2006 SUBARU TRIBECA tire size

Driving tips 8-11
– CONTINUED –
Recommended winter (snow) tire size
P255/55R18 stud less
„ Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may
require the use of tire chains, in which
case put genuine SUBARU spring chains
on the front wheels only. Genuine
SUBARU spring chains are available from
your SUBARU dealer. These chains can
be installed on “all season tires” as origi-
nal equipment. Never install them on win- ter (snow) tires.
When driving with tire chains, drive at
speeds below 19 mph (30 km/h). When a
temporary spare tire is on a front wheel,
replace the temporary spare tire with the
rear tire on the same side of the vehicle,
and then fit chains on the front tires.
Always use the utmost care when driving
with tire chains – overconfidence because you are driving with tire chains could eas-
ily lead to a serious accident. „
Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the acceler-
ator pedal slightly and move the selector
lever back and forth between “D” and “R”
repeatedly. 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
in 2nd than 1st.
Refer to the “Automatic transmission” sec-
tion in chapter 7 for information on holding
the transmission in 2nd position.
Loading your vehicle
Tire chains cannot be used on tires
listed in the following because of
lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.
All model: P255/55R 18 winter (snow) tires
Never allow passengers to ride on a
folded rear seatback or in the cargo
area. Doing so may result in serious
injury.
y Never stack luggage or other car-
go higher than the top of the seat-
back because it could tumble for-
ward and injure passengers in the
event of a sudden stop or acci-
dent. Keep luggage or cargo low,
as close to the floor as possible.
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Driving tips 8-23
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T
Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors pro-
vide a good rearward field of view without
significant blind spots. If significant blind
spots occur with the vehicle’s standard
side mirrors, use towing mirrors that con-
form with Federal, state/province and/or
other applicable regulations. T Trailer lights
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-
cle’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle’s lighting circuit to in-
crease its capacity and accommodate wir-
ing changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper
operation of the turn signals, the brake
lights and parking lights each time you
hitch up. TTires
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated.
The recommended cold tire pressure un-
der trailer towing conditions is shown in
chapter 12, “Specifications” and in “GAS
STATION REFERENCE” at the end of this
manual. Adjust the rear tire pressure to
the recommended pressure when the tires
are cold. Normal pressure should be maintained in the front tires.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in ac-
cordance with the trailer manufacturer’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured. „
Trailer towing tips
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.
800018
Never tow a trailer when the tempo-
rary spare tire is used. The tempo-
rary spare tire is not designed 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.
yNever exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly coun-
try on hot days.
y When 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:

9-2 In case of emergency
In case of emergencyIf you park your vehicle in an
emergency
The hazard warning flasher should be
used in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switch po- sition.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pushing the switch again.
NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on, the turn signals do not work.
Spare tire
The spare tire is stored in the spare tire
holder located under the cargo area.
The spare tire holder has a hoist mecha-
nism that can lower and raise the spare
tire easily.
The spare tire holder is designed to carry
only the following kinds of tires: y
the temporary spare tire that came with
your vehicle y a full-size flat tire
A full size flat tire should be stowed in the
spare tire holder in an emergency only. Af-
ter having the full-size flat tire repaired,
immediately swap it with the temporaryspare tire.
Before using the temporary spare tire, see
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9-4 In case of emergency
wise with the wheel nut wrench until the
temporary spare tire is on the ground with
enough cable slack to allow you to pull it
out from under the vehicle.10.Tilt the retainer at the end of the cable
and pull it through the center of the tempo-
rary spare tire.
11.After the temporary spare tire is re-
moved from the cable, the cable must be
wound up completely by turning the hoist
nut shaft clockwise until you hear a click-
ing sound. Also visually inspect the cable
to make certain that there is no longer any
slack present.
yBe sure to remove (not simply
keep it open) the subfloor storage
lid before turning the wheel nut
wrench, otherwise the lid may be
damaged.
y Do not put your fingers into the
center hole of the temporary
spare tire while you pulling it out,
because they might be pinched in
between the wheel and the retain-er.
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900208
yDo not use the extension when
turning the wheel nuts. If you did,
you would not be able to achieve sufficient tightening torque. The
wheel nuts could then come
loose, resulting in a serious acci-
dent.
yWhen using the spare tire hoist:
After the temporary spare tire is
removed from the cable, wind the
cable up completely until the re-
tainer at end of the cable sits
against the underside of the vehi-
cle. Driving with the cable not re-
tracted fully could result in dam-
age to the adjacent under floor
parts and lead to a serious acci-
dent.
yThe spare tire holder is designed to carry only the following kinds
of tires:
ythe temporary spare tire that
came with your vehicle
ya full-size flat tire

