winter tires SUBARU TRIBECA 2014 1.G Owners Manual

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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7-24Starting and operating
that full vehicle control will bemaintained at all times and underall conditions, its activationshould be seen as a sign thatthe speed of the vehicle shouldbe reduced considerably.
.Whenever suspension compo-nents, steering components, oran axle are removed from avehicle equipped with VehicleDynamics Control system, havean inspection of that systemperformed by an authorizedSUBARU dealer.
.The following precautions shouldbe observed in order to ensurethat the Vehicle Dynamics Con-trol system is operating properly.
–All four wheels should befitted with tires of the samesize, type, and brand. Further-more, the amount of wearshould be the same for allfour tires.
–Keep the tire pressure at theproper level as shown on thevehicle placard attached tothe driver’s side door pillar.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skiddingon a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,the Vehicle Dynamics Control systemadjusts the engine’soutputandthewheels’respective braking forces to helpmaintain traction and directional control.
.Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed toprevent spinning of the driving wheels onslippery road surfaces, thereby helping tomaintain traction and directional control.Activation of this function is shown bysteady illumination of the Vehicle Dy-namics Control operation indicator light.
.Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designedto help maintain directional stability bysuppressing the wheels’tendency to slidesideways during steering operations. Acti-vation of this function is shown by flashingof the Vehicle Dynamics Control operationindicator light.
NOTE
.Slight twitching of the brake pedalmay be felt when the Vehicle DynamicsControl system operates; a small de-gree of vehicle or steering wheel shak-ingmay also be noticed in this situa-tion. These are normal characteristicsof Vehicle Dynamics Control operationand are no cause for alarm..When driving off immediately after
starting the engine, a short operationnoise may be noticed coming from theengine compartment. This noise isgenerated as a result of a check beingperformed on the Vehicle DynamicsControl system and is normal..Depending on the timing of activa-tion of the brakes, the brake pedal mayseem to jolt when you drive off afterstarting the engine. This is a conse-quence of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-trol operational check and is normal..In the circumstances shown in thefollowing list, the vehicle may be lessstable than it feels to the driver. TheVehicle Dynamics Control System maytherefore operate. Such operation doesnot indicate a system malfunction.–on gravel-covered or ruttedroads–on unfinished roads–when the vehicle is towing atrailer–when the vehicle is fitted withsnow tires or winter tires.Activation of the Vehicle DynamicsControl system will cause operation ofthe steering wheel to feel slightlydifferent compared to that for normalconditions.
.Even if the vehicle is equipped witha Vehicle Dynamics Control system, it

is important that winter tires be usedwhen driving on snow-covered or icyroads. (All four wheels should be fittedwith tires of the same size and brand).
.It is always important to reducespeed when approaching a corner,even if the vehicle is equipped withVehicle Dynamics Control.
.All four wheels should be fitted withtires of the same size, type, and brand;furthermore, the amount of wearshouldbe the same for all four tires. Ifthese precautions are not observedand non-matching tires are used, it isquite possible that the Vehicle Dy-namics Control system will be unableto operate correctly as intended.
.Always turn off the engine beforereplacing a tire as failure to do so mayrender the Vehicle Dynamics Controlsystem unable to operate correctly.
&Vehicle Dynamics Control
system monitor
Refer to the following sections.
.“Ve h i c l e D y n a m i c s C o n t r o l w a r n i n glight (U.S.-spec models and Canada-spec. models)/Vehicle Dynamics Controloperation indicator light (all models)”F3-18
.“Traction Control system OFF indicatorlight (U.S.-spec models and Canada-spec. models)”F3-19
.“Ve h i c l e D y n a m i c s C o n t r o l w a r n i n glight (Latin America-spec. models)/Trac-tion Control OFF indicator light (LatinAmerica-spec. models)”F3-19
&Traction Control system OFF
switch
Tract io n Cont rol sy stem OFF indic atorlight (U.S.-spec. models and Canada-spec.models)
Starting and operating7-25
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New vehicle break-in driving–the first1,000 miles (1,600 km)..................................... 8-2
Fuel economy hints............................................ 8-2
Engine exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)............ 8-2
Catalytic converter.............................................. 8-3
Periodic inspections........................................... 8-4
Driving in foreign countries............................... 8-4
Driving tips for AWD models.............................. 8-4
On-road and off-road driving.............................. 8-6
Winter driving...................................................... 8-8Operation during cold weather............................. 8-8Driving on snowy and icy roads.......................... 8-9Corrosion protection.......................................... 8-10Snow tires......................................................... 8-10Tire chains......................................................... 8-11Rockingthe vehicle............................................ 8-11
Loading your vehicle......................................... 8-12Vehicle capacity weight...................................... 8-12GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Ratingand Gross Axle Weight Rating)........................ 8-13Roof rails and crossbar (if equipped).................. 8-14Roof molding and crossbar (if equipped)............ 8-17
Trailer hitch (if equipped).................................. 8-18Connecting a trailer........................................... 8-19When you do not tow a trailer ............................ 8-20
Trailer towing..................................................... 8-21Warranties and maintenance.............................. 8-21Maximum load limits.......................................... 8-21Trailer hitches.................................................... 8-24Connecting a trailer........................................... 8-25Trailer towing tips.............................................. 8-26
Driving tips
8

