warning SUBARU TRIBECA 2008 Owners Manual

!Tongue loadTongue 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 towing vehicle.
This may cause the rear wheels to
skid, especially during braking or
when vehicle speed is reduced dur-
ing cornering, 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 appropriate one
of the following maximum values: Vehicle without cooling kit: 200 lbs (90 kg)
Vehicle with cooling kit: 350 lbs (158 kg)
1) Jack
2) Bathroom scaleThe tongue load can be weighed with a
bathroom scale as shown in the illustration
above. When weighing the tongue load,
be sure to position the towing coupler at
the height at which it would be during
actual towing, using a jack as shown.
F: FrontThe tongue load can be adjusted by
proper distribution of the load in the trailer.
Never load the trailer with more weight in
the back than in the front; approximately
60 percent of the trailer load should be in
the front and approximately 40 percent in
the rear. Also, distribute the load as evenly
as possible on both the left and right
sides.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to
prevent a change in weight distribution
while driving.&
Trailer hitches
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body
Driving tips
8-23
–CONTINUED –
ProCarManuals.com

8-24
Driving tips
of your vehicle to install a commer-
cial trailer hitch. If you do, danger-
ous exhaust gas, water or mud may
enter the passenger compartment
through the drilled hole. Exhaust
gas contains carbon monoxide, a
colorless and odorless gas which is
dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
Also, drilling the frame or under-
body of your vehicle could cause
deterioration of strength of your
vehicle and cause corrosion around
the drilled hole.
CAUTION
.Do not modify the vehicle ex-
haust system, brake system, or
other systems when installing a
hitch or other trailer towing
equipment.
. 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.
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer
hitch is recommended. A genuine
SUBARU hitch is available from your SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoid-
able, be sure the hitch is suited to your
vehicle and trailer. Consult with a profes-
sional 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 is not designed
to handle that type of load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check
that the hitch mounting bolts and nuts are
tight.
& 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. 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.
! Trailer safety chains
WARNING
Always use safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Towing
trailer without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due
to coupling damage or hitch ball
damage.
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch
ball should break or become discon-
nected, the trailer could get loose and
ProCarManuals.com

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 mirrorsAfter 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 turn signals, the brake
lights and parking 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 shown
in chapter 12, “Specifications ”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.
Driving tips
8-25
– CONTINUED –
ProCarManuals.com

.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 water temperature gauge
pointer and AT OIL TEMP warning light
since the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating under
these conditions. If the water temperature
gauge pointer approaches the OVER-
HEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately switch off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place. Refer to the
“Engine
overheating ”section in chapter 9, and
“Warning and indicator lights ”section in
chapter 3.
NOTEThe temperature of engine coolant is
less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT
zone in the “D ” position than in the
manual mode position.
. Avoid using the accelerator pedal to
stay stationary on an uphill slope instead
of using the parking brake or foot brake.
That may cause the transmission fluid to
overheat.
! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake firmly. You should not
park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you
should take the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into
“P”and shut off the engine.
Driving tips
8-27
ProCarManuals.com

9-2
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an
emergencyThe 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 switch
position.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pushing the switch again.
NOTEWhen the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
Spare tireThe spare tire is stored in the spare tire
holder located under the cargo area.
The spare tire holder has a hoist mechan-
ism that can lower and raise the spare tire
easily.
The spare tire holder is designed to carry
only the following kinds of tires:
.the temporary spare tire that came with
your vehicle
. a full-size flat tire
A full size flat tire should be stowed in the
spare tire holder in an emergency only.
After having the full-size flat tire repaired,
immediately swap it with the temporary
spare tire.
Before using the temporary spare tire, see
ProCarManuals.com

9-4
In case of emergency
and pull it through the center of the
temporary spare tire.
9. After the temporary spare tire is
removed from the cable, the cable must
be wound up completely by turning the
hoist nut shaft clockwise until you hear a
clicking sound. Also visually inspect the
cable to make certain that there is no
longer any slack present.
WARNING
.Do not use the extension when
turning the wheel nuts. If you did,
you would not be able to achieve
sufficient tightening torque. The
wheel nuts could then come
loose, resulting in a serious
accident. .
When using the spare tire hoist:
After the temporary spare tire is
removed from the cable, wind the
cable up completely until the
retainer at end of the cable sits
against the underside of the
vehicle. Driving with the cable
not retracted fully could result in
damage to the adjacent under
floor parts and lead to a serious
accident.
. The spare tire holder is designed
to carry only the following kinds
of tires:
. the temporary spare tire that
came with your vehicle
. a full-size flat tire
A full size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder
in an emergency only. After hav-
ing the full-size flat tire repaired,
immediatelyswapitwiththe
temporary spare tire.
Never stow a full-size tire that is
not flat in the spare tire holder.
Doing so can result in damage to
adjacent under floor parts and
can lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
When using the spare tire hoist:
Do not use air tools or power tools
to turn the spare tire hoist shaft end.
If you do, it could result in severe
mechanical damage to the spare tire
hoist.& Re-storage of spare tire1. Turn the spare tire hoist shaft end
counterclockwise with the wheel nut
wrench to loosen the cable sufficiently
enough to allow the cable end retainer go
through center hole of the temporary
spare tire.
2. Insert the retainer through the center
hole of the temporary tire (with the outside
of the tire facing up).
3. Turn the hoist shaft end clockwise with
the wheel nut wrench to wind the cable up
completely until you hear a few clicking
sounds. Confirm that the temporary spare
tire holding cable has been wound up
completely by shaking the temporary tire.
CAUTION
If the temporary spare tire is not
stored securely, it could damage
adjacent areas of the vehicle and
ProCarManuals.com

