2007 SUBARU OUTBACK brake light

chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer. !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
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.
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. ! Tires
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.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated.
The recommended cold tire pressure
under 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
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.
& 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. Forsafety ’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never Driving tips
8-27
– CONTINUED –

8-28Driving tips
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind:
! Before starting out on a trip
. Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer. . 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. . Check that the tire pressures are
correct.. Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
–the trailer tongue is connected
properly to the hitch ball. – the trailer lights connector is con-
nected properly and trailer ’s brake
lights illuminate when the vehicle ’s
brake pedal is pressed, and that the trailer ’s turn signal lights flash when
the vehicle ’s turn signal lever is oper-
ated. – the safety chains are connected
properly.– all cargo in the trailer is secured safety in position.–
the side mirrors provide a good
rearward field of view without a sig-
nificant blind spot.
. 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. ! Driving with a trailer
. You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may
result in skidding or jackknifing and loss ofcontrol. . Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accel-
erations. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, always start out in first gear
and release the clutch at moderate enginerevolution. . Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes. . Slow down before turning. Make a
longer than normal turning radius because
the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. In
a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. . Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to weather conditions or the passing of large
trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down
immediately but gradually. .
When passing other vehicles, consid-
erable distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by
attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn. . If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing

the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer. !Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge
pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP
warning light (for AT vehicles) since the
engine and transmission are relatively
prone to overheating under these condi-
tions. If the water temperature gauge
pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone
or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates, immediately switch off the air
conditioner and stop the vehicle at the
nearest safe place. Refer to the “Engine
overheating ”section in chapter 9, and
“ Warning and indicator lights ”section in
chapter 3. NOTE
With AT vehicles, the temperature of engine coolant is less likely to rise to
the OVERHEAT zone in the
“D ” posi-
tion than in the manual mode position. . If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, 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. ! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle 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
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual
transmission) or “P ” (automatic transmis-
sion) and shut off the engine. Driving tips
8-29

stop or collisions, loose equipment
could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in
the proper place.
& Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (if equipped)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with the warning message
indicated by sending a signal from a
sensor 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).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
comes on while driving, never brake
suddenly and keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing
speed. Then slowly pull off the road
to a safe place. Otherwise an acci-
dent involving serious vehicle da-
mage and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the vehicle
placard on the door pillar on thedriver ’s side. If this light still comes
on while driving after adjusting the
tire pressure, a tire may have sig-
nificant damage and a fast leak that
causes the tire to lose air rapidly. If
you have a flat tire, replace it with a
spare tire as soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/transmitter
being transferred, the low tire pres-
sure warning light will flash. This
indicates the TPMS is unable to
monitor all four road wheels. Con-
tact your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible for tire and sensor replace-
ment and/or system resetting. Do not inject any tire liquid or
aerosol tire sealant into the tires,
as this may cause a malfunction of
the tire pressure sensors.
If the light flashes, promptly contact
a SUBARU dealer to have the sys-
tem inspected.
In case of emergency
9-9

10-2Appearance care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or faulty
power steering respectively. .
Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging the
wiper arm and other compo-
nents. Ask the automatic car-
wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
(Station wagon models only)
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. !
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-sion.
After driving off-road or muddy or sandy
roads, wash the mud and sand off the
underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
parts, as they are particularly prone to
mud and sand buildup. Do not use a
sharp-edged tool to remove caked mud.

