brake pads SUBARU FORESTER 2005 SG / 2.G Owners Manual

3-18
Instruments and controls
The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably
faulty under the following condition. Have your vehicle
checked at a SUBARU dealer as soon as possible. y
The light does not go out even after the lapse of sev-
eral minutes (the engine has warmed up) after the en-
gine has started. „ Brake system warning light
yDriving with the brake system warning light
on is dangerous. This indicates your brake sys-
tem may not be working properly. If the light re-
mains 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.
This light has the following three functions: T Parking brake warning
The light comes on with the parking brake applied
while the ignition switch is in the “ON” position. It goes
out when the parking brake is fully released. T
Brake fluid level warning
This light comes on when the brake fluid level has
dropped to near the “MIN” level of the brake fluid res-
ervoir with the ignition switch in the “ON” position and
with the parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should come on while
driving (with the parking brake fully released and with
the ignition switch positioned in “ON”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn brake pads.
If this occurs, immediately stop the vehicle at the near-
est safe place and check the brake fluid level. If the flu-
id level is below the “MIN” mark in the reservoir, do not
drive the vehicle. Have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair. T Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) sys-
tem warning (for vehicles with EBD)
The brake system warning light also illuminates if a
malfunction occurs in the EBD system. In that event, it
comes on together with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if the brake
system warning light and ABS warning light illuminate
simultaneously during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conventional braking
system will still function. However, the rear wheels will
be more prone to locking when the brakes are applied
harder than usual and the vehicle’s motion may there-
(U.S.) (Canada)

7-22
Starting and operating
Braking „
Braking tips
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This can cause dangerous overheating
of the brakes and needless wear on the brake
pads and linings.
T When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result, brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehi-
cle at a safe speed while lightly depressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. T Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addition
to foot braking. When descending a grade, if only the
foot brake is used, the brakes may start working im-
properly because of brake fluid overheating, caused
by overheated brake pads. To help prevent this, shift
into a lower gear to get stronger engine braking. T
Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a tire
is punctured. This could cause a loss of control of the
vehicle. Keep driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place. „ Brake system
T Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit brake systems.
Each circuit works diagonally across the vehicle. If one
circuit of the brake system should fail, the other half of
the system still works. If one circuit fails, the brake
pedal will go down much closer to the floor than usual
and you will need to press it down much harder. And a
much longer distance will be needed to stop the vehi- cle. T Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold vacuum to
assist braking force. Do not turn off the engine while
driving because that will turn off the brake booster, re-
sulting in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even when the brake
booster completely stops functioning. If this happens,
however, you will have to push the pedal much harder

7-23
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
than normal and the braking distance will increase. „Disc brake pad wear warning indica- tors
The disc brake pad wear warning indicators on the
disc brakes give a warning noise when the brake pads
are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard from the disc
brakes while braking, immediately have your vehicle
checked by your SUBARU dealer.ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
The ABS system prevents the lock-up of wheels which
may occur during sudden braking or braking on slip-
pery road surfaces. This helps prevent the loss of
steering control and directional stability caused by
wheel lock-up.
When the ABS system is operating, you may hear a
chattering noise or feel a slight vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal when the ABS operates.
The ABS system will not operate when the vehicle
speed is below approximately 6 mph (10 km/h).
Always use the utmost care in driving – over-
confidence because you are driving with an
ABS equipped vehicle could easily lead to a se-
rious accident.
y The ABS system does not always decrease
stopping distance. You should always maintain
a safe following distance from other vehicles.
HS7012BA

8-2
Driving tips
Driving tipsNew vehicle break-in driving – the
first 1,000 miles (1,600 km)
The performance and long life of your vehicle are de-
pendent on how you handle and care for your vehicle
while it is new. Follow these instructions during the
first 1,000 miles (1,600 km):y
Do not race the engine. And do not allow engine
speed to exceed 4,000 rpm except in an emergency.y Do not drive at one constant engine or vehicle
speed for a long time, either fast or slow. y Avoid starting suddenly and rapid acceleration, ex-
cept in an emergency. y Avoid hard braking, except in an emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be applied to
an overhauled engine, newly mounted engine or when
brake pads or brake linings are replaced with new
ones.
Fuel economy hints
The following suggestions will help to save your fuel. y Select the proper gear position for the speed and
road conditions. y Avoid sudden acceleration or deceleration. Always
accelerate gently until you reach the desired speed.
Then try to maintain that speed for as long as possible. y Do not pump the accelerator and avoid racing the
engine. y Avoid unnecessary engine idling.
y Keep the engine properly tuned.
y Keep the tires inflated to the correct pressure shown
on the tire placard, which is located under the door
latch on the driver’s side. Low pressure will increase
tire wear and fuel consumption.y Use the air conditioner only when necessary.
y Keep the front and rear wheels in proper alignment.
y Avoid carrying unnecessary cargo.

