2005 SUBARU FORESTER traction control

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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.
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Starting and operating
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sure greater traction. T1 (First)
This position is for driving up or down very steep
grades, or driving through mud or sand, or on slippery
surfaces. In this position, the transmission holds in the
1st gear. T Maximum speeds
The following tables show the maximum speeds that
are possible with each different gear.
When shifting down a gear, it is important to confirm
that the current vehicle speed is not in excess of the
Maximum Allowable Speed of the gear which is about
to be selected.
mph (km/h)
NOTE
In order to prevent over-revving during decelera- tion of the vehicle, the transmission will remain in
the current gear if the speed of the vehicle is in ex-
cess of the Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear
to which the selector lever has been moved.
When shifting down a gear, ensure that the ve-
hicle is not travelling at a speed exceeding the
Maximum Allowable Speed for the gear which
is about to be selected. Failure to observe this
precaution can lead to engine over-revving and
this in turn can result in engine damage.
In addition, sudden application of engine
brakes when the vehicle is travelling on a slip-
pery surface can lead to wheel locking; as a
consequence, control of the vehicle may be lost
and the risk of an accident increased.
T Driving tips
y Always apply the foot or parking brake when the ve-
hicle is stopped in the “D”, “3”, “2”, “1” or “R” position. y Always set the parking brake when parking your ve-
hicle. Do not hold the vehicle with only the transmis- sion. y Do not keep the vehicle in a stationary position on
an uphill grade by using the “D”, “3”, “2”, or “1” position.
Non-turbo
models Turbo
models
1st 28 (45) 29 (47)
2nd 61 (97) 60 (96) 3rd 96 (153) 103 (164)

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Starting and operating
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adjusts the engine’s output and the wheels’ respective
braking forces to help maintain traction and directional
control. yTraction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to prevent
spinning of the driving wheels on slippery road surfac-
es, thereby helping to maintain traction and directional
control. Activation of this function is shown by steady
illumination of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light. y Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed to help
maintain directional stability by suppressing the
wheels’ tendency to slide sideways during steering op-
erations. Activation of this function is shown by flash-
ing of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indica-
tor light.
NOTE y Slight twitching of the brake pedal may be felt
when the Vehicle Dynamics Control system oper-
ates; a small degree of vehicle or steering wheel
shaking may also be noticed in this situation.
These are normal characteristics of Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation and are no cause for
alarm. y
When driving off immediately after starting the
engine, a short-lived operation noise may be no-
ticed coming from the engine compartment. This
noise is generated as a result of a check being per-
formed on the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
and is normal. y Depending on the timing of activation of the
brakes, certain situations may occur just after
driving off where the brake pedal seems to exhibit
a jolting motion. This too is a consequence of the
Vehicle Dynamics Control operational check and
is normal. y In the circumstances listed below, the vehicle
may be more unstable than it feels to the driver.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control System may there-
fore operate. Such operation does not indicate a system fault. yon gravel-covered or rutted roads
y on unfinished roads
y when the vehicle is towing a trailer
y when the vehicle is fitted with snow tires or
winter tires
y Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys-
tem will cause operation of the steering wheel to feel slightly different compared to that for normal
conditions.y Even if the vehicle is equipped with a Vehicle

