2007 SUBARU FORESTER check engine

Driving tips 8-23
– CONTINUED –
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. T
Tires
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
TBefore 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-
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.
y Never 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:

9-10 In case of emergency
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 “LOW”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL” 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.
Towing
If towing is necessary, it is best done by
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following pro-
cedures for safety.
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.Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT
and MT) with the front wheels raised
off the ground while the rear wheels
are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while
the front wheels are on the ground.
This will cause the vehicle to spin
away due to the operation or deteri-
oration of the center differential.
900014

9-12 In case of emergency
„Using a flat-bed truck
This 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 ground
1. 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.
900018
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.
900019
yIf 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.
y For vehicles with automatic trans-
mission, the traveling speed must
be limited to less than 20 mph (30
km/h) and the traveling distance
to less than 31 miles (50 km). For
greater speeds and distances,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.

11
Maintenance and service
Maintenance schedule ....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions .................................. 11-3Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment ........................................................ 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the
engine compartment while the engine is
running .................................................................. 11-4
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview ......................... 11-6 Non-turbo models ................................................... 11-6
Turbo models .......................................................... 11-7
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-8 Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-8
Changing the oil and oil filter ................................ 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-10
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .................................... 11-11
Synthetic oil ............................................................ 11-11
Cooling system .................................................. 11-11 Cooling fan, hose and connections ...................... 11-12
Engine coolant ........................................................ 11-12
Air cleaner element ............................................ 11-15 Replacing the air cleaner element ......................... 11-15
Spark plugs ......................................................... 11-17 Recommended spark plugs ................................... 11-17
Drive belts ........................................................... 11-18
Manual transmission oil .................................... 11-18 Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-18 Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-19
Automatic transmission fluid ............................ 11-20 Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-20
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-21
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) ............ 11-21 Checking the oil level ............................................. 11-21
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-22
Rear differential gear oil .................................... 11-22 Checking the gear oil level .................................... 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity ..................... 11-23
Power steering fluid ........................................... 11-23 Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-23
Recommended fluid ............................................... 11-24
Brake fluid ........................................................... 11-25 Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ..................................... 11-25
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) .................................. 11-26 Checking the fluid level .......................................... 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid .................................... 11-26
Brake booster ..................................................... 11-27
Brake pedal ......................................................... 11-27 Checking the brake pedal free play ...................... 11-27
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance ......... 11-27
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) ................................ 11-28 Checking the clutch function ................................ 11-28
Checking the clutch pedal free play ..................... 11-28
Hill holder (MT vehicles – if equipped) ............. 11-28

11 - 4 Maintenance and service
„Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
„When you do checking or ser-
vicing in the engine compart-
ment while the engine is run-ning
Engine hood
0
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their original
positions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.
yWear adequate eye protection to
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly wash
them out with clean water.
yDo not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seatbelt
pretensioner system, or attempt
to take its connectors apart, as
that may activate the system or it
can render it inoperative. The wir-
ing and connectors of these sys-
tems are yellow for easy identifi-
cation. NEVER use a circuit tester
for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pre-
tensioner needs service, consult
your nearest SUBARU dealer.
yAlways stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
yAlways let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after the
engine is stopped.
yDo not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
yAlways remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position, the
cooling fan may operate suddenly
even when the engine is stopped.
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving en-
gine parts. Removing rings, watch-
es and ties is advisable.
B00002

11 - 8 Maintenance and service
Engine oil „Checking the oil level
Check the engine oil level at each fuel
stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly insert-
ed until it stops with the graphic symbol
“ ” on its top appearing as shown in
the illustration. 1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level
4. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the up-
per level.If you check the oil level just after stopping
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan before checking
the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is
warm, the engine oil level reading may be
in a range between the upper level and
the notch mark. This is caused by thermal
expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not
add any additional oil above the upper lev-
el when the engine is cold. „ Changing the oil and oil filter
Change the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule in the “Warran-
ty and Maintenance Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be
changed more frequently than listed in the
maintenance schedule when driving on
dusty roads, when short trips are frequent-
ly made, when towing a trailer, or when
driving in extremely cold weather.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the en-
gine idle for approximately 10 minutes to
ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
B00359
y Use only engine oil with the rec-
ommended grade and viscosity.
y Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If en-
gine oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
1 2
3
B00418

11 - 1 0 Maintenance and service
The oil quantity indicated above is only a
guideline. The necessary quantity of oil
depends on the quantity of oil that has
been drained. The quantity of drained oil
differs slightly depending on the tempera-
ture of the oil and the time the oil is left
flowing out. After pouring oil into the en-
gine, therefore, you must use the dipstick
to confirm that the level is correct.
13.Start the engine and make sure that no
oil leaks appear around the filter’s rubber
seal.
14.Run the engine until it reaches the nor-
mal operating temperature. Then stop the
engine and wait a few minutes to allow the
oil drain back. Check the oil level again
and if necessary, add more engine oil. „Recommended grade and
viscosity
Oil grade:
ILSAC GF-4, which can be identified
with the ILSAC certification mark
(Starburst mark)
or API classification SM with the
words “ENERGY CONSERVING”
These recommended oil grades can be
identified by looking for either or both of
the following marks displayed on the oil
container. API Service label
1) Indicates the oil quality by API designa-
tions
2) Indicates the SAE oil viscosity grade
3) Indicates that the oil has fuel saving ca- pabilities ILSAC Certification Mark (Starburst
Mark)
In choosing an oil, you want the proper
quality and viscosity, as well as one that
will add to fuel economy. The following ta-
ble lists the recommended viscosities and
applicable temperatures.
When adding oil, different brands may be
used together as long as they are the
same API classification and SAE viscosity
as those recommended by SUBARU.
APISERVICESM
ENERGYCONSERVING
SAE
5W-30
1
2
3
B00446B00014

11 - 1 2 Maintenance and service
„Cooling fan, hose and con-
nections
Your vehicle employs an electric cooling
fan which is thermostatically controlled to
operate when the engine coolant reaches
a specific temperature.
If the radiator cooling fan does not operate
even when the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge exceeds the normal operating
range, the cooling fan circuit may be de-
fective. Check the fuse and replace it if
necessary. If the fuse is not blown, have
the cooling system checked by your SUB-
ARU dealer.
If frequent addition of coolant is neces-
sary, there may be a leak in the engine
cooling system. It is recommended that
the cooling system and connections be
checked for leaks, damage, or looseness. „
Engine coolant
T Checking the coolant level
1) “FULL” level mark
2) “LOW” level mark
Check the coolant level at each fuel stop.
1. Check the coolant level on the outside
of the reservoir while the engine is cool.
2. If the level is close to or lower than the
“LOW” level mark, add coolant up to the
“FULL” level mark. If the reserve tank is
empty, remove the radiator cap and refill
as required. 3. After refilling the reserve tank and the
radiator, reinstall the caps and check that
the rubber gaskets inside the radiator cap
are in the proper position.
FULL
LOW1
2
600442
yBe careful not to spill engine cool-
ant when adding it. If coolant
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or
a fire. If engine coolant gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe it
off.
y Do not splash the engine coolant
over painted parts. The alcohol
contained in the engine coolant
may damage the paint surface.
B00018