2008 SUBARU TRIBECA tow

3-38
Instruments and controls
MirrorsAlways check that the inside and outside
mirrors are properly adjusted before you
start driving.&Inside mirrorThe inside mirror has a day and night
position. Pull the tab at the bottom of the
mirror toward you for the night position.
Push it away for the day position. The
night position reduces glare from head-
lights.
&Auto-dimming mirror/com-
pass (if equipped)1) Left button
2) Auto dimming indicator
3) Photosensor
4) Right buttonThe auto-dimming mirror/compass has an
anti-glare feature which automatically re-
duces glare coming from headlights of
vehicles behind you. It also contains a
built-in compass.
. By pressing and releasing the left
button, the automatic dimming function is
toggled on or off. When the automatic
dimming function is on, the auto dimming
indicator light (green) located to the right
of the button will illuminate.
. By pressing and releasing the right button, the compass display is toggled on
or off. When the compass is on, an
illuminated compass reading will appear
in the lower part of the mirror.
Even with the mirror in anti-glare mode,
the mirror surface turns bright if the
transmission is shifted into reverse. This
is to ensure good rearward visibility during
reversing.
!
Photosensors
The mirror has a photosensor attached on
both the front and back sides. If the glare
from the headlights of vehicles behind you
strikes the mirror, these sensors detect it
and make the reflection surface of the
mirror dimmer to help prevent you from
being blinded. For this reason, use care
not to cover the sensors with stickers, or
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!
–Defroster button
To defrost or dehumidify the windshield
and front door windows, push the defros-
ter button “
”. When the “
”button is
pushed, outside air is drawn into the
passenger compartment, air flow is direc-
ted towards the windshield and front door
windows, and the indicator light on the
button comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, return the climate control
system to the AUTO mode by pushing
the “AUTO ”button or turn off by pushing
the “OFF ”button.
Alternatively, push the “
”button again
to return the system to the setting that was
selected before you activated the defros-
ter. !
Fan speed control dial
The fan speed control dial has 7 positions:
AUTO position and 6 different fan speed
positions.
The fan speed is shown on the center of
the dial.
With the fan speed control dial in the
AUTO position, the fan speed changes
automatically corresponding the various
conditions: air temperature inside and
outside of the passenger ’s compartment,
intensity of the sunlight, etc. !
A/C –Air conditioner button
If the windshield starts to fog when the
climate control system is operated in the
AUTO mode, push the air conditioner
button to defog and dehumidify.
When this button is pushed, the air
conditioner compressor turns on and the
indicator light on the button comes on.
After eliminating the fogging from the
windshield, set the system back to the
AUTO mode by pushing the “AUTO ”
button.NOTEThe air conditioner compressor does
not operate when the outside air tem-
perature is below 32 8F(0 8C).
Climate control
4-7
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6-4
Interior equipment
Sun visorsTo block out glare, swing down the visors.
To use the sun visor at a side window,
swing it down and move it sideways.
&Sun visor extension plateWith the sun visor positioned over the side
window, you can use the sun visor
extension plate to prevent glare through
the gap between the sun visor and center
pillar. To use the extension plate, pull it
toward the rear of the vehicle. When you
have finished using it, stow it by pushing it
toward the front of the vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not pull out the extension plate
with the sun visor positioned over
the windshield. The extension plate
would obstruct your view of the
rearview mirror.&Vanity mirror with light
CAUTION
Keep the vanity mirror cover closed
while the car is being driven to avoid
dazzle.
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7-14
Starting and operating
switch to the“ON ”position. You will
then be able to move the selector lever
to the “P ” position.
WARNING
Do not drive the vehicle with the
selector lever in the “N ” (neutral)
position. Engine braking has no
effect in this condition and the risk
of an accident is consequently in-
creased.
! D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving.
The transmission automatically shifts into
a suitable gear from 1st to 5th according to
the vehicle speed and the acceleration
you require.
When more acceleration is required in this
position, press the accelerator pedal fully
to the floor and hold that position. The
transmission will automatically downshift
to 4th, 3rd, 2nd or 1st gear. When you
release the pedal, the transmission will
return to the original gear position.
To use the SPORT mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate.
To use the manual mode, move the lever
from this position into the manual gate
then move it toward the “+”and “−”ends. !
While climbing a grade
When driving up a hill, undesired upshift to
4th or 5th gear is prevented from taking
place when the accelerator is released.
This minimizes the chance of subsequent
downshifting to a lower gear when accel-
erating again. This prevents repeated
upshifting and downshifting resulting in a
smoother operation of the vehicle.
