light SUBARU TRIBECA 2014 1.G Owners Manual

8-26Driving tips
blind spots occur with the vehicle’s stan-dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors thatconform with Federal, state/province and/or other applicable regulations.
!Trailer lights
CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improperconnection of trailer lights maydamage your vehicle’selectricalsystem and cause a malfunction ofyour vehicle’s lighting system.
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-cle’s electrical system requires modifica-tions to the vehicle’s lighting circuit toincrease its capacity and accommodatewiring changes. To ensure the trailer lightsare connected properly, please consultyour SUBARU dealer. Check for properoperation of the turn signals, stop lightsand 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 tosustain the towing load. Use of thetemporary spare tire when towing
can result in failure of the spare tireand/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicleare properly inflated. Refer to“Tires”F12-8.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating andproper inflation pressure should be inaccordance with the trailer manufacturer’sspecifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tirewhen towing a trailer, ask a commercialroad service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in yourvehicle or trailer as a precaution againstgetting a flat tire, be sure that the sparetire is firmly secured.
&Trailer towing tips
CAUTION
.Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)when towing a trailer in hillycountry on hot days.
.When towing a trailer, steering,stability, stopping distance andbraking performance will be dif-ferent from normal operation. Forsafety’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing atrailer and you should neverspeed. You should also keep thefollowing tips in mind:
!Before starting out on a trip
.Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-hitch mounting are in good condition. Ifany problems are apparent, do not tow thetrailer.
.Check that the vehicle sits horizontallywith the trailer attached. If the vehicle istippedsharply up at the front and down atthe rear, check the total trailer weight,GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, thenconfirm that the load and its distributionare acceptable.
.Check that the tire pressures arecorrect.
.Checkthat the vehicle and trailer areconnected properly. Confirm that–the trailer tongue is connectedproperly to the hitch ball.–the trailer lights connector is con-nected properly and trailer’s stop lightsilluminate when the vehicle’s brakepedal is pressed, and that the trailer’sturn signal lights flash when thevehicle’s turn signal lever is operated.–the safety chains are connectedproperly.

