2009 SUBARU FORESTER tow

1) Jack and tool bucket
2) Jack handle
3) Spare tire
5. Take out the spare tire, jack, jack
handle and wheel nut wrench.
The spare tire and the tools are stored
under the floor of the cargo area. Take
them out according to the following pro-cedure. To take out the jack handle:
Open the floor cover of the cargo area,
and take out the jack handle.
To take out the jack and wheel nut wrench:
Take out the storage tray, and take out thetool bucket that is stored in the recess of
the spare tire wheel.
1) Jack
2) Towing hook
In case of emergency
9-5
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9-12In case of emergency
Towing
If towing is necessary, it is best done by
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following
procedures for safety.
WARNING
Never tow AWD vehicles (both AT
and MT) with the front wheels raised
off the ground while the rear wheels
are on the ground, or with the rear
wheels raised off the ground while
the front wheels are on the ground.
This will cause the vehicle to spin
away due to the operation or dete-
rioration of the center differential. &
Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in
an emergency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle
from mud, sand or snow).
CAUTION
. Use only the specified towing
hook and tie-down hook. Never
use suspension parts or other
parts of the body for towing or
tie-down purposes.
. To prevent deformation to the
front bumper and the towing
hook, do not apply excessive
lateral load to the towing hook.
Front towing hook :
1. Take the towing hook out of the tool
bucket and take the screwdriver out of the
tool bag. Take the wheel nut wrench out of
the cargo area.
2. Pry off the cover on the front bumper
using a screwdriver, and you will find a
threaded hole for attaching the towinghook.
3. Screw the towing hook into the thread
hole until its thread can no longer be seen.

4. 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 bucket.
Fit the 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:
CAUTION
If a trailer hitch is installed, it is not
possible to install the rear towinghook.
To install the rear towing hook, the
standard bumper beam must be
installed on the vehicle at a
SUBARU dealer. Consult a SUBARU
dealer for details.
Use a hitch ball and follow the
instructions below when towing. . The weight of the object being
towed must be less than the
weight of the vehicle.
. Drive the vehicle 20 mph (32
km/h) or less speed.
. Do not drive more than 31 miles
(50 km).
1. Take the towing hook out of the tool
bucket and take the screwdriver out of the
tool bag. Take the wheel nut wrench out of
the cargo area.
2. Pry off the cover on the rear bumper
using a screwdriver, and you will find a
threaded hole for attaching the towinghook.
3. Screw the towing hook into the thread
hole until its thread can no longer be seen. In case of emergency
9-13
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9-14In case of emergency
4. 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 bucket.
Fit the towing hook cover on the bumper.
WARNING
Do not use the towing hook except
when towing your vehicle.
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.
WARNING
Use the rear tie-down hooks only for
downward anchoring. If they are
used to anchor the vehicle in any
other direction, cables may slip off
the hooks, possibly causing a dan-
gerous situation.

&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
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Moonroof–if the moonroof
cannot be closed
If the moonroof cannot be closed with the
moonroof switch, you can close the moon-
roof manually.
1. Remove the plug on the roof trim of the
cargo area by inserting the end of the flat-
head screwdriver between the roof and
plug and prying it off.
2. Insert a hex-head wrench in the end of
the motor shaft.
To close the moonroof, turn the wrench counterclockwise.
Have your vehicle checked and repaired
by an authorized SUBARU dealer. Maintenance tools
Your vehicle is equipped with the following
maintenance tools:
Jack
Jack handleScrewdriver
Towing hook (eye bolt)
Wheel nut wrench
Hex-head wrench (only vehicles with
moonroof)
Lever
& Jack handle
The jack handle is stored under the floor
cover of the cargo area. In case of emergency
9-17
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9-18In case of emergency
& Jack and other maintenance tools
1) Jack
2) Towing hook
1) Screwdriver
2) Wheel nut wrench
3) Tool bag
4) Lever
5) Hex-head wrench (only vehicles with
moonroof)
The jack and towing hook are stored in the
tool bucket that is located in the recess of
the spare tire wheel under the floor of the
cargo area.
The screwdriver and wheel nut wrench are
stored in the tool bag.
For how to use the jack, refer to the “Flat
tires ”section in this chapter.

Engine hood
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their originalposition.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.
3. Release the secondary hood release
by moving the lever between the front
grille and the hood toward the left.
4. Lift up the hood.
To close the hood:
1. Lower the hood to a height of approxi-
mately 5.9 in (15 cm) above its closed
position and then let it drop.
2. After closing the hood, be sure the
hood is securely locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it
from a slightly higher position. Do not push
the hood forcibly to close it. It could
deform the metal.
WARNING
Always check that the hood is
properly locked before you start
driving. If it is not, it might fly open
while the vehicle is moving and
block your view, which may cause
an accident and serious bodily in-
jury. Maintenance and service
11-5