towing SUBARU OUTBACK 2012 5.G Owner's Manual

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-
install the conventional tire as soon as
possible because the spare tire is de-
signed only for temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tem-
porary spare tire periodically to keep the
tire ready for use. The correct pressure is
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2) .
When using the temporary spare tire, note
the following precautions. . Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
. Do not put a tire chain on the temporary
spare tire. Because of the smaller tire size,
a tire chain will not fit properly. . Do not use two or more temporary
spare tires at the same time.. Do not drive over obstacles. This tire
has a smaller diameter, so road clearance
is reduced.
1) Tread wear indicator bar
2) Indicator location mark
. When the wear indicator appears on
the tread, replace the tire. . The temporary spare tire must be used
only on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tire
gets punctured, replace the wheel with a
rear wheel and install the temporary spare
tire in place of the removed rear wheel. Maintenance tools
Your vehicle is equipped with the following
maintenance tools. .
Jack
. Jack handle
. Screwdriver
. Towing hook (eye bolt) (if equipped)
. Wheel nut wrench
. Electronic parking brake release tool In case of emergency
9-3
– CONTINUED –

9-4In case of emergency
& Legacy
1) Under-floor storage compartment (Refer
to“Under-floor storage compartment ”
F 6-18.)
2) Electronic parking brake release tool
3) Jack handle
4) Spare tire 5) Tool bucket1) Wheel nut wrench
2) Screwdriver
3) Jack
4) Towing hook (eye bolt) (if equipped)
The jack handle is stored on the back of the floor cover of the trunk. The electronic
parking brake release tool is stored under
the floor of the trunk. The other tools are
stored in the tool bucket that is located in
the recess of the spare tire wheel.
For the method to use the jack, refer to “
Flat tires ”F 9-6.
For the method to use the electronic
parking brake release tool, refer to “Elec-
tronic parking brake –if the electronic
parking brake cannot be released ”F 9-17.

&Outback
1) Under-floor storage compartment (Refer
to“Under-floor storage compartment ”
F 6-18.)
2) Electronic parking brake release tool
3) Jack handle
4) Spare tire 5) Tool bucket1) Wheel nut wrench
2) Screwdriver
3) Jack
4) Towing hook (eye bolt) (if equipped)
The jack handle is stored under the cargo area. The electronic parking brake release
tool is stored under the floor of the cargo
area. The other tools are stored in the tool
bucket that is located in the recess of the
spare tire wheel.
For the method to use the jack, refer to “
Flat tires ”F 9-6.
For the method to use the electronic
parking brake release tool, refer to “Elec-
tronic parking brake –if the electronic
parking brake cannot be released ”F 9-17.
In case of emergency
9-5

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, pull off the road
safely 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
NOTE
For details about how to check the
coolant level or how to add coolant,
refer to “Engine coolant ”F 11-17.
1. Keep the engine running at idlingspeed. 2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment. Refer to
“Engine hood ”
F 11-7.
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. Referto “Coolant temperature low indicator light/
Coolant temperature high warning light ”
F 3-13.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reserve tank.
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. TowingWARNING
Never tow AWD vehicles (including
AT, MT and CVT) 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 deterioration of the
center differential.
If towing is necessary, it is best done by
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following
procedures for safety. In case of emergency
9-13
– CONTINUED –

9-14In case of emergency
&Towing and tie-down hooks/ holes
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
hooks and tie-down hooks/holes.
Never use suspension parts or
other parts of the body for towing
or tie-down purposes.
. Never use the tie-down hole clo-
sest to the muffler under the
vehicle for towing purposes.
. To prevent deformation to the
bumper and the towing hook, do
not apply excessive lateral load
to the towing hooks.
Front towing hook:
1. Take out the towing hook and screw-
driver from the on board tool bucket. Take
out the jack handle from the trunk (Le-
gacy) or cargo area (Outback).
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
threaded hole until the threads can no longer be seen.
4. Tighten the towing hook securely
using the jack handle.
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:
1. Take the towing hook out of the tool
bucket and take the screwdriver out of the
tool bucket. Take the jack handle out of
the trunk (Legacy) or cargo area (Out-back).
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
threaded hole until its thread can no
longer be seen.
4. Tighten the towing hook securely
using the jack handle.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. In case of emergency
9-15
– CONTINUED –

9-16In case of emergency
Rear tie-down holes:
1) Rear tie-down hole
The rear tie-down holes are located near
each of the jack-up reinforcements.
WARNING
Use the rear tie-down holes only for
downward anchoring. If they are
used to anchor the vehicle in any
other direction, cables may slip out
of the holes, possibly causing a
dangerous 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 select lever into the “P ”
position for AT and CVT models or the
shift lever into “1st ”for MT models.
2. Apply the parking brake.
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

13-10Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
. To maximize the life of each tire
and ensure that the tires wear
uniformly, it is best to rotate the
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. For
information about the tightening
torque and tightening sequence
for the wheel nuts, refer to “Flat
tires ”F 9-6 .
& 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 following method.
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 “Trailer tow-
ing ”F 8-19 . !
Calculating total and load ca-
pacities varying seating con-
figurations
Calculate the available load capa-
city as shown in the followingexamples:
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

13-14Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
4.The resulting figure equals the
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-

14-6Index
Control switch ........................................................ 3-27
Flasher ................................................................. 3-28
Indicator light ......................................................... 3-23
High beam indicator light ............................................ 3-22
High/low beam change (dimmer) .................................. 3-28
Hill Holder ................................................................. 7-32
Indicator light ......................................................... 3-19
Switch .................................................................. 7-32
HomeLink
®........................................................ 3-36, 3-45
Hook Coat ..................................................................... 6-13
Convenient tie-down ............................................... 6-17
Shopping bag ........................................................ 6-13
Towing and tie-down ............................................... 9-14
Horn ......................................................................... 3-52
Hose and connections ............................................... 11-17
I
Ignition switch .............................................................. 3-3
Light ....................................................................... 3-4
Illumination brightness control ...................................... 3-29
Immobilizer. ................................................................. 2-3
Indicator light (security indicator light) ....................... 3-21
Indicator light
Coolant temperature low ......................................... 3-13
Cruise control ........................................................ 3-23
Cruise control set ................................................... 3-23
Door open ............................................................. 3-19
Front fog light ........................................................ 3-23
Headlight .............................................................. 3-23
High beam ............................................................ 3-22 Hill Holder
............................................................. 3-19
Immobilizer ............................................................ 3-21
Security ................................................................. 3-21
Select lever/Gear position ........................................ 3-22
Turn signal ............................................................ 3-22
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF ................................. 3-21
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation .. ........................ 3-21
Inside mirror ..................................... 3-35, 3-36, 3-43, 3-45
Interior lights ............................................................... 6-2
Internal trunk lid release handle .................................... 2-24
iiPod
®operations ........................................................ 5-33
J
Jack-up point .............................................................. 9-6
Jump starting ............................................................. 9-10
K
Key............................................................................ 2-2 Number .................................................................. 2-2
Reminder chime ...................................................... 3-4
Replacement. .......................................................... 2-4
Keyless entry system ................................................... 2-7
L
Leather seat materials ................................................. 10-5
License plate light ..................................................... 11-52
Light
Back-up (Legacy) ................................................. 11-49