towing SUBARU FORESTER 2005 SG / 2.G Owner's Manual

9-14
In case of emergency
Rear towing hook:
To prevent deformation to the front bumper and
the towing hook, do not apply excessive lateral
load to the towing hooks.
Tie-down hooks:
A) Tie-down hooks
B) Towing and tie-down hooks
US9515BA
A
B
B
A
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9-15
In case of emergency
– CONTINUED –
yUse only the specified towing hooks and tie-
down hooks. Never use suspension parts or
other body parts for towing or tie-down purpos-
es.y Never use the tie-down hook on the under-
side of the vehicle closest to the muffler for
towing purposes.
„ Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your vehicle. Use the following procedures to ensure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” position for au-
tomatic transmission vehicles or “1st” for manual transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier properly with
safety chains. Each safety chain should be equally
tightened and care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out. „
Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Check the transmission and differential oil levels
and add oil to bring it to the upper level if necessary.
US9517AA
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11-11
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
a bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire.
If you check the oil level just after stopping the engine,
wait a few minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil
pan before checking the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is warm, the en-
gine oil level reading may be in a range between the
upper level and the notch mark. This is caused by ther-
mal expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not add any
additional oil above the upper level when the engine is cold. „ Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to the mainte-
nance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed more fre-
quently than listed in the maintenance schedule when
driving on dusty roads, when short trips are frequently
made, when towing a trailer, or when driving in ex-
tremely cold whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the engine idle for
about 10 minutes to ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the en- gine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
4. Open the access cover by removing the six clips
and turning the access cover counterclockwise. The
drain plug will be exposed.
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11 -1 5
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
SAE viscosity number and applicable temperature
*: 5W-30 is preferred.
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects fuel economy.
Oils of lower viscosity provide better fuel economy.
However, in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is re-
quired to properly lubricate the engine.
Use only engine oil with the recommended
grade and viscosity. „
Recommended grade and viscosity
under severe driving conditions
If the vehicle is used in desert areas, in areas with very
high temperatures, or used for heavy-duty applica-
tions such as towing a trailer, use of oil with the follow-
ing grade and viscosities is recommended.
API classification SL (or SJ):
SAE viscosity No.:
30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50
„ Synthetic oil
You can use synthetic engine oil that meets the same
requirements given for conventional engine oil. When
using synthetic oil, you must use oil of the same clas-
sification, viscosity and grade shown in this owner’s
manual, and must follow the oil and filter changing in-
tervals shown in the maintenance schedule.
5W-30*
10W-30, 10W-40
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20
06 0
20 80 100 40
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11 - 4 6
Maintenance and service
y
Abnormally high tire pressure (tread worn in cen-
ter)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magnifies the ef-
fects of road-surface bumps and dips, possibly result-
ing in vehicle damage.
If the tire placard shows tire pressures for the vehicle
when fully loaded and for the vehicle when towing a
trailer, adjust the tire pressures to the values that
match current loading conditions.
Driving at high speeds with excessively low tire
pressures can cause the tires to deform severe- ly and to rapidly become hot. A sharp increase
in temperature could cause tread separation,
and destruction of the tires. The resulting loss
of vehicle control could lead to an accident.
„ Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when your vehicle
was new, but the wheels will become unbalanced as
the tires become worn during use. Wheel imbalance
causes the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at certain
vehicle speeds and detracts from the vehicle’s
straight-line stability. It can also cause steering and
suspension system problems and abnormal tire wear.
If you suspect that the wheels are not correctly bal-
anced, have them checked and adjusted by your
SUBARU dealer. Also have them adjusted after tire re-
pairs and after tire rotation.
NOTE
Loss of correct wheel alignment* causes the tires
to wear on one side and reduces the vehicle’s run-
ning stability. Contact your SUBARU dealer if you
notice abnormal tire wear.
*: The suspension system is designed to hold each wheel at
a certain alignment (relative to the other wheels and to the
road) for optimum straight-line stability and cornering perfor-
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12-5
Specifications
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„Tires
„ Wheel alignment
Tire sizeP215/60R16 94H
Wheel size16 × 6 1
/2 JJ
PressureFrontLight load29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm 2
)
Full load29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm 2
)
RearLight load28 psi (190 kPa, 1.9 kgf/cm 2
)
Full load36 psi (250 kPa, 2.5 kgf/cm 2
)
Trailer towing41 psi (280 kPa, 2.8 kgf/cm 2
)
Item2.5-liter non-turbo models2.5-liter turbo models
Drive systemAWD
ToeFront0 ± 0.12 in (0 ± 3 mm)
Rear0.08 ± 0.12 in (2 ± 3 mm)
CamberFront–0 °25’ ± 45’
Rear–0 °50’ ± 45’–0 °55’ ± 45’

