air suspension SUBARU TRIBECA 2014 1.G Owners Manual

1-28Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
viceable parts. For required ser-vicing of front seatbelt retractorsequipped with seatbelt preten-sioners, see your nearestSUBARU dealer.
.When discarding front seatbeltretractor assemblies or scrap-ping the entire vehicle due tocollision damage or for otherreasons, consult your SUBARUdealer.
&System monitors
A diagnostic system continually monitorsthe readiness of the seatbelt pretensionerwhile the vehicle is being driven. Theseatbeltpretensioners share the controlmodule with the airbag system. Therefore,if any malfunction occurs in a seatbeltpretensioner, the SRS airbag systemwarning light will illuminate. For details,refer to“SRS airbag system monitors”F1-71.
&System servicing
WARNING
.When discarding a seatbelt re-tractor assembly or scrappingthe entire vehicle damaged by a
collision, consult your SUBARUdealer.
.Tampering with or disconnectingthe system’s wiring could resultin accidental activation of theseatbelt pretensioner and/or air-bag or could make the systeminoperative, which may result inserious injury. Do not use elec-trical test equipment on anycircuit related to the seatbeltpretensioner and airbag sys-tems. For required servicing ofthe seatbelt pretensioner, seeyour nearest SUBARU dealer.
CAUTION
The front sub sensors are locatedon both sides of the radiator panel,and the airbag control module in-cludingthe impact sensors is lo-cated under the center console. Ifyou need service or repair in thoseareas or near the front seatbeltretractors, we recommend that youhave an authorized SUBARU dealerperform the work.
NOTE
If the front part of the vehicle isdamaged in an accident to the extentthat the seatbelt pretensioner does notoperate, contact your SUBARU dealeras soon as possible.
&Precautions against vehicle
modification
Always consult your SUBARU dealer ifyou want to install any accessory parts toyour vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the followingmodifications. Such modificationscan interfere with proper operationof the seatbelt pretensioners.
.Attachment of any equipment(bush bar, winches, snow plow,skid plate, etc.)other than genu-ine SUBARU accessory parts tothe front end.
.Modification of the suspensionsystem or front end structure.
.Installation of a tire of differentsize and construction from thetires specified on the vehicleplacard attached to the doorpillar or specified for individual

straight in the center of the seat cushion,correctly fasten the seatbelt, position his/her legs out forward, and adjust the seat tothe rearmost position. Turn the ignitionswitch to the“ON”position. If the OFFindicator remains illuminated while the ONindicator remains off, take the followingactions.
.Turn the ignition switch to the“LOCK”position.
.Ensure that there are no articles,books, shoes, or other objects trappedunder the seat, at the rear of the seat, oron the side of the seat.
.Next, turn the ignition switch to the“ON”position andwait 6 seconds to allowthe system to complete self-checking.Following the system check, both indica-tors turn off for 2 seconds. Now, the ONindicator should illuminate while the OFFindicator remains off.
If the OFF indicator still remains illumi-nated while the ON indicator remains off,ask the occupant to move to the rear seatand immediately contact your SUBARUdealer for an inspection.
!How to contact the vehicle manu-facturer concerning modificationsfor persons with disabilities thatmay affect the advanced airbagsystem (U.S. only)
Changing or moving any parts of the frontseats, seatbelts, front bumper, front sideframe, instrument panel, combination me-ter, steering wheel, steering column, tire,suspension or floor panel can affect theoperation of the SUBARU advanced air-bag system. If you have any questions,you may contact the following SUBARUdistributors.