–all cargo in the trailer is securedsafely in position.–the side mirrors provide a goodrearward field of view without a sig-nificant blind spot..Sufficient time should be taken to learnthe“feel”of the vehicle/trailer combinationbefore starting out on a trip. In an area freeof traffic, practice turning, stopping andbacking up.
!Driving with a trailer
.You should allow for considerably morestopping distance when towing a trailer.Avoid sudden braking because it mayresult in skidding or jackknifing and loss ofcontrol.
.Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns andrapid lane changes.
.Slow down before turning. Make alonger than normal turning radius becausethe trailer wheels will be closer than thevehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Ina tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle.
.Crosswinds will adversely affect thehandling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-ing sway. Crosswinds can be due toweather conditions or the passing of largetrucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmlygrip the steering wheel and slow downimmediately but gradually.
.When passing other vehicles, consid-erable distance is required because of theadded weight and length caused byattaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn2) Right turn
.Backing up with a trailer is difficult andtakes practice. When backing up with atrailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.When turning back, grip the bottom of thesteering wheel with one hand and turn it tothe left for a left turn, and turn it to the rightfor a right turn.
.If the ABS warning light illuminateswhile the vehicle is in motion, stop towingthe trailer and have repairs performedimmediately by the nearest SUBARUdealer.
!Driving on grades
.Before going down a steep hill, slowdown and shift into lower gear (if neces-sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize theengine braking effect and prevent over-heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do notmake sudden downshifts.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, theair conditioner may turn off automaticallyto protect the engine from overheating.
.When driving uphill in hot weather, payattention to the water temperature gaugepointer and AT OIL TEMP warning lightbecause the engine and transmission arerelatively prone to overheating underthese conditions. If the water temperaturegauge pointer approaches the OVER-HEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warninglight illuminates, immediately turn off theair conditioner and stop the vehicle in thenearest safe location. For further instruc-tions and additional information, refer tothe following sections.–“If you park your vehicle in anemergency”F9-2–“Engine overheating”F9-14–“Temperature gauge”F3-8–“AT OIL TEMP warning light”F3-13
NOTE
The temperature of engine coolant isless likely to rise to the OVERHEAT
Driving tips8-27
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of the tire facing up).
3. Turn the hoist shaft end clockwise withthe wheel nut wrench to wind the cable upcompletely until you hear a few clickingsounds.Confirm that the temporary sparetire holding cable has been wound upcompletely by shaking the temporary tire.
CAUTION
If the temporary spare tire is notstored securely, it could damageadjacent areas of the vehicle andmake an abnormal noise.
4. Place the wheel nut wrench andextension back into the tool bag and storethe jackand tool bag in their storagelocations.
5. Fit the lid of the cargo area.
CAUTION
.When stowing a flat tire in thespare tire holder, turn the hoistshaft end only slowly. If it isturned quickly, the wheel disc ofthe flat tire could be damaged.
.Afull-sizeflattireshouldbestowed in the spare tire holderin an emergency only. After hav-ingthe flat tire repaired, immedi-ately swap it with the temporaryspare tire.
.Remember that the tread width ofa flat tire is wider than that of thetemporary spare tire. When car-rying a flat tire stowed in thespare tire holder, make sure thetiredoes not touch any obsta-cles.
Temporary spare tire
WARNING
.Never tow a trailer when thetemporary spare tire is used.The temporary spare tire is notdesigned to sustain the towingload. Use of the temporary sparetire when towing can result infailure of the spare tire and/orless stability of the vehicle andmay lead to an accident.
.When a spare tire is mounted or awheel rim is replaced without theoriginal pressure sensor/trans-mitter being transferred, the lowtire pressure warning light willilluminate steadily after blinkingfor approximately one minute.This indicates the tire pressuremonitoring system (TPMS) is un-able to monitor all four roadwheels. Contact your SUBARUdealer as soon as possible fortire and sensor replacement and/or system resetting.
In case of emergency9-5
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9-6In case of emergency
CAUTION
Never use any temporary spare tireother than the original. Using othersizes may result in severe mechan-ical damage to the drive train of yourvehicle.
The temporary spare tire is smaller andlighter than a conventional tire and isdesigned for emergency use only. Re-move thetemporary spare tire and re-install the conventional tire as soon aspossible because the spare tire is de-signed only for temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tem-porary spare tire periodically to keep thetire ready for use. The correct pressure is60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm2).
When using the temporary spare tire, notethe following.
.Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
.Do not put a tire chain on the temporaryspare tire.Because of the smaller tire size,a tire chain will not fit properly.
.Do not use two or more temporaryspare tires at the same time.
.Do not drive over obstacles. This tirehas a smaller diameter, so road clearanceis reduced.
1) Tread wear indicator bar2) Indicator location mark
.When the wear indicator appears onthe tread, replace the tire.
.The temporary spare tire must be usedonly on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tiregets punctured, replace the wheel with arear wheel and install the temporary sparetire in place of the removed rear wheel.
Flat tires
If you have a flat tire while driving, neverbrake suddenly; keep driving straightahead while gradually reducing speed.Then slowly pull off the road to a safeplace.
&Changing a flat tire
WARNING
.Do not jack up the vehicle on anincline or a loose road surface.The jack can come out of thejacking point or sink into theground and this can result in asevere accident.
.Use only the jack provided withyour vehicle. The jack suppliedwith the vehicle is designed onlyfor changing a tire. Never getunder the vehicle while support-ing the vehicle with this jack.

9-10In case of emergency
holder.
Refer to“Spare tire”F9-2 for its location,instructions and precautions.
CAUTION
.When stowing a flat tire in thespare tire holder, turn the hoistshaft end only slowly. If it isturned quickly, the wheel disc ofthe flat tire could be damaged.
.Afull-sizeflattireshouldbestowed in the spare tire holderin an emergency only. After hav-ing the flat tire repaired, immedi-ately swap it with the temporaryspare tire.
.Remember that the tread width ofa flat tire is wider than that of thetemporary spare tire. When car-rying a flat tire stowed in thespare tire holder, make sure thetire does not touch any obsta-cles.
WARNING
Never place a tire or tire changingtools in the passenger compartmentafter changing wheels. In a suddenstop or collisions, loose equipment
could strike occupants and causeinjury. Store the tire and all tools inthe proper place.
&Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-vides the driver with the warning messageindicated by sending a signal from asensor that is installed in each wheelwhen tire pressure is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system willactivate only when the vehicle is driven.Also, this system may not react immedi-ately to a sudden drop in tire pressure (forexample, a blow-out caused running overa sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning lightilluminates while driving, neverbrake suddenly and keep drivingstraight ahead while gradually redu-cing speed. Then slowly pull off theroad to a safe place. Otherwise anaccident involving serious vehicledamageand serious personal injurycould occur.
Check the pressure for all four tiresand adjust the pressure to the COLDtire pressure shown on the vehicleplacard on the door pillar on thedriver’s side. If this light still illumi-nates while driving after adjustingthe tire pressure, a tire may havesignificant damage and a fast leakthat causes the tire to lose airrapidly. If you have a flat tire, replaceit with a spare tire as soon aspossible.
When a spare tire is mounted or awheel rim is replaced without theoriginal pressure sensor/transmitterbeing transferred, the low tire pres-sure warning light will illuminatesteadily afterblinking for approxi-mately one minute. This indicatesthe TPMS is unable to monitor allfour road wheels. Contact your

