tow SUBARU OUTBACK 2002 3.G Owner's Manual

Driving tips8-27
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8. Connect the hitch wire harness ’s black four –pin wire connector to
the towing trailer ’s wire harness
HB8021BB
9. Confirm proper function of the hitch wire harness by individually
activating the brake, right turn signal, left turn signal, stop, and park-
ing lights on the trailer. NOTE Always disconnect the trailer wire harness 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
the terminal grease.

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Trailer towing
Your car is designed and intended to be used primarily as a passenger-
carrying vehicle. Towing a trailer puts additional loads on your car’s en-
gine, drivetrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an adverse effect
on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and satisfaction depend
upon proper use of correct equipment and cautious operation of your ve-
hicle. Seek the advice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in purchas-
ing a hitch and other necessary towing equipment appropriate for your
vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow the instructions on correct installa-
tion and use provided by the trailer and other towing equipment
manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or vehicle damage that
result from trailer towing equipment, or from any errors or omissions in
the instructions accompanying such equipment or for your failure to fol-
low the proper instructions.
Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage or malfunction
caused by trailer towing. If you use your vehicle to tow a trailer, more
frequent maintenance will be required due to the additional load.(Refer to “Maintenance schedule under severe driving conditions ” in
the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer be towed with a new vehicle
or a vehicle with any new powertrain component (engine, transmis-
sion, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600km) of driving. Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load limits explained below. Exceed- ing the maximum load limits could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.

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CAUTION
Adequate size trailer brakes are required when the trailer and
its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total weight, GVW,
GAWs and tongue load. Make sure the load and its distribution inyour vehicle and trailer are acceptable.
n Total trailer weight
The total trailer weight (trailer weight plus its cargo load) must never
exceed the maximum weight shown below.
Model
ConditionsMaximum totaltrailer weight
MT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs (906 kg)
AT modelsWhen towing a trailer without brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs (906 kg)
When towing a trailer on a long uphill grade continuously for over 5 miles (8 km) with an outside temperature of 104 °F
(40 °C) or above.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
OM-H2781
Total trailer weight

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HBF019BB
Gross Axle Weight
OM-H2784
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to confirm that the total weight
and weight distribution are within safe driving limits, you should have
your vehicle and trailer weighed at a commercial weighing station.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a change in weight
distribution while driving. nTongue load
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more weight in the back of trailer ’s
axle than in the front, the load is taken off the rear axle of the tow- ing vehicle. This may cause the rear wheels to skid, especiallyduring braking or when vehicle speed is reduced during corner-
ing, resulting in over-steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from 8 to 11 percent of the total
trailer weight and does not exceed the maximum value of 200 lbs (90kg).
The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom scale as shown in
the illustration below. When weighing the tongue load, be sure to posi-
tion the towing coupler at the height at which it would be during
actual towing, using a jack as shown.

Driving tips8-33
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Trailer hitches
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body of your vehicle to install a
commercial trailer hitch. If you do, dangerous exhaust gas, wateror mud may enter the passenger compartment through the drilledhole. Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, a colorless andodorless gas which is dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled. Also,drilling the frame or under-body of your vehicle could cause dete-rioration of strength of your vehicle and cause corrosion aroundthe drilled hole.
CAUTION
Do not modify the vehicle exhaust system, brake system, or
other systems when installing a hitch or other trailer towingequipment. 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. OUTBACK wagon
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer hitch is recommended. A genu-
ine SUBARU hitch is available from your SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoidable, be sure the hitch is
suited to your vehicle and trailer. Consult with a professional hitch
supplier to assist you in choosing an appropriate hitch for your
vehicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s instructions for
installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bumper. The bumper isnot designed to handle that type of load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check that the hitch mounting bolts
and nuts are tight.

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All vehicles except OUTBACK wagon
SUBARU does not offer accessory trailer hitches. Consult with a pro-
fessional hitch supplier to assist you in choosing an appropriate hitch
for your vehicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s
instructions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bumper. The bumper isnot designed to handle that type of load.
Regularly check that the hitch mounting bolts and nuts are tight. Connecting a trailer
n 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 connectionwould 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 recom-
mended, and must be installed properly. Check that your trailer ’s
brakes conform with Federal, state/province and/or other applicable
regulations. Your SUBARU ’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.
n Trailer safety chains
WARNING
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Towing trailer without safety chains could create a traffic safetyhazard if the trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling dam-age or hitch ball damage.

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In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch ball should break or
become disconnected, 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 disconnect from the hitch ball. Allow suffi-
cient slack in the chains taking tight-turn situations into account; how-
ever, 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. nSide mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle, check that the standard side
mirrors provide a good rearward field of view without significant blindspots. If significant blind spots occur with the vehicle ’s standard side
mirrors, use towing mirrors that conform with Federal, state/province
and/or other applicable regulations.
HB0085
n 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.

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Connection of trailer lights to your vehicle’s electrical system requires
modifications 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 turn signals, the brake lights and parkinglights each time you hitch up. n Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not designed to sustain the towing load.
Use of the temporary spare tire when towing can result in failureof the spare tire and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle are properly inflated. OUTBACK: The recommended cold tire pressure under trailer
towing conditions is indicated on the tire placard located under thedoor striker on the driver ’s side. Adjust the rear tire pressure to the
recommended pressure shown on the tire placard when the tires
are cold. Normal pressure should be maintained in the front tires.Other models: It is recommended to inflate the rear tires to 3 psi
(20 kPa, 0.2 kg/cm 2
) above their normal operating 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 pre-
caution against getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare tire is firmly
secured.

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Trailer towing tips CAUTION
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 different from normal operation. For
safety’ s sake, you should employ extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never speed. You should also keep the fol-lowing tips in mind:
n 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 connected 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 operated.– 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
significant 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 traf-
fic, practice turning, stopping and backing up.

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nDriving with a trailer
You should allow for considerably more stopping distance when
towing a trailer. Avoid sudden braking because it may result in skid-
ding or jackknifing and loss of control. Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accelerations. If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, always start out in first gear and release the
clutch at moderate engine revolution. 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, causing 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, considerable distance is required
because of the added weight and length caused by attaching the
trailer to your vehicle. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes practice. When back-
ing 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.
Left turn Right turn
OM-H2791
If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle is in motion,
stop towing the trailer and have repairs performed immediately by the