Driving tips
8-9
– CONTINUED –buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-
ness.
T Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and t he risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weath-
er.
Use only additives that are specifically de-
signed for this purpose. When an anti-
freeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used for
an extended period, it is best to have the
fuel tank filled to capacity.
„ Driving on snowy and icy
roads To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you
to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the en-
gine brake effectively to control the vehi-
cle speed. (Shift into a lower gear when
necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such behav-
ior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhanc-
es your vehicle’s braking performance on
snowy and icy roads. Refer to the “ABS
(Anti-lock Brake System)” and “Vehicle
Dynamics Control system (if equipped)”
section in chapter 7 for information on
braking on slippery surfaces. T Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blades are not frozen to the
windshield or rear window. If the wiper
blades are frozen to the windshield or rear
window, use the defroster with the airflow
control button/dial in the “ ” position
and the temperature control dial set for
maximum warmth until the wiper blades
are completely thawed out. If your vehicle
is equipped with a wiper deicer, it is helpful
to thaw the windshield wiper blades. To
thaw out the rear wiper blade, use the rear
window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow
starts to stick on th e surface of the wind-
shield despite wiper operation, use the de-
froster with the airflow control button/dial
in “ ” and the temperature control dial
set for maximum warmth. After the wind-
shield gets warmed enough to melt the
frozen snow on it, wash it away using the
windshield washer.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the
wiper from working effe ctively. If snow is
stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to
a safe place, then remove it. If you stop
the vehicle at road side, use the hazard
warning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing typeDo not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of vehi-
cle control. Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine’s intake system and may
hinder the air flow, which could re-
sult in engine shutdown or even
breakdown.
8-18 Driving tips
NOTE Before each use of the roof crossbar,
make sure the four T-30 crossbar
clamp screws have been checked, and
retightened if necessary to 35 lbf·in (4.0
N·m, 0.41 kgf·m), as outlined in Step #5
above.
Trailer hitch (if equipped)
The trailer hitch is designed to tow a Class
1 rated load. The maximum gross trailer
weight and maximum gross tongue weight
are indicated in the following table.
When you tow a trailer, follow the instruc-
tions in the next section “Trailer towing”. y Never exceed the maximum
weight specified for the trailer
hitch. Exceeding the maximum
weight could cause an accident
resulting in serious personal inju-
ries. Permissible trailer weight
changes depending on the situa-
tion. Refer to th e next section
“Trailer towing” for possible rec-
ommendations and limitations.
y Trailer brakes are required when
the towing load exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg). Be sure your trailer has
safety chains and that each chain
will hold the trailer’s maximum
gross weight. Towing trailers
without safety chains could create
a traffic safety haza rd if the trailer
separates from the hitch due to
coupling damage or hitch ball
damage. y Be sure to check the hitch pin and
safety pin for positive locking
placement before towing a trailer.
If the ball moun t comes off the
hitch receiver, the trailer could get
loose and create a traffic safety
hazard.
y Use only the ball mount supplied
with this hitch. Use the hitch only
as a weight carrying hitch. Do not
use with any type of weight dis-
tributing hitch.
Maximum
gross trailer
weight Maximum
gross tongue
weight
3.0-liter
models 3,000 lbs
(1,360 kg)
200 lbs
(90 kg)All models
other than
3.0-liter
models 2,700 lbs
(1,224 kg)