2007 SUBARU TRIBECA wheel

8-20 Driving tips
cle.
Certification label
T Gross Axle Weight (GAW) and
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
Gross Axle Weight The total weight applied to each axle
(GAW) must never exceed the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR). The front and
rear GAWs can be adjusted by relocating
passengers and luggage inside the vehi-
cle. The front and rear GAWR are also
shown on the certification label.
Certification label
To check both GVWR and GAWR and to
confirm that the total weight and weight
distribution are within safe driving limits,
you should have your vehicle and trailer
weighed at a commercial weighing sta-
tion.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to
prevent a change in weight distribution
while driving. T
Tongue load
Tongue load
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from
8 to 11 percent of the total trailer weight
and does not exceed the appropriate one
of the following maximum values:
800203
800213
800203If the trailer is loaded with more
weight in the back of trailer’s axle
than in the front, the load is taken off
the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
This may cause the rear wheels to
skid, especially during braking or
when vehicle speed is reduced dur-
ing cornering, resulting in over-
steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
800214

Driving tips 8-21
– CONTINUED –
Vehicle without cooling kit: 200 lbs (90 kg)
Vehicle with cooling kit: 350 lbs (158 kg)
1) Jack
2) Bathroom scale
The tongue load can be weighed with a
bathroom scale as shown in the following
illustration. When weighing the tongue
load, be sure to position the towing cou-
pler at the height at which it would be dur-
ing actual towing, using a jack as shown. F: Front
The tongue load can be adjusted by prop-
er distribution of the load in the trailer.
Never load the trailer with more weight in
the back than in the front; approximately
60 percent of the trailer load should be in
the front and approximately 40 percent in
the rear. Also, distribute the load as even-
ly as possible on both the left and rightsides.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to
prevent a change in weight distribution
while driving. „
Trailer hitches
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and
trailer.
1 2
800215
F
60% 40% 50%
50%
800216
Never drill the frame or under-body
of your vehicle to install a commer-
cial trailer hitch. If you do, danger-
ous exhaust gas, water or mud may
enter the passenger compartment
through the drilled hole. Exhaust
gas contains carbon monoxide, a
colorless and odorless gas which is
dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
Also, drilling the frame or under-
body of your vehicle could cause
deterioration of strength of your ve-
hicle and cause corrosion around
the drilled hole. y
Do not modify the vehicle exhaust
system, brake system, or other
systems when installing a hitch or
other trailer towing equipment.
y Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires.

8-24 Driving 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 uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.y Slow down before turning. Make a long-
er than normal turning radius because the
trailer wheels will be closer than the vehi-
cle wheels to the inside of the turn. In a
tight turn, the trailer could hit your vehicle.y 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 im-
mediately but gradually. y When passing other vehicles, consider-
able distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by at-
taching the trailer to your vehicle. 1) Left turn
2) Right turn
y 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. y If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed im-
mediately by the nearest SUBARU dealer. T Driving on grades
y 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-12
800217

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

In case of emergency 9-3
– CONTINUED –
the “Temporary spare tire” section in this
chapter for instructions and precautions. „
Removing the spare tire
1. Take the wheel nut wrench and exten-
sion out of the tool bag. Refer to the “Main-
tenance tools” section in this chapter.
2. Remove the subfloor storage lid in the
cargo area.
3. Take out the jack. 4. Remove the access cover.
5. Remove the cap.
6. Locate the hex-headed hoist shaft end
inside the hole. 7. Fit the extension onto the hex-headed
hoist shaft end.
8. Fit the wheel nut wrench onto the ex-
tension.
9. Turn the hoist shaft end counterclock-
900202
900203
900204
900205
900206

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.
900207
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.