2004 SUBARU OUTBACK ECU

6-25
Interior equipment
– CONTINUED –
so that cargo can be secured with a luggage net or
ropes.
When using the tie-down hooks, turn them down out of
the storing recesses. When not in use, put the hooks up into the storing recesses.Subfloor storage (if equipped)
The subfloor storage is located under the floor of the
trunk or cargo area and can be used to store small
items. To open the lid, pull the tab or handle up.
NOTE
When storing a flat tire, put the subfloor storage in
the trunk or cargo area.
yAlways keep the lid of the subfloor storage
closed while driving to reduce the risk of injury
in the event of sudden stop or an accident. y Do not store spray cans, containers with
flammable or corrosive liquids or any other
dangerous items in the subfloor storage.

8-10
Driving tips
y
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.y 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 engine stops. This
could create a fire hazard. y After driving through tall grass, mud, rocks, sand,
rivers, 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 used with these materials
trapped or adhering to the underbody, a mechanical
breakdown or fire could occur.y 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 totip over. y 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. y
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). y Never equip your vehicle with tires larger than those
specified in this manual. y Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-road driving.
Suspension components are particularly prone to dirt
buildup, so they need to be washed thoroughly.y Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driv-
ing conditions such as rough roads or off roads will ne-
cessitate more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that specified in
the maintenance schedule described in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet”.
Remember that damage done to your SUBARU while
operating it off-road and not using common sense pre-
cautions such as those listed above is not eligible for
warranty coverage.

8-17
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
Loading your vehicle
Never allow passengers to ride on the folded
rear seatback, in the trunk or in the cargo area.
Doing so may result in serious injury.
yNever stack luggage or other cargo higher
than the top of the seatback because it could
tumble forward and injure passengers in the event of a sudden stop or accident. Keep lug-
gage or cargo low, as close to the floor as pos-sible. y
When you carry something inside the vehicle,
secure it whenever you can to prevent it from
being thrown around inside the vehicle during
sudden stops, sharp turns or in an accident. y Do not pile heavy loads on the roof. These
loads raise the vehicle’s center of gravity and
make it more prone to tip over. y Secure lengthy items properly to prevent
them from shooting forward and causing seri-
ous injury during a sudden stop. y Never exceed the maximum load limit. If you
do, some parts on your vehicle can break, or it
can change the way your vehicle handles. This
could result in loss of control and cause per-
sonal injury. Also, overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle. y Do not place anything on the rear shelf be-
hind the rear seatback (for sedan) or the ex-
tended luggage cover (for station wagon). Such
items could tumble forward in the event of a
sudden stop or a collision. This could cause se-rious injury.
HS8005BA

8-20
Driving tips
„
Roof rail and crossbar (if equipped)
1) Crossbar kit
y For cargo carrying purposes, the roof rail
must be used together with a roof crossbar kit
and the appropriate carrying attachment. The
roof rail must never be used alone to carry car-
go. Otherwise, damage to the roof or paint or a
dangerous road hazard due to loss of cargo
could result. y When using the roof crossbar kit, make sure
that the total weight of the crossbars, carrying attachment and cargo does not exceed the
maximum load limit. Overloading may cause
damage to the vehicle and create a safety haz-
ard.
The roof rail is not designed to carry cargo by itself.
Cargo can be carried after securing the roof crossbar
kit to the roof rail and installing the appropriate carry-
ing attachment. When installing the roof crossbar kit,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Roof slats are not designed to carry or hold cargo, but
are designed as the protector to prevent the roof from
being damaged by cargo while it is being loaded and
unloaded on the roof crossbar or on any carrying at- tachment.
When you carry cargo on the roof using the roof cross-
bar kit and a carrying attachment, never exceed the
maximum load limit explained below. You should also
be careful that your vehicle does not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and front and rear
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). See the “Loading
your vehicle” section in this chapter for information on
loading cargo into or onto your vehicle. The maximum
load limit of the cargo, crossbars and carrying attach-
ment must not exceed 100 lbs (45 kg). Place the1
UB8016BB

8-21
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
heaviest load at the bottom, nearest the roof, and
evenly distribute the cargo. Always properly secure all
cargo. TInstalling carrying attachments on the cross-
bars
When installing any carrying attachment such as a
bike carrier, ski carrier, kayak carrier, cargo basket,
etc. on the crossbars, follow the manufacturer’s in-
structions and make sure that the attachment is se-
curely fixed to the crossbars. Use only attachments
designed specifically for the crossbars. A set of the
crossbars is designed to carry loads (cargo and at-
tachment) of not more than 100 lbs (45 kg). Before
operating the vehicle, make sure that the cargo is
properly secured on the attachment.
NOTE
Remember that the vehicle’s center of gravity is al-
tered with the weight of the load on the roof, thus
affecting the driving characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hard cornering
and abrupt stops. Crosswind effects will be in-
creased. T Removal and installation of the crossbars
The crossbars can be removed when you do not use
the roof to carry cargo. V
To remove the crossbar
1) T-30 torx® head screw
2) Lower clamp
1. Loosen and remove the T-30 torx® head screw
from the top of each crossbar end support.
2. Rotate the lower clamp on the bottom of each end
support downward approximately 90 °.
1
2
UB8048BB

8-23
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
1) 100 LBS load label
2) Front arrow label
3. With the front direction arrow label on the top right
side of the crossbar pointing toward the front of the ve-
hicle, carefully place the crossbar across the top of the
vehicle so that the crossbar end supports rest on the
top of the roof rails approximately 6 inches (150 mm)
rearward from the seam (joint) between the front roof
rail support and the roof rail.
4. Rotate (raise) the lower clamp up to the bottom of
the roof rail and loosely tighten the T-30 torx® head
screw with the torx® wrench provided, through the top
of the end support and into the threaded insert in the lower clamp on each end of the crossbar.
NOTE
It may be necessary to squeeze the lower clamp
and the end support together to compress the
pads and gain a better alignment of the pieces
while trying to start the screw. Use care not to
crossthread the screw in the insert.
5. Adjust the alignment of the crossbar on the roof
rails, and if available, use a T-30 torx® bit and torque
wrench and tighten the T-30 torx® head screws to 30
to 35 lbf·in (3.4 to 4.0 N·m, 0.35 to 0.41 kgf·m) of
torque (or tighten securely with the torx® wrench pro-
vided).MAXIMUM LOAD
100 LBS. EVENLY DISTRIBUTED
1
2
6 in (150mm)
UB8049BB

8-26
Driving tips
2. Insert the hitch pin into the hole on the hitch receiv-
er tube so that the pin passes through the ball mount.
3. Insert the safety pin into the hitch pin securely.
4. Pull the ball mount to make sure it does not come
off the hitch receiver.
1) Hitch ball installation point
2) Hooks for safety chains
5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate for the ball
mount and your trailer. The hitch ball must be securely
installed on the ball mount.
6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with safety chains
that will hold the trailer’s maximum gross weight. The
chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent
the tongue from dropping onto the ground in case it
should disconnect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient
slack in the chains taking tight-turn situations into ac-
count; however, be careful not to let them drag on the
HS8012BA
1 2UB8020BB

8-32
Driving tips
T
Gross Axle Weight (GAW) and Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR)
Gross Axle Weight
The total weight applied to each axle (GAW) must nev-
er 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 la-
bel. 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.
OM-U2784
UBF019BA