Abs SUBARU FORESTER 2007 SG / 2.G User Guide

Starting and operating 7-25
Self-leveling rear suspension
(if equipped)
The self-leveling suspension adjusts the
vehicle body position automatically to
keep it level at all times irrespective of the
number of occupants and the amount of
cargo.
The self-leveling system is incorporated in
the rear suspension shock absorber and
operates only when the vehicle is in mo-
tion.Owing to the self-leveling suspension, the
vehicle body is adjusted to the proper po-
sition after several drive trips, even if the
rear of the vehicle is lowered by loaded
cargos or a coupled trailer.
If cargos are unloaded all at once, the ve-
hicle height may become higher than the
normal level. This is because that the hy-
draulic pressure in the self-leveling sus-
pension was increased for leveling the
body when the cargos were loaded. In
such a case, the vehicle height will return
to the original level after several driving
trips.
NOTE
If the rear axle is loaded excessively,
the vehicle body may not be adjusted
to the proper position.
700054
700055

Driving tips 8-9
– CONTINUED –
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
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. T
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 weath- er.
Use only additives that are specifically de-
signed for this purpose. When an anti-
freeze 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
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 en-
gine brake effectively to control the vehi-
cle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when
necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behav-
ior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhanc-
es your vehicle’s braking performance on
snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System)” section in chap-
ter 7 for information on braking on slippery
surfaces. TWiper 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/dial in the “ ” position
and the temperature control dial set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely 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 wind-
shield despite wiper operation, use the de-
froster with the airflow control button/dial
in “ ” and the temperature control dial
set for maximum warmth. After the wind-
shield 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
wiper blades (winter blades) during the
seasons you could have snow and sub-
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of vehi-
cle control.
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine’s intake system and may
hinder the air flow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.

8-24 Driving tips
olution. yAvoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes. y Slow down before turning. Make a long-
er than normal turning radius because the
trailer wheels will be closer than the vehi-
cle wheels to the inside of the turn. In a
tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle. y Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large
trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down im-
mediately but gradually. y When passing other vehicles, consider-
able distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by at-
taching the trailer to your vehicle. 1) Left turn
2) Right turn
y Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn.y If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed im-
mediately by the nearest SUBARU dealer. T Driving on grades
y Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over- heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. y
When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. y When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge
pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP
warning light (for AT vehicles) since the
engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates, immediately switch off the air con-
ditioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest
safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing” section in chapter 9, and “Warning
and indicator lights” section in chapter 3. y If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, avoid using the accelerator pedal
to stay stationary on an uphill slope in-
stead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission
fluid to overheat. y If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, place the selector lever as fol-
lows:
Uphill slopes: “D” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear posi-
tion to use engine braking
1 2
800231

Driving tips 8-25
TParking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehi-
cle and trailer when parking. Apply the
parking brake firmly. You should not park
on a hill or slope. But if parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, re-
lease the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then ap-
ply the parking brake; slowly release the
regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual
transmission) or “P” (automatic transmis-
sion) and shut off the engine.

In case of emergency 9-5
– CONTINUED –
5. The jack is stored under the left side of
the cargo floor.
To take out the jack:
Pull the tab to open the lid, turn the jack
screw counterclockwise to loosen it, then
remove the jack.
To take out the jack handle:
Open the rear-left and center lids in the
cargo area by pulling their tabs.
6. Loosen the wheel nuts using the wheel
nut wrench but do not remove the nuts.
7. Place the jack under the side sill at the
front or rear jack-up point closest to the flat
tire.
Turn the jackscrew by hand until the jack
head engages firmly into the jack-up point.
900003
900004
900005
900006
900007

Maintenance and service 11 - 25
Brake fluid „Checking the fluid level
Check the fluid level monthly.
Check the fluid level on the outside of the
reservoir. If the level is below “MIN”, add
the recommended brake fluid to “MAX”. Use only brake fluid from a sealed con-
tainer. „
Recommended brake fluid
FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or DOT 4
brake fluidyNever let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake fluid
gets in your eyes, immediately
flush them thoroughly with clean
water. For safety, when perform-
ing this work, wearing eye protec-
tion is advisable.
yBrake fluid absorbs moisture from
the air. Any absorbed moisture
can cause a dangerous loss of
braking performance.
yIf the vehicle requires frequent re-
filling, there may be a leak. If you
suspect a problem, have the vehi-
cle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
y Never use different brands of
brake fluid together. Also, avoid
mixing DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake flu-
ids even if they are of the same
brand.
y When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
y Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.
Alcohol contained in the brake flu-
id may damage them.
y Be careful not to spill brake fluid
when adding it. If brake fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If brake fluid gets on the ex-
haust pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
B00125

