warning SUBARU TRIBECA 2008 Owners Manual

exhaust fumes are entering the
vehicle, have the problem
checked and corrected as soon
as possible. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive
only with all windows fully open.
. Keep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
NOTEDue to the expansion and contraction
of the metals used in the manufacture
of the exhaust system, you may hear a
crackling sound coming from the ex-
haust system for a short time after the
engine has been shut off. This sound is
normal.
Catalytic converter
WARNING
. Avoid fire hazards. Do not drive
or park the vehicle anywhere
near flammable materials (e.g.
grass, paper, rags or leaves),
because the catalytic converter
operates at very high tempera-
tures.
. Keep everyone and flammable
materials away from the exhaust
pipe while the engine is running.
The exhaust gas is very hot.The catalytic converter is installed in the
exhaust system. It serves as catalyst to reduce HC, CO and NOx in exhaust
gases, thus providing cleaner exhaust.
To avoid damage to the catalytic conver-
ter:
.
Use only unleaded gasoline. Even a
small amount of leaded gasoline will
damage the catalytic converter.
. Never start the engine by pushing or
pulling the vehicle.
. Avoid racing the engine.
. Never turn off the ignition switch while
the vehicle is moving.
. Keep your engine tuned-up. If you feel
the engine running rough (misfiring, back-
firing or incomplete combustion), have
your vehicle checked and repaired by an
authorized SUBARU dealer.
. Do not apply undercoating or rust
prevention treatment to the heat shield of
catalytic converter and the exhaust sys-
tem.
. Do not drive with an extremely low fuel
level.
Driving tips
8-3
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8-4
Driving tips
Periodic inspectionsTo keep your vehicle in the best condition
at all times, always have the recom-
mended maintenance services listed in
the maintenance schedule in the“War-
ranty and Maintenance Booklet ”per-
formed at the specified time or mileage
intervals.
Driving in foreign countriesWhen planning to use your vehicle in
another country:
. Confirm the availability of the correct
fuel. Refer to the “Fuel requirements ”
section in chapter 7.
. Comply with all regulations and re-
quirements of each country.
Driving tips for AWD vehicles
WARNING
. 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 brak-
ing or under other similar condi-
tions.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle could easily
lead to a serious accident.All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine
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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 accelera-
tion, and added engine braking force
during deceleration.
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
following tips in mind:
.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,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles.
. When replacing a tire, make sure you
use only the same size, circumference,
construction, brand, and load range as the
original tires listed on the tire placard.
Using other sizes, circumferences or
construction may result in severe mechan-
ical damage to the drive train of your vehicle and may affect ride, handling,
braking, speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion, and clearance between the body
and tires. It also may be dangerous and
lead to loss of vehicle control.
.
If you use a temporary spare tire to
replace 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.
. Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom-
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver ’s side.
. Tire chains should always be placed on
the front wheels only.
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
Refer to the “Towing”section in chapter 9
for detailed information.
On-pavement and off road
driving
WARNING
. In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seat belt. You the driver and
all your passengers should fas-
ten the seatbelts before starting
to drive in order to minimize the
chance of serious injury or death.
. Do not make sharp turns and
quick maneuvers unless abso-
lutely unavoidable. Such actions
are dangerous as you may lose
control, possibly resulting in a
rollover which could cause death
or serious injury.
. 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 brak-
ing or under other similar condi-
tions.
. Whenever strong crosswinds are
present, slow down sufficiently
to maintain control of your vehi-
cle. Remember that your vehicle,
Driving tips
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8-8
Driving tips
squirting them with deicer or glycerin.
Forcing a frozen door open may damage
or separate the rubber weather strips
around the door. If the door is frozen,
use hot water to melt the ice, and after-
wards thoroughly wipe the water away.
Use a windshield washer fluid that con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes
because they may damage the paint of
the vehicle.
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid con-
tains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%
surfactant, by volume. Its freezing tem-
perature varies according to how much it
is diluted, as indicated in the following
table.Washer Fluid Con-centration Freezing Temperature
30% 10.48F( −12 8C)
50% −48F( −20 8C)
100% −49
8F( −45 8C)In order to prevent freezing of washer
fluid, check the freezing temperatures in
the table above when adjusting the fluid
concentration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with
a different concentration from the one used previously, purge the old fluid from
the piping between the reservoir tank and
washer nozzles by operating the washer
for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if
the concentration of the fluid remaining in
the piping is too low for the outside
temperature, it may freeze and block the
nozzles.
CAUTION
Adjust the washer fluid concentra-
tion appropriately for the outside
temperature. If the concentration is
inappropriate, sprayed washer fluid
may freeze on the windshield and
obstruct your view, and the fluid
may freeze in the reservoir tank.
! Before driving your vehicle
Before entering the vehicle, remove any
snow or ice from your shoes because that
could make the pedals slippery and
dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle before
driving, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that has
accumulated under the fenders to avoid
making steering difficult. During severe winter driving, stop when and where it is
safe to do so and check under the fenders
periodically.
!
Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the engine
running.
Do not use the parking brake when
parking for long periods in cold weather
since it could freeze in that position.
Instead, observe the following.
1. Place the selector lever in “P”position.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked
after use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
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and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-
ness.
!Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used
for an extended period, it is best to have
the fuel tank filled to capacity.& Driving on snowy and icy
roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine ’sintakesystemandmay
hinder the air flow, which could
result in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle ’s braking perfor-
mance on snowy and icy roads. Refer to
the “ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ”and
“Vehicle Dynamics Control system ”sec-
tion in chapter 7 for information on braking
on slippery surfaces. !
Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster with the airflow
control button in the “
”position and the
temperature control dial set for maximum
warmth until the wiper blades are com-
pletely thawed out. If your vehicle is
equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful
to thaw the windshield wiper blades. To
thaw out the rear wiper blade, use the rear
window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow control button in “
”and
the temperature control dial set for max-
imum warmth. After the windshield gets
warmed enough to melt the frozen snow
on it, wash it away using the windshield
washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effectively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing type
Driving tips
8-9
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8-10
Driving tips
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and sub-
zero temperatures. Blades of this type
give superior wiping performance in
snowy conditions. Be sure to use blades
that are suitable for your vehicle.
CAUTION
During high-speed driving, non-
freezing type wiper blades may not
perform as well as standard wiper
blades. If this happens, reduce the
vehicle speed.NOTEWhen the season requiring non-freez-
ing type wiper blades is over, replace
them with standard wiper blades.&Corrosion protectionRefer to the “Corrosion protection ”section
in chapter 10.& Snow tires
WARNING
. When replacing original tires with
winter (snow) tires, make sure
you use only the same size and construction as recommended.
Using other sizes or construction
may affect speedometer/od-
ometer calibration and clearance
between the body and tires. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.
. You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, circum-
ferences, construction, brand,
andloadrange.Mixingother
sizes, circumferences or con-
structions may result in severe
mechanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle and may
affect ride, handling, braking and
speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion. It also may be dangerous
and lead to loss of vehicle con-
trol.
. Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
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
enhance 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
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous hand-
ling 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
vehicle.
Your vehicle comes with P255/55R18
“
all season tires ”as original equip-
ment. You should be aware that some
winter tires with that same size desig-
nation 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 recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size
P255/55R18 stud less
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&Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on tires
listed in the following because of
lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.
All model: P255/55R18 tires&Rocking the vehicleIf you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator 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
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st.
Refer to the “Automatic transmission ”
section in chapter 7 for information on
holding the transmission in 2nd position.
Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on a
folded rear seatback or in the cargo
area. Doing so may result in serious
injury.
WARNING
. Never stack luggage or other
cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or
accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor as possible.
. 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.
. 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.
. Secure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.
. Never exceed the maximum load
limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle
handles. This could result in loss
of control and cause personal
injury. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
. Do not place anything on the
extended luggage cover. Such
items could tumble forward in
the event of a sudden stop or a
collision. This could cause ser-
ious injury.
Driving tips
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8-18
Driving tips
Trailer hitch (if equipped)1) Trailer hitch
WARNING
.Never exceed the maximum
weight specified for the trailer
hitch. Exceeding the maximum
weight could cause an accident
resulting in serious personal in-
juries. Permissible trailer weight
changes depending on the situa-
tion. Refer to the next section
“ Trailer towing” for possible re-
commendations and limitations.
. 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 max-
imum gross weight. Towing trai-
lers without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if
the trailer separates from the
hitch due to coupling damage or
hitch ball damage.
. Be sure to check the hitch pin
and safety pin for positive lock-
ing placement before towing a
trailer. If the ball mount comes off
the hitch receiver, the trailer
could get loose and create a
traffic safety hazard.
. 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
distributing hitch.
The maximum gross trailer weight and
maximum gross tongue weight are indi-
cated in the following table.
Maximum
gross trailer
weight Maximum
gross tongue
weight
vehicle with-
out cooling kit 2,000 lbs
(906 kg) 200 lbs
(90 kg)
vehicle with
cooling kit 3,500 lbs
(1,587 kg) 350 lbs
(158 kg)
When you tow a trailer, follow the instruc-
tions in the next section “Trailer towing”.& 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.
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3. Insert the safety pin 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 sufficient slack in the
chains taking tight-turn situations into
account; however, be careful not to let
them drag on the ground.
WARNING
Do not connect safety chains to part
of the vehicle other than the safety
chain hooks.Hitch harness connector8. Connect the hitch wire harness ’s black
four-pin wire connector to the towing
trailer ’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.NOTEAlways disconnect the trailer wire har-
ness before launching or retrieving a
Driving tips
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8-20
Driving tips
watercraft.&When you do not tow a trailer. Remove the ball mount from the hitch
receiver tube and insert the receiver cover
onto the hitch receiver tube.
. Place the dust cap over the four-pin
connector of the hitch wire harness to
protect against possible damage.
. Occasionally lubricate terminals of the
four-pin connector using the terminal
grease.
Trailer towingYour 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 safety
and satisfaction depend upon proper use
of correct equipment and cautious opera-
tion of your vehicle. Seek the advice of
your SUBARU dealer to assist you in
purchasing a hitch and other necessary
towing equipment appropriate for your
vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow the
instructions on correct installation and use
provided by the trailer and other towing
equipment manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for
injuries or vehicle damage that result from
trailer towing equipment, or from any
errors or omissions in the instructions
accompanying such equipment or for your
failure to follow the proper instructions.& Warranties and maintenanceSUBARU warranties do not apply to
vehicle damage or malfunction caused
by trailer towing. If you use your vehicle to
tow a trailer, more frequent maintenance
will be 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
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load
limits explained in the following.
Exceeding the maximum load limits
could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.
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 in your
vehicle and trailer are accepta-
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