SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owners Manual

8-12 Driving tips
require the use of tire chains, in which
case put the chains on the front wheels
only. Use only SAE class S type chains
that are of the correct size for your tires so
as not to damage the vehicle body or sus-
pension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at
speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h). When a
temporary spare tire is on a front wheel,
replace the temporary spare tire with the
rear tire on the same side of the vehicle,
and then fit chains on the front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving
with tire chains – overconfidence because
you are driving with tire chains could eas-
ily lead to a serious accident.
„ Rocking the vehicleIf you must rock the ve hicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the acceler-
ator pedal slightly and move the selector
lever back and forth between “D” and “R”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slip-
pery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
Refer to the “Automatic transmission – 4- speed” and “Automatic transmission – 5-
speed” section in chapter 7 for information
on holding the transmission in 2nd posi-
tion.
Loading your vehicle Never allow passengers to ride on a
folded rear seatback, in the trunk or
in the cargo area. Doing so may re-
sult in serious injury.
y Never stack luggage or other car-
go higher than the top of the seat-
back because it could tumble for-
ward and injure passengers in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-
dent. Keep luggage or cargo low,
as close to the floor as possible. 100094

Driving tips
8-13
– CONTINUED –NOTE For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded cargo.
„ Vehicle capacity weight The load capacity of your vehicle is deter-
mined by weight, not by available cargo
space. The maximum load you can carry
in your vehicle is shown on the vehicle
placard attached to the driver’s side door
pillar. It includes the total weight of the
driver and all passengers and their be-
longings, any optional equipment such as
a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier,
etc., and the tongue load of a trailer.y When you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can to prevent it from being
thrown around inside the vehicle
during sudden stops, sharp turns
or in an accident.
y Do not pile heavy loads on the
roof. These loads raise the vehi-
cle’s center of gravity and make it
more prone to tip over.
y Secure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.
y Never exceed the maximum load
limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle han-
dles. This could result in loss of
control and cause personal injury.
Also, overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle.
y Do not place anything on the rear
shelf behind the rear seatback (for
Sedan) or the extended luggage
cover (for Station wagon). Such
items could tumble forward in the
event of a sudden stop or a colli-
sion. This could cause serious in-
jury. Do not carry spray cans, containers
with flammable or corrosive liquids
or any other dangerous items inside
the vehicle.
800236 B00128

8-14 Driving tips
„ GVWR and GAWR (Gross Ve-
hicle Weight Rating and
Gross Axle Weight Rating)
Certification label
The certification label attached to the driv-
er’s side door shows GVWR (Gross Vehi-
cle Weight Rating) and GAWR (Gross
Axle Weight Rating).
The GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) must
never exceed the GVWR. GVW is the
combined total of weight of the vehicle, fu-
el, driver, all passengers, luggage, any
optional equipment and trailer tongue
load. Therefore, the GVW changes de-
pending on the situation.
In addition, the total weight applied to
each axle (GAW) must never exceed the GAWR. The front and rear GAWs can be
adjusted by relocating luggage inside the
vehicle.
Even if the total weight of your luggage is
lower than the vehicle capacity weight, ei-
ther front or rear GAW may exceed the
GAWR, depending on the distribution of
the luggage.
When possible, the load should be evenly
distributed throughout the vehicle.
If you carry heavy load s in the vehicle, you
should confirm that GVW and front and
rear GAWs are within the GVWR and
GAWR by putting your vehicle on a vehi-
cle scale, found at a commercial weighing
station.
Do not use replacement tires with a lower
load range than the originals because
they may lower the GVWR and GAWR
limitations. Replacement tires with a high-
er load range than the originals do not in-
crease the GVWR and GAWR limitations. „ Roof rail and crossbar (if
equipped)
1) Crossbar kit800237
y For cargo carrying purposes, the
roof rail must be used together
with a roof crossbar kit and the
appropriate carrying attachment.
The roof rail must never be used
alone to carry cargo. Otherwise,
damage to the roof or paint or a
dangerous road hazard due to
loss of cargo could result. 1
800238

