2005 SUBARU FORESTER tires

11
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CONTINUED –
these situations. It is also for their own safety that pets
should be properly restrained in your vehicle. Restrain
a pet with a special traveling harness which can be se-
cured to the rear seat with a seatbelt or use a pet car-
rier which can be secured to the rear seat by routing a
seatbelt through the carrier’s handle. Never restrain
pets or pet carriers in the front passenger’s seat. For
further information, consult your veterinarian, local an-
imal protection society or pet shop. „Tire pressures
Check and, if necessary, adjust the pressure of each
tire (including the spare) at least once a month and be-
fore any long journey.
Check the tire pressure when the tires are cold. Use a
pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the val-
ues shown on the tire placard.
Refer to the “Tires and wheels” section in chapter 11
for detailed information.
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.
„ California proposition 65 warning
Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and
certain vehicle components contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or other repro-
ductive harm. In addition, certain fluids in vehi-
cles and certain components of product wear
contain or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm.

14
Illustrated index „Exterior
123 4 5
6
7
8
9
10
11
HSF020BB
1) Engine hood (page 11-5)
2) Headlight switch (page 3-23)
3) Replacing bulbs (page 11-63)
4) Wiper switch (page 3-29)
5) Roof rails (page 8-17)
6) Door locks (page 2-6)
7) Tire pressure (page 11-44)
8) Flat tires (page 9-3)
9) Tire chains (page 8-13)
10) Front fog light button (page 3-
27)
11) Tie-down/Towing hooks (page 9-13)

1-34
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
low for easy identification. Do not use electrical
test equipment on any circuit related to the
seatbelt pretensioner and SRS airbag systems.
For required servicing of the seatbelt preten-
sioner, see your nearest SUBARU dealer.
The front sub sensors are located near the bot-
tom of the radiator and the side airbag sensor
is located inside each center pillar and the SRS
airbag control module including the impact
sensors is located under the center console. If
you need service or repair in those areas or
near the front seatbelt retractors, we recom-
mend that you have an authorized SUBARU
dealer perform the work.
NOTE
If the front part of the vehicle is damaged in an ac-
cident to the extent that the seatbelt pretensioner
does not operate, contact your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
„
Precautions against vehicle modifica- tion
Always consult your SUBARU dealer if you want to in-
stall any accessory parts to your vehicle.
Do not perform any of the following modifica-
tions. Such modifications can interfere with
proper operation of the seatbelt pretensioners.y Attachment of any equipment (bush bar,
winches, snow plow, skid plate, etc.) other than
genuine SUBARU accessory parts to the front
end. y Modification of the suspension system or
front end structure. y Installation of a tire of different size and con-
struction from the tires specified on the tire
placard attached to the driver’s door jamb.

1-76
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
passenger’s frontal airbag cover is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
In addition, if your vehicle is equipped with SRS
side airbags, contact your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible in the following cases.y
Either center pillar or a nearby area of the vehi-
cle was involved in an accident in which the SRS
side airbag did not deploy.y The fabric or leather of either front seatback is
cut, frayed, or otherwise damaged. „ Precautions against vehicle modifica- tion
yTo avoid accidental activation of the system
or rendering the system inoperative, which may
result in serious injury, no modifications
should be made to any components or wiring of
the SRS airbag system.
This includes following modifications: yInstallation of custom steering wheels
y Attachment of additional trim materials to
the dashboard y Installation of custom seats (for vehicles with SRS side airbags only)y
Replacement of seat fabric or leather (for
vehicles with SRS side airbags only) y Installation of additional fabric or leather
on the front seat (for vehicles with SRS side
airbags only)
y Installation of additional electrical/electronic
equipment such as a mobile two-way radio on
or near the SRS airbag system components
and/or wiring is not advisable. This could inter-
fere with proper operation of the SRS airbag
system.
Do not perform any of the following modifica-
tions. Such modifications can interfere with
proper operation of the SRS airbag system. y Attachment of any equipment (brush bar,
winches, snow plow, skid plate, etc.) other than
genuine SUBARU accessory parts to the front
end. y Modification of the suspension system or
front end structure. y Installation of a tire of different size and con-
struction from the tires specified on the tire

