle of the tow- ing vehicle. This may cause the rear wheels to skid, especiallyduring braking or when vehicle speed is reduced during corner-
ing, resulting in over-steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
Ensure that the trailer tong ue load is from 8 to 11 p erc ent of the total
trailer weig ht and d oes not exc eed the maximum valu e of 200 lb s (90
kg ).
The tong ue load c an b e weig hed with a b athroom sc al e as shown in
the illustration b elow. When weig hing the tong ue lo ad , b e sure to p osi-
tion the towing c oup ler at the heig ht at whic h it w ould b e d uring
ac tual towing , using a jac k as shown.

8-30
OM-H2786
Tongue load
OM-H2785
The tong ue load c an b e ad justed b y p rop er d istrib ut ion of the load in
the trailer. Never load the trailer with more weig h t in the b ac k than in
the front; ap p roximately 60 p erc ent of the trailer load should b e in the
front and ap p roximately 40 p erc ent in the rear. Als o, d istrib ute the
load as evenly as p ossib le on b oth the left and rig ht sid es.
Be sure that all c arg o is firmly sec ured to p revent a c hang e in weig ht
d istrib ution while d riving .
OM-H2787

Driving tips8-31
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CONTINUED –

Trailer hitches
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body of your vehicle to install a
commercial trailer hitch. If you do, dangerous exhaust gas, wateror mud may enter the passenger compartment through the drilledhole. Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, a colorless andodorless gas which is dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Also,drilling the frame or under-body of your vehicle could cause dete-rioration of strength of your vehicle and cause corrosion aroundthe drilled hole.
CAUTION
Do not modify the vehicle exhaust system, brake system, or
other systems when installing a hitch or other trailer towingequipment. Do not use axle-mounted hitches as they can cause damage to
the axle housing, wheel bearings, wheels or tires.
Choose a p rop er hitc h for your vehic le and trailer. OUTBACK wagon
The use of a g enuine SUBARU trailer hitc h is rec omm end ed . A g enu-
ine SUBARU hitc h is availab le from your SUBARU d eal er.
If use of a non-g enuine hitc h is unavoid ab le, b e su re the hitc h is
suited to your vehic le and trailer. Consult with a p rofessional hitc h
sup p lier to assist you in c hoosing an ap p rop riate h itc h for your
vehic le. Be sure to follow all of the hitc h manufac turer’s instruc tions for
installation and use.
Never use a hitc h that mounts only to the rear b ump er. The b ump er is
not d esig ned to hand le that typ e of load .
For all typ es of hitc hes, reg ularly c hec k that the hitc h mounting b olts
and nuts are tig ht.

8-32
All vehicles except OUTBACK wagon
SUBARU d oes not offer ac c essory trailer hitc hes. Co nsult with a p ro-
fessional hitc h sup p lier to assist you in c hoosing an ap p rop riate hitc h
for your vehic le. Be sure to follow all of the hitc h manufac turer’s
instruc tions for installation and use.
Never use a hitc h that mounts only to the rear b ump er. The b ump er is
not d esig ned to hand le that typ e of load .
Reg ularly c hec k that the hitc h mounting b olts and n uts are tig ht.
Connecting a trailer
n Trailer brakes
WARNING
Adequate size trailer brakes are required when the trailer and
its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Do not directly connect your trailer ’s hydraulic brake system
to the hydraulic brake system in your vehicle. Direct connectionwould cause the vehicle ’s brake performance to deteriorate and
could lead to an accident.
If your trailer ’s total weig ht (trailer weig ht p lus its c arg o weig h t)
exc eed s 1,000 lb s (453 kg ), the trailer is req uired to b e eq uip p ed with
its own b rake system. Elec tric b rakes or surg e b rak es are rec om-
mend ed , and must b e installed p rop erly. Chec k that your trailer’s
b rakes c onform with Fed eral, state/p rovinc e and /or other ap p lic ab le
reg ulations. Your SUBARU ’s b rake system is not d esig ned to b e
tap p ed into the trailer ’s hyd raulic b rake system. Please ask your
SUBARU d ealer and p rofessional trailer sup p lier for more information
ab out the trailer ’s b rake system.
n Trailer safety chains
WARNING
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Towing trailer without safety chains could create a traffic safetyhazard if the trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling dam-age or hitch ball damage.

Driving tips8-33
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In c ase the trailer hitc h c onnec tor or hitc h b all s
hould b reak or
b ec ome d isc onnec ted , the trailer c ould g et loose an d c reate a traffic
safety hazard .
For safety, always c onnec t the towing vehic le and t railer with trailer
safety c hains. Pass the c hains c rossing eac h other und er the trailer
tong ue to p revent the trailer from d rop p ing onto th e g round in c ase
the trailer tong ue should d isc onnec t from the hitc h b all. Allow suffi-
c ient slac k in the c hains taking tig ht-turn situati ons into ac c ount; how-
ever, b e c areful not to let them d rag on the g round .
For more information ab out the safety c hain c onnec t ion, refer to the
instruc tions for your hitc h and trailer. n Side mirrors
After hitc hing a trailer to your vehic le, c hec k tha t the stand ard sid e
mirrors p rovid e a g ood rearward field of view witho ut sig nific ant b lind
sp ots. If sig nific ant b lind sp ots oc c ur with the ve hic le’s stand ard sid e
mirrors, use towing mirrors that c onform with Fed er al, state/p rovinc e
and /or other ap p lic ab le reg ulations.
HB0085
n Trailer lights CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improper connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle ’s electrical system and cause a malfunction
of your vehicle ’s lighting system.

8-34Connec tion of trailer lig hts to your vehic le
’s elec tric al system req uires
mod ific ations to the vehic le ’s lig hting c irc uit to inc rease its c ap ac ity
and ac c ommod ate wiring c hang es. To ensure the trail er lig hts are
c onnec ted p rop erly, p lease c onsult your SUBARU d eal er. Chec k for
p rop er op eration of the turn sig nals, the b rake lig hts and p arking
lig hts eac h time you hitc h up . n Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not designed to sustain the towing load.
Use of the temporary spare tire when towing can result in failureof the spare tire and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehic le are p r op erly inflated .
OUTBACK: The rec ommend ed c old tire p ressure und er trailer
towing c ond itions is ind ic ated on the tire p lac ard loc ated und er the
d oor striker on the d river ’s sid e. Ad just the rear tire p ressure to the
rec ommend ed p ressure shown on the tire p lac ard when the tires
are c old . Normal p ressure should b e maintained in t he front tires.
Other models: It is rec ommend ed to inflate the rear tires to 3 p si
(20 kPa, 0.2 kg /c m 2
) ab ove their normal op erating p ressure when
the tires are c old . Normal p ressure should b e maint ained in the
front tires.
Trailer tire c ond ition, size, load rating and p rop e r inflation p ressure
should b e in ac c ord anc e with the trailer manufac tur er’s sp ec ific ations.
In the event your vehic le g ets a flat tire when tow ing a trailer, ask a
c ommerc ial road servic e to rep air the flat tire.
If you c arry a reg ular size sp are tire in your vehi c le or trailer as a p re-
c aution ag ainst g etting a flat tire, b e sure that t he sp are tire is firmly
sec ured .