engine oil SUBARU TRIBECA 2008 User Guide

If you inadvertently have turned the igni-
tion switch to the“LOCK”position with the
selector lever in the “N”position, proceed
as follows. By referring to the “Shift lock
release ”section in this chapter, remove
the cover. Then, with a screwdriver in-
serted into the hole, move the selector
lever to the “P”position while pressing the
release button. If the selector lever re-
verse inhibiting function fails, have the
vehicle inspected by the nearest SUBARU
dealer.& Selection of manual modeWith the vehicle either moving or station-
ary, move the selector lever from the “D”
position to the manual gate then move it to
the “+”end or “−”end of the manual gate
to select manual mode.
1) Upshift indicator
2) Downshift indicator
3) Gear position indicatorWhen the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator and upshift indica-
tor and/or downshift indicator in the
tachometer come on. The gear position
indicator shows the currently selected
gear in the 1st-to-5th-gear range. The
upshift and downshift indicators show
when a gearshift is possible. When the
upshift indicator “
”is on, upshifting is
possible. When the downshift indicator
“
” is on, downshifting is possible. When
both indicators are on, upshifting and
downshifting are both possible. When the
vehicle stops (for example, at traffic
signals), the downshift indicator goes off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the selector lever.
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly
pushing the selector lever toward the
“+”
end of the manual gate.
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly
pulling the selector lever toward the “−”
end of the manual gate.NOTEPlease read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode.
. When the temperature of the engine
oil is higher than normal, warning
beeps are emitted and the shift position
indicator shows “− ”. If these warnings
are issued, deselect the manual mode
to protect the engine from damage.
Starting and operating
7-15
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7-16
Starting and operating
.The transmission does not automa-
tically shift up in the manual mode.
Perform gearshifts in accordance with
road conditions so that the tachometer
needle does not enter the red zone. If
the engine speed reaches a predeter-
mined level, a fuel-cut function will
operate. Shift up if this happens. Also,
the transmission may automatically
shift up to protect the engine.
. If you attempt to shift down when
the engine speed is too high, i.e., when
a downshift would push the tachometer
needle beyond the red zone, beeps will
be emitted to warn you that the down-
shift is not possible.
. If you attempt to shift up when the
vehicle speed is too low, the transmis-
sion will not respond.
. You can perform a skip-shift (for
example, from 4th to 2nd) by operating
the selector lever twice in rapid suc-
cession.
. The transmission automatically se-
lects 1st gear when the vehicle stops
moving.
. If the temperature of the automatic
transmission fluid becomes too high,
the “AT OIL TEMP ”warning light will
come on and upshifts to 5th gear will
not be possible. Immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and let the
engine idle until the warning light goes off.
&
Maximum speeds
WARNING
When down shifting, ensure that the
vehicle is not travelling at a speed
exceeding the Maximum Allowable
Speed for the gear which is about to
be selected. Failure to observe this
precaution can lead to engine over-
revving and this in turn can result in
engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of
engine braking caused by down
shifting when the vehicle is travel-
ling on a slippery surface can lead
to wheel locking; as a consequence,
control of the vehicle may be lost
and the risk of an accident in-
creased.
The following tables show the maximum
speeds that are possible with each differ-
ent gear.
When down shifting, it is important to
confirm that the current vehicle speed is
not in excess of the Maximum Allowable
Speed of the gear which is about to be
selected.
Position mph (km/h)
1 28 (45)
2 53 (85)
3 87 (140)
Never exceed posted speed limits.
NOTE. In order to prevent over-revving
during acceleration of the vehicle, the
transmission will automatically shift to
the next highest gear if the Maximum
Allowable Speed for the current gear is
exceeded.
. Similarly, in order to prevent over-
revving during deceleration of the
vehicle, the transmission will remain
in the current gear if the speed of the
vehicle is in excess of the Maximum
Allowable Speed for the gear to which
the selector lever has been moved.& Driving tips. On a road surface where there is a risk
of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or
gravel-covered road), you can pull away
from a standstill safely and easily by first
selecting the 2nd gear of the manual
mode.
. Always apply the foot or parking brake
when the vehicle is stopped in the “D”or
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underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur.
.Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over.
. If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the selector lever
back and forth between “D ” and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
. When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st.
. Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.
. Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly.
. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the
“Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage.
Winter driving& Operation during cold
weatherCarry some emergency equipment, such
as tire chains, a window scraper, a bag of
sand, flares, a small shovel, and jumper
cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winter
starts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and
viscosity for cold weather. Heavy summer
oil will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by
Driving tips
8-7
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.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
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9-14
In case of emergency
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the
booster battery and run it at moderate
speed. Then start the engine of the vehicle
that has the discharged battery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect
the cables in exactly the reverse order.
