towing SUBARU FORESTER 2009 SH / 3.G User Guide

8-20Driving tips
hitch or other trailer towing equipment.
. Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires.
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and
trailer.
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer
hitch is recommended. A genuine
SUBARU hitch is available from your
SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoid-
able, be sure the hitch is suited to your
vehicle and trailer. Consult with a profes-
sional hitch supplier to assist you in
choosing an appropriate hitch for your
vehicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitchmanufacturer ’s instructions for installation
and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the
rear bumper. The bumper is not designed
to handle that type of load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check
that the hitch mounting bolts and nuts aretight. &
Connecting a trailer
! Trailer brakes
WARNING
. Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.
. Do not directly connect your
trailer ’s hydraulic brake system
to the hydraulic brake system in
your vehicle. Direct connection
would cause the vehicle ’s brake
performance to deteriorate and
could lead to an accident.
If your trailer ’s total weight (trailer weight
plus its cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg), the trailer is required to be
equipped with its own brake system.
Electric brakes or surge brakes are
recommended, and must be installed
properly. Check that your trailer ’s brakes
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. YourSUBARU ’s brake system is not designed
to be tapped into the trailer ’s hydraulic
brake system. Please ask your SUBARU
dealer and professional trailer supplier for
more information about the trailer ’s brake
system. !
Trailer safety chains
WARNING
Always use safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Towing a
trailer without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due
to coupling damage or hitch balldamage.
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch
ball should break or become discon-
nected, the trailer could get loose and
create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing
vehicle and trailer with trailer safety
chains. Pass the chains crossing each
other under the trailer tongue to prevent
the trailer from dropping onto the ground
in case the trailer tongue should discon-
nect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient
slack in the chains taking tight-turn situa-
tions into account; however, be careful not
to let them drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety
chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer.

!Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view
without significant blind spots. If significant
blind spots occur with the vehicle ’s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. ! Trailer lights
CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle ’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle ’s lighting system. Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-cle
’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle ’s lighting circuit to
increase its capacity and accommodate
wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper
operation of the brake lights and turn
signal lights each time you hitch up. ! Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the tem-
porary spare tire is used. The tem-
porary spare tire is not designed to
sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tire
and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated.
The recommended cold tire pressure
under trailer towing conditions is shown
in chapter 12, “Specifications ”and in
“ GAS STATION REFERENCE ”at the
end of this manual. Adjust the rear tire
pressure to the recommended pressure
when the tires are cold. Normal pressure
should be maintained in the front tires. Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer
’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured.
& Trailer towing tips
WARNING
. Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days.
. When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. Forsafety ’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind: Driving tips
8-21
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8-22Driving tips
! Before starting out on a trip
. Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer. . Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable. . Check that the tire pressures are
correct.. Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
–the trailer tongue is connected
properly to the hitch ball. – the trailer lights connector is con-
nected properly and trailer ’s brake
lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s
brake pedal is pressed, and that the trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when
the vehicle ’s turn signal lever is oper-
ated. – the safety chains are connected
properly.– all cargo in the trailer is secured
safety in position.– the side mirrors provide a good
rearward field of view without a sig- nificant blind spot.
. Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel ”of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up. ! Driving with a trailer
. You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may
result in skidding or jackknifing and loss ofcontrol. . Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accel-
erations. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, always start out in first gear
and release the clutch at moderate enginerevolution. . Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.. Slow down before turning. Make a
longer than normal turning radius because
the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. In
a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. . 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 immediately but gradually. .
When passing other vehicles, consid-
erable distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by
attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
. 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. . If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer.

If you park your vehicle in case of anemergency ........................................................ 9-2
Temporary spare tire (if equipped) .................... 9-2
Precautions for AWD vehicles with automatic transmission ..................................................... 9-3
Flat tires ............................................................... 9-4
Changing a flat tire .............................................. 9-4
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec. models) ........................................... 9-8
Jump starting ...................................................... 9-9
How to jump start ............................................... 9-10
Engine overheating ............................................ 9-11
If steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................... 9-11 If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment ................................................... 9-11
Towing ................................................................ 9-12
Towing and tie-down hooks. ............................... 9-12
Using a flat-bed truck. ........................................ 9-15
Towing with all wheels on the ground ................. 9-15
Rear gate –if the rear gate cannot be
opened ............................................................. 9-16
Moonroof –if the moonroof cannot be
closed .............................................................. 9-17
Maintenance tools ............................................. 9-17
Jack handle ....................................................... 9-17
Jack and other maintenance tools ...................... 9-18
In case of emergency
9

