8-24Driving tips
haust system, brake system, or
other systems when installing a
hitch or other trailer towingequipment.
. Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires.
! WAGON including OUTBACKSPORT
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer
hitch is recommended. A genuine
SUBARU hitch is available from your
SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoid-
able, be sure the hitch is suited to your
vehicle and trailer. Consult with a profes-
sional hitch supplier to assist you in
choosing an appropriate hitch for your
vehicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitchmanufacturer ’s instructions for installation
and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the
rear bumper. The bumper is not designed
to handle that type of load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check
that the hitch mounting bolts and nuts aretight. !
SEDAN
SUBARU does not offer accessory trailer
hitches. Consult with a professional hitch
supplier to assist you in choosing an
appropriate hitch for your vehicle. Be sure
to follow all of the hitch manufacturer ’s
instructions for installation and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the
rear bumper. The bumper is not designed
to handle that type of load.
Regularly check that the hitch mounting
bolts and nuts are tight. & Connecting a trailer
! Trailer brakes
If your trailer ’s total weight (trailer weight
plus its cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg), the trailer is required to be
equipped with its own brake system.
Electric brakes or surge brakes are
recommended, and must be installed
properly. Check that your trailer ’s brakes
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. YourSUBARU ’s brake system is not designed
to be tapped into the trailer ’s hydraulic
brake system.
Please ask your SUBARU dealer and
professional trailer supplier for more in-
formation about the trailer ’s brake system.WARNING
. Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.
. Do not directly connect your
trailer ’s hydraulic brake system
to the hydraulic brake system in
your vehicle. Direct connection
would cause the vehicle ’s brake
performance to deteriorate and
could lead to an accident.
! Trailer safety chains
In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch
ball should break or become discon-
nected, the trailer could get loose and
create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing
vehicle and trailer with trailer safety
chains. Pass the chains crossing each
other under the trailer tongue to prevent
the trailer from dropping onto the ground
in case the trailer tongue should discon-
nect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient
slack in the chains taking tight-turn situa-
tions into account; however, be careful not
to let them drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety
chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer.
WARNING
Always use safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Towing a
trailer without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due
to coupling damage or hitch balldamage.
! Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view
without significant blind spots. If significant
blind spots occur with the vehicle ’s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. !
Trailer lights
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi- cle ’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle ’s lighting circuit to
increase its capacity and accommodate
wiring 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.
CAUTION
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.
! Tires
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated to the pressure
specified on the tire placard located on
the left center pillar of your vehicle.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance 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.
WARNING
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.
& Trailer towing tips
CAUTION
. Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days.
. When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and
braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. For Driving tips
8-25
– CONTINUED –
9-2In case of emergency
If you park your vehicle in
case of 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 switchposition.
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.
Temporary spare tire
The temporary spare tire is smaller and
lighter than a conventional tire and is
designed for emergency use only. Re-
move the temporary spare tire and re-
install the conventional tire as soon as
possible because the spare tire is de-
signed only for temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tem-
porary spare tire periodically to keep the
tire ready for use. The correct pressure is
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kg/cm
2)
.
When using the temporary spare tire, note
the following. . Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
. Do not put a tire chain on the temporary
spare tire. Because of the smaller tire size,
a tire chain will not fit properly. . Do not use two or more temporary
spare tires at the same time.. 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
. When the wear indicator appears on
the tread, replace the tire. . 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.1) Spare fuse
2) FWD connector
NOTE
Before driving your vehicle (if your
vehicle is AWD with automatic trans-
mission, except Turbo models) with the
temporary spare tire, put a spare fuse
inside the FWD connector in the main
fuse box located in the engine com-
partment and confirm that the All-
Wheel Drive warning light “AWD ”in
the combination meter comes on. The
All-Wheel Drive capability of the vehi-
cle has now deactivated. After re-
installing the conventional tire, remove
the spare fuse from the FWD connector
in order to reactivate All-Wheel Drive.
WARNING
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 accident.
CAUTION
Never use any temporary spare tire
other than the original. Using other
sizes may result in severe mechan-
ical damage to the drive train of yourvehicle. In case of emergency
9-3
11-34Maintenance and service
When you install a tire that has the tire
rotation direction mark, install the tire with
the direction mark facing forward. & Tire rotation
Vehicles equipped with unidirectional tires
1) Front
Vehicles equipped with 4 non-unidirec-
tional tires
1) Front
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). Move the tires to the positions shown
in the illustration each time they arerotated.
