brakes SUBARU TRIBECA 2011 1.G Owners Manual

3-16Instruments and controls
work properly.
When the warning light illuminates,
the ABS function shuts down; how-
ever, the conventional brake system
continues to operate normally. .The warning light does not illu-
minate when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON ”position.
. The warning light illuminates
when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position, but
it does not turn off even when the
vehicle speed exceeds approxi-
mately 8 mph (12 km/h).
. The warning light illuminates dur-
ing driving.
If any of these conditions occur,
have the ABS system repaired at
the first available opportunity by
your SUBARU dealer.
The ABS warning light illuminates to-
gether with the brake system warning light
if the EBD system becomes malfunction-
ing. For further details of the EBD system
malfunction warning, refer to “Brake sys-
tem warning light ”F 3-16.
NOTE
If the warning light behavior is as
described in the following, the ABS system may be considered normal. .
The warning light illuminates right
after the engine is started but turns off
immediately, remaining off.. The warning light remains illumi-
nated after the engine has been started,
but it turns off when the vehicle speed
reaches approximately 8 mph (12km/h).. The warning light illuminates during
driving, but it turns off immediately and
remains off.
When driving with an insufficient battery
voltage such as when the engine is jump
started, the ABS warning light may illumi-
nate. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will turn off.
& Brake system
warning light
WARNING
. Driving with the brake system
warning light illuminated is dan-
gerous. This indicates your brake
system may not be working
properly. If the light remains
illuminated, have the brakes in-
spected by a SUBARU dealer immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair.
This light has the following three functions. ! Parking brake warning
The light illuminates with the parking
brake applied while the ignition switch is
in the “ON ”position. It turns off when the
parking brake is fully released. ! Brake fluid level warning
This light illuminates when the brake fluid
level has dropped to near the “MIN ”level
of the brake fluid reservoir with the ignition
switch in the “ON ”position and with the
parking brake fully released.
If the brake system warning light should
illuminate while driving (with the parking
brake fully released and with the ignition
switch positioned in “ON ”), it could be an
indication of leaking of brake fluid or worn
brake pads. If this occurs, immediately
stop the vehicle at the nearest safe place
and check the brake fluid level. If the fluid
level is below the “MIN ”mark in the
reservoir, do not drive the vehicle. Have

the vehicle towed to the nearest SUBARU
dealer for repair. !Electronic Brake Force Distribution
(EBD) system warning
The brake system warning light also
illuminates if a malfunction occurs in the
EBD system. In that event, it illuminates
together with the ABS warning light.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are
applied harder than usual and the vehi-cle ’s motion may therefore become some-
what harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps.
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake, and then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights turn off, the EBD system
may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected. 4. If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain illuminated after the engine
has been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “
MIN ”mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
& Low fuel warning light
CAUTION
Immediately put fuel in the tank
whenever the low fuel warning light
illuminates. Engine misfires as a
result of an empty tank could cause
damage to the engine.
The low fuel warning light illuminates
when the tank is nearly empty approxi-
mately 2.6 US gal (10 liters, or 2.2 Imp
gal). It only operates when the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position. When this
light illuminates, fill the fuel tank immedi-
ately. NOTE
This light does not turn off unless the
tank is replenished up to an internal
fuel quantity of approximately 4.0 US
gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal). &
Door open warning light
The indicators are located in the center
portion of the dashboard.
When any of the doors or the rear gate is
not fully closed, it is indicated by the
corresponding part of the door open
warning light.
Always make sure this light is out before
you start to drive. Instruments and controls
3-17
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Braking &Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.
! When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a
result, brake stopping distance will be
longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle
at a safe speed while lightly depressing
the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. ! Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking. ! Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly
when a tire is punctured. This could cause a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep
driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place.
& Brake system
! Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has a dual circuit brake
system. Each circuit works diagonally
across the vehicle. If one circuit of the
brake system should fail, the other half of
the system still works. If one circuit fails,
the brake pedal will go down much closer
to the floor than usual and you will need to
depress it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop thevehicle. ! Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. If engine
manifold vacuum becomes insufficient,
such as when driving at high altitude, a
vacuum pump assures a sufficient va-
cuum to operate the brake booster. Do not
turn off the engine while driving because
that will turn off the brake booster, result-
ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
functioning. If this happens, however, you
will have to depress the pedal much harder than normal and the braking dis-
tance will increase. NOTE
Some sound accompanying operation
of the vacuum pump may be heard
from the engine compartment during
driving. This does not indicate a mal-function. !
Brake assist system
WARNING
Do not be overconfident about the
brake assist. It is not a system that
brings more braking ability to the
vehicle beyond its braking capabil-
ity. Always use the utmost care
when driving regarding vehicle
speed and safe distance.
CAUTION
When you need to brake suddenly,
continue depressing the brake pedal
strongly to bring the effect of the
brake assist.
NOTE
When you depress the brake pedal Starting and operating
7-19
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7-20Starting and operating
suddenly, the brake pedal might wig-
gle. This is a normal operation phe-
nomenon, and it is not a malfunction.
Brake assist is a driver assistance system.
It assists the brake power when the driver
cannot depress the brake pedal strongly
and the brake power is insufficient.
Brake assist generates the brake power
according to the speed at which the driver
depresses the brake pedal. &Disc brake pad wear warning indicators
The disc brake pad wear warning indica-
tors on the disc brakes give a warning
noise when the brake pads are worn.
If a squeaking or scraping noise is heard
from the disc brakes while braking, im- mediately have your vehicle inspected by
the nearest SUBARU dealer.
ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys- tem)
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with an ABS
equipped vehicle could easily lead
to a serious accident.
CAUTION
. The ABS system does not always
decrease stopping distance. You
should always maintain a safe
following distance from othervehicles.
. When driving on badly surfaced
roads, gravel roads, icy roads, or
over deep newly fallen snow,
stopping distances may be long-
er for a vehicle with the ABS
system than one without. When
driving under these conditions,
therefore, reduce your speed and
leave ample distance from othervehicles.
. When you feel the ABS system
operating, you should maintain