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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8-10Driving tips
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possiblyleading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-hances your vehicle’sbrakingperfor-mance on snowy and icy roads. Forinformation about braking on slipperysurfaces, refer to“ABS (Anti-lock BrakeSystem)”F7-20 and“Vehicle DynamicsControl system”F7-23.
!Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make surethe wiper blades are not frozen to thewindshield or rear window. If the wiperblades are frozen to the windshield or rearwindow, use the defroster with the airflowcontrol button in the“”position and thetemperature control dial set for maximumwarmth until the wiper blades are com-pletely thawed out. The wiper deicer ishelpful to thaw the windshield wiperblades. To thaw out the rear wiper blade,use the rear window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow startsto stick on the surface of the windshielddespite wiper operation, use the defrosterwith the airflow control button in“”andthe temperature control dial set for max-imum warmth. After the windshield getswarmed enoughto melt the frozen snowon it, wash it away using the windshieldwasher.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents thewiper from working effectively. If snow isstuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road toa safe place, then remove it. If you stopthe vehicle at road side, use the hazardwarning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing typewiper blades (winter blades) during theseasons in which you could have snowand freezing temperatures. Blades of thistype givesuperior wiping performance insnowy conditions. Be sure to use bladesthat are suitable for your vehicle.
CAUTION
During high-speed driving, non-freezing type wiper blades may notperformas well as standard wiperblades. If this happens, reduce thevehicle speed.
NOTE
When the season requiring non-freez-ing type wiper blades is over, replacethem with standard wiper blades.
&Corrosion protection
Refer to“Corrosion protection”F10-4.
&Snow tires
WARNING
.When replacing original tires withwinter (snow) tires, make sureyou use only tires of the samesize, circumference, speed sym-bol and load index as the originaltires listed on the tire placard.Using tires of other sizes orconstructions may affect speed-ometer/odometer calibration andclearance between the body andtires. It also may be dangerousand lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.
.You must install four winter tiresthat are of the same size, circum-ferences,construction, manufac-turer, brand (tread pattern), de-gree of wear, speed symbol andload index. Mixing tires of othersizes, circumferences or con-structions may result in severemechanical damage to the drivetrain of your vehicle and mayaffect ride, handling, braking andspeedometer/odometer calibra-tion. It also may be dangerousand lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.

.Do not use a combination ofradial, belted bias or bias tiressince it may cause dangeroushandling characteristics and leadto an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with“all seasontires”which are designed to provide anadequate measure of traction, handlingand braking performance in year-rounddriving. In winter, it may be possible toenhance performance through use of tiresdesigned specifically for winter drivingconditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on yourvehicle, be sure to use the correct tire sizeand type. You must install four winter tiresthat areof the same size, construction,brand and load range and you shouldnever mix radial, belted bias or bias tiressince this may result in dangerous hand-ling characteristics. When you choose atire, make sure that there is enoughclearance between the tire and vehiclebody.
Remember to drive with care at all timesregardless of the type of tires on yourvehicle.
Your vehicle comes with P255/55R18“all season tires”as original equip-ment. You should be aware that some
winter tires with that same size desig-nation may actually be too large for thevehicle and may cause rubbing onsharp turns. Listed in the following isthe winter tire size that we recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size
P255/55R18 stud less
&Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on yourvehicle because of the lack ofclearance between the tires andvehicle body.
&Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it fromsnow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-erator pedal slightly and move the selectlever back 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 bystartingthe vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st.
For information about holding the trans-mission in the 2nd position, refer to“Selection of manual mode”F7-16 and“Driving tips”F7-17.
Driving tips8-11