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn
tires at the time of rotation. After tire
rotation, adjust the tires pressures and
make sure the wheel nuts are correctlytightened.
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
integral parts of your vehicle ’s design;
they cannot be changed arbitrarily. The
tires fitted as standard equipment are
optimally matched to the characteristics
of the vehicle and were selected to give
the best possible combination of running
performance, ride comfort, and service
life. It is essential for every tire to have a
size and construction 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
replace the tires with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equip-ment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU
recommends replacing all four tires at the
same time.
WARNING
. 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
different types, sizes or degrees
of wear can result in damage tovehicle ’s powertrain. Use of dif-
ferent types or sizes of tires can
also dangerously reduce con-
trollability and braking perfor-
mance and can lead to an acci- dent.
. Use only radial tires. Do not use
radial tires together with belted
bias tires and/or bias-ply tires.
Doing so can dangerously re-
duce controllability, resulting in
an accident.
& 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.WARNING
Use only those wheels that are
specified for your vehicle. Wheels
not meeting specifications could
interfere with brake caliper opera-
tion and may cause the tires to rub
against the wheel well housing dur-
ing turns. The resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to anaccident.
NOTE
When any of the wheels are removed
and replaced for tire rotation or to
change a flat tire, always check the
tightness of the wheel nuts after driv-
ing approximately 600 miles (1,000 km).
If any nut is loose, tighten it to the
specified torque. Aluminum wheels
Aluminum wheels can be scratched and
damaged easily. Handle them carefully to
maintain their appearance, performance,
and safety. .
When any of the wheels are removed
and replaced for tire rotation or to change
a flat tire, always check the tightness of
the wheel nuts after driving approximately
600 miles (1,000 km). If any nut is loose,
tighten it to the specified torque. . Never apply oil to the threaded parts,
wheel nuts, or tapered surface of the wheel. . Never let the wheel rub against sharp
protrusions or curbs.. Be sure to fit tire chains on uniformly
and completely around the tire, otherwise
the chains may scratch the wheel. . When wheel nuts, balance weights, or
the center cap is replaced, be sure to
replace them with genuine SUBARU parts
designed for aluminum wheels. Maintenance and service
11-35
&Tires
Tire size P205/55R16 89V 215/45R17 91W 225/45R17 90W
Wheel size 16 66
1/2JJ 17 67JJ 17 68JJ
Pressure Front 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm2) 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm2) 35 psi (240 kPa, 2.4 kgf/cm2)
Rear 30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm2) 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm2) 29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm2)
Temporary
spare tire Size
T135/70 D16 T135/70 D17
Pressure 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2)
& Wheel alignment
Item Sedan Wagon
2.5-liter non-turbo 2.5-liter turbo 2.5-liter non-turbo 2.5-liter turbo 2.5i WRX WRX-STI 2.5i OUTBACK
SPORT WRX
Drive system AWD
Toe Front 0 in (0 mm)
Rear 0 in (0 mm)
Camber Front 0815 ’ 0825 ’ 0830 ’ 0810 ’ 0805 ’ 0820 ’
Rear 1825 ’ 1830 ’ 1840 ’ 1815 ’ 1810 ’
1820 ’
Specifications
12-5
13-2Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
For U.S.A.
The following information has been
compiled according to Code of Fed-
eral Regulations “Title 49, Part 575 ”. Tire information &
Tire labeling
Many markings (e.g. Tire size, Tire
Identification Number or TIN) are
placed on the sidewall of a tire by tire
manufacturers. These markings can
provide you with useful information on
the tire. ! Tire size
Your vehicle comes equipped with P-
Metric tire size. It is important to
understand the sizing system in se-
lecting the proper tire for your vehi-
cles. Here is a brief review of the tire
sizing system with a breakdown of its
individual elements. ! P Metric
With the P-Metric system, Section
Width is measured in millimeters. To
convert millimeters into inches, divide
by 25.4. The Aspect Ratio (Section
Height divided by Section Width)
helps provide more dimensional in-
formation about the tire size. Example:
(1) P = Certain tire type used on
light duty vehicles such as passenger
cars
(2) Section Width in millimeters
(3) Aspect Ratio (= section height
7
section width).
(4) R = Radial Construction
(5) Rim diameter in inches ! Load and Speed Rating Descrip- tions
The load and speed rating descrip-
tions will appear following the size
designation.
They provide two important facts
about the tire. First, the number
designation is its load index. Second,
the letter designation indicates thetire ’s speed rating.