13-5
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
– CONTINUED –
„Recommended tire inflation pressure
T Recommended cold tire inflation pressure
Recommended cold tire inflation pressure for your vehicle’s tires is as follows,
Tire sizeP215/60R16 94H
Wheel size16 × 6 1
/2 JJ
PressureFrontLight load29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm 2
)
Full load29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm 2
)
RearLight load28 psi (190 kPa, 1.9 kgf/cm 2
)
Full load36 psi (250 kPa, 2.5 kgf/cm 2
)
Trailer towing41 psi (280 kPa, 2.8 kgf/cm 2
)

13-9
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
– CONTINUED –
left hand side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be
kept on its original side of the vehicle.) Replace
any damaged or unevenly worn tire at the time of
rotation. After tire rotation, adjust the tire pres-
sures and make sure the wheel nuts are correct-
ly tightened. A tightening torque specification
and a tightening sequence specification for the
wheel nuts can be found “Flat tires” in Chapter 9. „Vehicle load limit – how to determine
The load capacity of your vehicle is determined
by weight, not by available cargo space. The
load limit of your vehicle is shown on the vehicle
placard attached to the driver’s side B-pillar. Lo-
cate the statement “The combined weight of oc-
cupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg
or XXX lbs” on your vehicle’s placard.
The vehicle placard also shows seating capacity
of your vehicle.
The total load capacity includes the total weight
of driver and all passengers and their belong-
ings, any cargo, any optional equipment such as
a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier, etc., and
the tongue load of a trailer. Therefore cargo ca-
pacity can be calculated by the following method. Cargo capacity = Load limit – (total weight of oc-
cupants + total weight of optional equipment +
tongue load of a trailer (if applicable))
For towing capacity information and weight lim-
its, refer to “Trailer towing” in Chapter 8. T
Calculating total and load capacities vary-
ing seating configurations
Calculate the available load capacity as shown in
the following examples:
Example 1A
Vehicle capacity weight of the vehicle is 900 lbs
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13-14
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
„
Adverse safety consequences of over-
loading on handling and stopping and on tires
Overloading could affect vehicle handling, stop-
ping distance, vehicle and tire as shown below.
This could lead to an accident and possibly result
in severe personal injury. y Vehicle stability will deteriorate.
y Heavy and/or high-mounted loads could in-
crease the risk of rollover.y Stopping distance will increase.
y Brakes could overheat and fail.
y Suspension, bearings, axles and other body
parts could break or experience accelerated
wear that will shorten vehicle life. y Tires could fail.
y Tread separation could occur.
y Tire could separate from its rim.
„ Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX pounds” on your vehicle’s placard. 2. Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX
pounds.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For
example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1,400 lbs
(635kg). and there will be five- 150 lbs (68 kg)
passengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1,400 – 750 (5
× 150) = 650 lbs)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available car-
go and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load
from your trailer will be transferred to your vehi-
cle. Consult this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.

14-7
Index
Snow tires .......................................................... 8-13
Snowy and icy roads ......................................... 8-11
Spark plugs ..................................................... 11-25
Specifications .................................................... 12-2
Speedometer ....................................................... 3-7SRS
Airbag system warning light .......................... 3-13
Frontal airbag ............................................... 1-57
Side airbag ................................................... 1-65
SRS airbags ...................................................... 1-53
Steering wheel
Power ........................................................... 7-21
Tilt wheel ...................................................... 3-39
Storage compartments ........................................ 6-4
Sun visors ............................................................ 6-3
Supplemental Restraint System airbag ............. 1-53
Synthetic leather upholstery .............................. 10-6 T
Tachometer ......................................................... 3-8
Temperature gauge ........................................... 3-10
Tie-down hooks ................................................. 9-13
Tilt steering wheel ............................................. 3-39 Tire
Chains .......................................................... 8-13
Inspection ................................................... 11-43
Pressures and wear .................................... 11-44 Replacement .............................................. 11-48
Rotation ...................................................... 11-48
Types .......................................................... 11-43
Top tether anchorages ...................................... 1-50
Towing ............................................................... 9-13
All wheels on the ground .............................. 9-15
Flat-bed truck ................................................ 9-15
Trailer
Connecting .......................................... 8-23, 8-31
Hitch .................................................... 8-22, 8-30
Towing .......................................................... 8-25
Towing tips ................................................... 8-33
Turn signal indicator lights ................................. 3-21
Turn signal lever ................................................ 3-25 U
Under-floor storage compartment ..................... 6-19 V
Valet mode ........................................................ 2-20
Vanity mirror ........................................................ 6-4
Vehicle capacity weight ..................................... 8-16
Vehicle Dynamics Control ................................. 7-28
Vehicle identification ........................................ 12-10
Ventilator ............................................................. 4-2