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, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place.& If steam is coming from the
engine compartmentTurn off the engine and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down.&If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment1. Keep the engine running at idling
speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment.
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 temperature gauge stays at the
overheated zone, turn off the engine.
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.
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9-18
In case of emergency
&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.
. 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 –if the rear gate
cannot be unlockedIn 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.
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Maintenance schedule................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions............................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment ................................................. 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running ....... 11-4
Engine hood................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview ...................... 11-6
Engine oil ........................................................ 11-7
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-7
Changing the oil and oil filter ........................... 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity ................. 11-9
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions ....................................... 11-10
Cooling system............................................ 11-11
Hose and connections ................................... 11-11
Engine coolant .............................................. 11-11
Air cleaner element ...................................... 11-14
Replacing the air cleaner element .................. 11-14
Spark plugs.................................................. 11-15
Recommended spark plugs ........................... 11-15
Drive belts.................................................... 11-15
Automatic transmission fluid ...................... 11-15
Checking the fluid level................................. 11-15
Recommended fluid ...................................... 11-16
Front differential gear oil ............................. 11-17
Checking the oil level.................................... 11-17
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-17
Rear differential gear oil.............................. 11-18
Checking the gear oil level ............................ 11-18 Recommended grade and viscosity
............... 11-18
Power steering fluid..................................... 11-19
Checking the fluid level ................................. 11-19
Recommended fluid ...................................... 11-20
Brake fluid..................................................... 11-20
Checking the fluid level ................................. 11-20
Recommended brake fluid ............................ 11-21
Brake booster............................................... 11-21
Brake pedal ................................................... 11-21
Checking the brake pedal free play ............... 11-21
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ..................................................... 11-22
Replacement of brake pad and lining ......... 11-22
Breaking-in of new brake pads and
linings ........................................................ 11-22
Parking brake stroke .................................... 11-23
Tires and wheels ........................................... 11-23
Types of tires................................................ 11-23
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ....... 11-24
Tire inspection .............................................. 11-25
Tire pressures and wear ............................... 11-25
Wheel balance .............................................. 11-27
Wear indicators ............................................ 11-28
Tire rotation direction mark ........................... 11-28
Tire rotation .................................................. 11-28
Tire replacement ........................................... 11-29
Wheel replacement ....................................... 11-29
Aluminum wheels......................................... 11-30
Chrome plated wheels (if equipped) ........... 11-31
Windshield washer fluid ............................... 11-32
Maintenance and service
11
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11-4
Maintenance and service
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water.
. Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seat-
belt pretensioner system, or at-
tempt to take its connectors
apart, as that may activate the
system or it can render it inop-
erative. The wiring and connec-
tors of these systems are yellow
for easy identification. NEVER
use a circuit tester for these
wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt
pretensioner needs service, con-
sult your nearest SUBARU deal-
er.
& Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
WARNING
. Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
. Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and remain hot for some time after
the engine is stopped.
. Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
. Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position,
thecoolingfanmayoperate
suddenly even when the engine
is stopped.
& When you do checking or
servicing in the engine com-
partment while the engine is
running
WARNING
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving
engine parts. Removing rings,
watches and ties is advisable.
Engine hoodTo open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their original
positions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.
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11-6
Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-14)
2) Power steering fluid reservoir(page 11-19)
3) Differential gear oil level gauge (page 11-17)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-15)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-20)
6) Fuse box (page 11-38)
7) Battery (page 11-37)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-32)
9) Radiator cap (page 11-11)
10) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-7)
11) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-11)
12) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-7)
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Engine oilNOTE.The engine oil consumption rate is
not stabilized, and therefore cannot be
determined until the vehicle has tra-
veled at least several thousand miles
(kilometers). Even after break-in, when
the vehicle is used under severe driv-
ing conditions such as those men-
tioned in the “Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”, engine oil is con-
sumed or deteriorated more quickly
than under normal driving conditions.
If you drive your vehicle under these
severe conditions, you should check
the oil level at least at every second
fuel fill-up time, and change the oil
more frequently. Please refer to the
“ Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”
for more details.
. If the oil consumption rate seems
abnormally high after the break-in
period, for example more than 1 quart
per 1,200 miles or 1 liter per 2,000
kilometers, we recommend that you
contact your SUBARU dealer.
& Checking the oil levelCheck the engine oil level at each fuel
stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly in-
serted until it stops with the graphic
symbol “
”on its top appearing as
shown in the illustration.
1) Upper level
2) Lower level4. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the
upper level.
CAUTION
. Use only engine oil with the
recommended grade and vis-
cosity.
Maintenance and service
11-7
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