Driving tips
8-15
– CONTINUED –The roof rail is not designed to carry cargo
by itself. Cargo can be carried after secur-
ing the roof crossbar kit to the roof rail and
installing the appropriate carrying attach-
ment. When installing the roof crossbar
kit, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
When you carry cargo on the roof using
the roof crossbar kit and a carrying attach-
ment, never exceed the maximum load
limit explained in the following. You should
also be careful that your vehicle does not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) and front and rear Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). See the “Loading
your vehicle” section in this chapter for in-
formation on loading cargo into or onto
your vehicle. The maximum load limit of
the cargo, crossbars and carrying attach-
ment must not exceed 100 lbs (45 kg) .
Place the heaviest load at the bottom,
nearest the roof, and evenly distribute the
cargo. Always properly secure all cargo. T Installing carrying attachments on
the crossbars
When installing any carrying attachment
such as a bike carrier , ski carrier, kayak
carrier, cargo basket, etc. on the cross-
bars, follow the manufacturer’s instruc-
tions and make sure that the attachment is
securely fixed to the crossbars. Use only
attachments designed specifically for the
crossbars. A set of the crossbars is de-
signed to carry loads (cargo and attach-
ment) of not more than 100 lbs (45 kg) .
Before operating the vehicle, make sure
that the cargo is properly secured on the
attachment.
NOTE Remember that the vehicle’s center of
gravity is altered with the weight of the
load on the roof, thus affecting the
driving characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hard
cornering and abrupt stops. Crosswind
effects will be increased.
T Removal and installation of the
crossbars
The crossbars can be removed when you
do not use the roof to carry cargo. V To remove the crossbar
1. Loosen and remove the T-30 torx®
head screw from the top of each crossbar
end support.
Loosen the lower clamps.y When using the roof crossbar kit,
make sure that the total weight of
the crossbars, carrying attach-
ment and cargo does not exceed
the maximum load limit. Overload-
ing may cause damage to the ve-
hicle and create a safety hazard. 800239
800240

8-16 Driving tips
2. Carefully raise the crossbar from roof
rails.
V To install the front crossbar
Front crossbar:
Front crossbar has 100 LBS Load Label
on left-hand side.
1) T-25 torx® head screw
1. Make sure that the T-25 torx® head
screw on the back of each crossbar end
support is tightened correctly.
2. Before placing the crossbar on the roof
rails, make sure that the T-30 torx® head
screw is removed from the top of each
crossbar end support. 3. The crossbar with the 100 LBS Load
Label attached onto it is the front cross-
bar. An arrow is marked on the back of the
front crossbar for corre ct installation. In-
stall the front crossbar so that the arrow
faces the front of the vehicle. 1) 10 in (250 mm)
4. Install the front crossbar so that the
crossbar end supports are located ap-
proximately 10 in (250 mm) rearward from
the joints between the roof rails and the
front roof rail supports.1
800241 800242
1 800243

Driving tips
8-17
– CONTINUED –1) Lower clamp
2) T-30 torx® head screw
5. Tighten the lower clamps onto the
crossbar. Using a torque wrench, loosely
tighten the T-30 torx® head screws.
NOTE It may be necessary to squeeze the
lower clamp and the end support to-
gether to compress the pads and gain
a better alignment of the pieces while
trying to start the screw. Use care not
to crossthread the screw in the insert. 6. Adjust the alignment of the crossbar on
the roof rails, and if available, use a T-30
torx® bit and torque wrench and tighten
the T-30 torx® head screws to 30 to 35
lbf·in (3.4 to 4.0 N· m, 0.35 to 0.41 kgf·m)
of torque (or tighten securely with the
torx® wrench provided). Rear crossbar:
1) Zero gap
Install the rear cross bar so that the rear
edges of both cross bar end supports are
aligned (zero gap) with the front edges of
both rear roof rail supports.
Install the rear crossbar in the same man-
ner as the front crossbar.12
800244 800245
Do not carry cargo on the roof when
the crossbars are removed. Lug-
gage on the roof will be thrown for-
ward or backward in sudden stops
or rapid accelerations, resulting in a
dangerous road hazard. 1 800246