SUBARU dealer as soon as possiblefor tire and sensor replacement and/or system resetting.
Do not inject any tire liquid oraerosol tire sealant into the tires,as this may cause a malfunction ofthe tire pressure sensors.
If the light illuminates steadily afterblinking for approximately one min-ute, promptly contact a SUBARUdealer to have the system inspected.
Jump starting
WARNING
.Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID.Do not let it come in contact withthe eyes, skin, clothing or thevehicle.
If battery fluid gets on you,thoroughly flush the exposedarea with water immediately. Getmedical help if the fluid hasentered your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentallyswallowed, immediately drink alarge amount of milk or water,and obtain immediate medicalhelp.
Keep everyone including chil-dren away from the battery.
.The gas generated by a batteryexplodes if a flame or spark isbrought near it. Do not smoke orlight a match while jump starting.
.Never attempt jump starting if thedischarged battery is frozen. Itcould cause the battery to burstor explode.
.Whenever working on or arounda battery, always wear suitable
eye protectors, and remove metalobjects such as rings, bands orother metal jewelry.
.Be sure the jumper cables andclamps on them do not haveloose or missing insulation.Do not jump start unless cablesin suitable condition are avail-able.
.A running engine can be danger-ous. Keep your fingers, hands,clothing, hair and tools awayfrom the cooling fan, belts andany other moving engine parts.Removing rings, watches andties is advisable.
.Jump starting is dangerous if it isdone incorrectly. If you are un-sure about the proper procedureforjump starting, consult a com-petent mechanic.
When your vehicle does not start due to arun down (discharged) battery, the vehiclemay be jump started by connecting yourbattery to another battery (called thebooster battery) with jumper cables.
In case of emergency9-11
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9-12In case of emergency
&How to jump start
1. Make sure the booster battery is 12volts and the negative terminal isgrounded.
2. If the booster battery is in anothervehicle, do not let the two vehicles touch.
3. Turn off all unnecessary lights andaccessories.
4. Connect the jumper cables exactly inthe sequence illustrated.

10-2Appearance care
Exterior care
&Washing
CAUTION
.When washing the vehicle, thebrakes may get wet. As a result,the brake stopping distance willbe longer. To dry the brakes,drive the vehicle at a safe speedwhile lightly pressing the brakepedal to heat up the brakes.
.Do not wash the engine compart-ment and areas adjacent to it. Ifwater enters the engine air in-take, electrical parts or the powersteering fluid reservoir, it willcause engine trouble or a mal-functionof the power steering.
.Do not use any organic solventswhen washing the surface of thebulb assembly cover. However, ifa detergent with organic solventsis used to wash the cover sur-face, completely rinse off thedetergent with water. Otherwise,the cover surface may be da-maged.
.Since your vehicle is equippedwith a rear wiper, automatic car-wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging thewiper arm and other compo-nents. Ask the automatic car-wash operator not to let thebrushes touch the wiper arm orto fix the wiper arm on the rearwindow glass with adhesive tapebefore operating the machine.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed inan automatic car wash, make surebeforehand that the car wash is ofsuitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’sbeauty is frequent washing. Wash thevehicleat least once a month to avoidcontamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plentyof lukewarm or cold water. Do not washthe vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, treesap, and bird droppings should be washedoff by using a light detergent, as required.If you use a light detergent, make certainthat it is a neutral detergent. Do not usestrong soap or chemical detergents. Allcleaning agents should be promptlyflushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughlywith plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe theremaining water off with a chamois or softcloth.
!Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used fordeicing road surfaces are extremely cor-rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-derbody components, such as the exhaustsystem, fuel and brake lines, brakecables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-side of the fenders with lukewarm or coldwater at frequent intervals to reduce theharmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbodycomponents may accelerate their corro-sion.
Afterdriving off-road or muddy or sandyroads, wash the mud and sand off theunderbody.
Carefully flushthe suspension and axleparts, as they are particularly prone tomud and sand buildup. Do not use asharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.
NOTE
Be careful not to damage brake hoses,sensor harnesses, and other partswhen washing suspension compo-

