SUBARU OUTBACK 2007 4.G Owners Manual

9-14In case of emergency
4. Screw the towing hook into the thread
hole until the threads can no longer beseen.
5. 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 bag.
Fit the towing hook cover on the bumper.
Front towing hook (except OUTBACK models):
1. Take out the towing hook, screwdriver
and wheel nut wrench from the on board
tool bag.
2. Wrap a flat-head screwdriver with cloth
or vinyl. Then, insert the screwdriver into
the gap between the front fog light cover
and the bumper, and pry out the cover.
3. Pull the entire front fog light cover
toward you.
4. Likewise, insert the screwdriver still
wrapped with cloth or vinyl into the cutout
between the towing hook cover and the
bumper. Pry out the cover.
5. Screw the towing hook into the thread
hole until the threads can no longer beseen.

6. 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 bag.
Fit the fog light cover and 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:
The rear towing hook is located below the
center of the rear bumper.
CAUTION
Never use the rear towing hook to
tie the vehicle down.
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. In case of emergency
9-15
– CONTINUED –

9-16In case of emergency
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. &
Towing with all wheels on the ground
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
must be limited to less than 20
mph (30 km/h) and the traveling
distance to less than 31 miles (50
km). For greater speeds and
distances, transport your vehicle
on a flat-bed truck.
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.Rear gate (Station wagon)
–if
the rear gate cannot be un- locked
In the event that you cannot unlock the
rear gate by operating the power door
locking switches or the remote keyless
entry system, you can unlock it from inside
the cargo area.
1. Remove the access cover at the
bottom-center of the rear gate trim using
flat-head screwdriver.
2. Locate the rear gate lock release lever
behind the rear gate trim panel.
3. Unlock the rear gate by pressing the
lever inside the trim downward.
4. Open the rear gate from outside by
raising the rear gate handle. In case of emergency
9-17

9-18In case of emergency
Maintenance tools &Jack
A jack and other maintenance tools are
stored in the tool bucket in the center of
the spare tire located in the trunk or in the
cargo area.
Sedan: To take out the jack and main-
tenance tools, open the floor cover and
remove the bucket from the center of the
spare tire. Then, take the jack out of thebucket.
Station wagon: To take out the jack and
maintenance tools, open the center lid and
remove the bucket from the center of the
spare tire. Then, take the jack out of thebucket. & Jack handle
The jack handle is stowed on the back of
the floor cover of the trunk or on the back
of the center lid of the cargo area.Sedan: Open the floor cover and remove
the jack handle from the back of the floor
cover.
Station wagon: Open the center lid,
remove the left-hand part of the lid, and
take out the jack handle.

For how to use the jack, refer to“Flat
tires ”.
& Other maintenance tools
In addition to a jack and a jack handle, the
tool bucket on your vehicle contains the
following maintenance tools.
Screwdriver
Towing hook
Wheel nut wrench In case of emergency
9-19

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Exterior care....................................................... 10-2
Washing ............................................................. 10-2
Waxing and polishing ......................................... 10-3
Cleaning aluminum wheels ................................. 10-3
Corrosion protection .......................................... 10-4
Most common causes of corrosion ..................... 10-4
To help prevent corrosion ................................... 10-4 Cleaning the interior
.......................................... 10-5
Seat fabric ......................................................... 10-5
Leather seat materials ........................................ 10-5
Synthetic leather upholstery ............................... 10-5
Climate control panel, audio panel, instrument panel, console panel, switches, combination
meter, and other plastic surface ....................... 10-5
Appearance care
10

10-2Appearance care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or faulty
power steering respectively. .
Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging the
wiper arm and other compo-
nents. Ask the automatic car-
wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
(Station wagon models only)
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. !
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-sion.
After driving off-road or muddy or sandy
roads, wash the mud and sand off the
underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.

NOTE
Be careful not to damage brake hoses,
sensor harnesses, and other parts
when washing suspension compo-nents. !Using a warm water washer
. Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle. . Do not wash the same area continu-
ously.. If a stain will not come out easily, wash
by hand. Some warm water washers are
of the high temperature, high pressure
type, and they can damage or deform the
resin parts such as mouldings, or cause
water to leak into the vehicle. & Waxing and polishing
Always wash and dry the vehicle before
waxing and polishing.
Use a good quality polish and wax and
apply them according to the manufac-turer ’s instructions. Wax or polish when
the painted surface is cool.
Be sure to polish and wax the chrome trim,
as well as the painted surfaces. Loss of
wax on a painted surface leads to loss of
the original luster and also quickens the
deterioration of the surface. It is recom- mended that a coat of wax be applied at
least once a month, or whenever the
surface no longer repels water.
If the appearance of the paint has dimin-
ished to the point where the luster or tone
cannot be restored, lightly polish the
surface with a fine-grained compound.
Never polish just the affected area, but
include the surrounding area as well.
Always polish in only one direction. A
No. 2000 grain compound is recom-
mended. Never use a coarse-grained
compound. Coarser grained compounds
have a smaller grain-size number and
could damage the paint. After polishing
with a compound, coat with wax to restore
the original luster. Frequent polishing with
acompoundoranincorrectpolishing
technique will result in removing the paint
layer and exposing the undercoat. When
in doubt, it is always best to contact your
SUBARU dealer or an auto paint specia-list.
NOTE
Be careful not to block the windshield
washer nozzles with wax when waxing
the vehicle. & Cleaning aluminum wheels
. Promptly wipe the aluminum wheels clean of any kind of grime or agent. If dirt
is left on too long, it may be difficult to
clean off. .
Do not use soap containing grit to
clean the wheels. Be sure to use a neutral
cleaning agent, and later rinse thoroughly
with water. Do not clean the wheels with a
stiff brush or expose them to a high-speed
washing device. . Clean the vehicle (including the alumi-
num wheels) with water as soon as
possible when it has been splashed with
sea water, exposed to sea breezes, or
driven on roads treated with salt or otheragents. Appearance care
10-3