2006 SUBARU FORESTER steering wheel

Starting and operating
7-19
– CONTINUED –
Vehicle Dynamics Control system (if equipped)
yDriving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.yIf at all in doubt about whether the
brakes are operating properly, do
not drive the vehicle. Have your
vehicle towed to the nearest
SUBARU dealer for repair.
Always use the utmost care in driv-
ing – overconfidence because you
are driving with a Vehicle Dynamics
Control system equipped vehicle
could easily lead to a serious acci-
dent.
yEven if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control,
winter tires or snow chains
should be used when driving on
snow-covered or icy roads; in ad-
dition, vehicle speed should be re-
duced considerably. Simply hav-
ing a Vehicle Dynamics Control
system does not guarantee that
the vehicle will be able to avoid
accidents in any situation.
yActivation of the Vehicle Dynam-
ics Control system is an indica-
tion that the road being travelled
on has a slippery surface; since
having Vehicle Dynamics Control
is no guarantee that full vehicle
control will be maintained at all
times and under all conditions, its
activation should be seen as a
sign that the speed of the vehicle
should be reduced considerably.
y Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or an
axle are removed from a vehicle
equipped with Vehicle Dynamics
Control, have an authorized
SUBARU dealer perform an in-
spection of that system.
y The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is operating properly:
– 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.
ProCarManuals.com

7-20
Starting and operating
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system ad-
justs 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 surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is shown by
steady illumination of the Vehicle Dynam-
ics 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 operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.
NOTEy
Slight twitching of the brake pedal
may be felt when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system operates; a small de-
gree of vehicle or steering wheel shak-
ing may also be noticed in this situa-
tion. These are normal characteristics
of Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
and are no cause for alarm.
y When driving off immediately after
starting the engine, a short-lived oper-
ation noise may be noticed coming
from the engine compartment. This
noise is generated as a result of a
check being performed on the Vehicle
Dynamics Control system and is nor-
mal.
y Depending on the timing of activa-
tion of the brakes, certain situations
may occur just after driving off where
the brake pedal seems to exhibit a jolt-
ing motion. This too is a consequence
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control opera-
tional check and is normal.
y In the circumstances listed in the fol-
lowing, the vehicle may be more unsta- ble than it feels to the driver. The Vehi-
cle Dynamics Control System may
therefore operate. Such operation does
not indicate a system fault.
y on 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 system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly dif-
ferent compared to that for normal con-
ditions.
y Even if the vehicle is equipped with a
Vehicle Dynamics Control system, it is
important that winter tires be used
when driving on snow-covered or icy
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 effective-
ness of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is reduced and this should be
taken into account when driving the ve-
hicle in such a condition.
y It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with Ve-
hicle Dynamics Control.
– Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
placard attached to the vehi-
cle’s door pillar.
– Use only the special temporary spare tire to replace a flat tire.
With a temporary spare tire, the
effectiveness of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is re-
duced and this should be taken
into account when driving the
vehicle in such a condition.
ProCarManuals.com

7-24
Starting and operating
Parking your vehicle„Parking brakeTo set the parking brake, press the brake
pedal firmly and hold it down while fully
pulling up the parking brake lever.
To release the parking brake, pull the le-
ver up slightly, press the release button,
then lower the lever while keeping the but-
ton pressed.
When the parking brake is set while the
engine is running, the parking brake warn-
ing light comes on. After starting the vehi-
cle, be sure that the warning light has
gone out before the vehicle is driven. Re-
fer to the “Warning and indicator lights”
section (chapter 3).
„Parking tipsWhen parking your vehicle, always set the
parking brake firmly and put the shift lever
in the “1” (1st) for an upgrade or “R” (Re-
verse) for a downgrade for manual trans-
mission vehicles, or in the “P” (Park) posi-
tion for automatic transmission vehicles.
Always set the parking brake firmly when
parking your vehicle. Never rely on the
transmission alone to hold the vehicle. When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is head-
ed up the hill, the front wheels should be
turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.
700336
Never drive while the parking brake
is set because this will cause unnec-
essary wear on the brake linings.
Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.
700044700045
ProCarManuals.com

8-6
Driving tips
Off road drivingBecause of the AWD feature and higher
ground clearance, your SUBARU can be
driven on ordinary roads or off-road. But
please keep in mind that an AWD
SUBARU is a passenger car and is nei-
ther a conventional off-road vehicle nor an
all-terrain vehicle. If you do take your
SUBARU off-road, certain common sense
precautions such as the following should
be taken:
yMake certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts.
y Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or
citizens band radio.
y Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain.
y Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and the
like.
y Do not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down slopes that are too steep.
y
Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds.
y Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the out-
side of the rim.
y If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your ve-
hicle and may cause it to stall. Never at-
tempt to drive through rushing water; re-
gardless of its depth, it can wash away the
ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle
rollover.
y Always check your brakes for effective-
ness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads.
y Do not drive or park over or near flam- mable materials such as dry grass or fall-
en leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the en-
gine is running and right after the engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard.
y
After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur.
y Secure all cargo carried inside the vehi-
cle and make certain that it is not piled
higher than the seatbacks. During sudden
stops or jolts, unsecured cargo could be
thrown around in the vehicle and cause in-
jury. Do not pile heavy loads on the roof.
Those loads raise the vehicle’s center of
gravity and make it more prone to tip over.
y If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelera-
tor pedal slightly and move the selector le-
ver back and forth between “D” and “R” re-
peatedly. Do not race the engine. For the
best possible traction, avoid spinning the
wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely slip-
pery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
ProCarManuals.com