NOTE
Be careful not to damage brake hoses,
sensor harnesses, and other parts
when washing suspension compo-nents. !Using a warm water washer
. Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle. . Do not wash the same area continu-
ously.. If a stain will not come out easily, wash
by hand. Some warm water washers are
of the high temperature, high pressure
type, and they can damage or deform the
resin parts such as mouldings, or cause
water to leak into the vehicle. & Waxing and polishing
Always wash and dry the vehicle before
waxing and polishing.
Use a good quality polish and wax and
apply them according to the manufac-turer ’s instructions. Wax or polish when
the painted surface is cool.
Be sure to polish and wax the chrome trim,
as well as the painted surfaces. Loss of
wax on a painted surface leads to loss of
the original luster and also quickens the
deterioration of the surface. It is recom- mended that a coat of wax be applied at
least once a month, or whenever the
surface no longer repels water.
If the appearance of the paint has dimin-
ished to the point where the luster or tone
cannot be restored, lightly polish the
surface with a fine-grained compound.
Never polish just the affected area, but
include the surrounding area as well.
Always polish in only one direction. A
No. 2000 grain compound is recom-
mended. Never use a coarse-grained
compound. Coarser grained compounds
have a smaller grain-size number and
could damage the paint. After polishing
with a compound, coat with wax to restore
the original luster. Frequent polishing with
acompoundoranincorrectpolishing
technique will result in removing the paint
layer and exposing the undercoat. When
in doubt, it is always best to contact your
SUBARU dealer or an auto paint specia-list.
NOTE
Be careful not to block the windshield
washer nozzles with wax when waxing
the vehicle. & Cleaning aluminum wheels
. Promptly wipe the aluminum wheels clean of any kind of grime or agent. If dirt
is left on too long, it may be difficult to
clean off. .
Do not use soap containing grit to
clean the wheels. Be sure to use a neutral
cleaning agent, and later rinse thoroughly
with water. Do not clean the wheels with a
stiff brush or expose them to a high-speed
washing device. . Clean the vehicle (including the alumi-
num wheels) with water as soon as
possible when it has been splashed with
sea water, exposed to sea breezes, or
driven on roads treated with salt or otheragents. Appearance care
10-3

Maintenance and serviceParking brake stroke ........................................ 11-33
Tires and wheels .............................................. 11-34
Types of tires ................................................... 11-34
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) ................................................... 11-34
Tire inspection ................................................. 11-36
Tire pressures and wear ................................... 11-36
Wheel balance .................................................. 11-38
Wear indicators ................................................ 11-38
Tire rotation direction mark .............................. 11-39
Tire rotation ..................................................... 11-39
Tire replacement .............................................. 11-40
Wheel replacement ........................................... 11-40
Aluminum wheels ............................................. 11-41
Windshield washer fluid .................................. 11-41
Replacement of wiper blades .......................... 11-42
Windshield wiper blade assembly ..................... 11-43
Windshield wiper blade rubber ......................... 11-43
Rear window wiper blade assembly .................. 11-44
Rear window wiper blade rubber ....................... 11-45Battery
.............................................................. 11-46
Fuses ................................................................ 11-47
Main fuse .......................................................... 11-49
Installation of accessories .............................. 11-49
Replacing bulbs ............................................... 11-50
Headlight ......................................................... 11-51
Parking light .................................................... 11-53
Front turn signal light ...................................... 11-53
Front fog light (if equipped) .............................. 11-53
Rear combination lights ................................... 11-54
Backup light (Station wagon) ........................... 11-55
License plate light ........................................... 11-56
Dome light ....................................................... 11-56
Map light ......................................................... 11-57
Door step light ................................................. 11-57
Cargo area light (Station wagon) ... ................... 11-58
Trunk light (Sedan) .......................................... 11-58
High mount stop light (Sedan) .......................... 11-59

Brake booster
If the brake booster does not operate as
described in the following, have it checked
by your SUBARU dealer.
1. With the engine off, depress the brake
pedal several times, applying the same
pedal force each time. The distance the
pedal travels should not vary.
2. With the brake pedal depressed, start
the engine. The pedal should move
slightly down to the floor.
3. With the brake pedal depressed, stop
the engine and keep the pedal depressed
for 30 seconds. The pedal height should
not change.
4. Start the engine again and run for
approximately one minute then turn it off.
Depress the brake pedal several times to
check the brake booster. The brake
booster operates properly if the pedal
stroke decreases with each depression.Brake pedal
Check the brake pedal free play and
reserve distance according to the main-
tenance schedule in the
“Warranty and
Maintenance Booklet ”.
& Checking the brake pedal
free play
1) 0.02 –0.08 in (0.5 –2.0 mm)
Stop the engine and firmly depress the
brake pedal several times. Lightly pull the
brake pedal up with one finger to check
the free play with a force of less than 2 lbs
(10 N, 1 kg).
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er. &
Checking the brake pedal
reserve distance
1) More than 2.56 in (65 mm)
Depress the pedal with a force of approxi-
mately 66 lbs (294 N, 30 kg) and measure
the distance between the upper surface of
the pedal pad and the floor.
When the measurement is smaller than
the specification, or when the pedal does
not operate smoothly, contact with your
SUBARU dealer. Maintenance and service
11-31