1) Jack and tool bucket
2) Jack handle
3) Spare tire
5. Take out the spare tire, jack, jack
handle and wheel nut wrench.
The spare tire and the tools are stored
under the floor of the cargo area. Take
them out according to the following pro-cedure. To take out the jack handle:
Open the floor cover of the cargo area,
and take out the jack handle.
To take out the jack and wheel nut wrench:
Take out the storage tray, and take out thetool bucket that is stored in the recess of
the spare tire wheel.
1) Jack
2) Towing hook
In case of emergency
9-5
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9-12In case of emergency
Towing
If towing is necessary, it is best done by
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following
procedures for safety.
WARNING
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT
and MT) with the front wheels raised
off the ground while the rear wheels
are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while
the front wheels are on the ground.
This will cause the vehicle to spin
away due to the operation or dete-
rioration of the center differential. &
Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in
an emergency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle
from mud, sand or snow).
CAUTION
. Use only the specified towing
hook and tie-down hook. Never
use suspension parts or other
parts of the body for towing or
tie-down purposes.
. To prevent deformation to the
front bumper and the towing
hook, do not apply excessive
lateral load to the towing hook.
Front towing hook :
1. Take the towing hook out of the tool
bucket and take the screwdriver out of the
tool bag. Take the wheel nut wrench out of
the cargo area.
2. Pry off the cover on the front bumper
using a screwdriver, and you will find a
threaded hole for attaching the towinghook.
3. Screw the towing hook into the thread
hole until its thread can no longer be seen.

4. Tighten the towing hook securely
using a wheel nut wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from
the vehicle and stow it in the tool bucket.
Fit the towing hook cover on the bumper.
WARNING
. Do not use the towing hook
except when towing your vehicle.
. Be sure to remove the towing
hook after towing. Leaving the
towing hook mounted on the
vehicle could interfere with prop-
er operation of the SRS airbag
system in a frontal collision. Rear towing hook:
CAUTION
If a trailer hitch is installed, it is not
possible to install the rear towinghook.
To install the rear towing hook, the
standard bumper beam must be
installed on the vehicle at a
SUBARU dealer. Consult a SUBARU
dealer for details.
Use a hitch ball and follow the
instructions below when towing. . The weight of the object being
towed must be less than the
weight of the vehicle.
. Drive the vehicle 20 mph (32
km/h) or less speed.
. Do not drive more than 31 miles
(50 km).
1. Take the towing hook out of the tool
bucket and take the screwdriver out of the
tool bag. Take the wheel nut wrench out of
the cargo area.
2. Pry off the cover on the rear bumper
using a screwdriver, and you will find a
threaded hole for attaching the towinghook.
3. Screw the towing hook into the thread
hole until its thread can no longer be seen. In case of emergency
9-13
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9-14In case of emergency
4. Tighten the towing hook securely
using a wheel nut wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from
the vehicle and stow it in the tool bucket.
Fit the towing hook cover on the bumper.
WARNING
Do not use the towing hook except
when towing your vehicle.
Front tie-down hooks:
The front tie-down hooks are located
between each of the front tires and the
front bumper. Rear tie-down hooks:
The rear tie-down hooks are located near
each of the jack-up reinforcements.
WARNING
Use the rear tie-down hooks only for
downward anchoring. If they are
used to anchor the vehicle in any
other direction, cables may slip off
the hooks, possibly causing a dan-
gerous situation.

&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 automatic transmission vehi-
cles 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.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), be careful not to scrape
them when placing the vehicle on
the carrier and when removing the
vehicle from the carrier.
& Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Check the transmission and differen-
tial oil levels and add oil to bring it to the
upper level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the “Acc ”position while the vehicle is being towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ”position while the
vehicle is being towed because
the steering wheel and the direc-
tion of the wheels will be locked.
. Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater
effort to operate the brake pedal
and steering wheel.
CAUTION
. If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
. Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the
engine running.
. For vehicles with automatic
transmission, the traveling speed In case of emergency
9-15
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Moonroof–if the moonroof
cannot be closed
If the moonroof cannot be closed with the
moonroof switch, you can close the moon-
roof manually.
1. Remove the plug on the roof trim of the
cargo area by inserting the end of the flat-
head screwdriver between the roof and
plug and prying it off.
2. Insert a hex-head wrench in the end of
the motor shaft.
To close the moonroof, turn the wrench counterclockwise.
Have your vehicle checked and repaired
by an authorized SUBARU dealer. Maintenance tools
Your vehicle is equipped with the following
maintenance tools:
Jack
Jack handleScrewdriver
Towing hook (eye bolt)
Wheel nut wrench
Hex-head wrench (only vehicles with
moonroof)
Lever
& Jack handle
The jack handle is stored under the floor
cover of the cargo area. In case of emergency
9-17
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