light SUBARU FORESTER 2010 SH / 3.G Owners Manual

.Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season
tires ”as original equipment, which are
designed to provide an adequate measure
of traction, handling and braking perfor-
mance in year-round driving. In winter, it
may be possible to enhance performance
through use of tires designed specifically
for winter driving conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on
your vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire
size and type. You must install four winter
tires that are of the same size, construc-
tion, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous hand-
ling characteristics. When you choose a
tire, make sure that there is enough
clearance between the tire and vehicle
body.
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on yourvehicle. &
Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on your
vehicle because of the lack of
clearance between the tires and
vehicle body.
NOTE
When tire chains cannot be used, use
of another type of traction device (such
as spring chains) may be acceptable if
use on your vehicle is recommended
by the device manufacturer, taking into
account tire size and road conditions.
Follow the device manufacturer ’s in-
structions, especially regarding max-
imum vehicle speed.
To help avoid damage to your vehicle,
drive slowly, readjust or remove the
device if it is contacting your vehicle,
and do not spin your wheels. Damage
caused to your vehicle by use of a
traction device is not covered under
warranty.
Make certain that any traction device
you use is an SAE class S device, and
use it on the front wheels only. Always
use the utmost care when driving with
a traction device. Overconfidence be- cause you are using a traction device
could easily lead to a serious accident. &
Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the select
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
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
If your vehicle is an AT model, for
information about holding the transmission
in the 2nd position, refer to “Selection of
manual mode ”F 7-19 and “Driving tips ”
F 7-20. Driving tips
8-11

does not come off the hitch receiver.
1) Hitch ball installation point
2) Hooks for safety chains
5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate
for the ball mount and your trailer. The
hitch ball must be securely installed on the
ball mount.
6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with
safety chains that will hold the trailer ’s
maximum gross weight. The chains
should cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping onto the
ground in case it should disconnect from
the hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the
chains taking tight-turn situations into
account; however, be careful not to let
them drag on the ground.
WARNING
Do not connect safety chains to part
of the vehicle other than the safety
chain hooks.
Hitch harness connector
8. Connect the hitch wire harness ’s black
four-pin wire connector to the towing trailer ’s wire harness
9. Confirm proper function of the hitch
wire harness by individually activating the
brake, stop, and turn signal lights on the
trailer.
NOTE
Always disconnect the trailer wire har-
ness before launching or retrieving a watercraft. &
When you do not tow a trailer
. Remove the ball mount from the hitch
receiver tube and insert the receiver cover
onto the hitch receiver tube. . Place the dust cap over the four-pin
connector of the hitch wire harness to
protect against possible damage. . Occasionally lubricate terminals of the
four-pin connector using terminal grease. Driving tips
8-17

8-22Driving tips
&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 shownin “Tires ”F 12-5 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
extracautionwhentowinga
trailer and you should never
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind: !
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 ’sbrake
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- Driving tips
8-23
– CONTINUED –

8-24Driving tips
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. !
Driving on grades
. 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. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the coolant temperature high
warning light (for all models) and AT OIL
TEMP warning light (for AT models)
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating under
these conditions. If the coolant tempera-
ture high warning light or the AT OIL TEMP
warning light illuminates, immediately turn
off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle
in the nearest safe location. For further
instructions and additional information,
refer to the following sections.
–“If you park your vehicle in case of
an emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-12
–“ Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light ”F 3-13
–“ AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT
models) ”F 3-14
. If your vehicle has an automatic trans-

9-2In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in
case of an emergency
The hazard warning flasher should be
used in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switchposition.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pushing the switch again. NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Temporary spare tire (if
equipped)
WARNING
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) is unable to monitor all four
road wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for tire
and sensor replacement and/or sys-
tem resetting.
CAUTION
Never use any temporary spare tire
other than the original. Using other
sizes may result in severe mechan-
ical damage to the drive train of yourvehicle.
The temporary spare tire is smaller and
lighter than a conventional tire and is
designed for emergency use only. Re-
move the temporary spare tire and re-

9-4In case of emergency
1) Spare fuse
2) FWD connector
3. Put a spare fuse inside the FWD
connector located in the cabin and confirm
that the All-Wheel Drive warning light“
” illuminates. The All-Wheel-Drive
capability of the vehicle has now been deactivated. NOTE
After reinstalling the conventional tire,
remove the spare fuse from the FWD
connector in order to reactivate All-
Wheel Drive. Make sure to restore the
removed spare fuse in the spare fuse
holder located in the engine compart-ment. Maintenance tools
Your vehicle is equipped with the following
maintenance tools: .
Jack
. Jack handle
. Screwdriver
. Towing hook (eye bolt)
. Wheel nut wrench
. Hex-head wrench (only models with
moonroof) . Wheel cover remover (only models
with wheel covers) &
Tool bag
1) Screwdriver
2) Wheel nut wrench
3) Tool bag
4) Wheel cover remover (only models with
wheel covers)
5) Hex-head wrench (only models with moonroof)
The screwdriver and wheel nut wrench are
stored in the tool bag.

&Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec. models)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with the warning message
indicated by sending a signal from a
sensor that is installed in each wheel
when tire pressure is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven.
Also, this system may not react immedi-
ately to a sudden drop in tire pressure (for
example, a blow-out caused running over
a sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, never brake suddenly and keep driving
straight ahead while gradually redu-
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the vehicle
placard on the door pillar on thedriver
’s side. If this light still illumi-
nates while driving after adjusting
the tire pressure, a tire may have
significant damage and a fast leak
that causes the tire to lose air
rapidly. If you have a flat tire, replace
it with a spare tire as soon aspossible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting.
Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol tire sealant into the tires, as
this may cause a malfunction of the
tire pressure sensors.
If the light illuminates steadily after
blinking for approximately one min-
ute, promptly contact a SUBARU
dealer to have the system inspected.
In case of emergency
9-9

9-10In case of emergency
Jump starting
WARNING
. Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID.
Do not let it come in contact with
the eyes, skin, clothing or thevehicle.
If battery fluid gets on you,
thoroughly flush the exposed
area with water immediately. Get
medical help if the fluid has
entered your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally
swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water,
and obtain immediate medicalhelp.
Keep everyone including chil-
dren away from the battery.
. The gas generated by a battery
explodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or
light a match while jump starting.
. Never attempt jump starting if the
discharged battery is frozen. It
could cause the battery to burst
or explode.
. Whenever working on or around
a battery, always wear suitable eye protectors, and remove metal
objects such as rings, bands or
other metal jewelry.
. Be sure the jumper cables and
clamps on them do not have
loose or missing insulation.
Do not jump start unless cables
in suitable condition are avail-able.
. A running engine can be danger-
ous. Keep your fingers, hands,
clothing, hair and tools away
from the cooling fan, belts and
any other moving engine parts.
Removing rings, watches and
ties is advisable.
. Jump starting is dangerous if it
done incorrectly. If you are un-
sure about the proper procedure
for jump starting, consult a com-
petent mechanic.
When your vehicle does not start due to a
run down (discharged) battery, the vehicle
may be jump started by connecting your
battery to another battery (called the
booster battery) with jumper cables. &
How to jump start
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12
volts and the negative terminal isgrounded.
2. If the booster battery is in another
vehicle, do not let the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights and accessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly in
the sequence illustrated.

9-12In case of emergency
Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. & If steam is coming from the
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down. & If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compartment.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature
has dropped, turn off the engine.
If the coolant temperature high warning
light illuminates, turn off the engine.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reservetank.
If the coolant level is below the
“LOW ”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL ”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it. 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 models (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.