2006 SUBARU OUTBACK Owners Manual

11 - 3 6 Maintenance and service
y Correct tire pressure (tread worn
evenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering is re-
sponsive. Rolling resistance is low, so fuel
consumption is also lower. y Abnormally low tire pressure (tread
worn at shoulders)
Rolling resistance is high, so fuel con-
sumption is also higher. y Abnormally high tire pressure (tread
worn in center)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magni-
fies the effects of road-surface bumps and
dips, possibly resulting in vehicle damage.B00050 B00051
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. B00052

Maintenance and service
11 - 3 7
– CONTINUED –„ 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-l ine 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.
NOTE Loss 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 indicators
1) New tread
2) Worn tread
3) Tread wear indicator
Each 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. NOTE For safety, inspect th e tire tread regu-
larly and replace the tires before their
tread wear indicators become visible.
„ Tire rotation12 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

11 - 3 8 Maintenance and service
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To
maximize the life of each tire and ensure
that the tires wear uniformly, it is best to
rotate the tires every 7,500 miles (12,500
km). Rotating the tires involves switching
the front and rear ti res on the right-hand
side of the vehicle and similarly switching
the front and rear tires on the left-hand
side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn
tire at the time of rotation. After tire rota-
tion, adjust the tire pressures and make
sure the wheel nuts are correctly tight-
ened.
After driving approximately 600 miles
(1,000 km), check the wheel nuts again
and retighten any nut that has become
loose.
„ Tire replacementThe wheels and tires are important and in-
tegral parts of your vehicle’s design; they
cannot be changed arbitrarily. The tires fit-
ted as standard equipment are optimally
matched to the characteristics of the vehi-
cle and were selected to give the best pos-
sible combination of running performance,
ride comfort, and service life. It is essential
for every tire to have a size and construc-
tion matching those shown on the tire placard and to have a speed symbol and
load index matching those shown on the
tire placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts
from controllability, ride comfort, braking
performance, speedometer accuracy and
odometer accuracy. It also creates incor-
rect body-to-tire clearances and inappro-
priately changes the vehicle’s ground
clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of
manufacturer, brand (tread pattern), con-
struction, and size. You are advised to re-
place the tires with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equip-
ment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU rec-
ommends replacing all four tires at the
same time.
„ Wheel replacement When replacing wheels due, for example,
to damage, make sure the replacement
wheels match the specifications of the
wheels that are fitted as standard equip-
ment. Replacement wheels are available
from SUBARU dealers. y All four tires must be the same in
terms of manufacturer, brand
(tread pattern), construction, de-
gree of wear, speed symbol, load
index and size. Mixing tires of dif-
ferent types, sizes or degrees of
wear can result in damage to the
vehicle’s power train. Use of dif-
ferent types or si zes of tires can
also dangerously reduce control-
lability and braking performance
and can lead to an accident.
y Use only radial tires. Do not use
radial tires together with belted
bias tires and/or bias-ply tires. Do-
ing so can dangerously reduce
controllability, resulting in an ac-
cident.

Maintenance and service
11 - 3 9
– CONTINUED –Aluminum wheels Aluminum wheels can be scratched and
damaged easily. Handle them carefully to
maintain their appearance, performance,
and safety.
y When any of the wheels is removed and
replaced for tire rotation or to change a
flat, always check the tightness of the
wheel nuts after driving approximately 600
miles (1,000 km). If any nut is loose, tight-
en it to the specified torque.
y Never apply oil to the threaded parts,
wheel nuts, or tapered surface of the
wheel.
y Never let the wheel rub against sharp
protrusions or curbs.
y Be sure to fit tire chains on uniformly
and completely around the tire, otherwise
the chains may scratch the wheel.
y When wheel nuts, balance weights, or
the center cap is replaced, be sure to re-
place them with genuine SUBARU parts
designed for aluminum wheels. Windshield washer fluid
If you spray washer fluid on the windshield
but the supply of washer fluid appears to
diminish, check the level of washer fluid in
the tank.Use only those wheels that are
specified for your vehicle. Wheels
not meeting specifications could in-
terfere with brake caliper operation
and may cause the tires to rub
against the wheel well housing dur-
ing turns. The resulting loss of vehi-
cle control could lead to an acci-
dent. Never use engine coolant as washer
fluid because it could cause paint
damage.
B00199

