2010 SUBARU FORESTER towing capacity

New vehicle break-in driving–the first
1,000 miles (1,600 km) ..................................... 8-2
Fuel economy hints ............................................ 8-2
Engine exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ............ 8-2
Catalytic converter .............................................. 8-3
Periodic inspections ........................................... 8-4
Driving in foreign countries ............................... 8-4
Driving tips for AWD models .............................. 8-5
On-pavement and off-road driving ..................... 8-6
Winter driving ...................................................... 8-8
Operation during cold weather ............................. 8-8
Driving on snowy and icy roads .......................... 8-9
Corrosion protection .......................................... 8-10
Snow tires ......................................................... 8-10
Tire chains ......................................................... 8-11
Rocking the vehicle ............................................ 8-11 Loading your vehicle
......................................... 8-12
Vehicle capacity weight ...................................... 8-12
GVWR and GAWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and Gross Axle Weight Rating) ........................ 8-13
Roof rail (if equipped) ........................................ 8-14
Roof molding and crossbar (if equipped) ............ 8-14
Trailer hitch (dealer option) ............................... 8-16
Connecting a trailer ........................................... 8-16
When you do not tow a trailer .. .......................... 8-17
Trailer towing ..................................................... 8-18
Warranties and maintenance .............................. 8-18
Maximum load limits .......................................... 8-18
Trailer hitches .................................................... 8-21
Connecting a trailer ........................................... 8-22
Trailer towing tips .............................................. 8-23Driving tips
8

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 shownin “Tires ”F 12-5 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
extracautionwhentowinga
trailer and you should never
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind: !
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 ’sbrake
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- Driving tips
8-23
– CONTINUED –

&Tire care –maintenance and
safety practices
. Check on a daily basis that the
tires are free from serious damage,
nails, and stones. At the same time,
check the tires for abnormal wear. . Inspect the tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their
tread wear indicators become visi-
ble. When a tire ’streadwear
indicator becomes visible, the tire
is worn beyond the acceptable limit
and must be replaced immediately.
With a tire in this condition, driving
at even low speeds in wet weather
can cause the vehicle to hydro-
plane. Possible resulting loss of
vehiclecontrolcanleadtoanaccident. . To maximize the life of each tire
and ensure that the tires wear
uniformly, it is best to rotate the
tires every 7,500 miles (12,000 km).
For information about the tire rota-
tion order, refer to “Tire rotation ”
F 11-35 .
Replace any damaged or un- evenly worn tires at the time of
rotation. After tire rotation, adjust
the tire pressures and make sure
the wheel nuts are correctly tigh-
tened. For information about the
tightening torque and tightening
sequence for the wheel nuts, refer to
“Flat tires ”F 9-6 .
& Vehicle load limit –how to
determine
The load capacity of your vehicle is
determined by weight, not by avail-
able cargo space. The load limit of
your vehicle is shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the
driver ’s side B-pillar. Locate the
statement “The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs ”
on your vehicle ’s placard.
Thevehicleplacardalsoshows
seating capacity of your vehicle.
The total load capacity includes the
total weight of driver and all pas-
sengers and their belongings, any
cargo, any optional equipment such as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike
carrier, etc., and the tongue load of
a trailer. Therefore cargo capacity
can be calculated by the followingmethod.
Cargo capacity = Load limit
(total
weight of occupants + total weight
of optional equipment + tongue
load of a trailer (if applicable))
For information about vehicle load-
ing, refer to “Loading your vehicle ”
F 8-12 .
For information about towing capa-
city and weight limits, refer to“ Trailer towing ”F 8-18 .
! Calculating total and load ca-
pacities varying seating con-
figurations
Calculate the available load capa-
city as shown in the following examples:
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-11
– CONTINUED –

.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 –

14-10Index
Types .................................................................. 11-30
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). ...... 7-30, 9-9, 11-30
Warning light ......................................................... 3-15
Tires and wheels. ...................................................... 11-30
Tools .......................................................................... 9-4
Top tether anchorages ........................................ 1-30, 1-33
Towing ...................................................................... 9-12
All wheels on the ground ........................................ 9-16
Flat-bed truck ........................................................ 9-15
Hooks ................................................................... 9-13
Weight.................................................................. 8-18
Trailer Connecting ............................................................ 8-16
Hitch ............................................................ 8-16, 8-21
Towing .................................................................. 8-18
Towing tips ............................................................ 8-23
Trip meter ................................................................... 3-6
Turn signal Indicator lights ....................................................... 3-21
Lever .................................................................... 3-27
U
Under-floor storage compartment ................................. 6-16
V
Valet mode ................................................................ 2-17
Vanity mirror ................................................................ 6-5
Vehicle Capacity weight ..................................................... 8-12
Identification ........................................................ 12-13
Symbols .................................................................... 3 Vehicle Dynamics Control
OFF indicator light .................................................. 3-19
OFF switch ............................................................ 7-29
Operation indicator light ................................... 3-19, 7-27
System .................................................................. 7-26
Warning light .................................................. 3-19, 7-28
Ventilator .................................................................... 4-2
W
Warning and indicator lights .......................................... 3-9
Warning chimes
Seatbelt. ........................................................ 1-13, 3-10
Warning light
ABS.............................................................. 3-16, 7-23
All-Wheel Drive ...................................................... 3-18
AT OIL TEMP ......................................................... 3-14
Automatic headlight beam leveler ............................. 3-18
Brake system ......................................................... 3-17
Charge .................................................................. 3-14
CHECK ENGINE .................................................... 3-12
Coolant temperature high ........................................ 3-13
Door open ............................................................. 3-18
Hill start assist ............................................... 3-18, 7-34
Low fuel ......................................................... 3-8, 3-18
Low tire pressure .................................................... 3-15
Oil pressure ........................................................... 3-14
Seatbelt. ........................................................ 1-13, 3-10
SRS airbag system ................................................. 3-11
Vehicle Dynamics Control ................................ 3-19, 7-28
Warranties ..................................................................... 1
Warranties and maintenance ........................................ 8-18

GAS STATION REFERENCE
& Fuel:
! Non-turbo models
Use only unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 AKI or
higher .
! Turbo models
Use premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91
AKI or higher . If premium unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 91 AKI is not available, regular unleaded gasoline with
octane rating of 87 AKI or higher may be temporarily used. For
optimum engine performance and driveability, it is required that
you use premium grade unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating of 91 AKI or higher. & Fuel octane rating:
This octane rating is the average of the Research Octane and
Motor Octane numbers and is commonly referred to as the Anti
Knock Index (AKI). Refer to “Fuel octane rating ”F 7-2. &
Fuel capacity:
16.9 US gal (64 liters, 14.1 Imp gal) & Engine oil:
Use only the following oils. . ILSAC GF-4, which can be identified with the ILSAC
certification mark (Starburst mark). or API classification SM with the words “ENERGY CON-
SERVING ”
For the complete viscosity requirements, refer to the followingsections.. “Recommended grade and viscosity ”F 11-11
. “Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving
conditions ”F 11-12
& Engine oil capacity:
4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
& Cold tire pressure:
Tire size P215/65R16 96HP225/55R17 95H
Wheel size 1666
1/2J1 66 61/2JJ 17 67JJ
Pressure Front 30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm
2) 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm2)
Rear 29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm
2) 30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm2)
Rear when towing trailer 35 psi (240 kPa, 2.4 kgf/cm
2) 36 psi (250 kPa, 2.5 kgf/cm2)
Temporary
spare tire Size
T155/70 D17
Pressure 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2)
NOTE
For the Latin American models, there is a conventional tire installed under the floor of the cargo area.