7-22Starting and operating
started, the ABS warning light may illumi-
nate. This is due to the low battery voltage
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the battery becomes fully charged,
the light will turn off. Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) system
The EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle
’s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS system and uses some of the ABSsystem ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD system malfunction, the
EBD system also stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. &
Steps to take if EBD system malfunctions
If a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously.
The EBD system may be malfunctioning if
the brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system malfunctions, the
conventional braking system will still func-
tion. However, the rear wheels will be
more prone to locking when the brakes
are applied harder than usual and thevehicle ’s motion may therefore become
somewhat harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS

warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps.
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat location.
2. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake, and then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights turn off, the EBD system
may be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights illuminate again
and remain illuminated after the engine
has been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level. Refer to“Brake fluid ”
F 11-18.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the“ MIN ”mark, the EBD system may be
malfunctioning. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the
system inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “ MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING
. Driving with the brake system
warning light illuminated is dan- gerous. This indicates your brake
system may not be working
properly. If the light remains
illuminated, have the brakes in-
spected by a SUBARU dealer
immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair. Vehicle Dynamics Control system
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with a Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a ser-
ious accident.
CAUTION
. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system, winter tires should be
used when driving on snow-cov-
ered or icy roads; in addition,
vehicle speed should be reduced
considerably. Simply having a
Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem does not guarantee that the
vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
. Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-
namics Control is no guarantee Starting and operating
7-23
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7-24Starting and operating
that full vehicle control will be
maintained at all times and under
all conditions, its activation
should be seen as a sign that
the speed of the vehicle should
be reduced considerably.
. Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle equipped with Vehicle
Dynamics Control system, have
an inspection of that system
performedbyanauthorized
SUBARU dealer.
. The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is operating properly. – All four wheels should be
fitted with tires of the same
size, type, and brand. Further-
more, the amount of wear
should be the same for all
four tires.
– Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
vehicle placard attached to
the driver ’s side door pillar.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
adjusts the engine
’s output and the
wheels ’respective braking forces to help
maintain traction and directional control. . Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on
slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is shown by
steady illumination of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator light. . Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels ’tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.
NOTE . Slight twitching of the brake pedal
may be felt when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system operates; a small de-
gree of vehicle or steering wheel shak-
ing may also be noticed in this situa-
tion. These are normal characteristics
of Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
and are no cause for alarm.. When driving off immediately after starting the engine, a short operation
noise may be noticed coming from the
engine compartment. This noise is
generated as a result of a check being
performed on the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and is normal..
Depending on the timing of activa-
tion of the brakes, the brake pedal may
seem to jolt when you drive off after
starting the engine. This is a conse-
quence of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol operational check and is normal.. In the circumstances shown in the
following list, the vehicle may be more
unstable than it feels to the driver. The
Vehicle Dynamics Control System may
therefore operate. Such operation does
not indicate a system malfunction.
–on gravel-covered or rutted
roads – on unfinished roads
– when the vehicle is towing a
trailer– when the vehicle is fitted with
snow tires or winter tires
. Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly
different compared to that for normalconditions. . Even if the vehicle is equipped with
a Vehicle Dynamics Control system, it