11 - 4 0 Maintenance and service
Washer fluid level gauge
Remove the washer tank filler cap, then
check the fluid level indicated by the level
gauge (attached to the inside of the cap).
If the level is near the “Low” mark, add flu- id until it reaches the “Hi” level on the level
gauge or the “Full” mark on the tank.
Use windshield washer fluid. If windshield
washer fluid is unavailable use clean wa-
ter.
In areas where water freezes in winter,
use an anti-freeze type windshield washer
fluid. SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid
contains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%
surfactant, by volume. Its freezing temper-
ature varies according to how much it is di-
luted, as indicated in the following table.
In order to prevent freezing of washer flu-
id, check the freezing temperatures in the
table above when adjusting the fluid con-
centration to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with
a different concentration from the one
used previously, purge the old fluid from
the piping between the reservoir tank and
washer nozzles by operating the washer
for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if
the concentration of the fluid remaining in
the piping is too low for the outside tem- perature, it may freeze and block the noz-
zles.
Hi
Low 300172
300173 Washer Fluid
Concentration Freezing
Temperature
30% 10.4 ° F (–12 ° C)
50% –4 ° F (–20 ° C)
100% –49 ° F (–45 ° C) Adjust the washer fluid concentra-
tion appropriatel y for the outside
temperature. If the concentration is
inappropriate, sprayed washer fluid
may freeze on the windshield and
obstruct your view, and the fluid
may freeze in the reservoir tank.

Maintenance and service
11 - 4 1
– CONTINUED –Replacement of wiper blades Grease, wax, insects, or other materials
on the windshield or the wiper blade re-
sults in jerky wiper operation and streak-
ing on the glass. If you cannot remove the
streaks after operating the windshield
washer or if the wiper operation is jerky,
clean the outer surface of the windshield
(or rear window) and the wiper blades us-
ing a sponge or soft cloth with a neutral
detergent or mild-abrasive cleaner. After
cleaning, rinse the windshield and wiper
blades with clean water. The windshield is
clean if beads do not form when you rinse
the windshield with water. If you cannot eliminate the streaking even
after following this method, replace the
wiper blades using the following proce-
dures:
„ Windshield wiper blade as-
sembly 1. Raise the windshield wiper arm on the
driver’s side.
2. Next, raise the windshield wiper arm on
the passenger’s side. 1) Stopper
3. Remove the wiper blade assembly by
holding its pivot area and pushing it in the
direction shown by the arrow while de-
pressing the wiper blade stopper.
4. Install the wiper blade assembly to the
wiper arm. Make sure that it locks in place.
5. Lower the windshield wiper arm on the
passenger’s side slowly while supporting
it by hand.
6. Next, lower the windshield wiper arm
on the driver’s side slowly while support-
ing it by hand.y Do not clean the wiper blades with
gasoline or a solvent, such as
paint thinner or benzene. This will
cause deterioration of the wiper
blades.
y When you wish to raise the pas-
senger-side wiper arm, first raise
the driver-side wiper arm. Other-
wise, the passenger-side wiper
assembly and driver-side wiper
assembly will touch each other,
possibly resulting in scratches. y Return the passenger-side wiper
arm to its original position before
returning the driver-side wiper
arm to its original position. Other-
wise, the passenger-side wiper
assembly and driver-side wiper
assembly will touch each other,
possibly resulting in scratches. 1 B00380

11 - 4 2 Maintenance and service
„ Windshield wiper blade rub-
ber
1) Metal support
1. Grasp the locked end of the blade rub-
ber assembly and pull it firmly until the
stoppers on the rubber are free of the met-
al support. 1) Metal spines
2. If the new blade rubber is not provided
with two metal spines, remove the metal
spines from the old blade rubber and in-
stall them in the new blade rubber. 3. Align the claws of the metal support
with the grooves in the rubber and slide
the blade rubber assembly into the metal
support until it locks.
1) Stopper
4. Be sure to position the claws at the end
of the metal support between the stoppers
on the rubber as shown. If the rubber is
not retained properly, the wiper blade may
scratch the windshield.
„ Rear window wiper blade as-
sembly 1. Raise the wiper arm off the rear win-
dow.1
B00330 B00504
1
B00059 1 B00332

Maintenance and service
11 - 4 3
– CONTINUED –2. Turn the wiper blade assembly coun-
terclockwise.
3. Pull the wiper blade assembly toward
you to remove it from the wiper arm. „ Rear window wiper blade rub-
ber
1. Pull out the end of the blade rubber as-
sembly to unlock it from the plastic sup-
port. 2. Pull the blade rubber assembly out of
the plastic support.
1) Metal spines
3. If the new blade rubber is not provided
with two metal spines, remove the metal
spines from the old blade rubber and in-
stall them in the new blade rubber.700063
700064 700017
B00064 B00505
1