NOTEThe transmission may downshift to 2nd
or 1st gear, depending on the way the
accelerator pedal is pressed to accel-
erate the vehicle again.& Selector lever reverse inhi-
biting functionThis function prevents accidental move-
ment of the selector lever to the “R ”
position while the vehicle is moving.
The function becomes operational when
the vehicle reaches a speed of approxi-
mately 6 mph (10 km/h). Once opera-
tional, it prevents the selector lever from
being moved from the “N”position to the
“ R ” position. When the vehicle speed
drops below 6 mph (10 km/h), the function
is canceled. The selector lever can then
be moved to the “R”and “P”positions.
When the ignition switch has been turned to the
“LOCK” position, movement of the
selector lever from the “N ”position to the
“R ”position is possible for a limited time
period by depressing the brake pedal and
then becomes impossible. Also, the se-
lector lever cannot be moved to the “R”
position after it has been placed in the “P ”
position and then placed again in the “N”
position.
When the movement of the selector lever
from the “N”position to the “R ” position
has become impossible, turn the ignition
switch back to the “ON”position then
move the selector lever to the “P”position.
Pressing the selector lever release button
alsomakesitpossibletomovethe
selector lever to the “P ” position at this
time.
! Selector lever release button
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If you inadvertently have turned the igni-
tion switch to the“LOCK”position with the
selector lever in the “N”position, proceed
as follows. By referring to the “Shift lock
release ”section in this chapter, remove
the cover. Then, with a screwdriver in-
serted into the hole, move the selector
lever to the “P”position while pressing the
release button. If the selector lever re-
verse inhibiting function fails, have the
vehicle inspected by the nearest SUBARU
dealer.& Selection of manual modeWith the vehicle either moving or station-
ary, move the selector lever from the “D”
position to the manual gate then move it to
the “+”end or “−”end of the manual gate
to select manual mode.
1) Upshift indicator
2) Downshift indicator
3) Gear position indicatorWhen the manual mode is selected, the
gear position indicator and upshift indica-
tor and/or downshift indicator in the
tachometer come on. The gear position
indicator shows the currently selected
gear in the 1st-to-5th-gear range. The
upshift and downshift indicators show
when a gearshift is possible. When the
upshift indicator “
”is on, upshifting is
possible. When the downshift indicator
“
” is on, downshifting is possible. When
both indicators are on, upshifting and
downshifting are both possible. When the
vehicle stops (for example, at traffic
signals), the downshift indicator goes off.
Gearshifts can be performed using the selector lever.
Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly
pushing the selector lever toward the
“+”
end of the manual gate.
Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly
pulling the selector lever toward the “−”
end of the manual gate.NOTEPlease read the following points care-
fully and bear them in mind when using
the manual mode.
. When the temperature of the engine
oil is higher than normal, warning
beeps are emitted and the shift position
indicator shows “− ”. If these warnings
are issued, deselect the manual mode
to protect the engine from damage.
Starting and operating
7-15
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7-22
Starting and operating
Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD) systemThe EBD system maximizes the effective-
ness of the brakes by allowing the rear
brakes to supply a greater proportion of
the braking force. It functions by adjusting
the distribution of braking force to the rear
wheels in accordance with the vehicle’s
loading condition and speed.
The EBD system is an integral part of the
ABS system and uses some of the ABS
system ’s components to perform its func-
tion of optimizing the distribution of brak-
ing force. If any of the ABS components
used by the EBD function fails, the EBD
system also stops working.
When the EBD system is operating, you
may hear a chattering noise or feel a slight
vibration in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction.
& Steps to take if EBD system
failsIf a malfunction occurs in the EBD system,
the system stops working and the brake
system warning light and ABS warning
light come on simultaneously.
The EBD system may be faulty if the
brake system warning light and ABS
warning light illuminate simultaneously
during driving.
Even if the EBD system fails, the conven-
tional braking system will still function.
However, the rear wheels will be more
prone to locking when the brakes are
applied harder than usual and the vehi-
cle’s motion may therefore become some-
what harder to control.
If the brake system warning light and ABS warning light illuminate simultaneously,
take the following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle in the nearest safe,
flat place.
2. Shut down the engine, apply the
parking brake, and then restart it.
3. Release the parking brake. If both
warning lights go out, the EBD system
may be faulty.
Drive carefully to the nearest SUBARU
dealer and have the system inspected.
4. If both warning lights come on again
and stay illuminated after the engine has
been restarted, shut down the engine
again, apply the parking brake, and check
the brake fluid level.
