2002 SUBARU IMPREZA Owners Manual

Driving tips
8-26
HB8022BA
8. Connect the hitch wire harness’s black four –pin
wire connector to the towing trailer ’s wire harness
HB8021BA
Hitch harness connector 9. Confirm proper function of the hitch wire harness
by individually activating the brake, right turn signal,
left turn signal, stop, and parking lights on the trailer. NOTE Always disconnect the trailer wire harness be- fore launching or retrieving a watercraft.
When you do not tow a trailer
Remove the ball mount from the hitch receiver
tube and insert the receiver cover onto the hitch re- ceiver tube. Place the dust cap over the four –pin connector of
the hitch wire harness to protect against possibledamage. Occasionally lubricate terminals of the four –pin
connector using the terminal grease.

Driving tips
8-27
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Trailer towing
Your car is designed and intended to be used pri-
marily as a passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer puts additional loads on your car ’s engine, dri-
vetrain, brakes, tires and suspension and has an
adverse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety and sat-
isfaction depend upon proper use of correct equip-
ment and cautious operation of your vehicle. Seekthe advice of your SUBARU dealer to assist you in
purchasing a hitch and other necessary towing
equipment appropriate for your vehicle. In addition,
be sure to follow the instructions on correct installa-
tion and use provided by the trailer and other towing
equipment manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for injuries or
vehicle damage that result from trailer towing equip-
ment, or from any errors or omissions in the instruc- tions accompanying such equipment or for your fail-
ure to follow the proper instructions. Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to vehicle damage or malfunction caused by trailer towing. If you use
your vehicle to tow a trailer, more frequent mainte-
nance will be required due to the additional load. (Refer to
“Maintenance schedule under severe driv-
ing conditions ” in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer be towedwith a new vehicle or a vehicle with any new power-
train component (engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of driving. Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load limits ex-
plained below. Exceeding the maximum loadlimits could cause personal injury and/or ve-hicle damage.
CAUTION
Adequate size trailer brakes are required
when the trailer and its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Before towing a trailer, check the trailer total
weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load. Make sure the load and its distribution in your
vehicle and trailer are acceptable.

Driving tips
8-28
Total trailer weight
The total trailer weight (trailer weight plus its cargo load) must never exceed the maximum weight
shown below.
Model
ConditionsMaximum
total trailer
weight
MT modelsWhen towing a trailer with- out brakes.1,000 lbs(453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs
(906 kg)
AT modelsWhen towing a trailer with- out brakes.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
When towing a trailer with brakes.2,000 lbs
(906 kg)
When towing a trailer on a long uphill grade continu- ously for over 5 miles (8km) with an outside tem-perature of 104 °F (40 °C) or
above.1,000 lbs (453 kg)
OM-H2781
Total trailer weight
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) and Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) must never
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is the combined total of
the weight of the vehicle, driver, passengers, lug-gage, trailer hitch, trailer tongue load and any other
optional equipment installed on your vehicle. There-
fore, the GVW changes depending on the situation.
Determine the GVW each time before going on a trip by putting your vehicle and trailer on a vehiclescale.
GVWR is shown on the certification label located onthe driver ’s door of your vehicle.

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8-29
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HG8006AA
Gross Vehicle Weight
HGS028CA
Certification label
Gross Axle Weight (GAW) and Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR)
The total weight applied to each axle (GAW) must
never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). The front and rear GAWs can be adjusted
by relocating passengers and luggage inside the
vehicle. The front and rear GAWR are also shown on
the certification label.
HG8008AA
Gross Axle Weight

Driving tips
8-30
HGS028CA
Certification label
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to confirm that
the total weight and weight distribution are within safe driving limits, you should have your vehicle and
trailer weighed at a commercial weighing station.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a
change in weight distribution while driving. Tongue load
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from 8 to 11
percent of the total trailer weight and does not exceed the maximum value of 200 lbs (90 kg).
The tongue load can be weighed with a bathroom
scale as shown in the illustration below. When
weighing the tongue load, be sure to position the towing coupler at the height at which it would beduring actual towing, using a jack as shown.OM-H2785
Tongue load

Driving tips
8-31
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HG8009BB
1) Jack
2) Bathroom scale
The tongue load can be adjusted by proper distribu-
tion of the load in the trailer. Never load the trailer
with more weight in the back than in the front;
approximately 60 percent of the trailer load should
be in the front and approximately 40 percent in the
rear. Also, distribute the load as evenly as possible on both the left and right sides.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to prevent a
change in weight distribution while driving.
OM-H2787
F) Front of vehicle
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more weight in the back of trailer ’s axle than in the front, the load
is taken off the rear axle of the towing vehicle.This may cause the rear wheels to skid, espe-
cially during braking or when vehicle speed is reduced during cornering, resulting in over-
steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.

Driving tips
8-32
Trailer hitches
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and trailer.
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body of your
vehicle to install a commercial trailer hitch. If you do, dangerous exhaust gas, water or mud may enter the passenger compartment
through the drilled hole. Exhaust gas containscarbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless
gas which is dangerous, or even lethal, if
inhaled. Also, drilling the frame or under-body of your vehicle could cause deterioration of strength of your vehicle and cause corrosionaround the drilled hole.
CAUTION
Do not modify the vehicle exhaust system,
brake system, or other systems when instal- ling a hitch or other trailer towing equipment. Do not use axle-mounted hitches as they
can cause damage to the axle housing, wheelbearings, wheels or tires.
WAGON including OUTBACK SPORT
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer hitch is recom-
mended. A genuine SUBARU hitch is available from
your SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoidable, be sure
the hitch is suited to your vehicle and trailer. Consult
with a professional hitch supplier to assist you in
choosing an appropriate hitch for your vehicle. Be
sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bum-
per. The bumper is not designed to handle that typeof load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check that the
hitch mounting bolts and nuts are tight.
SEDAN
SUBARU does not offer accessory trailer hitches.
Consult with a professional hitch supplier to assist
you in choosing an appropriate hitch for your ve-
hicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s
instructions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the rear bum-
per. The bumper is not designed to handle that typeof load.Regularly check that the hitch mounting bolts and
nuts are tight.

Driving tips
8-33
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Connecting a trailer
Trailer brakes
If your trailer ’s total weight (trailer weight plus its
cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the trailer
is required to be equipped with its own brake sys-
tem. Electric brakes or surge brakes are recom-
mended, and must be installed properly. Check thatyour trailer ’s brakes conform with Federal, state/
province and/or other applicable regulations. Your
SUBARU’ s brake system is not designed to be
tapped into the trailer ’s hydraulic brake system.
Please ask your SUBARU dealer and professional
trailer supplier for more information about the trail-er’ s brake system.
WARNING
Adequate size trailer brakes are required
when the trailer and its cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg) total weight. Do not directly connect your trailer ’s
hydraulic brake system to the hydraulic brake
system in your vehicle. Direct connectionwould cause the vehicle ’s brake performance
to deteriorate and could lead to an accident.
Trailer safety chains
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch ball
should break or become disconnected, the trailer
could get loose and create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing vehicle and
trailer with trailer safety chains. Pass the chains
crossing each other under the trailer tongue to pre-
vent the trailer from dropping onto the ground in
case the trailer tongue should disconnect from the
hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the chains taking
tight-turn situations into account; however, be care-
ful not to let them drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety chain connec-
tion, refer to the instructions for your hitch and trailer.
WARNING
Always use safety chains between your ve-
hicle and the trailer. Towing trailer without safety chains could create a traffic safety haz-ard if the trailer separates from the hitch dueto coupling damage or hitch ball damage.