8-8
Driving tips
Off road driving
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground clear-
ance, your SUBARU can be driven on ordinary roads
or off-road. But please keep in mind that an AWD
SUBARU is a passenger car and is neither a conven-
tional off-road vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. If you
do take your SUBARU off-road, certain common
sense precautions such as the following should be taken: y
Make certain that you and all of your passengers
are wearing seatbelts. y Carry some emergency equipment, such as a tow-
ing rope or chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit
and cell phone or citizens band radio. y Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous areas or over rough terrain.y 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. y Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive ei-
ther straight up or straight down the slopes. A vehicle
can much more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down slopes
that are too steep.y Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher speeds. y
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 fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.y 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 firmness and ensure
that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly and com-
pletely through the stream. The water should be shal-
low enough that it does not reach the vehicle’s under-
carriage. 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; regard-
less of its depth, it can wash away the ground from un-
der your tires, resulting in possible loss of traction and
even vehicle rollover. y Always check your brakes for effectiveness immedi-
ately after driving in sand, mud or water. Do this by
driving slowly and stepping on the brake pedal. Re-
peat that process several times to dry out the brake
discs and brake pads.y Do not drive or park over or near flammable materi-
als 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 the engine stops. This

11 - 1
11
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ................................. 11-3
Maintenance precautions ............................ 11-3 Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................. 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is
running ............................................................ 11-5
Engine hood .................................................. 11-5
Engine compartment overview ................... 11-8 Non-turbo models ............................................. 11-8
Turbo models .................................................... 11-9
Engine oil ...................................................... 11-10 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-10
Changing the oil and oil filter .......................... 11-11
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-13
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .............................. 11-15
Synthetic oil ....................................................... 11-15
Cooling system ............................................. 11-16 Cooling fan, hose and connections ................ 11-16
Engine coolant .................................................. 11-17
Air cleaner element ...................................... 11-21 Replacing the air cleaner element ................... 11-21
Spark plugs ................................................... 11-25 Recommended spark plugs ............................. 11-26
Drive belts ..................................................... 11-26
Manual transmission oil ............................... 11-27 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-27
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-28 Automatic transmission fluid ...................... 11-29
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-29
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-31
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ...... 11-31 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-31
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-32
Rear differential gear oil ............................... 11-33 Checking the gear oil level .............................. 11-33
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-34
Power steering fluid ...................................... 11-34 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-34
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-35
Brake fluid ..................................................... 11-36 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-36
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-36
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................ 11-37 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-37
Recommended clutch fluid .............................. 11-37
Brake booster ................................................ 11-38
Brake pedal .................................................... 11-38 Checking the brake pedal free play ................ 11-38
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ... 11-39
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) ........................... 11-39 Checking the clutch function .......................... 11-39
Checking the clutch pedal free play ............... 11-40
Hill holder (MT vehicles – if equipped) ....... 11-40
Replacement of brake pad and lining ......... 11-41 Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .... 11-41
Parking brake stroke .................................... 11-42

11 -4 1
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
Replacement of brake pad and lining
The right front disc brake and the right rear disc brake
have audible wear indicators on the brake pads. If the
brake pads wear close to their service limit, the wear
indicator makes a very audible scraping noise when
the brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time you apply the
brake pedal, have the brake pads serviced by your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
If you continue to drive despite the scraping
noise from the audible brake pad wear indica-
tor, it will result in the need for costly brake ro-
tor repair or replacement.
„ Breaking-in of new brake pads and lin- ings
When replacing the brake pad or lining, use only gen-
uine SUBARU parts. After replacement, the new parts
must be broken in as follows: T Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40 mph (50 to 65
km/h), step on the brake pedal lightly. Repeat this five
or more times. T Parking brake lining
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of about 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button pushed in,
pull the parking brake lever SLOWLY and GENTLY.
(Pulling with a force of approximately 33 lbs [147 N, 15kg].)
3. Drive the vehicle for about 220 yards (200 meters)
HS7012BA

14-2
Index
A
ABS ................................................................... 7-23
Warning light ........................................ 3-15, 7-24
Accessory power outlet ....................................... 6-9
Active head restraint ............................................ 1-9
Air cleaner element ......................................... 11-21
Air filtration system ............................................ 4-18
All-Wheel Drive .................................................. 3-19
Aluminum wheel .............................................. 11-50
Aluminum wheel cleaning .................................. 10-3
Antenna system .................................................. 5-2
Anti-lock brake system warning light (ABS) .................................................... 3-15, 7-24
Arming the system ............................................. 2-17
Ashtray ..................................................... 6-14, 10-7
Audio set ............................................................. 5-3
Auto-dimming mirror/compass .......................... 3-35
Automatic climate control system ...................... 4-11
Automatic transmission ..................................... 7-15 Capacities ..................................................... 12-4
Fluid ............................................................ 11-29
Selector lever ................................................ 7-16
Shift lock release .......................................... 7-20
Temperature warning (AT OIL TEMP) .......... 3-15
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) .......................................................... 1-16 B
Battery ............................................................. 11-58
Jump starting .................................................. 9-9
Replacing (remote keyless entry) ................. 2-11
Brake
Booster ....................................................... 11-38
Fluid ............................................................ 11-36
Pad and lining ............................................. 11-41
Parking ....................................................... 11-42
Pedal .......................................................... 11-38
System ......................................................... 7-22
Warning light ................................................ 3-18
Brake pedal ..................................................... 11-38 Free play .................................................... 11-38
Reserve distance ........................................ 11-39
Braking .............................................................. 7-22
Braking tips ....................................................... 7-22
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ..... 11-41Bulb Chart ............................................................. 12-9
Replacing ................................................... 11-63
C
Capacities ......................................................... 12-4
Cargo area cover (if equipped) ......................... 6-16
Cargo area light ................................................... 6-2
Cargo tie-down hooks ....................................... 6-18