2009 SUBARU OUTBACK 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
Precautions for AWD vehicles with automatic transmission ..................................................... 9-3
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 ................................................................ 9-13
Towing and tie-down hooks. ............................... 9-14
Using a flat-bed truck. ........................................ 9-16
Towing with all wheels on the ground ................. 9-17
Rear gate (Station wagon) –if the rear gate
cannot be unlocked ........................................ 9-18
Maintenance tools ............................................. 9-18
Jack .................................................................. 9-18
Jack handle ....................................................... 9-19
Other maintenance tools .................................... 9-19
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 precautions. . 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. & Precautions for AWD vehi-
cles with automatic trans- mission
Your vehicle is equipped with the AWD
(All-Wheel Drive) system. In addition, if
your vehicle is an AT model with non-
turbo 2.5 L engine , before driving your
vehicle with the temporary spare tire, deactivate the AWD capability of the
vehicle as follows:
1. Turn the ignition switch to the
“LOCK ”
position.
2. Pull any one spare fuse out of the
spare fuse holder. Spare fuses are at-
tached on the back side of the fuse holder
cover in the engine compartment. You
may pick up any one fuse in the spare
fuse holder. In case of emergency
9-3
– CONTINUED –

9-4In case of emergency
3. Put a spare fuse inside the FWD
socket located in the fuse panel and
confirm that the “
”warning light on
the combination meter 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
socket in order to reactivate All-Wheel
Drive. Make sure to restore the re-
moved 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.

9-10In case of emergency
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage 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 illumi-
nates while driving after adjusting
the tire pressure, a tire may have
significant 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 aspossible.
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.
If the light illuminates steadily after
blinking for approximately one min-
ute, promptly contact a SUBARU
dealer to have the system inspected.
Jump starting
WARNING
. Battery fluid is SULFURIC ACID.
Do not let it come in contact with
the eyes, skin, clothing or thevehicle.
If battery fluid gets on you,
thoroughly flush the exposed
area with water immediately. Get
medical help if the fluid has
entered your eyes.
If battery fluid is accidentally
swallowed, immediately drink a
large amount of milk or water,
and obtain immediate medicalhelp.
Keep everyone including chil-
dren away from the battery.
. The gas generated by a battery
explodes if a flame or spark is
brought near it. Do not smoke or
light a match while jump starting.
. Never attempt jump starting if the
discharged battery is frozen. It
could cause the battery to burst
or explode.
. Whenever working on or around
a battery, always wear suitable

9-16In case of emergency
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.
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

Station wagon:To take out the jack and
maintenance tools, open the center lid and
remove the bucket from the center of the
spare tire. Then, take the jack out of thebucket. & Jack handle
The jack handle is stowed on the back of
the floor cover of the trunk or on the back
of the center lid of the cargo area.Sedan: Open the floor cover and remove
the jack handle from the back of the floor
cover.
Station wagon: Open the center lid,
remove the left-hand part of the lid, and
take out the jack handle. 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 In case of emergency
9-19