snow chains SUBARU OUTBACK 2006 Owners Manual

Starting and operating
7-29
– CONTINUED –Vehicle Dynamics Control
system (if equipped)y Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
y If at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair. Always use the utmost care in driv-
ing – overconfidence because you
are driving with a Vehicle Dynamics
Control system equipped vehicle
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
y Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control,
winter tires or snow chains
should be used when driving on
snow-covered or icy roads; in ad-
dition, vehicle speed should be re-
duced considerably. Simply hav-
ing a Vehicle Dynamics Control
system does not guarantee that
the vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation. y Activation of the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system is an indica-
tion that the ro ad being travelled
on has a slippery surface; since
having Vehicle Dynamics Control
is no guarantee that full vehicle
control will be maintained at all
times and under all conditions, its
activation should be seen as a
sign that the speed of the vehicle
should be reduced considerably.
y Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or an
axle are removed from a vehicle
equipped with Vehicle Dynamics
Control, have an authorized
SUBARU dealer perform an in-
spection of that system.
y The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is operating properly:
– All four wheels should be fitted
with tires of the same size, type,
and brand. Furthermore, the
amount of wear should be the
same for all four tires.

7-30 Starting and operating
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system ad-
justs the engine’s output and the wheels’
respective braking forces to help maintain
traction and directional control.
y Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on
slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is shown by
steady illumination of the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control operation indicator light.
y Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels’ tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.
NOTE
y Slight twitching of the brake pedal may be felt when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system operates; a small de-
gree of vehicle or st eering wheel shak-
ing may also be noticed in this situa-
tion. These are normal characteristics
of Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
and are no cause for alarm.
y When driving off immediately after
starting the engine, a short-lived oper-
ation noise may be noticed coming
from the engine compartment. This
noise is generated as a result of a
check being performed on the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and is nor-
mal.
y Depending on the timing of activa-
tion of the brakes, certain situations
may occur just after driving off where
the brake pedal seems to exhibit a jolt-
ing motion. This too is a consequence
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tional check and is normal.
y In the circumstances listed in the fol-
lowing, the vehicle may be more unsta-
ble than it feels to the driver. The Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control System may
therefore operate. Such operation does
not indicate a system fault.
y on gravel-covered or rutted roads
y on unfinished roads
y when the vehicle is towing a trailer
y when the vehicle is fitted with snow tires or winter tires
y Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly dif-
ferent compared to that for normal con-
ditions.
y Even if the vehicle is equipped with a
Vehicle Dynamics Control system, it is
important that winter tires be used
when driving on snow-covered or icy
roads. (All four wheels should be fitted
with tires of the same size and brand).
Furthermore, if snow chains are to be
used, they should be fitted on the front
wheels. When a vehicle is fitted with
snow chains, however, the effective-
ness of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is reduced and this should be
taken into account when driving the ve-
hicle in such a condition.
y It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control.
y All four wheels shou ld be fitted with
tires of the same size, type, and brand;
furthermore, the amount of wear
should be the same for all four tires. If
these precautions are not observed
and non-matching tires are used, it is
quite possible that the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system will be unable to op-– Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the
driver’s side door pillar.

8Driving tipsNew vehicle break-in driving – the first 1,000
miles (1,600 km) ............. ................................. 8-2
Fuel economy hints ............. .......................... .... 8-2
Engine exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) ......... 8-2
Catalytic converter ............................................. 8-3
Periodic inspections .......................................... 8-4
Driving in foreign countries .............................. 8-4
Driving tips for AWD vehicles ........................... 8-5
Off road driving .................................................. 8-6
Winter driving ..................................................... 8-7 Operation during cold weather .............................. 8-7
Driving on snowy and icy roads ............................ 8-9
Corrosion protection .............................................. 8-10
Snow tires ............................................................... 8-10
Tire chains ............................................................... 8-11
Rocking the vehicle ................................................ 8-12
Loading your vehicle ......................................... 8-12 Vehicle capacity weight ......................................... 8-13
GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and Gross Axle Weight Rating) ........................... 8-14
Roof rail and crossbar (if equipped) ..................... 8-14
Trailer hitch (if equipped) .................................. 8-18
Connecting a trailer ................................................ 8-19
When you do not tow a trailer ............................... 8-20
Trailer towing ...................................................... 8-20
Warranties and maintenance ................................. 8-20
Maximum load limits .............................................. 8-21 Trailer hitches ......................................................... 8-24
Connecting a trailer ................................................ 8-25
Trailer towing tips ................................................... 8-26

Driving tips
8-5
Driving tips for AWD vehicles
All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine
power to all four wheels. AWD vehicles provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt and sand. By
shifting power between the front and rear
wheels, SUBARU AWD can also provide
added traction during acceleration, and
added engine braking force during decel-
eration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging
the AWD system, you should keep the fol-
lowing tips in mind:
y An AWD vehicle is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery
conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling, how-
ever, during extremely sharp turns or sud-
den braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an am-
ple distance from other vehicles.
y When replacing a ti re, make sure you
use only the same si ze, circumference,
construction, brand, and load range as the
original tires listed on the tire placard. Us-
ing other sizes, circumferences or con-
struction may result in severe mechanical
damage to the drive train of your vehicle
and may affect ride, handling, braking, speedometer/odometer calibration, and
clearance between the body and tires. It
also may be dangerous and lead to loss of
vehicle control.
y If you use a temporary spare tire to re-
place a flat tire, be sure to use the original
temporary spare tire stored in the vehicle.
Using other sizes may result in severe
mechanical damage to the drive train of
your vehicle.
y Always check the cold tire pressure be-
fore starting to drive. The recommended
tire pressure is provided on the tire plac-
ard, which is located under the door latch
on the driver’s side.
y Tire chains should always be placed on
the front wheels only.
y There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detail information, see “Towing” sec-
tion in chapter 9.y Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden braking
or under other similar conditions.
y Always use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving an All-Wheel Drive
vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident.
800004

