2009 SUBARU FORESTER light

7-36Starting and operating
only). . Shift the selector lever into the “N ”
position (AT vehicles only).. Shift the shift lever into neutral position
(MT vehicles only).The “
”indicator light on the combina-
tion meter turns off when the cruise control
is canceled.
To resume the cruise control after it has
been temporarily canceled and with vehi-
cle speed of approximately 20 mph (32
km/h) or more, push the “RES/ACC ”
button to return to the original cruising
speed automatically. The “
”indicator light on the combina-
tion meter will automatically illuminate at
this time. &
To turn off the cruise control
There are two ways to turn off the cruisecontrol: . Push the “CRUISE ”main switch button
again.. Turn the ignition switch to the “Acc ”or
“ LOCK ”position (but only when the
vehicle is completely stopped). & To change the cruising speed
! To increase the speed (by button)
Push the “RES/ACC ”button and hold it
until the vehicle reaches the desired
speed. Then, release the button. The
vehicle speed at that moment will be
memorized and treated as the new setspeed. When the difference between the actual
vehicle speed and the set speed is less
than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the set speed can
be increased 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time
by pressing the
“RES/ACC ”button quickly.
! To increase the speed (by accel-
erator pedal)
1. Depress the accelerator pedal to
accelerate the vehicle to the desiredspeed.
2. Push the “SET/COAST ”button once.
Now the desired speed is set and the
vehicle will keep running at that speed
without depressing the accelerator pedal. NOTE
If the difference between the actual
vehicle speed when the button is
pushed and the speed last time you
set is less than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the
vehicle speed will be lowered by 1 mph
(1.6 km/h). This occurs because the
cruise control system unit regards this
operation as that intended to decrease
the vehicle speed.

!To decrease the speed (by button)
Push the “SET/COAST ”button and hold it
until the vehicle reaches the desired
speed. Then, release the button. The
vehicle speed at that moment will be
memorized and treated as the new setspeed.
When the difference between the actual
vehicle speed and the set speed is less
than 4 mph (6.8 km/h), the set speed can
be lowered 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time by
pressing the “SET/COAST ”button quickly. !
To decrease the speed (by brakepedal)
1. Depress the brake pedal to release
cruise control temporarily.
2. When the speed decreases to the
desired speed, press the “SET/COAST ”
button once. Now the desired speed is set
and the vehicle will keep running at that
speed without depressing the acceleratorpedal.
& Cruise control indicator light
The cruise control indicator light illumi-
nates when the ignition switch is turned tothe “ON ”position and turns off after
approximately 3 seconds.
The light illuminates when the “CRUISE ”
main switch is pressed. NOTE .
If you press the “CRUISE ”main
switch button while turning the ignition switch “ON ”, the cruise control func-
tion is deactivated and the cruise
control indicator light flashes. To re-
activate the cruise control function,
turn the ignition switch back to the“ Acc ”or “LOCK ”position, and then
turn it again to the “ON ”position.
. If this indicator light and the CHECK
ENGINE warning light/malfunction in-
dicator lamp flash simultaneously dur-
ing driving, have the vehicle checked
by your nearest SUBARU dealer. Starting and operating
7-37
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7-38Starting and operating
& Cruise control set indicator light
The cruise control set indicator light
illuminates when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON ”position and turns off
after approximately 3 seconds.
The light illuminates when vehicle speed
has been set.

crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your
vehicle and may cause it to stall. Never
attempt to drive through rushing water;
regardless of its depth, it can wash away
the ground from under your tires, resulting
in possible loss of traction and even
vehicle rollover. . Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads. . Do not drive or park over or near
flammable materials such as dry grass or
fallen leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the
engine is running and right after engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard. . After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. .
Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the selector lever
back and forth between “D ” and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. . When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. . Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.. Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. . Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle under hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the
“Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Driving tips
8-7

to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season
tires ”as original equipment, which are
designed to provide an adequate measure
of traction, handling and braking perfor-
mance in year-round driving. In winter, it
may be possible to enhance performance
through use of tires designed specifically
for winter driving conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on
your vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire
size and type. You must install four winter
tires that are of the same size, construc-
tion, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous hand-
ling characteristics. When you choose a
tire, make sure that there is enough
clearance between the tire and vehicle
body.
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on yourvehicle. &
Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on tires
listed in the following because of
lack of clearance between the tires
and vehicle body.
All models: P215/65R16 and
P225/55R17 tires.
& Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the selector
lever back and forth between “D ”and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
Refer to the “Selection of manual mode ”
section in chapter 7 for information on
holding the transmission in 2nd position. Loading your vehicleWARNING
. Never allow passengers to ride
on a folded rear seatback or in
the cargo area. Doing so may
result in serious injury.
. Never stack luggage or other
cargo higher than the top of the
seatback because it could tumble
forward and injure passengers in
the event of a sudden stop or
accident. Keep luggage or cargo
low, as close to the floor aspossible.
Driving tips 8-11
– CONTINUED –

2. Insert the hitch pin into the hole on the
hitch receiver tube so that the pin passes
through the ball mount.
3. Insert the safety pin securely into the
hitch pin.
4. Pull the ball mount to make sure itdoes not come off the hitch receiver.
1) Hitch ball installation point
2) Hooks for safety chains
5. Use only a hitch ball that is appropriate
for the ball mount and your trailer. The
hitch ball must be securely installed on the
ball mount.
6. Connect your trailer to the hitch ball.
7. Connect the trailer and the hitch with
safety chains that will hold the trailer ’s
maximum gross weight. The chains
should cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping onto the
ground in case it should disconnect from
the hitch ball. Allow sufficient slack in the
chains taking tight-turn situations into
account; however, be careful not to let
them drag on the ground.
WARNING
Do not connect safety chains to part
of the vehicle other than the safety
chain hooks.
Hitch harness connector
8. Connect the hitch wire harness ’s black
four-pin wire connector to the towing trailer ’s wire harness
9. Confirm proper function of the hitch
wire harness by individually activating the
brake, stop, and turn signal lights on the
trailer.
NOTE
Always disconnect the trailer wire har-
ness before launching or retrieving a Driving tips
8-15
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!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 brake lights and turn
signal 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
WARNING
. 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
8-21
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8-22Driving tips
! 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.