2006 SUBARU TRIBECA engine overheat

2
the climate control.
Chapter 5: Audio
This chapter informs you how to operate
your audio system.
Chapter 6: Interior equipment
This chapter informs you how to operate
interior equipment.
Chapter 7: Starting and operating
This chapter informs you how to start and
operate your SUBARU.
Chapter 8: Driving tips
This chapter informs you how to drive your
SUBARU in various conditions and ex-
plains some safety tips on driving.
Chapter 9: In case of emergency
This chapter informs you what to do if you
have a problem while driving, such as a
flat tire or engine overheating.
Chapter 10: Appearance care
This chapter informs you how to keep your
SUBARU looking good.
Chapter 11: Maintenance and service
This chapter informs you when you need
to take your SUBARU to the dealer for
scheduled maintenance and informs you
how to keep your SUBARU running prop- erly.
Chapter 12: Specifications
This chapter informs you about dimension
and capacities of your SUBARU.
Chapter 13: Consumer information and
Reporting safety defects This chapter informs you about Tire infor-
mation, Uniform tire quality grading stan-
dards and Reporting safety defects.
Chapter 14: Index
This is an alphabetical listing of all that’s in
this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read. „
Safety warnings
You will find a number of WARNINGs,
CAUTIONs and NOTEs in this manual.
These safety warnings alert you to poten-
tial hazards that could result in injury to you or others.
Please read these safety warnings as well
as all other portions of this manual careful-
ly in order to gain a better understanding of how to use your SUBARU vehicle safe- ly.NOTE
A NOTE gives information or sugges-
tions how to make better use of your
vehicle. „ Safety symbol
You will find a circle with a slash through it
in this manual. This symbol means “Do
not”, “Do not do this”, or “Do not let this
happen”, depending upon the context.
A WARNING indicates a situation in
which serious injury or death could
result if the warning is ignored.
A CAUTION indicates a situation in
which injury or damage to your vehi-
cle, or both, could result if the cau-
tion is ignored.
000013

1-6 Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
Seat heater (if equipped)
The seat heater operates when the igni-
tion switch is in the “ON” position.
The seat heater can be adjusted in three
levels. Press the button to activate the
seat heater. Each subsequent press of the
button will reduce the level. Pushing the
button four times or keeping the button
pressed for approximately 1 second will
turn the heater off. While the seat heater is
operating, its operating level is shown by
the number of illuminated indicators. To
warm the seat as quickly as possible, set
the heater with three indicators illuminat-
ed.
When the vehicle’s interior is warmed enough or before you leave the vehicle,
be sure to turn the switch off.
NOTE
Use of the seat heater for a long period
of time while the engine is not running
can cause battery discharge.
Rear seats (5-seater models)/
Second-row seats (7-seater
models)
100357
y
There is a possibility that people
with delicate skin may suffer
slight burns even at low tempera-
tures if they use the seat heater
for a long period of time. When us-
ing the heater, always be sure to
warn the persons concerned.
y Do not put anything on the seat
which insulates against heat,
such as a blanket, cushion, or
similar items. This may cause the
seat heater to overheat.
ySeatbelts provide maximum re-
straint when the occupant sits
well back and upright in the seat.
Do not put cushions or any other
materials between occupants and
seatbacks or seat cushions. If you
do so, the risk of sliding under the
lap belt and of the lap belt sliding
up over the abdomen will in-
crease, and both can result in se-
rious internal injury or death.
100358

3-14 Instruments and controls
„Rear differential oil tem-
perature warning light
If this light comes on when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the rear differ-
ential oil temperature is too hot.
If the light comes on while driving, reduce
vehicle speed and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place.
Park the vehicle for several minutes. After
the light goes out, you can start driving.
If the light does not go out, contact the
nearest SUBARU dealer for service.
NOTE yIf the tire pressures are not correct
and/or the tires are not all the same
size and brand, the rear differential will
be heavily loaded when the vehicle is
driven, resulting in an abnormally high
oil temperature. y The rear differential oil will deterio- rate if its temperature increases
enough for the rear differential oil tem-
perature warning light to come on. It is
advisable to have the rear differential
oil replaced as soon as possible. „
Low tire pressure warn- ing light
When the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the low tire pressure warn-
ing light will come on for approximately 2
seconds to check that the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is functioning
properly. If there is no problem and all tires
are properly inflated, the light will go out.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure rec-
ommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres-
sure label, you should determine the prop-
er inflation pressure for those tires.) As an
added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure moni-
toring system (TPMS) that illuminates a
low tire pressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driv-
ing on a significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces
fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping
ability. Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to main-
tain correct tire pressure, even if under-in-
flation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure
telltale.
The TPMS gives warning both when a tire
is significantly under-inflated and when
there is a problem in the TPMS. The low
tire pressure warning light operates differ-
ently according to these conditions as fol- lows:
When a tire is significantly under-inflat-
ed:
Steady illumination
When there is a problem in the TPMS:
Flashing
Should the warning light flash, have the
system inspected by your nearest
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible.
Reduce vehicle speed and park the
vehicle in a safe place as soon as
possible if the R.DIFF TEMP light
comes on. Continued driving with
this light on can damage the rear dif-
ferential and other parts of the pow-
ertrain.