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Starting and operating
Dynamics Control system, it is important that win-
ter tires be used when driving on snow-covered oricy roads. (All four wheels should be fitted with
tires of the same size and brand). Furthermore, if
snow chains are to be used, they should be fitted
on the front wheels. When a vehicle is fitted with
snow chains, however, the effectiveness of the Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control system is reduced and
this should be taken into account when driving the
vehicle in such a condition. y
It is always important to reduce speed when ap-
proaching a corner, even if the vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control. y All four wheels should be fitted with tires of the
same size, type, and brand; furthermore, the
amount of wear should be the same for all four
tires. If these precautions are not observed and
non-matching tires are used, it is quite possible
that the Vehicle Dynamics Control system will be
unable to operate correctly as intended.y Always turn off the engine before replacing a
tire as failure to do so may render the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system unable to operate correct-ly. „
Vehicle Dynamics Control system monitor
T Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator
light
The indicator light turns on when the ignition key is
turned to the ON position; it turns off approximately
two seconds later. This indicator light flashes during
activation of the skid suppression function and is illu-
minated steadily during activation of the traction con-
trol function.
The following two situations could indicate a malfunc-
tion of the Vehicle Dynamics Control system; if either
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Starting and operating
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„Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF switch
Pressing the switch to deactivate the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system can facilitate the following opera- tions: y a standing start on a steeply sloping road with a
snowy, gravel-covered, or otherwise slippery surface y extrication of the vehicle when its wheels are stuck
in mud or deep snow
When the switch is pressed during engine operation,
the indicator light illuminates. The Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will be deactivated and the vehicle will
behave like a model not equipped with the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system. When the switch is pressed
again to reactivate the Vehicle Dynamics Control sys- tem, the indicator light goes off.
With the Vehicle Dynamics Control system deactivat-
ed, traction and stability enhancement offered by Ve- hicle Dynamics Control system is unavailable. There-
fore you should not deactivate the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system except under above-mentioned situa-
tions.
NOTE y
When the switch has been pressed to deactivate
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system, the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system automatically reacti-
vates itself the next time the ignition key is turned
to the OFF position and the engine is restarted. y If the switch is held down for 10 seconds or
longer, the indicator light goes off, the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is activated, and the sys-
tem ignores any further pressing of the switch. To
make the switch usable again, turn the ignition key
to the OFF position and restart the engine. y When the switch is pressed to deactivate the Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control system, the vehicle’s run-
ning performance is comparable with that of a ve-
hicle that does not have a Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system. Do not deactivate the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system except when absolutely neces-
sary.
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Driving tips
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„Snow tires
yWhen replacing original tires with winter
(snow) tires, make sure you use only the same
size, construction and load range as the origi-
nal tires listed on the tire placard. Using other
sizes and construction may affect speedome-
ter/odometer calibration and clearance be-
tween the body and tires. It also may be danger-
ous and lead to loss of vehicle control. y You must install four winter tires that are of
the same size, construction, brand, and load
range. Mixing other sizes or constructions may
result in severe mechanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle and may affect ride, han-
dling, braking and speedometer/odometer cali-
bration. It also may be dangerous and lead to
loss of vehicle control. y Do not use a combination of radial, belted
bias or bias tires since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead to an acci-
dent.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires” as orig-
inal equipment, which are designed to provide an ad- equate measure of traction, handling and braking per-
formance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be
possible to enhance performance through use of tires
designed specifically for winter driving conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on your vehi-
cle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type. You
must install four winter tires that are of the same size,
construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this
may result in dangerous handling characteristics.
When you choose a tire, make sure that there is
enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of
the type of tires on your vehicle. „
Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may require the
use of tire chains, in which case put the chains on the
front wheels only. Use only SAE class S type chains
that are of the correct size for your tires so as not to
damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at speeds below
19 mph (30 km/h).
Always use the utmost care when driving with tire
chains – overconfidence because you are driving with
tire chains could easily lead to a serious accident.

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Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
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Uniform tire quality grading stan-
dards
This information indicates the relative perfor-
mance of passenger car tires in the area of
treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance.
This is to aid the consumer in making an in-
formed choice in the purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire sidewall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The quality grades apply to new pneumatic tires
for use on passenger cars. However, they do not
apply to deep tread, winter type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires
with nominal rim diameters of 12 inches or less,
or to some limited production tires.
All passenger car tires must confirm to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades. „Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1-1/2) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to variations in
driving habits, service practices and differences
in road characteristics and climate. „
Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and C. Those grades represent the
tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction

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Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
„ Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the
tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and exces-
sive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perfor-
mance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
The temperature grade for this tire is es-
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un-
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.