SUBARU OUTBACK 2005 4.G Owners Manual

8-38
Driving tips
!
Connecting a trailer
! Trailer brakes
"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 hydrau-
lic brake system to the hydraulic brake system
in your vehicle. Direct connection would cause
the vehicle’s brake performance to deteriorate
and could lead to an accident.
If your trailer’s total weight (trailer weight plus its cargo
weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the trailer is re-
quired to be equipped with its own brake system. Elec-
tric brakes or surge brakes are recommended, and
must be installed properly. Check that your trailer’s
brakes conform with Federal, state/province and/or
other applicable regulations. Your SUBARU’s brake
system is not designed to be tapped into the trailer’s
hydraulic brake system. Please ask your SUBARU
dealer and professional trailer supplier for more infor-
mation about the trailer’s brake system. !
Trailer safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer. Towing trailer without safety
chains could create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling
damage or hitch ball damage.
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch ball should
break or become disconnected, the trailer could get
loose and create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing vehicle and
trailer with trailer safety chains. Pass the chains cross-
ing each other under the trailer tongue to prevent the
trailer from dropping onto the ground in case the trailer
tongue should disconnect from the hitch ball. Allow
sufficient slack in the chains taking tight-turn situations
into account; however, be careful not to let them drag
on the ground.
For more information about the safety chain connec-
tion, refer to the instructions for your hitch and trailer.

8-39
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
!Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle, check that the
standard side mirrors provide a good rearward field of
view without significant blind spots. If significant blind
spots occur with the vehicle’s standard side mirrors,
use towing mirrors that conform with Federal, state/
province and/or other applicable regulations. ! Trailer lights
Direct splicing or other improper connection of
trailer lights may damage your vehicle’s electri- cal system and cause a malfunction of your ve-
hicle’s lighting system.
Connection of trailer lights to your vehicle’s electrical
system requires modifications to the vehicle’s lighting
circuit to increase its capacity and accommodate wir-
ing changes. To ensure the trailer lights are connected
properly, please consult your SUBARU dealer. Check
for proper operation of the turn signals, the brake
lights and parking lights each time you hitch up. ! Tires
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare
tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not de-
signed to sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing can result in
failure of the spare tire and/or less stability of
the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle are properly
inflated.
The recommended cold tire pressure under trailer tow-
ing conditions is shown in chapter 12, “Specifications”
UB8501BA

8-40
Driving tips
and in “GAS STATION REFERENCE” at the end of
this manual. Adjust the rear tire pressure to the recom-
mended pressure when the tires are cold. Normal
pressure should be maintained in the front tires.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and proper infla-
tion pressure should be in accordance with the trailer
manufacturer’s specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire when towing a
trailer, ask a commercial road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your vehicle or
trailer as a precaution against getting a flat tire, be
sure that the spare tire is firmly secured. !
Trailer towing tips
"Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing
a trailer in hilly country on hot days. " When towing a trailer, steering, stability,
stopping distance and braking performance
will be different from normal operation. For
safety’s sake, you should employ extra caution
when towing a trailer and you should never speed. You should also keep the following tips
in mind:
! Before starting out on a trip
" Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-hitch mount-
ing are in good condition. If any problems are appar-
ent, do not tow the trailer." Check that the vehicle sits horizontally with the trail-
er attached. If the vehicle is tipped sharply up at the
front and down at the rear, check the total trailer
weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then con-
firm that the load and its distribution are acceptable. " Check that the tire pressures are correct.
" Check that the vehicle and trailer are connected
properly. Confirm that.
– the trailer tongue is connected properly to the
hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connected properly
and trailer’s brake lights illuminate when the vehi-
cle’s brake pedal is pressed, and that the trailer’s
turn signal lights flash when the vehicle’s turn signal
lever is operated.
– the safety chains are connected properly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safety in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rearward field of
view without a significant blind spot.

8-41
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
"Sufficient time should be taken to learn the “feel” of
the vehicle/trailer combination before starting out on a
trip. In an area free of traffic, practice turning, stopping
and backing up. ! Driving with a trailer
" You should allow for considerably more stopping
distance when towing a trailer. Avoid sudden braking because it may result in skidding or jackknifing and
loss of control." Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accelerations. If
your vehicle has a manual transmission, always start
out in first gear and release the clutch at moderate en-
gine revolution. " Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and rapid lane
changes. " Slow down before turning. Make a longer than nor-
mal turning radius because the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn.
In a tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle. " Crosswinds will adversely affect the handling of
your vehicle and trailer, causing sway. Crosswinds
can be due to weather conditions or the passing of large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the
steering wheel and slow down immediately but gradu-
ally. " When passing other vehicles, considerable dis-
tance is required because of the added weight and length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
A) Left turn
B) Right turn
" Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes prac-
tice. When backing up with a trailer, never accelerate
or steer rapidly. When turning back, grip the bottom of
the steering wheel with one hand and turn it to the left
for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn. " If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle
is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs
performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU deal- er.
A B
UB8502BB

8-42
Driving tips
!
Driving on grades
" 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 overheat-
ing of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden
downshifts." When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating." When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature 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 tem-
perature 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
overheating” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and
indicator lights” section in chapter 3.
NOTE
With AT vehicles, the temperature of engine cool-
ant is less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT zone in
the “D” position than in the manual mode position. " 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 over-
heat. !
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 park-
ing brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmission)
or “P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the en-
gine.

