tow SUBARU BAJA 2003 1.G Owner's Manual

8-8
Make certain that you and all of your passengers are wearing seat
belts. Carry some emergency equipment, such as a towing rope or chain, a
shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit and portable phone or citizens bandradio. Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in dangerous
areas or over rough terrain. Slow down and employ extra caution at all times. When driving off-
road, you will not have the benefit of marked traffic lanes, banked
curves, traffic signs and the like. Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. A vehicle can much more easily tip over side-
ways than it can end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down slopes
that are too steep. Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher speeds.
Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering wheel. A bad bump
could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive with your fin-gers and thumbs on the outside of the rim. If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first
check the depth of the water and the bottom of the stream bed for firm-
ness and ensure that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly and com-
pletely through the stream. The water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle ’s undercarriage. Water entering the engine air
intake or the exhaust pipe or water splashing onto electrical parts may
damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never attempt to drive
through rushing water; regardless of its depth, it can wash away the
ground from under your tires, resulting in possible loss of traction and
even vehicle rollover. Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving
in sand, mud or water. Do this by driving slowly and stepping on the
brake pedal. Repeat that process several times to dry out the brakediscs and brake pads. Do not drive or park over or near flammable materials such as dry
grass or fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The exhaust system is
very hot while the engine is running and right after engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard.

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Vehicle capacity weight
HB8042BA
HB8031BA
The load capacity of your vehicle is determined by weight, not by avail-
able cargo space. The total weight you can carry in your vehicle is
shown as the Vehicle Capacity Weight on the tire information label at-
tached to the driver ’s side door jamb. It includes the total weight of driver
and all passengers and their belongings, any optional equipment such
as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier, etc., and the tongue load of a
trailer.
The tire information label also shows tire pressures for the vehicle when
fully loaded and for the vehicle when towing a trailer. Adjust the tire pres-
sures to the values that match current loading conditions.

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Trailer hitch (if equipped)
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum weight specified for the trailer
hitch. Exceeding the maximum weight could cause an accident resulting in serious personal injuries. Permissible trailer weight
changes depending on the situation. Refer to the next section“ Trailer towing ” for possible recommendations 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 maximum gross weight. Towing
trailers without safety chains could create a traffic safety hazardif the trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling damage orhitch 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 trafficsafety 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 ofweight distributing hitch.
The trailer hitch is designed to tow a Class 1 rated load. A maximum of
2,400 lbs. (1,087 kg) gross trailer weight and a maximum of 200 lbs. (90
kg) gross tongue weight are permissible for the trailer hitch.
When you tow a trailer, follow the instructions in the next section “Trailer
towing”.

8-20
Connecting a trailer
HB8047BA
CAUTION
The license plate bracket will hit the hitch ball and may be dam- aged if the tailgate is opened and the license plate bracket is atthe lowered/open position. Close the tailgate and return the
license plate bracket to its normal position flush against the tail-gate itself whenever you tow a trailer or whenever a trailer ishitched to the vehicle.
1. Before connecting the ball mount to the hitch receiver, close the
tailgate and return the license plate bracket to its normal retractedposition up against the tailgate. Refer to “License plate bracket ”
under the heading “Tailgate” in Chapter 2 for more information on the
function of the license plate bracket.
2. Remove the receiver cover from the hitch receiver tube. Then in-
sert the ball mount into the hitch receiver tube.
3. 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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9. Connect the hitch wire harness ’s black four –pin wire connector to
the towing trailer ’s wire harness.
HB8021BB
10. Confirm proper function of the hitch wire harness by individually
activating the brake, right turn signal, left turn signal, stop, and park-
ing lights on the trailer. NOTE Always disconnect the trailer wire harness before launching or retrieving a watercraft. When you are not towing a trailer CAUTION
Remove the ball mount from the hitch receiver tube when the tail-
gate is open and the bed extender is used. The rear license platewill not be visible because the license plate bracket can not beused at the lowered/open position when the ball mount is con-nected.
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 the terminals of the four –pin connector us-
ing terminal grease, and cover with the attached rubber cap.

8-24
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed and intended to be used primarily to carry pas-
sengers and cargo. Towing a trailer puts additional loads on your
vehicle’s engine, drivetrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an ad-
verse 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 operation of your ve-
hicle. Seek the advice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in purchas-
ing a hitch and other necessary towing equipment appropriate for your
vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow the instructions on correct installa-
tion 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 fol-
low the proper instructions.
Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU 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 (engine, transmis-
sion, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600km) of driving. 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.

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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 weight (trailer weight plus its cargo load) must never
exceed the maximum weight shown below.
Model
ConditionsMaximum totaltrailer weight
MT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,400 lbs (1,087 kg)
AT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,400 lbs (1,087 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.1,200 lbs (543 kg)
OM-H2781
Total trailer weight

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HB8043BA
HB8039BB
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to confirm that the total weight
and weight distribution are within safe driving limits, you should have
your vehicle and trailer weighed at a commercial weighing station.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a change in weight
distribution while driving. 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 tongue load is from 8 to 11 percent of the total
trailer weight and does not exceed the maximum value of 200 lbs (90kg).
The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom scale as shown in
the illustration below. When weighing the tongue load, be sure to posi-
tion the towing coupler at the height at which it would be during
actual towing, using a jack as shown.

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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.
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer hitch is recommended. A genu-
ine SUBARU hitch is available from your SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoidable, be sure the hitch is
suited to your vehicle and trailer. Consult with a professional hitch
supplier to assist you in choosing an appropriate hitch for your
vehicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s instructions for
installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bumper. The bumper isnot designed to handle that type of load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check that the hitch mounting bolts
and nuts are tight.

8-30
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 weight (trailer weight plus its cargo weight)
exceeds 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the trailer is required to be equipped with
its own brake system. Electric brakes or surge brakes are recom-
mended, 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 information
about the trailer ’s brake 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.
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 crossing 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 suffi-