brake fluid SUBARU TRIBECA 2014 1.G User Guide

Braking
&Braking tips
WARNING
Never rest your foot on the brakepedal whiledriving. This can causedangerous overheating of thebrakes and needless wear on thebrake pads and linings.
!When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing thevehicle, the brakes may get wet. As aresult, brake stopping distance will belonger. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicleat a safe speed while lightly depressingthe brake pedal to heat up the brakes.
!Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine brakingin addition to foot braking. When descend-ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,the brakes may start working improperlybecause of brake fluid overheating,caused by overheated brake pads. Tohelp prevent this, shift into a lower gear toget stronger engine braking.
!Brakingwhen a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenlywhen a tire is punctured. This could cause
a loss of control of the vehicle. Keepdriving straight ahead while graduallyreducing speed. Then slowly pull off theroad to a safe place.
&Brake system
!Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has a dual circuit brakesystem. Each circuit works diagonallyacross the vehicle. If one circuit of thebrake system should fail, the other half ofthe system still works. If one circuit fails,the brake pedalwill go down much closerto the floor than usual and you will need todepress it down much harder. And a muchlonger distance will be needed to stop thevehicle.
!Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifoldvacuum to assist braking force. If enginemanifold vacuum becomes insufficient,such as when driving at high altitude, avacuum pump assures a sufficient va-cuum to operate the brake booster. Do notturn off the engine while driving becausethat will turn off the brake booster, result-ing in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work evenwhen the brake booster completely stopsfunctioning. If this happens, however, youwill have to depress the pedal much
harder than normal and the braking dis-tance will increase.
NOTE
Some sound accompanying operationof the vacuum pump may be heardfrom the engine compartment duringdriving. This does not indicate a mal-function.
!Brake assist system
WARNING
Do not be overconfident about thebrake assist. It is not a system thatbrings more braking ability to thevehicle beyond its braking capabil-ity. Always use the utmost carewhen driving regarding vehiclespeed and safe distance.
CAUTION
When you need to brake suddenly,continue depressing the brake pedalstrongly to bring the effect of thebrake assist.
Starting and operating7-19
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warning light illuminate simultaneously,take the following steps.
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,flat location.
2. Shut down the engine, apply theparking brake, and then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If bothwarning lights turn off, the EBD systemmay be malfunctioning.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARUdealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights illuminate againand remain illuminated after the enginehas been restarted, shut down the engineagain, apply the parking brake, and checkthe brake fluid level. Refer to“Brake fluid”F11-17.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the“MIN”mark, the EBD system may bemalfunctioning. Drive carefully to thenearest SUBARU dealer and have thesystem inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the“MIN”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.Instead, have the vehicle towed to thenearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING
.Driving with the brake systemwarning light illuminated is dan-
gerous. This indicates your brakesystem may not be workingproperly. If the light remainsilluminated, have the brakes in-spected by a SUBARU dealerimmediately.
.If at all in doubt about whetherthe brakes are operating prop-erly, do not drive the vehicle.Have your vehicle towed to thenearest SUBARU dealer for re-pair.
Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
WARNING
Always use the utmost care indriving–overconfidence becauseyou are driving with a Vehicle Dy-namics Control system equippedvehicle could easily lead to a ser-ious accident.
CAUTION
.Even if your vehicle is equippedwith Vehicle Dynamics Controlsystem, winter tires should beused when driving on snow-cov-ered or icy roads; in addition,vehicle speed should be reducedconsiderably. Simply having aVehicle Dynamics Control sys-tem does not guarantee that thevehicle will be able to avoidaccidents in any situation.
.Activation of the Vehicle Dy-namics Control system is anindication that the road beingtravelled on has a slippery sur-face; since having Vehicle Dy-namics Control is no guarantee
Starting and operating7-23
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depth of the water and the bottom of thestream bed for firmness and ensure thatthe bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowlyand completely through the stream. Thewater should be shallow enough that itdoes not reach the vehicle’s undercar-riage. Water entering the engine air intakeor the exhaust pipe or water splashingonto electrical parts may damage yourvehicle and may cause it to stall. Neverattempt to drive through rushing water;regardless of its depth, it can wash awaythe ground from under your tires, resultingin possible loss of traction and evenvehicle rollover.
.Always check your brakes for effec-tiveness immediately after driving in sand,mud or water. Do this by driving slowlyand stepping on the brake pedal. Repeatthat process several times to dry out thebrake discsand brake pads.
.Do not drive or park over or nearflammable materials such as dry grass orfallen leaves,as they may burn easily. Theexhaust system is very hot while theengine is running and right after enginestops. This could create a fire hazard.
.After driving through tall grass, mud,rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that thereis no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on theunderbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used withthese materials trapped or adhering to theunderbody, a mechanical breakdown orfire could occur.
.Secure all cargo carried inside thevehicle and make certain that it is notpiled higher than the seatbacks. Duringsudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargocould be thrown around in the vehicle andcause injury. Do not pile heavy loads onthe roof. Those loads raise the vehicle’scenter of gravity and make it more proneto tip over.
.If you must rock the vehicle to free itfrom sand or mud, depress the acceleratorpedal slightly andmove the select leverback and forth between“D”and“R”repeatedly. Do not race the engine. Forthe best possible traction, avoid spinningthe wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
.When the road surface is extremelyslippery, you can obtain better traction bystarting the vehicle with the transmissionin 2nd than 1st.
.Never equip your vehicle with tireslarger than thosespecified in this manual.
.Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving. Suspension components areparticularly prone to dirt buildup, so theyneed to be washed thoroughly.
.Frequent driving of an AWD modelunder hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitatemore frequent replacement of engine oil,brake fluid and transmission oil than thatspecified in the maintenance scheduledescribed in the“Warranty and Mainte-nance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to yourSUBARU while operating it off-road andnot using common sense precautionssuch as those listed above is not eligiblefor warranty coverage.
Driving tips8-7