7-8 Starting and operating
Stopping the engine
The ignition switch should be turned off
only when the vehicle is stopped and the
engine is idling.
Automatic transmission
The automatic transmission is electroni-
cally controlled and provides 5 forward
speeds and 1 reverse speed. Also, it has
a manual mode and a SPORT mode.
NOTE yWhen the engine coolant tempera-
ture is still low, your vehicle’s automat-
ic transmission will up-shift at higher
engine speeds than when the coolant
temperature is sufficiently high in or-
der to shorten the warm-up time and
improve driveability. The gearshift tim-
ing will automatically shift to the nor-
mal timing after the engine has warmed
up.y Immediately after ATF (automatic
transmission fluid) is replaced, you
may feel that the automatic transmis-
sion operation is somewhat unusual.
This results from invalidation of data
which the on-board computer has col-
lected and stored in memory to allow
Do not stop the engine when the ve-
hicle is moving. This will cause loss
of power to the power steering and
the brake booster, making steering
and braking more difficult. It could
also result in accidental activation
of the “LOCK” position on the igni-
tion switch, causing the steering
wheel to lock.
Do not shift from the “P” or “N” po-
sition into the “D” or “R” position
while depressing the accelerator
pedal. This may cause the vehicle to
jump forward or backward. y Shift into the “P” or “R” position
only after the vehicle is complete-
ly stopped. Shifting while the ve-
hicle is moving may cause dam-
age to the transmission.
y Do not race the engine for more
than five seconds in any position
except the “N” or “P” position
when the brake is set or when
chocks are used in the wheels.
This may cause the automatic
transmission fluid to overheat.
yAvoid shifting from one of the for-
ward driving positions into the
“R” position or vice versa until the
vehicle has completely stopped.
Such shifting may cause damage
to the transmission.
y When parking the vehicle, first se-
curely apply the parking brake
and then place the selector lever
in the “P” position. Avoid parking
for a long time with the selector le-
ver in any other position as doing
so could result in a dead battery.

Starting and operating 7-15
– CONTINUED –
Power steering
The power steering system operates only
when the engine is running.
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort.
NOTE
Right after the engine has been started
and before it has warmed up, you may
hear a noise coming from areas adja-
cent to the power steering pump whichis located at the right-front area of the
engine compartment. This noise is nor-
mal. It does not indicate power steering
system trouble.
Braking „Braking tips
TWhen the brakes get wet
When driving in rain or after washing the
vehicle, the brakes may get wet. As a re-
sult, brake stopping distance will be long-
er. To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at
a safe speed while lightly depressing the
brake pedal to heat up the brakes. T Use of engine braking
Remember to make use of engine braking
in addition to foot braking. When descend-
ing a grade, if only the foot brake is used,
the brakes may start working improperly
because of brake fluid overheating,
caused by overheated brake pads. To
help prevent this, shift into a lower gear to
get stronger engine braking. T Braking when a tire is punctured
Do not depress the brake pedal suddenly when a tire is punctured. This could cause
a loss of control of the vehicle. Keep driv-
ing straight ahead while gradually reduc-
ing speed. Then slowly pull off the road to
a safe place. „
Brake system
T Two separate circuits
Your vehicle has a dual circuit brake sys-
tem. Each circuit works diagonally across
the vehicle. If one circuit of the brake sys-
tem should fail, the other half of the sys-
tem still works. If one circuit fails, the
brake pedal will go down much closer to
the floor than usual and you will need to
press it down much harder. And a much
longer distance will be needed to stop the vehicle. T Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine manifold
vacuum to assist braking force. If engine
manifold vacuum becomes insufficient,
such as when driving in a high-altitude
place, a vacuum pump assures a suffi-
cient vacuum to operate the brake boost-
er. Do not turn off the engine while driving
because that will turn off the brake boost-
er, resulting in poor braking power.
The brakes will continue to work even
when the brake booster completely stops
Do not hold the steering wheel at the
fully locked position left or right for
more than five seconds. This may
damage the power steering pump.
Never rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
dangerous overheating of the
brakes and needless wear on the
brake pads and linings.

Driving tips 8-25
heating of your vehicle’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. yWhen 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 and AT OIL TEMP warning light
since the engine and transmission are rel-
atively prone to overheating under these
conditions. 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.
NOTE
The temperature of engine coolant is
less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT
zone in the “D” position than in the
manual mode position. y 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
overheat. 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 “P” and shut off the engine.

9
In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in an emergency ........ 9-2
Spare tire ............................................................. 9-2 Removing the spare tire ......................................... 9-3
Re-storage of spare tire ......................................... 9-5
Temporary spare tire .......................................... 9-6
Flat tires .............................................................. 9-7 Changing a flat tire ................................................. 9-7
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) ............ 9-10
Jump starting ...................................................... 9-11 How to jump start ................................................... 9-12
Engine overheating ............................................ 9-14 If steam is coming from the engine compartment ......................................................... 9-14
If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment ......................................................... 9-14
Towing ................................................................. 9-15 Towing and tie-down hooks .................................. 9-15
Using a flat-bed truck ............................................. 9-17
Towing with all wheels on the ground .................. 9-18
Rear gate – if the rear gate cannot be unlocked .......................................................... 9-18
Maintenance tools .............................................. 9-19 Jack and jack handle .............................................. 9-19

9-14 In case of emergency
5. Start the engine of the vehicle with the
booster battery and run it at moderate
speed. Then start the engine of the vehi-
cle that has the discharged battery.
6. When finished, carefully disconnect the
cables in exactly the reverse order.Engine overheating
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. „If steam is coming from the
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down. „ If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment
1. Keep the engine running at idling
speed.
2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine compartment.
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 coolant up to the “MAX” mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve
tank, add coolant 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 counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it.
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.