length SUBARU FORESTER 2007 SG / 2.G Owners Manual

6
„Engine exhaust gas (carbon
monoxide)
„Drinking and driving
Drunken driving is one of the most fre- quent causes of accidents. Since alcohol
affects all people differently, you may
have consumed too much alcohol to drive
safely even if the level of alcohol in your
blood is below the legal limit. The safest
thing you can do is never drink and drive.
However if you have no choice but to
drive, stop drinking and sober up com-
pletely before getting behind the wheel.
„ Drugs and driving
If you are taking any drugs, check with
your doctor or pharmacist or read the liter-
ature that accompanies the medication to
determine if the drug you are taking can
impair your driving ability. Do not drive af-
ter taking any medications that can make
you drowsy or otherwise affect your ability
to safely operate a motor vehicle. If you
yNever 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.
yIf at any time you suspect that ex-
haust fumes are entering the vehi-
cle, have the problem checked
and corrected as soon as possi-
ble. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive only with all win-
dows fully open.
yKeep the rear gate closed while
driving to prevent exhaust gas
from entering the vehicle.
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Alcohol in the blood-
stream delays your reaction and im-
pairs your perception, judgment and
attentiveness. If you drive after
drinking – even if you drink just a lit-
tle – it will increase the risk of being
involved in a serious or fatal acci-
dent, injuring or killing yourself,
your passengers and others. In ad-
dition, if you are injured in the acci-
dent, alcohol may increase the se-
verity of that injury.
Please don’t drink and drive.
There are some drugs (over the
counter and prescription) that can
delay your reaction time and impair
your perception, judgment and at-
tentiveness. If you drive after taking
them, it may increase your, your
passengers’ and other persons’ risk
of being involved in a serious or fa-
tal accident.

Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags 1-9
ity. „Folding down the rear seat- back
1. Lower the head restraints.
2. Unlock the seatback by pulling the re-
lease knob and then fold the seatback
down.
To return the seatback to its original posi- tion, raise the seatback until it locks into
place and make sure that it is securely
locked.
y
After returning the rear seatback
to its original position, make cer-
tain that the shoulder belts are ful-
ly visible.
yNever allow passengers to ride on
the folded rear seatback or in the
cargo area. Doing so may result in
serious injury or death.
ySecure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.
100095
100096

1-20 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seatbelt extender
If the front seatbelts are not long enough
to permit the tongue plate to engage with
the seatbelt buckle, an optional seatbelt
extender is available from your SUBARU
dealer. When ordering an extender, only
order one particularly designed for your
vehicle. Several different types of extend-
ers are available to match various variet-
ies of front seatbelt designs. See your
SUBARU dealer for assistance.
The extender adds approximately 8 inch-
es (200 mm) of length and it can be used
for either the driver or front passenger
seating position.
For the safety of others, the extender
should be removed after each use, espe-
cially if the next person using the seatbelt
does not need one.
Note that leaving the seatbelt extender’s
tongue plate engaged with the seatbelt
buckle may prevent the Subaru advanced
front airbag system from functioning cor-
rectly or cause the system to fail.
NOTE
When the seatbelt extender is used by a pregnant passenger, consult a doctor
to get approval in advance.
To connect the extender to the seatbelt,
insert the tongue plate into the seatbelt
buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on the
buckle-release buttons of the extender
and the seatbelt are both facing outward
as shown in the diagram. You will hear a
click when the tongue plate locks into the
buckle.
When releasing the seatbelt, press on the
buckle-release button on the extender, not
on the seatbelt. This helps to prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extend-
er itself.
Be sure to observe the following
when using the seatbelt extender.
Failure to follow these instructions
and warnings could reduce the ef-
fectiveness of the seatbelt and re-
sult in more serious injury in the
event of a collision.
y
Never use the extender when the
belt itself is long enough to permit
it to be buckled properly. If remov-
al of heavy clothing is all that is
needed to permit the seatbelt to
be buckled properly, remove the
heavy clothing and do not use the
extender.
yDo not use the extender if the
buckle of the extender rests over
the abdomen.
yDo not let someone else use the
extender. Use of an extender
when it is not needed could re-
duce the effectiveness of the seat-
belt and result in more serious in-
jury in the event of a collision.
yUse the extender only for the front
seatbelts and only for the model
for which it was originally provid-
ed. Never use the extender for the
rear seatbelts or for a different
model.
100605

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.

Driving tips 8-11
– CONTINUED –
speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h).
Always use the utmost care when driving
with tire chains – overconfidence because
you are driving with tire chains could eas-
ily lead to a serious accident. „
Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the acceler-
ator pedal slightly and move the selector
lever back and forth between “D” and “R”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slip-
pery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
Refer to the “Automatic transmission” sec-
tion in chapter 7 for information on holding
the transmission in 2nd position.
Loading your vehicle
y Never allow passengers to ride on
a folded rear seatback or in the
cargo area. Doing so may result in
serious injury.
yNever stack luggage or other car-
go higher than the top of the seat-
back because it could tumble for-
ward and injure passengers in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-
dent. Keep luggage or cargo low,
as close to the floor as possible.
100094
yWhen you carry something inside
the vehicle, secure it whenever
you can to prevent it from being
thrown around inside the vehicle
during sudden stops, sharp turns
or in an accident.
yDo not pile heavy loads on the
roof. These loads raise the vehi-
cle’s center of gravity and make it
more prone to tip over.
ySecure lengthy items properly to
prevent them from shooting for-
ward and causing serious injury
during a sudden stop.
yNever exceed the maximum load
limit. If you do, some parts on
your vehicle can break, or it can
change the way your vehicle han-
dles. This could result in loss of
control and cause personal injury.
Also, overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle.
yDo not place anything on the ex-
tended cargo area cover. Such
items could tumble forward in the
event of a sudden stop or a colli-
sion. This could cause serious in- jury.

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

12-2 Specifications
Sp ecificationsSpecifications
These specifications are subject to change without notice. „Dimensions
in (mm)
*1: Measured with vehicle empty
AT: Automatic transmission
MT: Manual transmission
Item2.5-liter non-turbo models2.5-liter turbo models
Drive systemAWD
Transmission typeATMTATMT
Overall length176.6 (4,485)
Overall width68.3 (1,735)
Overall height62.6 (1,590)62.4 (1,585)
Wheel base99.4 (2,525)
TreadFront58.9 (1,495)
Rear58.5 (1,485)
Ground clearance* 18.07 (205)7.87 (200)