8-28Driving tips
zone in the“D”position than in themanual mode position.
.Avoid using the accelerator pedal tostay stationary on an uphill slope insteadof using the parking brake or foot brake.That may cause the transmission fluid tooverheat.
!Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under bothvehicle and trailer when parking. Applythe parking brake firmly. You should notpark on a hill or slope. But if parking on ahill or slope cannot be avoided, youshould take the following steps.
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedaldown.
2. Have someone place wheel blocksunder both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,release the regular brakes slowly until theblocks absorb theload.
4. Apply the regular brakes and thenapply the parking brake; slowly releasethe regular brakes.
5. Shift into“P”and shut off the engine.

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-

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions................................... 11-3Before checking or servicing in the enginecompartment.................................................... 11-4When you do checking or servicing in the enginecompartment while the engine is running.......... 11-4
Engine hood....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview.......................... 11-6
Engine oil............................................................ 11-7Checking the oil level......................................... 11-7Changing the oil and oil filter.............................. 11-8Recommendedgrade and viscosity.................... 11-9Synthetic oil....................................................... 11-9
Cooling system................................................ 11-10Hose and connections...................................... 11-10Engine coolant................................................. 11-11
Air cleaner element.......................................... 11-12Replacing the air cleaner element..................... 11-12
Spark plugs...................................................... 11-13Recommended spark plugs.............................. 11-13
Drive belts........................................................ 11-13
Automatic transmission fluid.......................... 11-14Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-14Recommended fluid......................................... 11-15
Front differential gear oil................................. 11-15Checking the oil level....................................... 11-15Recommended grade and viscosity.................. 11-16
Rear differential gear oil.................................. 11-16Recommended grade and viscosity.................. 11-16
Power steering fluid........................................ 11-16Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-16Recommended fluid......................................... 11-17
Brake fluid........................................................ 11-17Checking the fluid level.................................... 11-17Recommended brake fluid............................... 11-18
Brakebooster.................................................. 11-18
Brake pedal...................................................... 11-19Checking the brake pedal free play.................. 11-19Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-19
Replacement of brake pad and lining............ 11-19Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings....... 11-20
Parking brake stroke....................................... 11-20
Tires and wheels.............................................. 11-21Types of tires................................................... 11-21Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).......... 11-21Tire inspection................................................. 11-22Tire pressuresand wear.................................. 11-23Wheel balance................................................. 11-25Wear indicators............................................... 11-25Tire rotation direction mark.............................. 11-25Tire rotation..................................................... 11-26Tire replacement.............................................. 11-26Wheel replacement.......................................... 11-27
Aluminum wheels............................................ 11-27
Windshield washer fluid.................................. 11-28
Replacement of wiper blades......................... 11-29Windshield wiper blade assembly..................... 11-30Windshield wiper blade rubber ......................... 11-30Rear window wiper blade assembly.................. 11-31
Maintenance and service
11

