brake pads SUBARU FORESTER 2007 SG / 2.G Owners Manual

3-14 Instruments and controls
TParking 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 park-
ing 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 reservoir 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 nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the “MIN” mark in the reser-
voir, do not drive the vehicle. Have the ve-
hicle towed to the nearest SUBARU deal-
er for repair. T Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also illu-
minates 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 conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are ap-
plied harder than usual and the vehicle’s
motion may therefore become somewhat
harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat
place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights go out, the EBD system
may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated after the engine has
been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“MIN” mark, the EBD system may be
faulty. Drive carefully to the nearest SUB-
ARU dealer and have the system inspect-ed.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the
“MIN” mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle. In-
stead, have the vehicle towed to the near-
est SUBARU dealer for repair. „
Door open warning lights
The door open warning light comes on if
any door or the rear gate is not fully
closed.
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive. „ Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when
the tank is nearly empty [approximately
2.3 US gal (9.0 liters, 1.9 Imp gal)]. It only
operates when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position.
NOTE
This light does not go out unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal).

Starting and operating 7-15
– CONTINUED –
Rear viscous limited slip dif-
ferential (LSD) (if equipped)
The LSD provides optimum distribution of
power according to the difference in revo-
lutions between the right and left rear
wheels that may be caused by certain
driving conditions, thereby improving driv-
ing stability on snow-covered, muddy or
other slippery roads.
Power steering
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort.
NOTE
Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump which
is located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is nor-
mal. It does not indicate power steering
system trouble.
Braking „
Braking tips
TWhen the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a re-
sult, brake stopping distance will be long-
er. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle 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 descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
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
y
Never start the engine while a tire
on one side is jacked up, as the
vehicle may move.
y If one rear tire is spinning in mud,
avoid continued spinning at high
speed as this could adversely af-
fect the LSD.
y If a different size rear tire is tem-
porarily used (as in an emergen-
cy), it will adversely affect the
LSD. Always replace it with a reg-
ular size tire as soon as possible.
Do not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than five seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump.
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.

7-16 Starting and operating
when a tire is punctured. This could cause
a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep driv-
ing straight ahead while gradually reduc-
ing 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 diago-
nally 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
vehicle. 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, result-
ing 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
than normal and the braking distance will
increase. „
Disc brake pad wear warning
indicators
The disc brake pad wear warning indica-
tors 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, imme-
diately have your vehicle checked by your
SUBARU dealer. ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem)
700040
Always use the utmost care in driv-
ing – overconfidence because you
are driving with an ABS equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident. y
The ABS system does not always
decrease stopping distance. You
should always maintain a safe fol-
lowing distance from other vehi-
cles.
y When driving on badly surfaced
roads, gravel roads, icy roads, or
over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be longer
for a vehicle with the ABS system
than one without. When driving
under these conditions, therefore,
reduce your speed and leave am-
ple distance from other vehicles.

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 ve-
hicle are dependent 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):yDo not race the engine. And do not al-
low engine speed to exceed 4,000 rpm ex-
cept 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 accel-
eration, except in an emergency. y Avoid hard braking, except in an emer-
gency.
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 decelera-
tion. Always accelerate gently until you
reach the desired speed. Then try to main-
tain 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 driv-
er’s side. Low pressure will increase tire
wear and fuel consumption. y Use the air conditioner only when nec-
essary. y Keep the front and rear wheels in prop-
er alignment.y Avoid carrying unnecessary cargo. Engine exhaust gas (Carbon
monoxide)
y
Never inhale engine exhaust gas.
Engine exhaust gas contains car-
bon monoxide, a colorless and
odorless gas which is dangerous,
or even lethal, if inhaled.
yAlways properly maintain the en-
gine exhaust system to prevent
engine exhaust gas from entering
the vehicle.
yNever run the engine in a closed
space, such as a garage, except
for the brief time needed to drive
the vehicle in or out of it.
yAvoid remaining in a parked vehi-
cle for a lengthy time while the en-
gine is running. If that is unavoid-
able, then use the ventilation fan
to force fresh air into the vehicle.
yAlways keep the front ventilator
inlet grille free from snow, leaves
or other obstructions to ensure
that the ventilation system always
works properly.

8-6 Driving tips
Off road driving
Because of the AWD feature and higher
ground clearance, your SUBARU can be
driven on ordinary roads or off-road. But
please keep in mind that an AWD SUBA-
RU is a passenger car and is neither a
conventional off-road vehicle nor an all-
terrain vehicle. If you do take your SUBA-
RU off-road, certain common sense pre-
cautions such as the following should be
taken: yMake certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts. y Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or citizens band radio. y
Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary 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. In-
stead, drive either 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, espe-
cially 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 out-
side 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 completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing onto electrical parts may damage your ve-
hicle and may cause it to stall. Never at-
tempt to drive through rushing water; re-
gardless of its depth, it can wash away the
ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle
rollover. y
Always check your brakes for effective-
ness 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
brake discs and brake pads. y Do not drive or park over or near flam-
mable materials such as dry grass or fall-
en leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the en-
gine is running and right after the engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard. y After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. y Secure all cargo carried inside the vehi-
cle and make certain that it is not piled
higher than the seatbacks. During sudden
stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could be
y 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 braking
or under other similar conditions.
yAlways use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving an All-Wheel Drive
vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident.

Maintenance and service
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............... 11-29Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ......... 11-29
Parking brake stroke .......................................... 11-30
Tires and wheels ................................................ 11-30 Types of tires .......................................................... 11-30
Tire inspection ........................................................ 11-30
Tire pressures and wear ........................................ 11-31
Wheel balance ........................................................ 11-32
Wear indicators ....................................................... 11-33
Tire rotation direction mark ................................... 11-33
Tire rotation ............................................................. 11-33
Tire replacement ..................................................... 11-34
Wheel replacement ................................................. 11-35
Aluminum wheels (if equipped) ........................ 11-35
Windshield washer fluid .................................... 11-35
Replacement of wiper blades ............................ 11-37 Windshield wiper blades ........................................ 11-37
Rear window wiper blade ....................................... 11-38
Battery ................................................................. 11-40
Fuses ................................................................... 11-41
Main fuse ............................................................. 11-42
Installation of accessories ................................ 11-43
Replacing bulbs .................................................. 11-44 Headlights (Canada-spec. 2.5XT) .......................... 11-45
Headlights (Except Canada-spec. 2.5XT) ............. 11-46
Rear combination lights ......................................... 11-47
License plate light .................................................. 11-48
Dome light and map light ....................................... 11-48
High mount stop light ............................................ 11-49

Maintenance and service 11 - 29
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 indica-
tor makes a very audible scraping noise
when the brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each timeyou apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
„ Breaking-in of new brake
pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining,
use only genuine SUBARU parts. After re-
placement, 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 approx- imately 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, 15
kg].)
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately 220
yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking
brake to cool down. Repeat this proce-
dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the
parking brake stroke is out of the specified
range, adjust it by turning the adjusting nut
located on the parking brake lever.
Parking brake stroke:
7 – 8 notches / 44 lbs (196 N, 20 kg)
If you continue to drive despite the
scraping noise from the audible
brake pad wear indicator, it will re-
sult in the need for costly brake ro-
tor repair or replacement.
700040
A safe location and situation should
be selected for break-in driving.
Pulling the parking brake lever too
forcefully may cause the rear
wheels to lock. To avoid this, be cer-
tain to pull the lever up slowly and
gently.

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