2005 SUBARU FORESTER trailer

8-32
Driving tips
T
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 cross-
ing each other under the trailer tongue to prevent 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 careful 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.
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer. Towing a trailer without safety
chains could create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due to coupling
damage or hitch ball damage. T
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. T 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
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Driving tips
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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’s electri-
cal system and cause a malfunction of your ve-
hicle’s lighting system.
T Tires
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle are properly
inflated to the pressure specified on the tire placard lo-
cated on the driver’s side center pillar.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and proper infla-
tion pressure should be in accordance with the trailer
manufacturer’s specifications. „ Trailer towing tips
yNever exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing
a trailer in hilly country on hot days. y 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 following tips
in mind:
T Before starting out on a trip
y Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-hitch mount-
ing are in good condition. If any problems are appar-
ent, do not tow the trailer.y Check that the vehicle sits horizontally with the trail-
er 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 con-
firm that the load and its distribution are acceptable. y Check that the tire pressures are correct.
y 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 vehi-
cle’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.

8-34
Driving tips
– 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.
y 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 traffic, practice turning, stopping
and backing up. T Driving with a trailer
y You should allow for considerably more stopping
distance when towing a trailer. Avoid sudden braking
because it may result in skidding or jackknifing and
loss of control.y 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 en-
gine revolution. y Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and rapid lane
changes. y Slow down before turning. Make a longer than nor-
mal 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 your vehicle. y Crosswinds will adversely affect the handling of
your vehicle and trailer, causing sway. Crosswinds
can be due to weather conditions or the passing of
large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the
steering wheel and slow down immediately but gradu- ally.y
When passing other vehicles, considerable dis-
tance is required because of the added weight and
length caused by attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
A) Left turn
B) Right turn
y 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. y If the ABS warning light illuminates while the vehicle
is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs
A B
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Driving tips
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performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU deal- er. TDriving on grades
y 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. y When driving uphill in hot weather, the air condition-
er may turn off automatically to protect the engine from
overheating. y 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. y 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- ic transmission, avoid driving with the gear selector le-
ver in “D” when towing a heavy trailer to prevent fluid
overheating. A lower gear should be used. T
Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehicle and trailer
when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. You
should not park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you should take the
following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the
vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release the
regular brakes slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then apply the park-
ing brake; slowly release the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual transmission)
or “P” (automatic transmission) and shut off the en-
gine.

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Maintenance and service
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a bad smell, smoke, and/or a fire.
If you check the oil level just after stopping the engine,
wait a few minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil
pan before checking the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is warm, the en-
gine oil level reading may be in a range between the
upper level and the notch mark. This is caused by ther-
mal expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not add any
additional oil above the upper level when the engine is cold. „ Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to the mainte-
nance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed more fre-
quently than listed in the maintenance schedule when
driving on dusty roads, when short trips are frequently
made, when towing a trailer, or when driving in ex-
tremely cold whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the engine idle for
about 10 minutes to ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and stop the en- gine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
4. Open the access cover by removing the six clips
and turning the access cover counterclockwise. The
drain plug will be exposed.
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Maintenance and service
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SAE viscosity number and applicable temperature
*: 5W-30 is preferred.
Engine oil viscosity (thickness) affects fuel economy.
Oils of lower viscosity provide better fuel economy.
However, in hot weather, oil of higher viscosity is re-
quired to properly lubricate the engine.
Use only engine oil with the recommended
grade and viscosity. „
Recommended grade and viscosity
under severe driving conditions
If the vehicle is used in desert areas, in areas with very
high temperatures, or used for heavy-duty applica-
tions such as towing a trailer, use of oil with the follow-
ing grade and viscosities is recommended.
API classification SL (or SJ):
SAE viscosity No.:
30, 40, 10W-50, 20W-40, 20W-50
„ Synthetic oil
You can use synthetic engine oil that meets the same
requirements given for conventional engine oil. When
using synthetic oil, you must use oil of the same clas-
sification, viscosity and grade shown in this owner’s
manual, and must follow the oil and filter changing in-
tervals shown in the maintenance schedule.
5W-30*
10W-30, 10W-40
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40
-20
06 0
20 80 100 40
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11 - 4 6
Maintenance and service
y
Abnormally high tire pressure (tread worn in cen-
ter)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magnifies the ef-
fects of road-surface bumps and dips, possibly result-
ing in vehicle damage.
If the tire placard shows tire pressures for the vehicle
when fully loaded and for the vehicle when towing a
trailer, adjust the tire pressures to the values that
match current loading conditions.
Driving at high speeds with excessively low tire
pressures can cause the tires to deform severe- ly and to rapidly become hot. A sharp increase
in temperature could cause tread separation,
and destruction of the tires. The resulting loss
of vehicle control could lead to an accident.
„ Wheel balance
Each wheel was correctly balanced when your vehicle
was new, but the wheels will become unbalanced as
the tires become worn during use. Wheel imbalance
causes the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at certain
vehicle speeds and detracts from the vehicle’s
straight-line stability. It can also cause steering and
suspension system problems and abnormal tire wear.
If you suspect that the wheels are not correctly bal-
anced, have them checked and adjusted by your
SUBARU dealer. Also have them adjusted after tire re-
pairs and after tire rotation.
NOTE
Loss of correct wheel alignment* causes the tires
to wear on one side and reduces the vehicle’s run-
ning stability. Contact your SUBARU dealer if you
notice abnormal tire wear.
*: The suspension system is designed to hold each wheel at
a certain alignment (relative to the other wheels and to the
road) for optimum straight-line stability and cornering perfor-
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12-5
Specifications
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„Tires
„ Wheel alignment
Tire sizeP215/60R16 94H
Wheel size16 × 6 1
/2 JJ
PressureFrontLight load29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm 2
)
Full load29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm 2
)
RearLight load28 psi (190 kPa, 1.9 kgf/cm 2
)
Full load36 psi (250 kPa, 2.5 kgf/cm 2
)
Trailer towing41 psi (280 kPa, 2.8 kgf/cm 2
)
Item2.5-liter non-turbo models2.5-liter turbo models
Drive systemAWD
ToeFront0 ± 0.12 in (0 ± 3 mm)
Rear0.08 ± 0.12 in (2 ± 3 mm)
CamberFront–0 °25’ ± 45’
Rear–0 °50’ ± 45’–0 °55’ ± 45’