Driving tips
8-11
– CONTINUED –T OUTBACK models only Your vehicle is equipped with “all season
tires” which are designed to provide an
adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving. In winter, it may be possible to en-
hance performance through use of tires
designed specifically for winter driving
conditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your
vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire size
and type. You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, construction,
brand and load range and you should nev-
er mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since
this may result in dangerous handling
characteristics. When you choose a tire,
make sure that there is enough clearance
between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on your ve-
hicle.
Your OUTBACK comes with P225/
55R17 “all season tires” as original
equipment. You should be aware that
some winter tires with that same size
designation may actually be too large
for the vehicle and may cause rubbing
on sharp turns. Listed in the following
is the winter tire size that we recom-
mend. Recommended winter (snow) tire size
OUTBACK models: P215/55R17,
P225/60R16 or P215/60R16 Studless
„ Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads mayy When replacing original tires with
winter (snow) tires, make sure you
use only the same size and con-
struction as recommended. Using
other sizes or construction may
affect speedometer/odometer cal-
ibration and clearance between
the body and tires. It also may be
dangerous and lead to loss of ve-
hicle control.
y You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, circum-
ferences, construction, brand,
and load range. Mixing other siz-
es, circumferences or construc-
tions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive train
of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking and speed-
ometer/odometer calibration. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.
y Do not use a combination of radi-
al, belted bias or bias tires since it
may cause dangerous handling
characteristics and lead to an ac-
cident. Tire chains cannot be used on tires
listed in the following because of
lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.
y 2.5-liter non-turbo models (except
OUTBACK): P205/50R17 tires
y 2.5-liter turbo models (except
OUTBACK): 215/45ZR17 tires
y OUTBACK models: P225/55R17
tires
y 2.5-liter non-turbo and 3.0-liter
models (OUTBACK): P225/60R16
winter (snow) tires
y 2.5-liter non-turbo and 3.0-liter
models (OUTBACK): P215/60R16
winter (snow) tires
y 2.5-liter turbo and 3.0-liter models
(OUTBACK): P215/55R17 winter
(snow) tires

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

Index
14-7Front turn signal light ................................................. 11-50
Headlight ................................................................... 11-49
High mount stop light ................................................. 11-56
License plate light ...................................................... 11-53
Map light .................................................................... 11-54
Parking light ............................................................... 11-50
Rear combination light ............................................... 11-51
Trunk light .................................................................. 11-55
Rocking the vehicle .......................................................... 8-12
Roof rail and crossbar ...................................................... 8-14
S
Safety
Precautions when driving .......... ....................................... 4
Symbol .............................................................................. 2
Warnings .......................................................................... 2
Seat
Fabric ........................................................................... 10-5
Heater ............................................................................ 1-7
Seatbelt ................................................................................. 4
Maintenance ............. .............. ............ ........... .............. 1-21
Pretensioners .............................................................. 1-21
Safety tips .................................................................... 1-11
Warning light and chime .............................................. 1-13
Seatbelts .......................................................................... 1-11
Selector lever ............................ .............................. 7-12, 7-18
Position indicator .................... ..................................... 3-24
Shift lock release ..................................................... 7-16, 7-23
Snow tires ......................................................................... 8-10
Sounding a panic alarm .................................................... 2-10
Spark plugs .................................................................... 11-19
Specifications ................................................................... 12-2 Speedometer ............................................................. 3-6, 3-10
SRS
Curtain airbag .......... ....................................... ............. 1-53
Frontal airbag ............................................................... 1-43
Side airbag ............... ....................................... ............. 1-53
SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System
airbag) .............. .......................................... ............... 4, 1-38
SRS airbag system warning light .. ............ ........... ............. 3-16
Starting the engine ........ .................................................. .... 7-8
State emission testing (U.S. only) ....................................... 7-6
Steering wheel
Power ........................................................................... 7-25
Tilt ................................................................................ 3-43
Stopping the engine ............................................................ 7-9
Storage compartment ......................................................... 6-4
Sun shades ....................................................................... 2-27
Sun visors ........................................................................... 6-3
Supplemental Restraint System ai rbag (SRS) .................. 1-38
Synthetic leather upholstery ....... ......................... ............. 10-5
T
Tachometer ................................................................ 3-8, 3-12
Temperature gauge ........ .............. ............ ........... ...... 3-9, 3-13
Temperature warning light (AT OIL TEMP) ...................... 3-18
Temporary spare tire .......................................................... 9-2
Tie-down hooks ................................................................ 9-13
Tilt steering wheel ............................................................. 3-43
Tire
Chains .......................................................................... 8-11
Inspection ................................................................... 11-34
Pressures and wear ................................................... 11-35
Replacement .............................................................. 11-38