towing SUBARU OUTBACK 2009 5.G Owner's Manual

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. In case of emergency
9-15
– CONTINUED –

9-16In case of emergency
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.
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. In case of emergency
9-17

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

ILSAC Certification Mark (Starburst Mark)
API Service label
1) Indicates the oil quality by API designa-tions
2) Indicates the SAE oil viscosity grade
3) Indicates that the oil has fuel saving capabilities In choosing an oil, you want the proper
quality and viscosity, as well as one that
will add to fuel economy. The following
table lists the recommended viscosities
and applicable temperatures.
When adding oil, different brands may be
used together as long as they are the
same API classification and SAE viscosity
as those recommended by SUBARU.
SAE viscosity number and applicable
temperature
*: 5W-30 is preferred.
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects fuel
economy. Oils of lower viscosity provide
better fuel economy. However, in hot
weather, oil of higher viscosity is required
to properly lubricate the engine. &
Recommended grade and
viscosity under severe driv-
ing conditions
If the vehicle is used in desert areas, in
areas with very high temperatures, or
used for heavy-duty applications such as
towing a trailer, use of oil with the following
grade and viscosities is recommended.
API classification SM: SAE viscosity No.:30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50 Maintenance and service
11-13

&Recommended tire inflation pressure
! Recommended cold tire inflation pressure
Recommended cold tire inflation pressure for your vehicle ’s tires is as follows,
Tire size P205/
55R16 89H P225/
60R16 97H P205/
50R17 88V 215/
45R17 91W P225/
55R17 95V 215/
45R18 89Y P215/
45R18 89W
Wheel size 16 66.5JJ 17 67JJ 18 67JJ
Pres- sure Front
32 psi
(220 kPa,
2.2 kgf/cm
2) 32 psi
(220 kPa,
2.2 kgf/cm2) 33 psi
(230 kPa,
2.3 kgf/cm2) 35 psi
(240 kPa,
2.4 kgf/cm2) 32 psi
(220 kPa,
2.2 kgf/cm2) 33 psi
(230 kPa,
2.3 kgf/cm2)
Rear 30 psi
(210 kPa,
2.1 kgf/cm
2) 30 psi
(210 kPa,
2.1 kgf/cm2) 32 psi
(220 kPa,
2.2 kgf/cm2) 33 psi
(230 kPa,
2.3 kgf/cm2) 30 psi
(210 kPa,
2.1 kgf/cm2) 32 psi
(220 kPa,
2.2 kgf/cm2)
Rear at trailertowing –32 psi
(220 kPa,
2.2 kgf/cm
2) –
32 psi
(220 kPa,
2.2 kgf/cm2) –
Tem-poraryspare tire Size
T135/
80R16 T155/
70D17 T135/
80R16 T135/
70D17
*1
T135/
80R16*2
T155/
70D17 T155/70D17
Pres- sure 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2)
*1: 2.5 GT Limited model
*2: 3.0 R model Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-5
– CONTINUED –

13-8Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km).
Rotating the tires involves switch-
ing the front and rear tires on the
right-hand side of the vehicle and
similarly switching the front and
rear tires on the left-hand side of
the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly
worn tire at the time of rotation.
After tire rotation, adjust the tire
pressures and make sure the wheel
nuts are correctly tightened. A
tightening torque specification and
a tightening sequence specification
for the wheel nuts can be found“ Flat tires
”section in chapter 9.
& Vehicle load limit –how to
determine
The load capacity of your vehicle is
determined by weight, not by avail-
able cargo space. The load limit of
your vehicle is shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the
driver ’s side B-pillar. Locate the
statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs
”
on your vehicle ’s placard.
Thevehicleplacardalsoshows
seating capacity of your vehicle.
The total load capacity includes the
total weight of driver and all pas-
sengers and their belongings, any
cargo, any optional equipment such
as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike
carrier, etc., and the tongue load of
a trailer. Therefore cargo capacity
can be calculated by the followingmethod.
Cargo capacity = Load limit (total
weight of occupants + total weight
of optional equipment + tongue
load of a trailer (if applicable))
For towing capacity information and
weight limits, refer to the “Trailer
towing ”section in chapter 8.
! Calculating total and load ca-
pacities varying seating con-
figurations
Calculate the available load capa-
city as shown in the following examples:
Example 1A
Vehicle capacity weight of the
vehicle is 800 lbs (363 kg), which
is indicated on the vehicle placard
with the statement
“The combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed 363 kg or
800 lbs ”.
For example, if the vehicle has one
occupant weighing 154 lbs (70 kg)
plus cargo weighing 551 lbs (250kg). 1. Calculate the total weight.