3-19
Instruments and controls
– CONTINUED –
fore become somewhat harder to control. If the brake system warning light and ABS warning
light illuminate simultaneously, take the following
steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe, flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both warning lights go
out, the EBD system may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU dealer and
have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again and stay illu-
minated after the engine has been restarted, shut
down the engine again, apply the parking brake, and
check the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the “MIN” mark,
the EBD system may be faulty. Drive carefully to the
nearest SUBARU dealer and have the system inspect-
ed.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the “MIN” mark, DO
NOT drive the vehicle. Instead, have the vehicle towed
to the nearest SUBARU dealer for repair. „Door open warning lights
The door open warning light comes on if any door or
the rear gate is not fully closed.
Always make sure this light is out before you start to drive. „
Low fuel warning light
The low fuel warning light comes on when the tank is
nearly empty [about 2.3 US gal (9.0 liters, 1.9 Imp
gal)]. It only operates when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position.
NOTE
This light does not go out unless the tank is re-
plenished up to an internal fuel quantity of about
4.0 US gal (15 liters, 3.3 Imp gal). „ All-Wheel Drive warning light
(AT vehicles)
Continued driving with the AWD warning light
flashing can lead to powertrain damage. If the
AWD warning light flashes, promptly park in a
safe place then check whether all four tires are
the same diameter and whether any of the tires
has a puncture or has lost air pressure for
some other reason.

3-20
Instruments and controls
The All-Wheel Drive indicator light comes on when the
ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position and goes
out after the engine has started. T
For vehicles with Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters or with the air pressure excessively
low in any of its tires. T For vehicles without Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
This light comes on when All-Wheel Drive is disen-
gaged and the drive mechanism is switched to Front
Wheel Drive for maintenance or similar purposes.
This light flashes if the vehicle is driven with tires of dif-
ferent diameters or with the air pressure excessively
low in any of its tires. „ Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tion indicator light (if equipped)
This light comes on when the ignition switch is ON and
goes out about 2 seconds later.
It blinks when the skid suppression function is activat-
ed. It illuminates when only the traction control func-
tion is operating. The Vehicle Dynamics Control system is probably
faulty under any of the following conditions. Have your
vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer immediately. y
The light does not come on when the ignition switch
is turned to the “ON” position. y The light does not go out even after a period of
about 2 seconds after the ignition switch has been
turned to the “ON” position. „ Shift position indicator (AT vehicles)
This indicator shows the position of the shift lever.
US3058AA

7-9
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks and adjust-
ments every day before you start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and lights are
clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition of the tires.
Also check tires for proper inflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
4. Check that the hood and rear gate are fully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside and outside mir-
rors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your passengers
have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning and indicator
lights when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” po-sition.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warning lights af-
ter starting the engine.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid, washer flu-
id and other fluid levels should be checked daily,
weekly or at fuel stops.
Starting the engine
Do not operate the starter motor continuously
for more than ten seconds. If the engine fails to
start after operating the starter for five to ten
seconds, wait for ten seconds or more before
trying again.
„ Manual transmission vehicle
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Press the clutch pedal to the floor and shift the shift
lever into neutral. Hold the clutch pedal to the floor
while starting the engine.
The starter motor will only operate when the clutch
pedal is pressed fully to the floor.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position and
check the operation of the warning and indicator lights.
Refer to the “Warning and indicator lights” section(chapter 3).
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START” position
without depressing the accelerator pedal. Release
the key immediately after the engine has started.

7-15
Starting and operating
– CONTINUED –
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electronically controlled
and provides 4 forward speeds and 1 reverse speed.
NOTE yWhen the engine coolant temperature is still
low, your vehicle’s automatic transmission will
up-shift at higher engine speeds than when the
coolant temperature is sufficiently high in order to
shorten the warm-up time and improve driveabili-
ty. The gearshift timing will automatically shift to
the normal timing after the engine has warmed up. y Immediately after ATF (automatic transmission
fluid) is replaced, you may feel that the automatic
transmission operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from erasure or invalidation of data
the on-board computer has collected and stored in memory to allow the transmission to shift at the
most appropriate times for the current condition
of your vehicle. Optimized shifting will be restored
as the vehicle continues to be driven for a while.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” position into
the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position while de-
pressing the accelerator pedal. This may cause
the vehicle to jump forward or backward.
y Shift into the “P” or “R” position only after
the vehicle is completely stopped. Shifting
while the vehicle is moving may cause damage
to the transmission. y Do not race the engine for more than five sec-
onds in any position except the “N” or “P” po-
sition when the brake is set or the tires are on
blocks. This may cause the automatic transmis-
sion fluid to overheat.y Avoid shifting from one of the forward driving
positions into the “R” position or vice versa un-
til the vehicle has completely stopped. Such
shifting may cause damage to the transmis-
sion.