2009 SUBARU FORESTER parking brake

7-32Starting and operating
CAUTION
Never drive while the parking brake
is set because this will cause un-
necessary wear on the brake lin-
ings. Before starting to drive, always
make sure that the parking brake
has been fully released.
& Parking tips
When parking your vehicle, always set the
parking brake firmly and put the shift lever
in the “1 ” (1st) for an upgrade or “R ”
(Reverse) for a downgrade for manual
transmission vehicles, or in the “P ”(Park)
position for automatic transmission vehi-
cles. Always set the parking brake firmly
when parking your vehicle. Never rely on
the transmission alone to hold the vehicle.
When parking on a hill, always turn the
steering wheel. When the vehicle is
headed up the hill, the front wheels should
be turned away from the curb.
When facing downhill, the front wheels
should be turned into the curb.
WARNING
. Never leave unattended children
or pets in the vehicle. They could
accidentally injure themselves or
others through inadvertent op-
eration of the vehicle. Also, on
hot or sunny days, the tempera-
ture in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to
cause severe or possibly fatal
injuries to people.
. Do not park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags, as
they may burn easily if they come
near hot engine or exhaust sys-
tem parts.
. Be sure to stop the engine if you
take a nap in the vehicle. If
engine exhaust gas enters the
passenger compartment, occu-
pants in the vehicle could die
from carbon monoxide (CO) con-
tained in the exhaust gas.

CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), pay attention to blocks
and other obstructions on the
ground when parking. The under-
spoilers could be damaged by con-
tact with them. Hill start assist system (MT vehicles)
CAUTION
The Hill start assist system is a
device only for helping the driver
to START the vehicle on an uphill
grade. To prevent accidents when
the vehicle is parked on a slope, be
sure to firmly set the parking brake.
When setting the parking brake,
make sure that the vehicle remains
stationary when the clutch pedal isreleased.
The Hill start assist system is a device to
make starting on an uphill grade easier.
On an uphill grade, when the clutch pedal
is depressed while the brake pedal is also
depressed, braking power is maintained
temporarily by the Hill start assist system
when the brake pedal is released. The
driver is therefore able to start the vehicle
the same way as on a level grade, just
using the clutch and accelerator pedal. Starting and operating
7-33
– CONTINUED –

winter driving, stop when and where it is
safe to do so and check under the fenders
periodically. !Parking in cold weather
Do not use the parking brake when
parking for long periods in cold weather
since it could freeze in that position.
Instead, observe the following.
1. Place the shift lever in “1 ” or “R ” for
manual transmission vehicles, and in “P ”
for automatic transmission vehicles.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to
prevent the vehicle from moving.
When the vehicle is parked in snow or
when it snows, raise the wiper blades off
the glass to prevent damage to them.
When the vehicle has been left parked
after use on roads heavily covered with
snow, or has been left parked during a
snowstorm, icing may develop on the
brake system, which could cause poor
braking action. Check for snow or ice
buildup on the suspension, disc brakes
and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.
If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,
being careful not to damage the disc
brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-ness.WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust
gases under your vehicle. Keep
snow clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around your vehicle if you park
the vehicle in snow with the enginerunning.
! Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in
the fuel system and the risk of its freezing,
use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel
tank is recommended during cold weather.
Use only additives that are specifically
designed for this purpose. When an
antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used
for an extended period, it is best to have
the fuel tank filled to capacity. & Driving on snowy and icy roads
To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid
sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-
speed driving, and sharp turning when
driving on snowy or icy roads.
Always maintain ample distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid the need for sudden braking.
To supplement the foot brake, use the
engine brake effectively to control the
vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear
when necessary.)
Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly
leading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle
’s braking perfor-
manceonsnowyandicyroads.For
information on braking on slippery sur-
faces, refer to the “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System) ”and “Vehicle Dynamics Control
system ”sections in chapter 7.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of
vehicle control. Driving tips
8-9
– CONTINUED –

!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 coolant temperature high
warning light (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 coolant temperature high
warning light or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, 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. . 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. . If your vehicle has an automatic trans-
mission, place the selector lever as follows:
Uphill slopes:
“D ”position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear posi-
tion to use engine braking ! 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
8-23

9-4In case of emergency
1) Spare fuse
2) FWD connector
3. Put a spare fuse inside the FWD
connector located in the cabin and confirm
that the All-Wheel Drive warning light“
” illuminates. The All-Wheel-Drive
capability of the vehicle has now been deactivated. NOTE
After reinstalling the conventional tire,
remove the spare fuse from the FWD
connector in order to reactivate All-
Wheel Drive. Make sure to restore the
removed spare fuse in the spare fuse
holder located in the engine compart-ment. 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.