make an abnormal noise.
4. Place the wheel nut wrench and
extension back into the tool bag and store
the jack and tool bag in their storage
locations.
5. Fit the lid of the cargo area.
CAUTION
. When stowing a flat tire in the
spare tire holder, turn the hoist
shaft end only slowly. If it is
turned quickly, the wheel disc of
the flat tire could be damaged.
. A full-size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder
in an emergency only. After hav-
ing the flat tire repaired, immedi-
ately swap it with the temporary
spare tire.
. Remember that the tread width of
a flat tire is wider than that of the
temporary spare tire. When car-
rying a flat tire stowed in the
spare tire holder, make sure the
tire does not touch any obsta-
cles.
Temporary spare tire
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
failure of the spare tire and/or
less stability of the vehicle and
may lead to an accident.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
illuminate steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute.
This indicates the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is un-
able to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/
or system 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 your
vehicle.
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.
. 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.
In case of emergency
9-5
– CONTINUED –
ProCarManuals.com

9-6
In case of emergency
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.
Flat tiresIf you have a flat tire while driving, never
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place.& Changing a flat tire
WARNING
. Do not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface.
The jack can come out of the
jacking point or sink into the
ground and this can result in a
severe accident.
. Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get
under the vehicle while support-
ing the vehicle with this jack. .
Always turn off the engine before
raising the flat tire off the ground
using the jack. Never swing or
push the vehicle supported with
the jack. The jack can come out
of the jacking point due to a jolt
and this can result in a severe
accident.
1. Park on a hard, level surface, when-
ever possible, then stop the engine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and
shift in the “P”(Park) position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher
and have everyone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire diagonally opposite the flat tire.
ProCarManuals.com

WARNING
Do not use oil or grease on the
wheel studs or nuts when the spare
tire is installed. This could cause the
nuts to become loose and lead to an
accident.
15. Turn the jack handle counterclockwise
to lower the vehicle.
CAUTION
There are 2 types of wheel nut
wrenches that apply to different
lengths.
For an aluminum wheel vehicle, the
11.2-inch (285 mm) wheel nut
wrench is equipped as a mainte-
nance tool. And for a chrome plated
wheel vehicle, the 13.2-inch (335
mm) wheel nut wrench is equipped
as well. Confirm the equipped wheel
nut wrench type when you replace a
tire. If the wheel nut wrench is the
different type, it cannot be tightened
to the specified torque.
1) The length of the wheel nut wrench16. Confirm the length of the equipped
wheel nut wrench.
For an aluminum wheel vehicle, the 11.2-
inch (285 mm) wheel nut wrench is
equipped as a maintenance tool. And for
a chrome plated wheel vehicle, the 13.2-
inch (335 mm) wheel nut wrench is
equipped as well.
17. Use the wheel nut wrench to securely
tighten the wheel nuts to the specified
torque, following the tightening order in the
illustration.
Wheel nuts tightening torque for tem-
porary spare tire:
74 to 89 lbf·ft (100 to 120 N·m, 10 to 12
kgf·m)
This torque is equivalent to applying the
following load on the edge of the wheel
nut wrench.
When you use a wheel nut wrench of
the 11.2-inch (285 mm) length:
Approximately 88 to 110 lbs (40 to 50
kg)
When you use a wheel nut wrench of
the 13.2-inch (335 mm) length:
In case of emergency
9-9
– CONTINUED –
ProCarManuals.com

9-10
In case of emergency
Approximately 73 to 87 lbs (33 to 38 kg)
Never use your foot on the wheel nut
wrench or a pipe extension on the wrench
because you may exceed the specified
torque. Have the wheel nut torque
checked at the nearest automotive service
facility.
WARNING
Do not use the extension when
turning the wheel nuts. If you did,
you would not be able to achieve
sufficient tightening torque. The
wheel nuts could then come loose,
resulting in a serious accident.
18. Store the flat tire in the spare tire
holder. Refer to the sections
“Spare tire ”in this
chapter for its location, instructions and
precautions.
CAUTION
. When stowing a flat tire in the
spare tire holder, turn the hoist
shaft end only slowly. If it is
turned quickly, the wheel disc of
the flat tire could be damaged.
. A full-size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder
in an emergency only. After hav-
ing the flat tire repaired, immedi-
ately swap it with the temporary
spare tire.
. Remember that the tread width of
a flat tire is wider than that of the
temporary spare tire. When car-
rying a flat tire stowed in the
spare tire holder, make sure the
tire does not touch any obsta-
cles.
WARNING
Never place a tire or tire changing
tools in the passenger compartment
after changing wheels. In a sudden
stop or collisions, loose equipment could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in
the proper place.
&
Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS)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).
ProCarManuals.com