7-26Starting and operating
! Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
The warning light illuminates when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON ”
position and turns off several seconds
after engine startup. This lighting pattern
indicates that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is operating normally.
The following situations could indicate a
malfunction of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system; if any should occur, we
recommend that you have an authorized
SUBARU dealer carry out an inspection of
the system at the first available opportu-
nity. . The warning light does not illuminate
when the ignition key is turned to the ON position. . The warning light illuminates while the
vehicle is being driven.. When a malfunction has occurred in
the Vehicle Dynamics Control electrical
system, only the warning light will illumi-
nate. In such an event, the ABS will still be
operating normally. . The warning light will also illuminate
when a problem occurs with the ABS or
Vehicle Dynamics Control electronic con-
trol systems.
Because the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system controls each brake through the
ABS, whenever the ABS stops operating due to a malfunction in that electrical
system, the Vehicle Dynamics Control will
also become unable to control all four
brakes. Thus Vehicle Dynamics Control
system operation halts and the warning
light illuminates. Although both the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and the ABS
will be inoperable in this situation, it will
still be possible to stop the vehicle using
normal braking. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and the ABS do not
adversely affect operation of the vehicle
in any way when they are inoperable;
however should such a situation occur,
drive with care and have an authorized
SUBARU dealer carry out an inspection of
those systems at the first available oppor-
tunity. NOTE
When the warning light illuminates and
turns off in the following way, it in-
dicates that the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system is operating normally. .
Although illuminating after the en-
gine has been started, the warning light
quickly turns off and remains off.. The warning light illuminates when
the vehicle is being driven; it then turns
off and remains off. !
Traction Control system OFF indica-
tor light
This light illuminates to indicate that the
Traction Control system is in non-opera-
tion mode. This does not constitute failure
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control system. NOTE . The indicator light may remain illu-
minated for a while after the engine has
been started, especially in cold weath-
er. This occurs because the engine has
not yet warmed up and is completely
normal. The light will turn off when the
engine has reached a suitable operat-
ing temperature.. When an engine problem occurs
and the malfunction indicator lamp
illuminates, the indicator light will alsoilluminate.
The following two situations could indicate
malfunction of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system; if either should occur,
have an authorized SUBARU dealer carry
out an inspection of that system at the first
available opportunity. . The indicator light does not illuminate
when the ignition key is turned to the ON position. . The indicator light fails to turn off after
the engine is started, even when several
minutes have passed to allow the engine

8-6Driving tips
of gravity, is more likely to be
affected by crosswinds than or-
dinary passenger cars.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence be-
cause you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive model could easily
lead to a serious accident.
Your vehicle is classified as a utility
vehicle. Utility vehicles feature a higher
ground clearance which enables them to
be used for wide applications including off-
road driving. But please keep in mind that
your vehicle is neither a conventional off-
road vehicle nor an all-terrain vehicle. A
higher center of gravity in relation to the
tread width as compared with ordinary
passenger cars makes vehicles of this
type more likely to roll over. In reality, utility
vehicles have a significantly higher roll-
over rate than other types of vehicles. The
high ground clearance of this vehicle is a
real advantage, giving you a better view of
the road and allowing you to anticipate
problems earlier. However, remember that
your utility vehicle is not designed for high-
speed cornering comparable to ordinary
passenger cars and that your vehicle
could roll over if you make a sharp turn
at high speed. If you do take your
SUBARU off-road, certain common sense precautions such as those in the following
list should be taken. .
Make certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts.. Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or
citizens band radio. . Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain. . Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and
the like. . Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or
down slopes that are too steep. . Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds.. Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the
outside of the rim. . If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams, first check the depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle
’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your
vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never
attempt to drive through rushing water;
regardless of its depth, it can wash away
the ground from under your tires, resulting
in possible loss of traction and even
vehicle rollover. . Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads. . Do not drive or park over or near
flammable materials such as dry grass or
fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard. . After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from

When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked
after use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-ness. !Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used
for an extended period, it is best to have
the fuel tank filled to capacity. &
Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter theengine ’sintakesystemandmay
hinder the airflow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or evenbreakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha- vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle
’s braking perfor-
manceonsnowyandicyroads.For
information about braking on slippery
surfaces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) ”F 7-20 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system ”F 7-23.
! Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster with the airflow
control button in the “
”position and the
temperature control dial set for maximum
warmth until the wiper blades are com-
pletely thawed out. The wiper deicer is
helpful to thaw the windshield wiper
blades. To thaw out the rear wiper blade,
use the rear window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts
to stick on the surface of the windshield
despite wiper operation, use the defroster
with the airflow control button in “
”and
the temperature control dial set for max-
imum warmth. After the windshield gets
warmed enough to melt the frozen snow
on it, wash it away using the windshield
washer. Driving tips
8-9
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