8-18 Driving tips
NOTE Before each use of the roof crossbar,
make sure the four T-30 crossbar
clamp screws have been checked, and
retightened if necessary to 35 lbf·in (4.0
N·m, 0.41 kgf·m), as outlined in Step #5
above.
Trailer hitch (if equipped)
The trailer hitch is designed to tow a Class
1 rated load. The maximum gross trailer
weight and maximum gross tongue weight
are indicated in the following table.
When you tow a trailer, follow the instruc-
tions in the next section “Trailer towing”.y Never exceed the maximum
weight specified for the trailer
hitch. Exceeding the maximum
weight could cause an accident
resulting in serious personal inju-
ries. Permissible trailer weight
changes depending on the situa-
tion. Refer to th e next section
“Trailer towing” for possible rec-
ommendations and limitations.
y Trailer brakes are required when
the towing load exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg). Be sure your trailer has
safety chains and that each chain
will hold the trailer’s maximum
gross weight. Towing trailers
without safety chains could create
a traffic safety haza rd if the trailer
separates from the hitch due to
coupling damage or hitch ball
damage. y Be sure to check the hitch pin and
safety pin for positive locking
placement before towing a trailer.
If the ball moun t comes off the
hitch receiver, the trailer could get
loose and create a traffic safety
hazard.
y Use only the ball mount supplied
with this hitch. Use the hitch only
as a weight carrying hitch. Do not
use with any type of weight dis-
tributing hitch.
Maximum
gross trailer
weight Maximum
gross tongue
weight
3.0-liter
models 3,000 lbs
(1,360 kg)
200 lbs
(90 kg)All models
other than
3.0-liter
models 2,700 lbs
(1,224 kg)

Driving tips
8-19
– CONTINUED –„ Connecting a trailer1. Remove the receiver cover from the
hitch receiver tube. Then insert the ball
mount into the hitch receiver tube.
2. Insert the hitch pin into the hole on the
hitch receiver tube so that the pin passes
through the ball mount. 3. Insert the safety pi n into the hitch pin
securely.
4. Pull the ball mount to make sure it does
not come off the hitch receiver.
1) Hitch ball installation point
2) Hooks for safety chains 5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate
for the ball mount and your trailer. The
hitch ball must be securely installed on the
ball mount.
6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with
safety chains that will hold the trailer’s
maximum gross weight. The chains
should cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping onto the
ground in case it should disconnect from
the hitch ball. Allow su fficient slack in the
chains taking tight-turn situations into ac-
count; however, be ca reful not to let them
drag on the ground. 800206 800207
1
2 800208 800209

8-20 Driving tips
Hitch harness connector
8. Connect the hitch wire harness’s black
four-pin wire connector to the towing trail-
er’s wire harness.
9. Confirm proper function of the hitch
wire harness by individually activating the
brake, right turn signal, left turn signal,
stop, and parking lights on the trailer.
NOTE Always disconnect the trailer wire har-
ness before launching or retrieving a
watercraft. „ When you do not tow a trailer y Remove the ball mount from the hitch
receiver tube and insert the receiver cover
onto the hitch receiver tube.
y Place the dust cap over the four-pin
connector of the hitch wire harness to pro-
tect against possible damage.
y Occasionally lubricate terminals of the
four-pin connector using the terminal
grease. Trailer towing Your vehicle is designed and intended to
be used primarily as a passenger-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer puts additional
loads on your vehicle’s engine, drivetrain,
brakes, tires and suspension and has an
adverse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safe-
ty and satisfaction depend upon proper
use of correct equipment and cautious op-
eration of your vehicle. Seek the advice of
your SUBARU dealer to assist you in pur-
chasing a hitch and other necessary tow-
ing equipment appropriate for your vehi-
cle. In addition, be sure to follow the in-
structions on correct installation and use
provided by the trailer and other towing
equipment manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for in-
juries or vehicle damage that result from
trailer towing equipment, or from any er-
rors or omissions in the instructions ac-
companying such equipment or for your
failure to follow the proper instructions.
„ Warranties and maintenance SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehi-
cle damage or malfunction caused by trail-
er towing. If you use your vehicle to tow a
trailer, more frequent maintenance will beDo not connect safety chains to part
of the vehicle other than the safety
chain hooks.
800210

Driving tips
8-21
– CONTINUED –required due to the additional load. (Refer
to “Maintenance schedule under severe
driving conditions” in the “Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer
be towed with a new vehicle or a vehicle
with any new powertrain component (en-
gine, transmission, differential, wheel
bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) of driving.
„ Maximum load limits T Total trailer weight
Total trailer weight
The total trailer weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo load) must never exceed the
maximum weight indicated in the following
table.Never exceed the maximum load
limits explained in the following. Ex-
ceeding the maximum load limits
could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.
y Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight. y Before towing a trailer, check the
trailer total weight, GVW, GAWs
and tongue load. Make sure the
load and its distribution in your
vehicle and trailer are acceptable.
800211