Subaru of America, Inc.
Customer Dealer Services Department
P.O. Box 6000
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000
1-800-SUBARU3 (1-800-782-2783)

Servco Subaru Inc., dba Subaru Hawaii
2850 Pukoloa Street, Suite 202, Honolulu,HI 96819
808-839-2273

Shen’s Corporation dba Prestige Automo-bile
491, East Marine Drive, Route 1 Dededo,Guam
671-633-2698

Trebol Motors
P.O. Box 11204, San Juan, Puerto Rico00910
787-793-2828
There are currently no SUBARU distribu-tors in any other U.S. territories. If you arein such an area, please contact theSUBARU distributor or dealer from whichyou bought your vehicle.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-55
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or wiring of the SRS airbag system.
This includes following modifica-tions.
.Installation of custom steeringwheels
.Attachment of additional trimmaterials to the dashboard
.Installation of custom seats
.Replacement of seat fabric orleather
.Installation of additional fabric orleather on the front seat
.Attachment of a hands-free mi-crophone or any other accessoryto a front pillar, a center pillar, arear pillar, the windshield, a sidewindow, an assist grip, or anyother cabin surface that would benear a deploying SRS curtainairbag.
.Installation of additional electri-cal/electronic equipment such asa mobile two-way radio on ornear the SRS airbag systemcomponents and/or wiring is notadvisable. This could interferewith proper operation of theSRS airbag system.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the followingmodifications. Such modificationscan interfere with proper operationof the SRS airbag system.
.Attachment of any equipment(bush bar, winches, snow plow,skid plate, etc.) other than genu-ine SUBARU accessory parts.
.Modificationof the suspensionsystem or front end structure.
.Installation of a tire of differentsize and construction from thetires specified on the vehicleplacardattached to the driver’sdoor pillar or specified for indivi-dual vehicle models in this Own-er’s Manual.
.Attachment of any equipment(side steps or side sill protectors,etc.) other than genuine SUBARUaccessory parts to the side body.
Always consult your SUBARU dealer ifyou want to install any accessory parts onyour vehicle.
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags1-73

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

could make the pedals slippery anddriving dangerous.
While warming up the vehicle beforedriving, check that the accelerator pedal,brake pedal, and all other controls operatesmoothly.
Clear away ice and snow that hasaccumulated under the fenders to avoidmaking steering difficult. During severewinter driving, stop when and where it issafe to do so and check under the fendersperiodically.
!Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaustgases under your vehicle. Keepsnow clear of the exhaust pipe andfrom around your vehicle if you parkthe vehicle in snow with the enginerunning.
Do not use the parking brake whenparking for long periods in cold weathersince it could freeze in that position.Instead, you should observe the followingtips.
1. Place the select lever in“P”position.
2. Use tire stops under the tires toprevent the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow orwhen it snows, raise the wiper blades offthe glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parkedafter use on roads heavily covered withsnow, or has been left parked during asnowstorm, icing may develop on thebrake system, which could cause poorbraking action.Check for snow or icebuildup on the suspension, disc brakesand brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,being careful not to damage the discbrakes and brake hoses and ABS har-ness.
!Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming inthe fuel system and the risk of its freezing,use of an antifreeze additive in the fueltank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specificallydesigned for this purpose. When anantifreeze additive is used, its effect lastslonger if the tank is refilled whenever thefuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be usedfor an extended period, it is best to havethe fuel tank filled to capacity.
&Driving on snowy and icy
roads
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control onslippery roads such as snowy or icyroads. This may cause loss ofvehicle control.
CAUTION
Avoid prolonged continuous drivingin snowstorms. Snow will enter theengine’sintakesystemandmayhinder the airflow, which could re-sult in engine shutdown or evenbreakdown.
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoidsudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-speed driving, and sharp turning whendriving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance betweenyour vehicle and the vehicle ahead of youto avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use theengine brake effectively to control thevehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gearwhen necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
Driving tips8-9
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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-