9-1
9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an emergency .. 9-2
Temporary spare tire .................................... 9-3
Flat tires ......................................................... 9-5 Changing a flat tire ........................................... 9-5
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .................................................... 9-16
Jump starting ................................................ 9-17 How to jump start ............................................. 9-18
Engine overheating ....................................... 9-20 If steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-20
If no steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-20
Towing ........................................................... 9-21 Towing and tie-down hooks ............................ 9-22
Using a flat-bed truck ....................................... 9-27
Towing with all wheels on the ground ............ 9-28
Rear gate – if the rear gate cannot be unlocked ..................................................... 9-29
Moonroof – if the moonroof cannot be closed ......................................................... 9-30
Maintenance tools ......................................... 9-33 Jack .................................................................... 9-33
Jack handle ....................................................... 9-34
Other maintenance tools .................................. 9-35

9-2
In case of emergency
In case of emergencyIf you park your vehicle in an emer-
gency
The hazard warning flasher should be used in day or
night to warn other drivers when you have to park your
vehicle under emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to safely pull off
the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be activated regard-
less of the ignition switch position.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing the hazard
warning flasher switch. Turn it off by pushing the
switch again.
NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on, the turn
signals do not work.
UB9500BA

9-3
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
Temporary spare tire
"Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare
tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not de-
signed to sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing can result in
failure of the spare tire and/or less stability of
the vehicle and may lead to an accident. " When a spare tire is mounted or a wheel rim
is replaced without the original pressure sen-
sor/transmitter being transferred, the low tire
pressure warning light will flash. This indicates
the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is
unable to monitor all four road wheels. Contact
your SUBARU dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/or system re-
setting.
Never use any temporary spare tire other than
the original. Using other sizes may result in se-
vere mechanical damage to the drive train of
your vehicle.
The temporary spare tire is smaller and lighter than a
conventional tire and is designed for emergency use
only. Remove the temporary spare tire and re-install
the conventional tire as soon as possible because the
spare tire is designed only for temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the temporary spare
tire periodically to keep the tire ready for use. The cor-
rect pressure is 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm 2
).
When using the temporary spare tire, note the follow-
ing: " Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
" Do not put a tire chain on the temporary spare tire.
Because of the smaller tire size, a tire chain will not fit
properly. " Do not use two or more temporary spare tires at the
same time. " Do not drive over obstacles. This tire has a smaller
diameter, so road clearance is reduced.

9-4
In case of emergency
1) Tread wear indicator bar
2) Indicator location mark
" When the wear indicator appears on the tread, re-
place the tire.NOTE
If your vehicle is an AWD type with an automatic
transmission but is neither a Turbo model nor a
3.0-liter model, deactivate its all-wheel-drive capa-
bility as follows: Before driving your vehicle with
the temporary spare tire, put a spare fuse inside
the FWD connector located in the engine compart-
ment and confirm that the “ ” warning light
comes on. The all wheel drive capability of the ve-
hicle has now been deactivated. After re-installing
the conventional tire, remove the spare fuse from
the FWD connector in order to reactivate all wheel
drive.
1
2
US9525BBUBB501BA

9-5
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
Flat tires
If you have a flat tire while driving, never brake sud-
denly; keep driving straight ahead while gradually re-
ducing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place. !Changing a flat tire
"Do not jack up the vehicle on an incline or a
loose road surface. The jack can come out of
the jacking point or sink into the ground and
this can result in a severe accident." Use only the jack provided with your vehicle.
The jack supplied with the vehicle is designed
only for changing a tire. Never get under the ve-
hicle while supporting the vehicle with this jack. " Always turn the engine off before raising the
flat tire off the ground using the jack. Never
swing or push the vehicle supported with the
jack. The jack can come out of the jacking point
due to a jolt and this can result in a severe acci-
dent. 1. Park on a hard, level surface, whenever possible,
then stop the engine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and shift a manual
transmission vehicle in reverse or an automatic trans-
mission vehicle in the “P” (Park) position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher and have ev-
eryone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear of the tire di-
agonally opposite the flat tire.
HS9003BA