&Using a flat-bed truck
This is the best way to transport your
vehicle. Use the following procedures to
ensure safe transportation.
1. Shift the selector lever into the “P ”
position for automatic transmission vehi-
cles or “1st ”for manual transmission
vehicles.
2. Pull up the parking brake lever firmly.
3. Secure the vehicle onto the carrier
properly with safety chains. Each safety
chain should be equally tightened and
care must be taken not to pull the chains
so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.
CAUTION
If your vehicle has a front under-
spoiler and rear underspoiler (both
optional), be careful not to scrape
them when placing the vehicle on
the carrier and when removing the
vehicle from the carrier.
& Towing with all wheels on the ground
1. Check the transmission and differen-
tial oil levels and add oil to bring it to the
upper level if necessary.
2. Release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral.
3. The ignition switch should be in the “Acc ”position while the vehicle is being towed.
4. Take up slack in the towline slowly to
prevent damage to the vehicle.
WARNING
. Never turn the ignition switch to
the “LOCK ”position while the
vehicle is being towed because
the steering wheel and the direc-
tion of the wheels will be locked.
. Remember that the brake booster
and power steering do not func-
tion when the engine is not
running. Because the engine is
turned off, it will take greater
effort to operate the brake pedal
and steering wheel.
CAUTION
. If transmission failure occurs,
transport your vehicle on a flat-
bed truck.
. Do not run the engine while being
towed using this method. Trans-
mission damage could result if
the vehicle is towed with the
engine running.
. For vehicles with automatic
transmission, the traveling speed In case of emergency
9-15
– CONTINUED –

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-4
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-5
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-6
Non-turbo models .............................................. 11-6
Turbo models ..................................................... 11-7
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-8
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-8
Changing the oil and oil filter .............................. 11-9
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-11
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions .......................................... 11-12
Synthetic oil ..................................................... 11-12
Cooling system ................................................ 11-12
Cooling fan, hose and connections ................... 11-12
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-13
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-15
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-16
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-18
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-18
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-18
Manual transmission oil .................................. 11-19
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-19
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-20
Automatic transmission fluid .......................... 11-20
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-20 Recommended fluid
......................................... 11-21
Front differential gear oil (AT vehicles) .......... 11-21
Checking the oil level ...................................... 11-21
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-22
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-22
Checking the gear oil level ............................... 11-22
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-23
Power steering fluid ........................................ 11-24
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-24
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-25
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-25
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-25
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-26
Clutch fluid (MT vehicles) ............................... 11-26
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-26
Recommended clutch fluid ............................... 11-27
Brake booster .................................................. 11-27
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-28
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-28
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-28
Clutch pedal (MT vehicles) .............................. 11-28
Checking the clutch function ............................ 11-28
Checking the clutch pedal free play .................. 11-29
Hill start assist system (MT vehicles) ............ 11-29
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-29
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-30
Parking brake stroke ....................................... 11-30
Tires and wheels .............................................. 11-31
Types of tires ................................................... 11-31
Maintenance and service
11

11-4Maintenance and service
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water.
. Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seat-
belt pretensioner system, or at-
tempt to take its connectors
apart, as that may activate the
system or it can render it inop-
erative. The wiring and connec-
tors of these systems are yellow
for easy identification. NEVER
use a circuit tester for this wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt
pretensioner needs service, con-
sult your nearest SUBARU deal-
er. &
Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
WARNING
. Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
. Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after
the engine is stopped.
. Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
. Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position,
thecoolingfanmayoperate
suddenly even when the engine
is stopped.
. Before performing any servicing
on a vehicle equipped with a
remote engine start system (a
dealer option) temporarily place
that system in the service mode
to prevent it from unexpectedly
starting the engine. &
When you do checking or
servicing in the engine com-
partment while the engine is running
WARNING
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving
engine parts. Removing rings,
watches and ties is advisable.