11-4Maintenance and service
guard against getting oil or fluidsin your eyes. If something doesget in your eyes, thoroughlywash them out with clean water.
.Do not tamper with the wiring ofthe SRS airbag system or seat-belt pretensioner system, or at-tempt to take its connectorsapart, as that may activate thesystem or it can render it inop-erative. NEVER use a circuittester for these wiring. If yourSRS airbag or seatbelt preten-sioner needs service, consultyour nearest SUBARU dealer.
&Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
WARNING
.Always stop the engine and setthe parking brake firmly to pre-vent the vehicle from moving.
.Always let the engine cool down.Engine parts become very hotwhen the engine is running andremain hot for some time afterthe engine is stopped.
.Do not spill engine oil, enginecoolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.This may cause a fire.
.Always remove the key from theignition switch. When the ignitionswitch is in the“ON”position,the cooling fan may operatesuddenly even when the engineis 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 coolingfan, belts and any other movingengine parts. Removing rings,watches and ties is advisable.
Engine hood
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off thewindshield, return them to their originalpositions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under theinstrument panel.

11-6Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview1) Air cleaner element (page 11-12)2) Power steering fluid reservoir(page 11-16)3) Differential gear oil level gauge(page 11-15)4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge(page 11-14)5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-17)6) Fuse box (page 11-34)7) Battery (page 11-33)8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-28)9) Radiator cap (page 11-11)10) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-7)11) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-11)12) Engineoil level gauge (page 11-7)

11-14Maintenance and service
Automatic transmission fluid
&Checking the fluid level
The automatic transmission fluid expandslargely as its temperature rises; the fluidlevel differs according to fluid temperature.Therefore, there are two different scalesfor checking the level of hot fluid and coldfluid on the level gauge.
Though the fluid level can be checkedwithout warming up the fluid on the“COLD”range, we recommend checkingthe fluid level when the fluid is at operatingtemperature.
!Checking the fluid level when thefluid is hot
Check the fluid level monthly.
1. Drive the vehicle several miles to raisethe temperature of the transmission fluidup to normal operating temperature; 158to 1768F (70 to 808C) is normal.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface andset the parking brake.
3. First shift the select lever in eachposition. Then shift it in the“P”position,and run the engine at idling speed.
1) Yellow handle
1) HOT range2) COLD range3) Upper level4) Lower level
4. Pull out the level gauge and check the
fluid level on the gauge. If it is below thelower level on the“HOT”range, add therecommended automatic transmissionfluid up to the upper level.
!Checking the fluid level when thefluid is cold
When the fluid level has to be checkedwithout time to warm up the automatictransmission,check to see that the fluidlevel is between the lower level and upperlevel on the“COLD”range. If it is belowthat range, add fluid up to the upper level.Be careful not to overfill.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill automatictransmission fluid when adding it.If automatic transmission fluidtouches the exhaust pipe, it maycause a bad smell, smoke, and/or afire. If automatic transmission fluidgets on the exhaust pipe, be sure towipe it off.

power steering fluid touches theexhaust pipe, it may cause a badsmell, smoke, and/or a fire. Ifpower steering fluid gets on theexhaust pipe, be sure to wipe itoff.
The power steering fluid expands greatlyas its temperature rises; the fluid leveldiffers according to fluid temperature.Therefore, the reservoir tank has twodifferent checking ranges for hot and coldfluids.
Check the power steering fluid levelmonthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,and stop the engine.
2. Check the fluid level of the reservoirtank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle hasbeen run: Check that the oil level isbetween“HOT MIN”and“HOT MAX”onthe surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle isrun: Check that the oil level is between“COLD MIN”and“COLD MAX”on thesurface of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than theapplicable“MIN”line, add the recom-mended fluid as necessary to bring thelevel between the“MIN”and“MAX”line.
If the fluid level is extreme low, it mayindicate possible leakage. Consult yourSUBARU dealer for inspection.
&Recommended fluid
Refer to“Fluids”F12-7.
Brake fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
.Never let brake fluid contact youreyes because brake fluid can beharmful to your eyes. If brakefluid gets in your eyes, immedi-ately flush them thoroughly withclean water. For safety, whenperforming this work, wearingeye protection is advisable.
.Brake fluid absorbs moisturefrom the air. Any absorbed moist-ure can cause a dangerous lossof braking performance.
.If the vehicle requires frequentrefilling, there may be a leak. Ifyou suspecta problem, have thevehicle checked at your SUBARUdealer.
CAUTION
.When adding brake fluid, be care-ful not to allow any dirt into thereservoir.
.Never splash the brake fluid overpainted surfaces or rubber parts.
Maintenance and service11-17
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