2003 SUBARU BAJA ECU

8-32
nTires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not designed to sustain the towing load.
Use of the temporary spare tire when towing can result in failureof the spare tire and/or less stability of the vehicle.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle are properly inflated.
The recommended cold tire pressure under trailer towing conditions
is indicated on the tire placard located under the door striker on the
driver’ s side. Adjust the rear tire pressure to the recommended pres-
sure shown on the tire placard when the tires are cold. Normal pres-
sure should be maintained in the front tires.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and proper inflation pressure
should be in accordance with the trailer manufacturer ’s specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire when towing a trailer, ask a
commercial road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your vehicle or trailer as a pre-
caution against getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare tire is firmly
secured. Trailer towing tips CAUTION
Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days. When towing a trailer, steering, stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be different from normal operation. For
safety’ s sake, you should employ extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never speed. You should also keep the fol-lowing tips in mind:

Driving tips8-33
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nBefore starting out on a trip
Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-hitch mounting are in good
condition. If any problems are apparent, do not tow the trailer. Check that the vehicle sits horizontally with the trailer attached. If
the vehicle is tipped sharply up at the front and down at the rear,
check the total trailer weight, GVW, GAWs and tongue load again,
then confirm that the load and its distribution are acceptable. Check that the tire pressures are correct.
Check that the vehicle and trailer are connected properly. Confirm
that. – the trailer tongue is connected properly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connected properly and trailer ’s
brake lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s brake pedal is pressed,
and that the trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when the vehicle ’s turn
signal lever is operated.– the safety chains are connected properly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safety in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rearward field of view without a
significant blind spot.
Sufficient time should be taken to learn the “feel” of the vehicle/
trailer combination before starting out on a trip. In an area free of traf-
fic, practice turning, stopping and backing up. n Driving with a trailer
You should allow for considerably more stopping distance when
towing a trailer. Avoid sudden braking because it may result in skid-
ding or jackknifing and loss of control. Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accelerations. If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, always start out in first gear and release the
clutch at moderate engine revolution. Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and rapid lane changes.
Slow down before turning. Make a longer than normal turning
radius because the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle
wheels to the inside of the turn. In a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. Crosswinds will adversely affect the handling of your vehicle and

In case of emergency9-5
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HB9075BA
4. Loosen the jack holding screw by turning counterclockwise and
remove the jack from the pocket. NOTE Be careful not to lose the jack holding screw after removing it.
Make sure the jack is well lubricated before using it.
Restoring jack and tools
HB9075CAHB9076BA
1. Return all tools to the tool bag.
2. Turn the jack screw counterclockwise to the end.
3. Place the jack onto the bracket in the pocket and securely fix the
jack with the jack holding screw by turning it clockwise.

9-6
NOTE
Confirm no looseness exists after securing the jack. Looseness may cause a rattle while the vehicle is moving.CAUTION
After the jack and the tool bag have been restored in the rearquarter pocket, make sure that the rear seatback has been
securely locked. When securely locked, the red marks on thelocking knobs are no longer visible.
Spare tire
HB9053BA
The spare tire is stored in the spare tire holder located under the rear of the cargo bed.
The spare tire holder has a hoist mechanism that can lower and raise the
spare tire easily. The spare tire holder is designed to carry only the tem-
porary spare tire that comes with your vehicle.
Before using the temporary spare tire, see the “Temporary spare tire ”
section in this Chapter for instructions and precautions.
Removing the spare tire
1. Take the wheel nut wrench out of the tool bag. Refer to the “Jack
and tools ” section in this Chapter for its storage location.

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Re-storage of spare tire
1. Turn the spare tire hoist shaft end counterclockwise with the wheel
nut wrench to loosen the cable sufficiently enough to allow the cable
end retainer go through center hole of the temporary spare tire.
2. Insert the retainer through the center hole of the temporary tire
(with the outside of the tire facing up).
3. Turn the hoist shaft end clockwise with the wheel nut wrench towind the cable up completely until you hear a few clicking sounds.
Confirm that the temporary spare tire holding cable has been wound
up completely by shaking the temporary tire.
CAUTION
If the temporary spare tire is not stored securely, it could damage
adjacent areas of the vehicle and make an abnormal noise.
4. Put the rubber cap on the hoist shaft end hole.
5. Place the wheel nut wrench back into the tool bag and store thejack and tool bag in their storage locations.
Temporary spare tire Using the temporary spare tire
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not designed to sustain the towing load.
Use of the temporary spare tire when towing can result in failureof the spare tire and/or less stability of the vehicle and may leadto an accident.
CAUTION
Never use any temporary spare tire other than the original. Usingother sizes may result in severe mechanical damage to the drivetrain of your vehicle.

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Flat tires
If you get a flat tire while driving, never brake suddenly; keep driving
straight ahead while gradually reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Changing a flat tire
WARNING
Do not jack up the vehicle on an incline or a loose road sur-
face. The jack can come out of the jacking point or sink into the ground and this can result in a serious accident. Use only the jack provided with your vehicle. The jack sup-
plied with the vehicle is designed only for changing a tire. Neverget under the vehicle while supporting the vehicle with this jack. Always turn the engine off before raising the flat tire off the
ground using the jack. Never swing or push the vehicle sup-ported with the jack. The jack can come out of the jacking pointdue to a jolt and this can result in a serious accident. Never place a tire or tire changing tools in the passenger
compartment after changing wheels. In a sudden stop or colli-
sion, loose equipment could strike occupants and cause injury.Store the tire and all tools in the proper place.
1. Park on a hard, level surface, whenever possible, then stop the en-gine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and shift a manual transmission ve-
hicle into reverse or an automatic transmission vehicle into the “P” (Park)
position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher and have everyone get out of thevehicle.

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8. Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to lower the vehicle.
HB9078BB
9. Use the wheel nut wrench to securely tighten the wheel nuts to the
specified torque, following the tightening order in the illustration.
The torque for tightening the nuts is 66 to 81 ft-lb (90 to 110 N-m, 9 to
11 kg-m). This torque is equivalent to applying about 88 to 110 lbs
(40 to 50 kg) at the top of the wheel nut wrench provided to your ve-
hicle. Never use your foot on the wheel nut wrench or a pipe exten-
sion on the wrench because you may exceed the specified torque.
Have the wheel nut torque checked at the nearest automotive service
facility. Storage of the flat tire CAUTION
Secure the flat tire in the cargo bed (with the outer side of the
wheel facing up) by using the designated tire holding rod and
retainer. If the flat tire is not properly secured, it may fall out andcreate a dangerous road hazard that could lead to a serious acci-dent. Do not store the flat tire under the floor. Doing so could dam-
age the underside of the vehicle.
1. Take the tire holding rod and retainer out of the tool bag.

In case of emergency9-17
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HB9063BA
5. Secure the flat tire by tightening the tire holding rod.
The tire holding rod and retainer are designed solely to secure a flat
tire in emergency. Do not use them for another purpose such as se-
curing cargo.
6. Store the jack and wheel nut wrench in their storage locations.
7. Put the rubber cap back in its original position after everything has
been restored. Driving with the temporary spare tire
Your spare tire is only a temporary spare which is designed for tem-
porary emergency use only. When driving with the temporary spare
tire, follow the instructions and precautions described in the “Tempo-
rary spare tire ” section in this Chapter.
Replace the temporary spare tire with a conventional tire as soon asyou can.