2005 SUBARU FORESTER overheating

3-28
Instruments and controls
Wiper and washer
In freezing weather, do not use the windshield
washer until the windshield is sufficiently
warmed by the defroster.
Otherwise the washer fluid can freeze on the
windshield, blocking your view.
y
Do not operate the washer continuously for
more than ten seconds, or when the washer flu-
id tank is empty. This may cause overheating of
the washer motor. Check the washer fluid level
frequently, such as at fuel stops. y Do not operate the wipers when the wind-
shield or rear window is dry. This may scratch
the glass, damage the wiper blades and cause
the wiper motor to burn out. Before operating
the wiper on a dry windshield or rear window,
always use the windshield washer.y In freezing weather, be sure that the wiper
blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear
window before switching on the wipers. At- tempting to operate the wiper with the blades
frozen to the window glass could cause not
only the wiper blades to be damaged but also
the wiper motor to burn out. If the wiper blade
is frozen to the window glass, be sure to oper-
ate the defroster, windshield wiper deicer (if
equipped) or rear window defogger before turn-
ing on the wiper.y
If the wipers stop during operation because
of ice or some other obstruction on the window,
the wiper motor could burn out even if the wiper
switch is turned off. If this occurs, promptly
stop the vehicle in a safe place, turn the ignition
switch to the “LOCK” position and clean the
window glass to allow proper wiper operation. y Use clean water if windshield washer fluid is
unavailable. In areas where water freezes in
winter, use SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid
or the equivalent. (See the “Windshield washer
fluid” section in chapter 11.)
Also, when driving the vehicle when there are
freezing temperatures, use non-freezing type
wiper blades.y Do not clean the wiper blades with gasoline
or a solvent, such as paint thinner or benzene.
This will cause deterioration of the wiper

6-12
Interior equipment
lighter plug. Do not use non-genuine cigarette
lighter plugs in the socket. Doing so may cause
a short-circuit and overheating, resulting in a fire. y
If the socket is ever used for a plug-in acces-
sory such as a cell phone, that may damage the
portion of the socket’s internal mechanism that
causes a cigarette lighter plug to “pop out” af-
ter its lighter element is heated. Therefore, do
not place a cigarette lighter plug in a socket
that has been used, even once, to power a plug-
in accessory. Doing so may cause the plug to
stick and overheat, creating a potential fire haz-
ard.y Do not place any foreign objects, especially
metal ones such as coins or aluminum foil, into
the socket. That could cause a short circuit. „
Use with a cigarette lighter
The cigarette lighter operates only when the ignition
switch is in the “ON” and “ACC” positions.
To use the cigarette lighter, push in the knob and wait
a few moments. It will automatically spring up when
ready for use.
To avoid being burned, never grasp the lighter
by the end with the heating element. Doing so
could result in injury and could also damage
the heating element.
UG6025BA

7-22
Starting and operating
Braking „
Braking tips
Never rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This can cause dangerous overheating
of the brakes and needless wear on the brake
pads and linings.
T When the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result, brake stopping dis-
tance will be longer. To dry the brakes, drive the vehi-
cle at a safe speed while lightly depressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. T Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking in addition
to foot braking. When descending a grade, if only the
foot brake is used, the brakes may start working im-
properly because of brake fluid overheating, caused
by overheated brake pads. To help prevent this, shift
into a lower gear to get stronger engine braking. T
Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a tire
is punctured. This could cause a loss of control of the
vehicle. Keep driving straight ahead while gradually
reducing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place. „ Brake system
T Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has two separate circuit brake systems.
Each circuit works diagonally across the vehicle. If one
circuit of the brake system should fail, the other half of
the system still works. If one circuit fails, the brake
pedal will go down much closer to the floor than usual
and you will need to press it down much harder. And a
much longer distance will be needed to stop the vehi- cle. T Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold vacuum to
assist braking force. Do not turn off the engine while
driving because that will turn off the brake booster, re-
sulting in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even when the brake
booster completely stops functioning. If this happens,
however, you will have to push the pedal much harder

8-35
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
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.

9-1
9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency ............................................ 9-2
Flat tires ......................................................... 9-3 Changing a flat tire ........................................... 9-3
Jump starting ................................................ 9-9 How to jump start ............................................. 9-10
Engine overheating ....................................... 9-12 If steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-12
If no steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-12
Towing ........................................................... 9-13 Towing and tie-down hooks ............................ 9-13
Using a flat-bed truck ....................................... 9-15
Towing with all wheels on the ground ............ 9-15
Rear gate – if the rear gate cannot be unlocked ..................................................... 9-17
Moonroof – if the moonroof cannot be closed ......................................................... 9-18
Maintenance tools ......................................... 9-19 Jack and jack handle ........................................ 9-19

9-12
In case of emergency
Engine overheating
Never attempt to remove the radiator cap until
the engine has been shut off and has fully
cooled down. When the engine is hot, the cool-
ant is under pressure. Removing the cap while
the engine is still hot could release a spray of
boiling hot coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the road and
stop the vehicle in a safe place. „ If steam is coming from the engine
compartment
Turn the engine off and get everyone away from the
vehicle until it cools down. „ If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compart- ment. Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is not
turning, immediately turn the engine off and contact
your authorized dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature has dropped,
turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the overheated
zone, turn the engine off.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, check the
coolant level in the reserve tank.
If the coolant level is below the “LOW” mark, add cool-
ant up to the “FULL” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve tank, add cool-
ant to the reserve tank. Then remove the radiator cap
and fill the radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot radiator, first
wrap a thick cloth around the radiator cap, then turn
the cap counterclockwise slowly without pressing
down until it stops. Release the pressure from the ra-
diator. After the pressure has been fully released, re-
move the cap by pressing down and turning it.

14-3
Index
Center console .................................................... 6-5
Charge warning light ......................................... 3-14CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction
indicator lamp ................................................ 3-13
Child restraint systems ...................................... 1-35
Installation with seatbelt ............................... 1-39
Top tether anchorages ................................. 1-50
Child safety locks .............................................. 2-23
Chime Key ................................................................. 3-5
Seatbelt ............................................... 1-16, 3-13
Cigarette lighter socket ...................................... 6-11
Clock ................................................................. 3-22
Clutch (MT)
Fluid ............................................................ 11-37
Pedal .......................................................... 11-39
Coat hook .......................................................... 6-16
Coin tray .............................................................. 6-7
Convenience net ................................................. 6-7
Coolant ............................................................ 11-17
Cooling system ................................................ 11-16
Corrosion protection ................................. 8-12, 10-4
Cruise control .................................................... 7-38
Cruise control indicator light .............................. 3-21
Cup holders ......................................................... 6-8 D
Dashboard storage compartment ........................ 6-6
Daytime running light system ............................ 3-25
Differential gear oil
Front (AT vehicles) ..................................... 11-31
Rear ............................................................ 11-33
Dimensions ........................................................ 12-2
Disarming the system ........................................ 2-19
Disc brake pad wear warning indicators ............ 7-23
Dome light ........................................................... 6-2
Door locks ........................................................... 2-6
Door open warning light .................................... 3-19
Drive belt ......................................................... 11-26
Driving in foreign country ..................................... 8-6
Driving tips .................................................. 7-14, 8-6 E
Electronic brake force distribution (EBD) system ........................................................... 7-26
Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) ................. 1-15
Engine Compartment overview ................................. 11-8
Coolant ....................................................... 11-17
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) .................... 8-3
Hood ............................................................. 11-5
Oil ............................................................... 11-10
Overheating .................................................. 9-12