5. If the brake fluid level is not below the
“MIN
”mark, the EBD system may be
faulty. Drive carefully to the nearest
SUBARU dealer and have the system
inspected.
6. If the brake fluid level is below the
“MIN ”mark, DO NOT drive the vehicle.
Instead, have the vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for repair.
WARNING
. Driving with the brake system
warning light on is dangerous.
This indicates your brake system
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may not be working properly. If
the light remains on, have the
brakes inspected by a SUBARU
dealer immediately.
. If at all in doubt about whether
the brakes are operating prop-
erly, do not drive the vehicle.
Have your vehicle towed to the
nearest SUBARU dealer for re-
pair.
Vehicle Dynamics Control
system
WARNING
Always use the utmost care in
driving –overconfidence because
you are driving with a Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system equipped
vehicle could easily lead to a ser-
ious accident.
CAUTION
. Even if your vehicle is equipped
with Vehicle Dynamics Control,
winter tires or snow chains
should be used when driving on
snow-covered or icy roads; in
addition, vehicle speed should
be reduced considerably. Simply
having a Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system does not guarantee
that the vehicle will be able to
avoid accidents in any situation.
. Activation of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system is an
indication that the road being
travelled on has a slippery sur-
face; since having Vehicle Dy-
namics Control is no guarantee that full vehicle control will be
maintained at all times and under
all conditions, its activation
should be seen as a sign that
the speed of the vehicle should
be reduced considerably.
. Whenever suspension compo-
nents, steering components, or
an axle are removed from a
vehicle equipped with Vehicle
Dynamics Control, have an
authorized SUBARU dealer per-
form an inspection of that sys-
tem.
. The following precautions should
be observed in order to ensure
that the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol system is operating properly:
– All four wheels should be
fitted with tires of the same
size, type, and brand. Further-
more, the amount of wear
should be the same for all
four tires.
– Keep the tire pressure at the
proper level as shown on the
vehicle placard attached to
the driver ’s side door pillar.
In the event of wheelspin and/or skidding
on a slippery road surface and/or during
Starting and operating
7-23
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7-24
Starting and operating
cornering and/or an evasive maneuver,
the Vehicle Dynamics Control system
adjusts the engine’s output and the
wheels’ respective braking forces to help
maintain traction and directional control.
. Traction Control Function
The traction control function is designed to
prevent spinning of the driving wheels on
slippery road surfaces, thereby helping to
maintain traction and directional control.
Activation of this function is shown by
steady illumination of the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control operation indicator light.
. Skid Suppression Function
The skid suppression function is designed
to help maintain directional stability by
suppressing the wheels ’tendency to slide
sideways during steering operations. Acti-
vation of this function is shown by flashing
of the Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
indicator light.NOTE. Slight twitching of the brake pedal
may be felt when the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system operates; a small de-
gree of vehicle or steering wheel shak-
ing may also be noticed in this situa-
tion. These are normal characteristics
of Vehicle Dynamics Control operation
and are no cause for alarm.
. When driving off immediately after starting the engine, a short operation
noise may be noticed coming from the
engine compartment. This noise is
generated as a result of a check being
performed on the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system and is normal.
.
Depending on the timing of activa-
tion of the brakes, the brake pedal may
seem to jolt when you drive off after
starting the engine. This is a conse-
quence of the Vehicle Dynamics Con-
trol operational check and is normal.
. In the circumstances listed in the
following, the vehicle may be more
unstable than it feels to the driver.
The Vehicle Dynamics Control System
may therefore operate. Such operation
does not indicate a system fault.
.on gravel-covered or rutted roads
. on unfinished roads
. when the vehicle is towing a
trailer
. when the vehicle is fitted with
snow tires or winter tires
. Activation of the Vehicle Dynamics
Control system will cause operation of
the steering wheel to feel slightly
different compared to that for normal
conditions.
. Even if the vehicle is equipped with
a Vehicle Dynamics Control system, it
is important that winter tires be used when driving on snow-covered or icy
roads. (All four wheels should be fitted
with tires of the same size and brand).
Furthermore, if snow chains are to be
used, they should be fitted on the front
wheels. When a vehicle is fitted with
snow chains, however, the effective-
ness of the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system is reduced and this should be
taken into account when driving the
vehicle in such a condition.
.
It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with
Vehicle Dynamics Control.
. All four wheels should be fitted with
tires of the same size, type, and brand;
furthermore, the amount of wear
should be the same for all four tires. If
these precautions are not observed
and non-matching tires are used, it is
quite possible that the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system will be unable
to operate correctly as intended.
. Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire as failure to do so may
render the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system unable to operate correctly.
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