13-12Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For exam-
ple, if the “XXX ”amount equals
1,400 lbs (635 kg) and there will be
five- 150 lbs (68 kg) passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capa-
city is 650 lbs (1,400 750 (5 6
150) = 650 lbs).
5. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your ve-hicle. Uniform tire quality grading standards
This information indicates the rela-
tive performance of passenger car
tires in the area of treadwear,
traction, and temperature resis-
tance. This is to aid the consumer
in making an informed choice in the
purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall be-
tween tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tem-
perature A
The quality grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on passen-
ger cars. However, they do not
apply to deep tread, winter type
snow tires, space-saver or tempor-
ary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 12 inches
or less, or to some limited produc-
tion tires.
All passenger car tires must con-form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades. &
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1-
1/2) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate. & Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire ’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spe-

Speedometer....................................................... 3-6, 3-24
SPORT mode indicator light ........................................ 3-38
SRS
Curtain airbag ........................................................ 1-56
Frontal airbag ........................................................ 1-45
Side airbag ........................................................... 1-56
SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ... 4, 1-40
SRS airbag system Monitors. ............................................................... 1-63
Servicing ............................................................... 1-65
Warning light ......................................................... 3-30
Starting the engine ....................................................... 7-9
State emission testing (U.S. only) .................................. 7-7
Steering wheel Power ................................................................... 7-34
Tilt/telescopic ......................................................... 3-59
Stopping the engine ................................................... 7-11
Storage compartment ................................................... 6-5
Stowage boxes .......................................................... 6-17
Sun shade ........................................................ 2-30, 2-31
Sun visors ................................................................... 6-4
Supplemental Restraint System airbag (SRS) ... ............. 1-40
Synthetic leather upholstery ........................................ 10-5
T
Tachometer ......................................................... 3-6, 3-26
Temperature gauge ...................................... 3-7, 3-12, 3-27
Temperature warning light AT OIL TEMP ........................................................ 3-33
Temporary spare tire .................................................... 9-2
Tether (child restraint system) .............................. 1-35, 1-38 Tie-down hooks
.......................................................... 9-14
Tire
Chains .................................................................. 8-13
Inspection ............................................................ 11-35
Pressures and wear .............................................. 11-36
Replacement. ....................................................... 11-39
Rotation .............................................................. 11-39
Types .................................................................. 11-33
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ......................................... 3-33, 7-43, 9-9, 11-34
Tires ......................................................................... 12-5
Tires and wheels ...................................................... 11-33
Top tether anchorages ........................................ 1-35, 1-38
Towing ...................................................................... 9-13
All wheels on the ground ......................................... 9-17
Flat-bed truck ......................................................... 9-16
Tie-down hooks ...................................................... 9-14
Weight .................................................................. 8-22
Traction Control system OFF indicator light .................................................. 3-37
Trailer Connecting ............................................................ 8-20
Hitch ..................................................................... 8-19
Hitches .................................................................. 8-25
Towing .................................................................. 8-21
Towing tips ............................................................ 8-27
Trip meter .................................................................. 3-25
Trunk lid .................................................................... 2-24
Release handle ...................................................... 2-25
Trunk light ............................................................... 11-59 Index
14-9

GAS STATION REFERENCE
& Fuel:
! 2.5 L non-turbo models
Use only unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 AKI or
higher .
! 2.5 L turbo models
Use premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91
AKI or higher . For temporary purposes if premium unleaded
gasoline is not available, you may use regular unleaded
gasoline with an octane rating of 87 AKI or higher. For optimum
engine performance and driveability, it is required that you use
premium grade unleaded gasoline. ! 3.0 L models
Use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 AKI or
higher . Regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87
AKI or higher may be used. However for optimum engine
performance and driveability, it is recommended that you use
91 AKI or higher grade unleaded gasoline. You may experience
reduced output, poor accelerator response, and reduced fuel
economy when using gasoline with an octane rating lower than
91 AKI, depending on your driving habits and conditions. If you
experience any of these conditions while using a lower octane
rated fuel, you may want to return to using 91 AKI octane rated
fuel as soon as possible. Additionally, if your vehicle knocks
heavily or persistently, or if you are driving with heavy loads
such as when towing a trailer, the use of 91 AKI or higher grade
unleaded gasoline is required. &
Fuel octane rating
This octane rating is the average of the Research Octane and
Motor Octane numbers and is commonly referred to as the Anti
Knock Index (AKI). Refer to “Fuel ”section in this manual.
& Fuel capacity:
16.9 US gal (64 liters, 14.1 Imp gal) & Engine oil:
Use only API classification SM with the words “ENERGY
CONSERVING ”or ILSAC GF-4, which can be identified with
the ILSAC certification mark (Starburst mark).& Engine oil capacity:
2.5 L models: 4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
3.0 L models: 5.8 US qt (5.5 liters, 4.8 Imp qt)