2010 SUBARU FORESTER Owners Manual

13-14Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
occupants to three), and a child
restraint system weighing 11 lbs (5
kg) is installed in the vehicle for the
child to use, the calculations are asfollows. 1. Calculate the total weight.
2.Calculate the available load ca-
pacity.
3. The total weight now exceeds
the capacity weight by 32 lbs (15
kg), so the cargo weight must be
reduced by 32 lbs (15 kg) or more. & Determining compatibility of
tire and vehicle load capaci- ties
The sum of four tires ’maximum
load ratings must exceed the max-
imum loaded vehicle weight( “ GVWR ”). In addition, sum of the
maximum load ratings of two front
tires and of two rear tires must
exceed each axle ’smaximum
loaded capacity ( “GAWR ”). Original
equipment tires are designed to
fulfill those conditions.
The maximum loaded vehicle
weight is referred to Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). And each axle ’s maximum loaded capacity is
referred to Gross Axle Weight Rat-
ing (GAWR). The GVWR and eachaxle ’s GAWR are shown on the
vehicle certification label affixed to
the driver ’s door. The GVWR and front and rear
GAWRs are determined by not only
the maximum load rating of tires but
also loaded capacities of the vehi-cle
’s suspension, axles and other
parts of the body.
Therefore, this means that the
vehicle cannot necessarily be
loaded up to the tire ’s maximum
load rating on the tire sidewall.
& Adverse safety conse-
quences of overloading on
handling and stopping and
on tires
Overloading could affect vehicle
handling, stopping distance, and
vehicle and tire performance in the
following ways. This could lead to
an accident and possibly result in
severe personal injury. . Vehicle stability will deteriorate.
. Heavy and/or high-mounted
loads could increase the risk of
rollover. . Stopping distance will increase.
. Brakes could overheat and fail.

.Suspension, bearings, axles and
other body parts could break or
experience accelerated wear that
will shorten vehicle life. . Tires could fail.
. Tread separation could occur.
. Tire could separate from its rim.
& Steps for Determining Cor-
rect Load Limit
1. Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXXpounds ”on your vehicle ’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle. 3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX pounds. 4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For exam-
ple, if the “XXX ”amount equals
1,400 lbs (635 kg) and there will be
five- 150 lbs (68 kg) passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of avail- able cargo and luggage load capa-
city is 650 lbs. (1,400
750 (5 6
150) = 650 lbs)
5. Determine the combined weight
of luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may not
safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4. 6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and
luggage load capacity of your ve-hicle. Uniform tire quality grading
standards
This information indicates the rela-
tive performance of passenger car
tires in the area of treadwear,
traction, and temperature resis-
tance. This is to aid the consumer
in making an informed choice in the
purchase of tires.
Quality grades can be found where
applicable on the tire sidewall be-
tween tread shoulder and maxi-
mum section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Tem-
perature A
The quality grades apply to new
pneumatic tires for use on passen-
ger cars. However, they do not
apply to deep tread, winter type
snow tires, space-saver or tempor-
ary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of 12 inches
or less, or to some limited produc-
tion tires.
All passenger car tires must con-
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-15
– CONTINUED –

13-16Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
form to Federal Safety Require-
ments in addition to these grades. &Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a compara-
tive rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (1-
1/2) times as well on the govern-
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate. & Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire ’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spe- cified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction perfor- mance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straight-
ahead braking traction tests,
and does not include accel-
eration, cornering, hydroplan-
ing, or peak traction charac-teristics.
& Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing thetire ’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled con-
ditions on a specified indoor labora-
tory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dards No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire
that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or ex-
cessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possi-
ble tire failure.

Reporting safety defects (U.S.A.)
If you believe that your vehicle has
a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately in-
form the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
addition to notifying Subaru of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com-
plaints, it may open an investiga-
tion, and if it finds that a safety
defect exists in a group of vehi-
cles, it may order a recall and
remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved
in individual problems between
you, your dealer, or Subaru of
America, Inc. To contact NHTSA,
you may call the Vehicle Safety
Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236
(TTY: 1-800-424-9153); go to
http://www.safercar.gov; or write
to: Administrator, NHTSA, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington,DC 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor ve-
hicle safety from
http://www.safercar.gov.
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
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Index
14