Tires and wheels
&Types of tires
You should be familiar with type of tirespresent on your vehicle.
!All season tires
The factory-installed tires on your newvehicle are all season tires.
All season tires are designed to providean adequate measure of traction, handlingand braking performance in year-rounddriving including snowy and icy roadconditions. However all season tires donot offer as much traction performance aswinter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snowor on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by“ALLSEASON”and/or“M+S”(Mud & Snow) onthe tire sidewall.
!Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capabilitytires best suited for highway driving underdry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for drivingon slippery roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-coveredor icy roads, we strongly recommend theuse of winter (snow) tires.
When installing winter tires, be sure to
replace all four tires.
!Winter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving onsnow-covered and icy roads. Howeverwinter tires do not perform as well assummer tires and all season tires on roadsother than snow-covered and icy roads.
&Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-vides the driver with a warning messageby sending a signal from a sensor that isinstalled in each wheel when tire pressureis severely low. The tire pressure monitor-ing system will activate only when thevehicle is driven. Also, this system maynot react immediately to a sudden drop intire pressure (for example, a blow-outcausedby running over a sharp object).
If you adjust the tire pressures in a warmgarage and will then drive the vehicle incold outside air, the resulting drop in tirepressures may cause the low tire pressurewarning light to illuminate. To avoid thisproblem when adjusting the tire pressuresin a warm garage, inflate the tires topressures higher than those shown on thetire placard. Specifically, inflate them by anextra 1 psi (6.9 kPa, 0.07 kgf/cm2) forevery difference of 108F (5.68C) between
the temperature in the garage and thetemperature outside. By way of example,the following table shows the required tirepressures that correspond to various out-side temperatures when the temperaturein the garage is 608F (15.68C).
Standard tire pressures:
Front: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm2)
Rear: 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm2)
Garage temperature: 608F (15.68C)
OutsidetemperatureAdjusted pressure[psi (kPa, kgf/cm2)]
FrontRear
308F(!18C)36 (250, 2.5) 35 (240, 2.4)
108F(!128C)38(265, 2.65)37(255, 2.55)
!108F(!238C)40 (280, 2.8)39 (270, 2.7)
If the low tire pressure warning lightilluminates when you drive the vehicle incold outside air after adjusting the tirepressures in a warm garage, re-adjust thetire pressures using the method describedabove. Then, increase the vehicle speedto at least 20 mph (32 km/h) and check tosee that the low tire pressure warning lightturns off a few minutes later. If the low tirepressure warning light does not turn off,the tire pressure monitoring system may
Maintenance and service11-21
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13-14Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For exam-
ple, if the“XXX”amount equals
1,400 lbs (635 kg) and there will be
five- 150 lbs (68 kg) passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capa-
city is 650 lbs. (1,400!750 (56
150) = 650 lbs).
5.Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your ve-
hicle.
Uniform tire quality grading
standards
This information indicates the rela-
tive performance of passenger car
tires in the area of treadwear,
traction, and temperature resis-
tance. This is to aid the consumer
in making an informed choice in the
purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall be-
tween tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tem-
perature A
The quality grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on passen-
ger cars. However, they do not
apply to deep tread, winter type
snow tires, space-saver or tempor-
ary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 12 inches
or less, or to some limited produc-
tion tires.
All passenger car tires must con-
form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades.
&Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1-
1/2) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
&Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spe-

14-4Index
Second-row seat...................................................... 6-9Third-row seat......................................................... 6-9
DDaytime running light system....................................... 3-29Differential gear oilFront........................................................... 11-15, 12-6Rear............................................................ 11-16, 12-6Dimensions............................................................... 12-2Disarming the alarm system........................................ 2-18Disc brake pad wear warning indicators........................ 7-20Dome light........................................................ 6-2, 11-42DoorLocks..................................................................... 2-5Open warning light................................................. 3-17Step light............................................................. 11-43Drive belts................................................................ 11-13DrivingAll-Wheel Drive warning light................................... 3-18AWD vehicles.......................................................... 8-4Car phone/cell phone.................................................. 8Drinking..................................................................... 7Drugs........................................................................ 7Foreign countries..................................................... 8-4Pets.......................................................................... 8Snowy and icy roads................................................ 8-9Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2, 8-4Tired or sleepy............................................................ 7Winter.................................................................... 8-8
EElectrical system........................................................ 12-7Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system... 3-16, 7-22Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR)............................. 1-18EngineCompartment overview............................................ 11-6Coolant....................................................... 11-11, 12-7Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide)............................. 6, 8-2Hood.................................................................... 11-4Oil ................................................................ 11-7, 12-4Overheating........................................................... 9-14Starting.................................................................. 7-7Stopping................................................................. 7-8Exterior care.............................................................. 10-2
FFlat tires..................................................................... 9-6Floor mat................................................................... 6-13Fluid levelAutomatic transmission......................................... 11-14Brake.................................................................. 11-17Power steering..................................................... 11-16Fog lightBulb.......................................................... 11-39, 12-12Indicator light......................................................... 3-22Switch................................................................... 3-32Folding mirror switch................................................... 3-43FrontDifferential gear oil........................................ 11-15, 12-6Fog light............................................ 3-32, 11-39, 12-12Fog light indicator light............................................ 3-22