10-4Appearance care
Corrosion protection
Your SUBARU has been designed andbuilt to resist corrosion. Special materialsand protective finishes have been used onmost parts of the vehicle to help maintainfine appearance, strength, and reliableoperation.
&Most common causes of
corrosion
The most common causes of corrosionare:
1. The accumulation of moisture retain-ing dirt and debris in body panel sections,cavities,and other areas.
2. Damage to paint and other protectivecoatings caused by gravel and stonechips or minor accidents.
Corrosion is accelerated on the vehiclewhen:
1. It is exposed to road salt or dustcontrol chemicals, or used in coastalareas where there is more salt in the air,or in areas where there is considerableindustrial pollution.
2. It is driven in areas of high humidity,especially when temperatures range justabove freezing.
3. Dampness in certain parts of thevehicle remainsfor a long time, even
though other parts of the vehicle may bedry.
4. High temperatures will cause corro-sion to parts of the vehicle which cannotdry quickly due to lack of proper ventila-tion.
&To help prevent corrosion
Wash the vehicle regularly to preventcorrosion of the body and suspensioncomponents. Also, wash the vehiclepromptly after driving on any of thefollowing surfaces.
.roads that have been salted to preventthem from freezing in winter
.mud, sand, or gravel
.coastal roads
After the winter has ended, it is recom-mended that the underbody be given avery thorough washing.
Before the beginning of winter, check thecondition of underbody components, suchas the exhaust system, fuel and brakelines, brake cables, suspension, steeringsystem, floor pan, and fenders. If any ofthem are found to be rusted, they shouldbe given an appropriate rust preventiontreatment or should be replaced. Contactyour SUBARU dealer to perform this kindof maintenance and treatment if you need
assistance.
Repair chips and scratches in the paint assoon as you find them.
Check the interior of the vehicle for waterand dirt accumulation under the floor matsbecause that could cause corrosion.Occasionally check under the mats tomake sure the area is dry.
Keep your garage dry. Do not park yourvehicle in a damp, poorly ventilatedgarage. In such a garage, corrosion canbe caused by dampness. If you wash thevehicle in the garage or put the vehicleinto the garage when wet or covered withsnow, that can cause dampness.
If your vehicle is operated in cold weatherand/or in areas where road salts and othercorrosive materials are used, the doorhinges and locks, and hood latch shouldbe inspected and lubricated periodically.

&Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced whenyour vehicle was new, but the wheels willbecome unbalanced as the tires becomeworn during use. Wheel imbalance causesthe steering wheel to vibrate slightly atcertain vehicle speeds and detracts fromthe vehicle’s straight-line stability. It canalso cause steering and suspension sys-tem problems and abnormal tire wear. Ifyou suspect that the wheels are notcorrectly balanced, have them checkedand adjusted by your SUBARU dealer.Also have themadjusted after tire repairsand after tire rotation.
CAUTION
Loss of correct wheel alignmentcauses the tires to wear on one sideand reduces the vehicle’s runningstability. Contact your SUBARUdealer if you notice abnormal tirewear.
NOTE
The suspension system is designed toholdeach wheel at a certain alignment(relative to the other wheels and to theroad) for optimum straight-line stabilityand cornering performance.
&Wear indicators
1) New tread2) Worn tread3) Tread wear indicator
Each tire incorporates a tread wearindicator, which becomes visible whenthe depth of the tread grooves decreasesto 0.071 in (1.8 mm). A tire must bereplaced when the tread wear indicatorappears as a solid band across the tread.
WARNING
When a tire’s tread wear indicatorbecomes visible, the tire is wornbeyond the acceptable limit andmust be replaced immediately. Witha tire in this condition, driving athigh speeds in wet weather can
cause the vehicle to hydroplane.The resulting loss of vehicle controlcan lead to an accident.
NOTE
For safety, inspect the tire tread reg-ularly and replace the tires before theirtread wear indicators become visible.
&Tire rotation direction mark
Example of tire rotation direction mark1) Front
If the tire has the rotation directionspecification, the tire rotation directionmark is placed on its sidewall.
When you install a tire that has the tirerotationdirection mark, install the tire with
Maintenance and service11-25
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