2008 SUBARU LEGACY tires

NOTE
For vehicles with trailer brakes, the
trailer tongue load exceeds 200 lbs (90
kg) when calculated at 8% of the
maximum total trailer weight.
Even in this case, the maximum value
is 200 lbs (90 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
coupler at the height at which it would be
during actual towing, using a jack asshown.
F: Front
The tongue load can be adjusted by
proper 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 evenly
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
WARNING
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
vehicle and cause corrosion around
the drilled hole.
CAUTION
. Do not modify the vehicle ex-
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.
Choose a proper hitch for your vehicle and Driving tips
8-25
– CONTINUED –

!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
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind: Driving tips
8-27
– CONTINUED –

If you park your vehicle in an emergency......... 9-2
Temporary spare tire ........................................... 9-2
Flat tires ............................................................... 9-4
Changing a flat tire .............................................. 9-4
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) (if equipped) .......................................................... 9-9
Jump starting ..................................................... 9-10
How to jump start ............................................... 9-11
Engine overheating ............................................ 9-13
If steam is coming from the engine compartment .................................................... 9-13 If no steam is coming from the engine
compartment ................................................... 9-13
Towing ................................................................ 9-14
Towing and tie-down hooks. ............................... 9-14
Using a flat-bed truck. ........................................ 9-17
Towing with all wheels on the ground ................. 9-17
Rear gate (Station wagon) –if the rear gate
cannot be unlocked ........................................ 9-18
Maintenance tools ............................................. 9-19
Jack .................................................................. 9-19
Jack handle ....................................................... 9-19
Other maintenance tools .................................... 9-20
In case of emergency
9

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.
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 kgf/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.NOTE
If your vehicle is an AWD type with an
automatic transmission but is neither a
Turbo model nor a 3.0-liter model,
deactivate its All-Wheel-Drive capabil-
ity as follows: Before driving your
vehicle with the temporary spare tire,
putasparefuseinsidetheFWD
connector located in the engine com-
partment and confirm that the “
”
warning light comes on. The All-Wheel-
Drive capability of the vehicle has now
been deactivated. After re-installing the
conventional tire, remove the spare
fuse from the FWD connector in order
to reactivate All-Wheel Drive. In case of emergency
9-3

9-4In case of emergency
Flat tires
If you have a flat tire while driving, never
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safeplace. &Changing a flat tire
WARNING
. Do not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface.
The jack can come out of the
jacking point or sink into the
ground and this can result in a
severe accident.
. Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get
under the vehicle while support-
ing the vehicle with this jack. .
Always turn off the engine before
raising the flat tire off the ground
using the jack. Never swing or
push the vehicle supported with
the jack. The jack can come out
of the jacking point due to a jolt
and this can result in a severeaccident.
1. Park on a hard, level surface, when-
ever possible, then stop the engine.
2. Set the parking brake securely and
shift a manual transmission vehicle in
reverse or an automatic transmission
vehicle in the “P ”(Park) position.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher
and have everyone get out of the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire diagonally opposite the flat tire.
Sedan
1) Jack handle
2) Spare tire
3) Jack and tool bucket

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)
Vehicle with SI-DRIVE
Vehicle without SI-DRIVE
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 illuminate
steadily after blinking for approxi-
mately one minute. This indicates
the TPMS is unable to monitor all
four road wheels. Contact your
SUBARU dealer as soon as possible
for tire and sensor replacement 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. In case of emergency
9-9
– CONTINUED –

9-16In case of emergency
6. Tighten the towing hook securely
using a wheel nut wrench.
After towing, remove the towing hook from
the vehicle and stow it in the tool bag.
Fit the fog light cover and towing hook
cover on the bumper.
WARNING
. Do not use the towing hook
except when towing your vehicle.
. Be sure to remove the towing
hook after towing. Leaving the
towing hook mounted on the
vehicle could interfere with prop-
er operation of the SRS airbag
system in a frontal collision. Rear towing hook:
The rear towing hook is located below the
center of the rear bumper.
CAUTION
Never use the rear towing hook to
tie the vehicle down.
Front tie-down hooks:
The front tie-down hooks are located
between each of the front tires and the
front bumper.
Rear tie-down hooks:
The rear tie-down hooks are located near
each of the jack-up reinforcements.

9-20In case of emergency
For how to use the jack, refer to “Flat
tires ”.
& Other maintenance tools
In addition to a jack and a jack handle, the
tool bucket on your vehicle contains the
following maintenance tools.
Screwdriver
Towing hook
Wheel nut wrench