2005 SUBARU FORESTER service

9-13
In case of emergency
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Towing If towing is necessary, it is best done by your SUBARU
dealer or a commercial towing service. Observe the
following procedures for safety.
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT and MT) with
the front wheels raised off the ground while the
rear wheels are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while the front
wheels are on the ground. This will cause the
vehicle to spin away due to the operation or de-
terioration of the center differential.
„ Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in an emergen-
cy (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle from mud, sand orsnow).
Front towing hook:
US9513BA
HS9017BA

11 - 1
11
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ................................. 11-3
Maintenance precautions ............................ 11-3 Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................. 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is
running ............................................................ 11-5
Engine hood .................................................. 11-5
Engine compartment overview ................... 11-8 Non-turbo models ............................................. 11-8
Turbo models .................................................... 11-9
Engine oil ...................................................... 11-10 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-10
Changing the oil and oil filter .......................... 11-11
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-13
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .............................. 11-15
Synthetic oil ....................................................... 11-15
Cooling system ............................................. 11-16 Cooling fan, hose and connections ................ 11-16
Engine coolant .................................................. 11-17
Air cleaner element ...................................... 11-21 Replacing the air cleaner element ................... 11-21
Spark plugs ................................................... 11-25 Recommended spark plugs ............................. 11-26
Drive belts ..................................................... 11-26
Manual transmission oil ............................... 11-27 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-27
Recommended grade and viscosity ................ 11-28 Automatic transmission fluid ...................... 11-29
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-29
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-31
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ...... 11-31 Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-31
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-32
Rear differential gear oil ............................... 11-33 Checking the gear oil level .............................. 11-33
Recommended grade and viscosity ............... 11-34
Power steering fluid ...................................... 11-34 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-34
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-35
Brake fluid ..................................................... 11-36 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-36
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-36
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................ 11-37 Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-37
Recommended clutch fluid .............................. 11-37
Brake booster ................................................ 11-38
Brake pedal .................................................... 11-38 Checking the brake pedal free play ................ 11-38
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ... 11-39
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) ........................... 11-39 Checking the clutch function .......................... 11-39
Checking the clutch pedal free play ............... 11-40
Hill holder (MT vehicles – if equipped) ....... 11-40
Replacement of brake pad and lining ......... 11-41 Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings .... 11-41
Parking brake stroke .................................... 11-42

11 - 2
Maintenance and service
Tires and wheels .......................................... 11-43Types of tires .................................................... 11-43
Tire inspection .................................................. 11-43
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-44
Wheel balance ................................................... 11-46
Wear indicators ................................................. 11-47
Tire rotation ....................................................... 11-48
Tire replacement ............................................... 11-48
Wheel replacement ........................................... 11-49
Aluminum wheels (if equipped) .................. 11-50
Windshield washer fluid .............................. 11-50
Replacement of wiper blades ...................... 11-51 Windshield wiper blades .................................. 11-52
Rear window wiper blade ................................. 11-54
Battery ........................................................... 11-58
Fuses ............................................................. 11-60
Main fuse ....................................................... 11-62
Installation of accessories .......................... 11-63
Replacing bulbs ............................................ 11-63 Headlight ........................................................... 11-64
Front turn signal, side marker light and parking lights ................................................. 11-66
Front fog light ................................................... 11-70
Rear combination lights ................................... 11-70
License plate light ............................................ 11-72
Dome light, map light and cargo area light .... 11-72
High mount stop light ...................................... 11-74

11 - 3
Maintenance and service
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Maintenance and serviceMaintenance schedule
The scheduled maintenance items required to be ser-
viced at regular intervals are shown in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet”.
For details of your maintenance schedule, read the
separate “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.Maintenance precautions
When maintenance and service are required, it is rec-
ommended that all work be done by an authorized
SUBARU dealer.
If you perform maintenance and service by yourself,
you should familiarize yourself with the information
provided in this section on general maintenance and
service for your SUBARU.
Incorrect or incomplete service could cause improper
or unsafe vehicle operation. Any problems caused by
improper maintenance and service performed by you
are not eligible for warranty coverage.
yTesting of an All-Wheel Drive vehicle must
NEVER be performed on a single two-wheel dy-
namometer or similar apparatus. Attempting to
do so will result in transmission damage and in
uncontrolled vehicle movement and may cause
an accident or injuries to persons nearby.y Always select a safe area when performing
maintenance on your vehicle.y Always be very careful to avoid injury when
working on the vehicle. Remember that some of

11 - 4
Maintenance and service
the materials in the vehicle may be hazardous if
improperly used or handled, for example, bat-tery acid. y
Your vehicle should only be serviced by per-
sons fully competent to do so. Serious person-
al injury may result to persons not experienced
in servicing vehicles. y Always use the proper tools and make certain
that they are well maintained. y Never get under the vehicle supported only
by a jack. Always use a safety stands to sup-
port the vehicle. y Never keep the engine running in a poorly
ventilated area, such as a garage or other
closed areas. y Do not smoke or allow open flames around
the fuel or battery. This will cause a fire. y Because the fuel system is under pressure,
replacement of the fuel filter should be per-
formed only by your SUBARU dealer.y Wear adequate eye protection to guard
against getting oil or fluids in your eyes. If
something does get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water. y Do not tamper with the wiring of the SRS air-
bag system or seatbelt pretensioner system, or
attempt to take its connectors apart, as that may activate the system or it can render it inop-
erative. The wiring and connectors of these
systems are yellow for easy identification. NEV-
ER use a circuit tester for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pretensioner
needs service, consult your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
„ Before checking or servicing in the en-
gine compartment
yAlways stop the engine and set the parking
brake firmly to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing. y Always let the engine cool down. Engine
parts become very hot when the engine is run-
ning and remain hot for some time after the en-
gine is stopped.y Do not spill engine oil, engine coolant, brake
fluid or any other fluid on hot engine compo-
nents. This may cause a fire.y Always remove the key from the ignition
switch. When the ignition switch is in the “ON”
position, the cooling fan may operate suddenly

11 - 5
Maintenance and service
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even when the engine is stopped.
„ When you do checking or servicing in
the engine compartment while the en-
gine is running
A running engine can be dangerous. Keep your
fingers, hands, clothing, hair and tools away
from the cooling fan, belts and any other mov-
ing engine parts. Removing rings, watches and
ties is advisable.
Engine hood
0
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the windshield, re-
turn them to their original positions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the instrument
panel.
HSB014BA

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Maintenance and service
3. Release the secondary hood release located under
the front grille by moving the lever toward the left.
Lift up the hood, release the hood prop from its retain-
er and put the end of the hood prop into the slot in the
hood.
To close the hood:
1. Lift the hood slightly and remove the hood prop
from the slot in the hood and return the prop to its re-
tainer.
2. Lower the hood until it approaches about
12 in (30
cm) from the closed position and let it drop.
After closing the hood, be sure the hood is securely
locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it from a slightly
HSB015BAHSB016BA

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Maintenance and service
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higher position. Do not push the hood forcibly to close
it. It could deform the metal.
Always check that the hood is properly locked
before you start driving. If it is not, it might fly
open while the vehicle is moving and block
your view, which may cause an accident and
serious bodily injury.