11 - 2 6 Maintenance and service
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) „Checking the fluid level
Check the fluid level on the outside of the
reservoir. If the level is below “MIN” level
mark, add the recommended clutch fluid
to “MAX” level mark.
Use only clutch fluid from a sealed con-
tainer. „
Recommended clutch fluid
FMVSS No. 116, fresh DOT 3 or DOT 4
brake fluid
Never let clutch fluid contact your
eyes because clutch fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If clutch fluid
gets in your eyes, immediately flush
them thoroughly with clean water.
For safety, when performing this
work, wearing eye protection is ad-
visable. yClutch fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed mois-
ture can cause improper clutch
operation.
y If the vehicle requires frequent re-
filling, there may be a leak. If you
suspect a problem, have the vehi-
cle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
y Never use different brands of
clutch fluid together.
y When clutch fluid is added, be
careful not to allow any dirt into
the tank.
yNever splash the clutch fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.
Alcohol contained in the clutch
fluid may damage them.
y Be careful not to spill clutch fluid
when adding it. If clutch fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If clutch fluid gets on the ex-
haust pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
B00126
Avoid mixing DOT 3 and DOT 4
brake fluids even if they are of the
same brand.

12-6 Specifications
Fuses and circuits „Fuse panel located behind the instrument pan- el
1 234 56
7891 01112
14
13 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23
C00000
Fuse panelFuse ratingCircuit
115AyHeater fan
215AyHeater fan
315AyPower door lock
y Remote keyless entry
415AyPower outlet (front)
y Remote controlled rear view mirrors
510AyTail light
y Parking light
615AySRS airbag
715AyFog light
830AyABS
915AyRadio
1010A

12-8 Specifications
„Fuse panel located in the engine compartment
A) FWD socket
B) Main fuse
A 12 4
3 B
5
6 789
10 11 12 13
C00105
14
Fuse panelFuse ratingCircuit
130Ay
Radiator cooling fan (Main)
230AyRadiator cooling fan (Sub)
330AyABS motor
430AyEngine sensor (Non-turbo models only)
520AyRear window defogger
615AyHazard warning flasher
y Horn
715AyTurn signal lights
810AyAutomatic transmission control unit
910AyAlternator
1015AyHeadlight (right side)
1115AyHeadlight (left side)
1220AyLighting switch
1315AyClock
y Interior light
1410AySecondary air combination valve
(Turbo models only)

14-2 Index
A
ABS .................................................................................. 7-16Warning light ....................................................... 3-13, 7-17
Accessory power outlets .................................................... 6-8
Active head restraint ........................................................... 1-6
Air cleaner element ........................................................ 11-15
Air filtration system ........................................................... 4-12
Alarm system .................................................................... 2-12
All-Wheel Drive warning light (AT vehicles) ..................... 3-15
Aluminum wheel ............................................................. 11-35
Aluminum wheel cleaning ................................................. 10-3
Antenna system ................................................................. 5-2
Anti-lock brake system warning light (ABS) ............ 3-13, 7-16
Arming the system ............................................................ 2-13
Armrest ...................................................................... 1-10, 6-4
Ashtray (Canada only, if equipped) ......................... 6-11, 10-5
Audio set ............................................................................ 5-3
Auto-dimming mirror/compass ......................................... 3-26
Automatic climate control system ....................................... 4-8
Automatic transmission .................................................... 7-10
Capacities .................................................................... 12-4
Fluid ........................................................................... 11-20
Selector lever ............................................................... 7-11
Shift lock release ......................................................... 7-14
Temperature warning (AT OIL TEMP) ......................... 3-12
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) ........... 1-12 B
Battery ............................................................................ 11-40 Jump starting ................................................................. 9-7
Replacing (remote keyless entry) .................................. 2-8 Brake
Booster ...................................................................... 11-27
Fluid ........................................................................... 11-25
Pad and lining ............................................................ 11-29
Parking ....................................................................... 11-30
Pedal .......................................................................... 11-27
System ......................................................................... 7-16
Warning light ................................................................ 3-13
Brake pedal .................................................................... 11-27 Free play .................................................................... 11-27
Reserve distance ....................................................... 11-27
Braking ............................................................................. 7-15
Braking tips ....................................................................... 7-15
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ..................... 11-29
Bulb Chart ............................................................................ 12-9
Replacing ................................................................... 11-44
C
Capacities ......................................................................... 12-4
Cargo area cover (if equipped) ......................................... 6-13
Cargo area light .................................................................. 6-2
Cargo tie-down hooks ....................................................... 6-14
Center console ................................................................... 6-4
Charge warning light ......................................................... 3-12
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp 3-11
Child restraint systems ..................................................... 1-24 Installation with seatbelt ............................................... 1-27
Top tether anchorages ................................................. 1-34
Child safety ............................................................................ 5
Child safety locks .............................................................. 2-17