Driving tips
8-23
– CONTINUED –
lights and parking lights each time you
hitch up.TTires
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated to the pressure spec-
ified on the tire placard located on the driv-
er’s side center pillar.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in ac-
cordance with the trailer manufacturer’s
specifications.„ Trailer towing tips
T Before starting out on a trip
y Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer.
y Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer 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
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable.
y Check that the tire pressures are cor-
rect.
y Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that – the trailer tongue is connected prop-
erly to the hitch ball.
– the trailer lights connector is connect-
ed properly and trailer’s brake lights illu-
minate when the vehicle’s brake pedal
is pressed, and that the trailer’s turn sig- nal lights flash when the vehicle’s turn
signal lever is operated.
– the safety chains are connected prop-
erly.
– all cargo in the trailer is secured safe-
ty in position.
– the side mirrors provide a good rear-
ward 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 re-
sult in skidding or jackknifing and loss of
control.
y Avoid abrupt starts and sudden acceler-
ations. If your vehicle has a manual trans-
mission, always start out in first gear and
release the clutch at moderate engine rev-
olution.
y Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.
y Slow down before turning. Make a long-
er than normal turning radius because the
trailer wheels will be closer than the vehi-
cle wheels to the inside of the turn. In a
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle’s lighting system.
y
Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly coun-
try on hot days.yWhen towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. For
safety’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a trail-
er and you should never speed.
You should also keep the follow-
ing tips in mind:
ProCarManuals.com

8-24
Driving tips
tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle.
yCrosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing 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 im-
mediately but gradually.
y When passing other vehicles, consider-
able distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by at-
taching the trailer to your vehicle.1) Left turn
2) Right turny Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. 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 performed im-
mediately by the nearest SUBARU dealer.
T Driving on grades
y Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts.
y When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner 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 condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates, immediately switch off the air con-
ditioner and stop the vehicle at the nearest
safe place. Refer to the “Engine overheat-
ing” section in chapter 9, and “Warning
and indicator lights” section in chapter 3. y
If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, avoid using the accelerator pedal
to stay stationary on an uphill slope in-
stead of using the parking brake or foot
brake. That may cause the transmission
fluid to overheat.
y If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, place the selector lever as fol-
lows:
Uphill slopes: “D” position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear posi-
tion to use engine braking
T Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both vehi-
cle 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 un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, re-
lease the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then ap-
ply the parking brake; slowly release the
regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual
transmission) or “P” (automatic transmis-1 2
800231
ProCarManuals.com

9-12
In case of emergency
„Using a flat-bed truckThis is the best way to transport your vehi-
cle. Use the following procedures to en-
sure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P” po- sition for automatic transmission vehicles
or “1st” for manual transmission vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
„
Towing with all wheels on the
ground1. Check the transmission and differential
oil levels and add oil to bring it to the upper
level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the
“ACC” position while the vehicle is being towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
y
Use only the 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 on
the underside of the vehicle clos-
est to the muffler for towing pur-
poses.
900018
900019
yNever turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK” position while the ve-
hicle is being towed because the
steering wheel and the direction
of the wheels will be locked.yRemember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not run-
ning. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater ef-
fort to operate the brake pedal and
steering wheel.
y If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
y Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the en-
gine running.
ProCarManuals.com

11 - 3 2
Maintenance and service
„Wheel balanceEach wheel was correctly balanced when
your vehicle was new, but the wheels will
become unbalanced as the tires become
worn during use. Wheel imbalance caus-
es 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 sys-
tem problems and abnormal tire wear. If
you suspect that the wheels are not cor-
rectly balanced, have them checked and
adjusted by your SUBARU dealer. Also
have them adjusted after tire repairs and
after tire rotation.NOTELoss of correct wheel alignment* caus-
es the tires to wear on one side and re-
duces the vehicle’s running stability. Contact your SUBARU dealer if you no-
tice 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-
mance.„
Wear indicators1) New tread
2) Worn tread
3) Tread wear indicatorEach tire incorporates a tread wear indica-
tor, which becomes visible when the depth
of the tread grooves decreases to 0.063 in
(1.6 mm). A tire must be replaced when
the tread wear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
NOTEFor safety, inspect tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their tread
wear indicators become visible.„Tire rotation
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to deform severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and destruction of
the tires. The resulting loss of vehi-
cle control could lead to an acci-
dent.
12 3
B00327
When a tire’s tread wear indicator
becomes visible, the tire is worn be-
yond the acceptable limit and must
be replaced immediately. With a tire
in this condition, driving at high
speeds in wet weather can cause
the vehicle to hydroplane. The re-
sulting loss of vehicle control can
lead to an accident.
B00054
ProCarManuals.com