In case of emergency 9-5
„Re-storage of spare tire
1. Turn the spare tire hoist shaft end
counterclockwise with the wheel nut
wrench to loosen the cable sufficiently
enough to allow the cable end retainer go
through center hole of the temporary
spare tire.
2. Insert the retainer through the center
hole of the temporary tire (with the outside
of the tire facing up). 3. Turn the hoist shaft end clockwise with
the wheel nut wrench to wind the cable up
completely until you hear a few clicking
sounds. Confirm that the temporary spare
tire holding cable has been wound up
completely by shaking the temporary tire.
4. Put the rubber cap on the hoist shaft
end hole.
5. Fit the access cover.
6. Place the wheel nut wrench and exten-
sion back into the tool bag and store the
jack and tool bag in their storage loca- tions.
7. Fit the lid of the cargo area.
A full size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder in
an emergency only. After having
the full-size flat tire repaired, im-
mediately swap it with the tempo-
rary spare tire.
Never stow a full-size tire that is
not flat in the spare tire holder.
Doing so can result in damage to
adjacent under floor parts and can
lead to a serious accident.
When using the spare tire hoist:
Do not use air tools or power toolsto turn the spare tire hoist shaft end.
If you do, it could result in severe
mechanical damage to the spare tire
hoist.
If the temporary spare tire is not
stored securely, it could damage ad-
jacent areas of the vehicle and make
an abnormal noise. y When stowing a flat tire in the
spare tire holder, turn the hoist
shaft end only slowly. If it is
turned quickly, the wheel disc of
the flat tire could be damaged.
yA full-size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder in
an emergency only. After having
the flat tire repaired, immediately
swap it with the temporary spare tire.
y Remember that the tread width of
a flat tire is wider than that of the
temporary spare tire. When carry-
ing a flat tire stowed in the spare
tire holder, make sure the tire
does not touch any obstacles.

9-6 In case of emergency
Temporary spare tire
The temporary spare tire is smaller and
lighter than a conventional tire and is de-
signed for emergency use only. Remove
the temporary spare tire and re-install the
conventional tire as soon as possible be-
cause the spare tire is designed only for
temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tempo-
rary spare tire periodically to keep the tire
ready for use. The correct pressure is 60
psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm 2
).
When using the temporary spare tire, note
the following.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. 1) Tread wear indicator bar
2) Indicator location mark
y When the wear indicator appears on the
tread, replace the tire. y The temporary spare tire must be used
only on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tire
gets punctured, replace the wheel with a
rear wheel and install the temporary spare
tire in place of the removed rear wheel.
y Never tow a trailer when the tem-
porary spare tire is used. The tem-
porary spare tire is not designed
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 ac-
cident.
yWhen a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
flash. This indicates the tire pres-
sure monitoring system (TPMS) is
unable to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for tire
and sensor replacement and/or
system resetting.
Never use any temporary spare tire
other than the original. Using other
sizes may result in severe mechani-
cal damage to the drive train of your
vehicle.1
2
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9-10 In case of emergency
use your foot on the wheel nut wrench or
a pipe extension on the wrench because
you may exceed the specified torque.
Have the wheel nut torque checked at the
nearest automotive service facility.
16.Store the flat tire in the spare tire hold- er.
Refer to the sections “Spare tire” in this
chapter for its location, instructions and
precautions.
„Tire pressure monitoring sys- tem (TPMS)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with the warning message
indicated by sending a signal from a sen-
sor that is installed in each wheel when
tire pressure is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven.
Also, this system may not react immedi-
ately to a sudden drop in tire pressure (for
example, a blow-out caused running over
a sharp object).
Do not use the extension when turn-
ing the wheel nuts. If you did, you
would not be able to achieve suffi-
cient tightening torque. The wheel
nuts could then come loose, result-
ing in a serious accident.
900208
y When stowing a flat tire in the
spare tire holder, turn the hoist
shaft end only slowly. If it is
turned quickly, the wheel disc of
the flat tire could be damaged.
y A full-size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder in
an emergency only. After havingthe flat tire repaired, immediately
swap it with the temporary spare tire.
y Remember that the tread width of
a flat tire is wider than that of the
temporary spare tire. When carry-
ing a flat tire stowed in the spare
tire holder, make sure the tire
does not touch any obstacles.
Never place a tire or tire changing
tools in the passenger compartment
after changing wheels. In a sudden
stop or collisions, loose equipment
could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in
the proper place.
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11 - 2 8 Maintenance and service
NOTE
For safety, inspect the tire tread regu-
larly and replace the tires before their
tread wear indicators become visible. „Tire rotation 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 tires 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 replacement
The 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 groundclearance.
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.
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.
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