2006 SUBARU BAJA towing

8-34
Driving tips
– 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.
– 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 sway ing 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.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
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8-35
Driving tips
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yBacking 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 li ght illuminates while the vehicle
is in motion, stop towing the trailer and have repairs
performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU deal-er. T Driving 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 ef fect 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 ai r conditioner and stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheating” section in chapter 9, and “Warning and indicator lights” se
ction in chapter 3.
NOTE (Turbo models only)
In a vehicle that has an automatic transmission,
the engine is less likely to overheat with the “D”
range selected than it is with the manual mode se-
lected. y If your vehicle has an autom atic 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. y Non-turbo models only: If your vehicle has an auto-
matic transmission, place the selector lever as follows:
Uphill slopes: “D” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear position to use en-
gine braking 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

9-1
9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an emergency .. 9-2
Jack and tools ............................................... 9-3 Location of jack and tools ............................... 9-3
Removing jack and tool bag ............................ 9-3
Restoring jack and tools .................................. 9-5
Spare tire ....................................................... 9-7 Removing the spare tire ................................... 9-7
Re-storage of spare tire ................................... 9-9
Temporary spare tire .................................... 9-10 Using the temporary spare tire ........................ 9-10
Flat tires ......................................................... 9-12 Changing a flat tire ........................................... 9-12
Jump starting ................................................ 9-18 How to jump start ............................................. 9-19
Engine overheating ....................................... 9-21 If steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-21
If no steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................. 9-21
Towing ........................................................... 9-22 Towing and tie-down hooks ............................ 9-23
Using a flat-bed truck ....................................... 9-27
Towing with all wheels on the ground ............ 9-27

9-10
In case of emergency
Temporary spare tire „
Using the temporary spare tire
Never tow a trailer when the temporary spare
tire is used. The temporary spare tire is not de-
signed to sustain the towing load. Use of the
temporary spare tire when towing can result in
failure of the spare tire and/or less stability of
the vehicle and may lead to an accident.
Never use any temporary spare tire other than
the original. Using other sizes may result in se-
vere mechanical damage to the drive train of
your vehicle.
The temporary spare tire is smaller and lighter than a
conventional tire and is designed for emergency use
only. Remove the temporary spare tire and re-install
the conventional tire as soon as possible because the
spare tire is designed only for temporary use. Check the inflation pressure of the temporary spare
tire periodically to keep the tire ready for use. The cor-
rect pressure is
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm 2
).
When using the temporary spare tire, note the follow-
ing.y Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
y Do not put a tire chain on the temporary spare tire.
Because of the smaller tire size, a tire chain will not fit
properly. y Do not use two or more temporary spare tires at the
same time. y Do not drive over obstacles. This tire has a smaller
diameter, so road clearance is reduced.

9-22
In case of emergency
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If the fan is not
turning, immediately turn off the engine 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 off the engine.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down, check the
coolant level in the reserve tank.
If the coolant level is below the “MIN” mark, add cool-
ant up to the “MAX” 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. Releas e the pressure from the ra-
diator. After the pressure has been fully released, re-
move the cap by pressing down and turning it.Towing
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT and MT) with
the front wheels raised o ff 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.
If towing is necessary, it is best done by your SUBARU
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9-23
In case of emergency
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dealer or a commercial towing service. Observe the
following procedures for safety. „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 or snow).
y Use only specified towing hooks and tie-
down hooks. Never use suspension parts or
other parts of the body for towing or tie-down
purposes. y Never use the tie-down hook closest to the
muffler under the vehicle for towing purposes. y To prevent deformation to the front bumper
and the towing hook, do not apply excessive
lateral load to the towing hooks. 1) Towing hook cover
2) Towing hook
The front towing hook is located on the inside of the
towing hook cover below the right-hand headlight.
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9-24
In case of emergency
1) Tie-down hook
1) Tie-down hook
2) Towing and tie-down hook
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9-25
In case of emergency
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Vehicle with trailer hitch (if equipped)
1) Tie-down hook T
Towing hook cover removal procedure
The towing hook cover is secured by tabs that fit into
corresponding slots in the vehicle body.
To remove the cover:
1. Free the tabs on the towing hook cover by firmly
pressing the point indicated by an arrow with the palm
of your hand.
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