2003 SUBARU FORESTER light

7-30
Starting and operating
The Hill holder does not operate when the vehicle is
facing downhill. And the Hill holder may not operate on
slight grades.
When starting in reverse and using the Hill holder, a
braking effect may be felt even after the brake pedal
has been released. However, this braking effect
should disappear once the clutch pedal is released.
A slight jolt may be felt when the vehicle begins to
move forward after being reversed.
If the braking power of the Hill holder is insufficient af-
ter the brake pedal is released, apply more braking
power by pressing the brake pedal again.
The Hill Holder is a device only for helping the
driver to START the vehicle on an uphill grade.
To prevent accidents when the vehicle is
parked on a slope, be sure to firmly set the
parking brake. When setting the parking brake,
make sure that the vehicle remains stationary
when the clutch pedal is released.
HS7022BA

7-31
Starting and operating
–CONTINUED –
Cruise control (if equipped)
Cruise control enables you to maintain a constant ve-
hicle speed without holding your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal and it is operative when the vehicle speed is
25 mph (40 km/h) or more. Make sure the main switch
is turned “OFF” when the cruise control is not in use to
avoid unintentionally by setting the cruise control.
Do not use the cruise control under any of the
following conditions. This may cause loss of
vehicle control:
driving up or down a steep grade
driving on slippery or winding roads
driving in heavy traffic
To set cruise control
0
1. Push the “CRUISE” main switch. The indicator light
on the instrument panel will come on.
2. Depress the accelerator pedal until the vehicle
reaches the desired speed.
HS7017AA
HS1103EA

8-8
Driving tips

Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering
wheel. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure
your hands. Instead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim. If driving through water, such as when crossing
shallow streams, first check the depth of the water and
the bottom of the stream bed for firmness and ensure
that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly and com-
pletely through the stream. The water should be shal-
low enough that it does not reach the vehicle’s
undercarriage. Water entering the engine air intake or
the exhaust pipe or water splashing onto electrical
parts may damage your vehicle and may cause it to
stall. Never attempt to drive through rushing water; re-
gardless of its depth, it can wash away the ground
from under your tires, resulting in possible loss of trac-
tion and even vehicle rollover. Always check your brakes for effectiveness immedi-
ately after driving in sand, mud or water. Do this by
driving slowly and stepping on the brake pedal. Re-
peat that process several times to dry out the brake
discs and brake pads. Do not drive or park over or near flammable materi-
als such as dry grass or fallen leaves, as they may
burn easily. The exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after the engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard.
After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, riv-
ers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stones, sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is use d with these materials
trapped or adhering to the underbody, a mechanical
breakdown or fire could occur. Secure all cargo carried inside the vehicle and make
certain that it is not piled higher than the seatbacks.
During sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could
be thrown around in the vehicle and cause injury. Do
not pile heavy loads on the roof. Those loads raise the
vehicle’s center of gravity and make it more prone to
tip over. If you must rock the vehicle to free it from sand or
mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly and move
the selector lever back and forth between “D” and “R”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the best pos-
sible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when trying to
free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can
obtain better traction by starting the vehicle with the
transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT). Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than those
specified in this manual. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driv-
ing conditions such as rough roads or off roads will ne-

8-13
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
equate measure of traction, handling and braking
performance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be
possible to enhance performance through use of tires
designed specifically for winter driving conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on your vehi-
cle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type. You
must install four winter tires that are of the same size,
construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this
may result in dangerous handling characteristics.
When you choose a tire, make sure that there is
enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of
the type of tires on your vehicle. Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require the
use of tire chains, in which case put the chains on the
front wheels only. Use only SAE class S type chains
that are of the correct size for your tires so as not to
damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below
19 mph (30 km/h).
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire
chains — overconfidence because you are driving
with tire chains could easily lead to a serious accident.
Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand,
or mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly and
move the selector lever back and forth between “D”
and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the wheels when
trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slippery, you can
obtain better traction by starting the vehicle with the
transmission in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
Refer to the “Automatic transmission” section in chap-
ter 7 for information on holding the transmission in 2nd
position.

8-24
Driving tips
ground.
Do not connect safety chains to part of the ve-
hicle other than the safety chain hooks.
Hitch harness connector
8. Connect the hitch wire harness’s black four-pin
wire connector to the towing trailer’s wire harness
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 before
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 receiver tube. Place the dust cap over the fou-pin connector of the
hitch wire harness to protect against possible damage. Occasionally lubricate terminals of the four-pin con-
nector using terminal grease.
HS8015BA

8-32
Driving tips

Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle, check that the
standard side mirrors provide a good rearward field of
view without significant blind spots. If significant blind
spots occur with the vehicle’s standard side mirrors,
use towing mirrors that conform with Federal, state/
province and/or other applicable regulations. Trailer lights
Connection of trailer lights to your vehicle’s electrical
system requires modifications to the vehicle’s lighting
circuit to increase its capacity and accommodate wir-
ing changes. To ensure the trailer lights are connected
properly, please consult your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper operation of the turn signals, the brake
lights and parking lights each time you hitch up.
Direct splicing or other improper connection of
trailer lights may damage your vehicle

8-34
Driving tips
ally.
When passing other vehicles, considerable dis-
tance is required because of the added weight and
length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
Backing up with a trailer is difficult and takes prac-
tice. When backing up with a trailer, never accelerate
or steer rapidly. When turning back, grip the bottom of
the steering wheel with one hand and turn it to the left
for a left turn, and turn it to the right for a right turn. If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle
is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU deal- er.
Driving on grades
Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift
into lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to
utilize the engine braking effect and prevent overheat-
ing of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not make sudden
downshifts. When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating. When driving uphill in hot weather, pay attention to
the water temperature gauge pointer (for all vehicles)
and AT OIL TEMP warning light (for AT vehicles) since
the engine and transmission are relatively prone to
overheating under these conditions. If the water tem-
perature gauge pointer approaches the OVERHEAT
zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates,
immediately switch off the air conditioner and stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheating” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and
indicator lights” section in chapter 3. If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, avoid
using the accelerator pedal to stay stationary on an
uphill slope instead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission fluid to over-
heat. Also, if your vehicle is equipped with an automat-
1 2
HS8023BB

9-9
In case of emergency
–CONTINUED –
age locations.
Never place a tire or tire changing tools in the
passenger compartment after changing
wheels. In a sudden stop or collisions, loose
equipment could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in the proper
place.
Jump starting
Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID. Do not let it
come in contact with the eyes, skin, clothing or
the vehicle.
If battery fluid gets on you, thoroughly flush the
exposed area with water immediately. Get med-
ical help if the fluid has entered your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally swallowed, imme-
diately drink a large amount of milk or water,
and obtain immediate medical help.
Keep everyone including children away from
the battery. The gas generated by a battery explodes if a
flame or spark is brought near it. Do not smoke
or light a match while jump starting. Never attempt jump starting if the discharged
battery is frozen. It could cause the battery to
burst or explode. Whenever working on or around a battery, al-
ways wear suitable eye protectors, and remove
metal objects such as rings, bands or other
metal jewelry. Be sure the jumper cables and clamps on
them do not have loose or missing insulation.