nents.
!Using a warm water washer
.Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)or more between the washer nozzle andthe vehicle.
.Do not wash the same area continu-ously.
.If a stain will not come out easily, washby hand. Some warm water washers areof the high temperature, high pressuretype, and they can damage or deform theresin parts such as mouldings, or causewater to leak into the vehicle.
&Waxing and polishing
Always wash and dry the vehicle beforewaxing and polishing.
Use a good quality polish and wax andapply them according to the manufac-turer’s instructions. Wax or polish whenthe painted surface is cool.
Be sure to polish and wax the chrome trim,as well as the painted surfaces. Loss ofwax on a painted surface leads to loss ofthe original luster and also quickens thedeterioration of the surface. It is recom-mended that a coat of wax be applied atleast once a month, or whenever thesurface no longer repels water.
If the appearance of the paint has dimin-
ished to the point where the luster or tonecannot be restored, lightly polish thesurface with a fine-grained compound.Never polish just the affected area, butinclude the surrounding area as well.Always polish in only one direction. ANo. 2000 grain compound is recom-mended. Never use a coarse-grainedcompound. Coarser grained compoundshave a smaller grain-size number andcould damage the paint. After polishingwith a compound, coat with wax to restorethe original luster. Frequent polishing withacompoundoranincorrectpolishingtechnique will result in removing the paintlayer and exposing the undercoat. Whenin doubt, it is always best to contact yourSUBARU dealer or an auto paint specia-list.
CAUTION
Do not use any agents with organicsolventson the surface of the bulbassembly cover. However, if a polishor wax with organic solvents isapplied to the cover surface, com-pletely wipe off the polish or wax.Otherwise, the cover surface may bedamaged.
NOTE
Be careful not to block the windshieldwasher nozzles with wax when waxingthe vehicle.
&Cleaning aluminum wheels
.Promptly wipethe aluminum wheelsclean of any kind of grime or agent. If dirtis left on too long, it may be difficult toclean off.
.Do not use soap containing grit toclean the wheels. Be sure to use a neutralcleaning agent, and later rinse thoroughlywith water. Do not clean the wheels with astiff brush or expose them to a high-speedwashing device.
.Clean the vehicle (including the alumi-num wheels) with water as soon aspossible when it has been splashed withsea water, exposed to sea breezes, ordriven on roads treated with salt or otheragents.
Appearance care10-3

Cleaning the interior
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the climatecontrol panel, audio equipment, instru-ment panel, center console, combinationmeter panel, and switches. (Do not useorganic solvents.)
&Seat fabric
Remove loose dirt, dust or debris with avacuum cleaner. If the dirt is caked on thefabric or hard to remove with a vacuumcleaner, use a soft blush then vacuum it.
Wipe the fabric surface with a tightlywrung cloth and dry the seat fabricthoroughly. If the fabric is still dirty, wipeusing a solution of mild soap and luke-warmwater then dry thoroughly.
If the stain does not come out, try acommercially available fabric cleaner. Usethe cleaner on a hidden place and makesure it does not affect the fabric adversely.Use the cleaner according to its instruc-tions.
NOTE
When cleaning the seat, do not usebenzine, paint thinner, or any similarmaterials.
&Leather seat materials
The leather used by SUBARU is a highquality natural product which will retain itsdistinctive appearance and feel for manyyears with proper care.
Allowing dust or road dirt to build up on thesurface can cause the material to becomebrittle and to wear prematurely. Regularcleaning witha soft, moist, natural fibercloth should be performed monthly, takingcare not to soak the leather or allow waterto penetrate the stitched seams.
A mild detergent suitable for cleaningwoolen fabrics may be used to removedifficult dirt spots, rubbing with a soft, drycloth afterwards to restore the luster. Ifyour SUBARU is to be parked for a longtime in bright sunlight, it is recommendedthat the seats and headrests be covered,or the windows shaded, to prevent fadingor shrinkage.
Minor surface blemishes or bald patchesmay be treated with a commercial leatherspray lacquer. You will discover that eachleather seat section will develop soft foldsor wrinkles, which is characteristic ofgenuine leather.
&Synthetic leather upholstery
The synthetic leather material used on theSUBARU may be cleaned using mild soap
or detergent and water, after first vacuum-ing or brushing away loose dirt. Allow thesoap to soak in for a few minutes and wipeoff with a clean, damp cloth. Commercialfoam-type cleaners suitable for syntheticleather materials may be used whennecessary.
NOTE
Strong cleaning agents such as sol-vents, paint thinners, window cleaneror gasoline must never be used onleather or synthetic interior materials.
&Climate control panel, audio
panel, instrument panel,
console panel, switches,
combination meter, and other
plastic surface
Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the climatecontrol panel, audio equipment, instru-ment panel, center console, combinationmeter panel, and switches.
CAUTION
.Do not use organic solvents suchas paint thinners or fuel, orstrongcleaning agents that con-tain those solvents.
.Do not use chemical solvents
Appearance care10-5
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