14-2Index
A
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) ..................................... 7-23
Warning light ................................................. 3-16, 7-23
Accessories ....................................................... 5-4, 11-46
Accessory power outlet ................................................. 6-9
Active head restraint ..................................................... 1-5
Air cleaner element ................................................... 11-15
Air conditioner Automatic climate control system ............................. 4-10
Manual climate control system ................................... 4-7
Air filtration system ..................................................... 4-13
Airflow selection Automatic climate control system ......................... 4-2, 4-9
Manual climate control system ............................. 4-2, 4-4
Alarm system ............................................................ 2-14
All-Wheel Drive warning light ....................................... 3-18
Aluminum wheel ....................................................... 11-37
Cleaning ............................................................... 10-3
Antenna system ........................................................... 5-2
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) ..................................... 7-23
Arming the system ..................................................... 2-15
Armrest ....................................................................... 1-7
Ashtray ..................................................................... 6-11
AT OIL TEMP warning light ......................................... 3-14
Audio Antenna system ....................................................... 5-2
Auxiliary input jack ................................................. 5-25
CD player operation ............................................... 5-17
Control button ........................................................ 5-28
FM/AM radio operation ........................................... 5-10
Power and sound controls ......................................... 5-7 Satellite radio operations
......................................... 5-13
Set ........................................................................ 5-4XM
TMsatellite radio reception ................................... 5-2
Auto-dimming mirror/compass .............................. 3-32, 3-34
Automatic climate control system ................................... 4-8
Automatic headlight beam leveler ................................. 3-27
Warning light .......................................................... 3-18
Automatic transmission ............................................... 7-15
Capacities ............................................................. 12-4
Fluid ................................................................... 11-20
MANUAL mode ...................................................... 7-19
Oil temperature warning light (AT OIL TEMP) ............. 3-14
Select lever ........................................................... 7-16
Shift lock function ................................................... 7-17
Shift lock release .................................................... 7-17
SPORT mode ........................................................ 7-20
Automatic/Emergency Locking Retractor (A/ELR) ........... 1-12
Auxiliary input jack ...................................................... 5-25
BBattery .................................................................... 11-43
Drainage prevention function ..................................... 2-5
Jump starting ......................................................... 9-10
Replacement (remote engine start transmitter) ........... 7-12
Replacement (remote keyless entry system) .............. 2-10
Booster seat .............................................................. 1-29
Bottle holder ............................................................... 6-9
Brake
Assist .................................................................... 7-22
Booster ....................................................... 7-22, 11-26
Fluid ................................................................... 11-24

Pad and lining...................................................... 11-29
Parking ........................................................ 7-31, 11-29
Pedal .................................................................. 11-27
System ................................................................. 7-22
Brake pedal Free play ............................................................. 11-27
Reserve distance .................................................. 11-27
Brake system ............................................................ 7-22
Warning light ......................................................... 3-17
Braking ..................................................................... 7-21
Tips...................................................................... 7-21
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ................... 11-29
Bulb
Chart .................................................................. 12-10
Replacing ............................................................. 11-46
C Capacities ................................................................. 12-4
Cargo area
Cover ................................................................... 6-13
Light ............................................................. 6-3, 11-50
Tie-down hooks ..................................................... 6-15
Cargo tray ................................................................. 10-6
Catalytic converter ....................................................... 8-3
Center Console .................................................................. 6-5
Ventilators ............................................................... 4-3
Center and side ventilators ............................................ 4-3
Changing Coolant ................................................................ 11-13
Flat tire ................................................................... 9-6 Oil and oil filter
....................................................... 11-9
Charge warning light ................................................... 3-14
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp ...................................................................... 3-12
Checking Brake pedal free play ............................................ 11-27
Brake pedal reserve distance ................................. 11-27
Clutch function ..................................................... 11-27
Clutch pedal free play ........................................... 11-28
Coolant level ........................................................ 11-13
Fluid level (automatic transmission fluid) .................. 11-20
Fluid level (brake fluid) .......................................... 11-24
Fluid level (clutch fluid) .......................................... 11-25
Fluid level (power steering fluid) .. ........................... 11-23
Fluid level (washer fluid) ........................................ 11-38
Oil level (engine oil) ................................................ 11-8
Oil level (front differential gear oil) .......................... 11-21
Oil level (manual transmission oil) .......................... 11-19
Child restraint systems ................................................ 1-23
Installation of a booster seat .................................... 1-29
Installation with A/ELR seatbelt ... ............................. 1-26
Lower and tether anchorages ................................... 1-30
Top tether anchorages ............................................ 1-33
Child safety ................................................................... 5
Locks .................................................................... 2-19
Chime Key........................................................................ 3-5 Light ..................................................................... 3-25
Seatbelt. ........................................................ 1-13, 3-10
Cleaning Aluminum wheels ................................................... 10-3 Index
14-3