2010 SUBARU TRIBECA check transmission fluid

NOTE
This light also illuminates when the fuel
filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.
If you have recently refueled your vehicle,
the cause of the CHECK ENGINE warning
light/malfunction indicator lamp illuminat-
ing could be a loose or missing fuel filler
cap. Remove the cap and retighten it until
it clicks. Make sure nothing is interfering
with the sealing of the cap. Tightening the
cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE
warning light turn off immediately. It may
take several driving trips. If the light does
not turn off, take your vehicle to your
authorized SUBARU dealer immediately. !If the light is blinking
If the light is blinking while driving, an
engine misfire condition has been de-
tected which may damage the emission
control system.
To prevent serious damage to the emis-
sion control system, you should do thefollowing. . Reduce vehicle speed.
. Avoid hard acceleration.
. Avoid steep uphill grades.
. Reduce the amount of cargo, if possi-
ble.. Stop towing a trailer as soon as
possible. The CHECK ENGINE warning light may
stop blinking and illuminate steadily after
several driving trips. You should have your
vehicle checked by an authorized
SUBARU dealer immediately.
& Charge warning light
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the charging
system is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the alternator belt. If the belt is
loose, broken or if the belt is in good
condition but the light remains illuminated,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
immediately. &Oil pressure warning light
CAUTION
Do not operate the engine with the
oil pressure warning light illumi-
nated. This may cause serious en-
gine damage.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the engine oil
pressure is low and the lubricating system is not working properly.
If the light illuminates while driving or does
not turn off after the engine starts, stop the
engine at the first safe opportunity and
check the engine oil level. If the oil level is
low, add oil immediately. If the engine oil is
at the proper level but the light remains
illuminated, contact your nearest
SUBARU dealer immediately. &
AT OIL TEMP warning light
The AT oil temperature warning light “AT
OIL TEMP ”illuminates when the ignition
switch is turned to the “ON ”position and
turns off after approximately 2 seconds.
If this light illuminates when the engine is
running, it may indicate that the automatic
transmission fluid temperature is too hot.
If the light illuminates while driving, im-
mediately stop the vehicle in a safe place
and let the engine idle until the warning
light turns off. ! Automatic transmission control
system warning
If the light flashes after the engine starts, it
may indicate that the automatic transmis-
sion control system is not working prop-
erly. Contact your nearest SUBARU deal-
er for service immediately. Instruments and controls
3-13
– CONTINUED –

underbody. Clear off any such matter from
the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. .Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the select lever
back and forth between “D ” and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. . When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. . Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.. Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. . Frequent driving of an AWD model under hard-driving conditions such as
rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the
“Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Winter driving
&
Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as a window scraper, a bag of sand,
flares, a small shovel and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winterstarts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and
viscosity for cold weather. Heavy summer
oil will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by
squirting them with deicer or glycerin. Driving tips
8-7
– 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 ....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-6
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-7
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-7
Changing the oil and oil filter .............................. 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity .................... 11-9
Recommended grade and viscosity under severe driving conditions ............................... 11-10
Cooling system ................................................ 11-11
Hose and connections ...................................... 11-11
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-11
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-14
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-14
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-15
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-15
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-15
Automatic transmission fluid .......................... 11-16
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-16
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-17
Front differential gear oil ................................. 11-17
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-17
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-18
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-18
Checking the gear oil level ............................... 11-18 Recommended grade and viscosity
.................. 11-19
Power steering fluid ........................................ 11-19
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-19
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-20
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-20
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-20
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-21
Brake booster .................................................. 11-21
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-22
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-22
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-22
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-22
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-23
Parking brake stroke ....................................... 11-23
Tires and wheels .............................................. 11-24
Types of tires ................................................... 11-24
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) .......... 11-24
Tire inspection ................................................. 11-25
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-26
Wheel balance ................................................. 11-28
Wear indicators ............................................... 11-28
Tire rotation direction mark .............................. 11-28
Tire rotation ..................................................... 11-29
Tire replacement .............................................. 11-29
Wheel replacement .......................................... 11-30
Aluminum wheels ............................................ 11-30
Chrome plated wheels (if equipped) .............. 11-31
Windshield washer fluid .................................. 11-32
Replacement of wiper blades ......................... 11-33
Windshield wiper blade assembly ..................... 11-34
Maintenance and service
11

11-16Maintenance and service
Automatic transmission fluid &Checking the fluid level
The automatic transmission fluid expands
largely as its temperature rises; the fluid
level differs according to fluid temperature.
Therefore, there are two different scales
for checking the level of hot fluid and cold
fluid on the level gauge.
Though the fluid level can be checked
without warming up the fluid on the“ COLD ”range, we recommend checking
the fluid level when the fluid is at operatingtemperature. ! Checking the fluid level when the
fluid is hot
Check the fluid level monthly.
1. Drive the vehicle several miles to raise
the temperature of the transmission fluid
up to normal operating temperature; 158
to 176 8F (70 to 80 8C) is normal.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
set the parking brake.
3. First shift the select lever in each
position. Then shift it in the “P ” position,
and run the engine at idling speed.
1) Yellow handle
1) HOT range
2) COLD range
3) Upper level
4) Lower level 4. Pull out the level gauge and check the
fluid level on the gauge. If it is below the
lower level on the
“HOT ”range, add the
recommended automatic transmission
fluid up to the upper level. ! Checking the fluid level when the
fluid is cold
When the fluid level has to be checked
without time to warm up the automatic
transmission, check to see that the fluid
level is between the lower level and upper
level on the “COLD ”range. If it is below
that range, add fluid up to the upper level.
Be careful not to overfill.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill automatic
transmission fluid when adding it.
If automatic transmission fluid
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a
fire. If automatic transmission fluid
gets on the exhaust pipe, be sure to
wipe it off.

&Recommended fluid
Use one of the following types of auto-
matic transmission fluid. SUBARU ATF
IDEMITSU ATF HP
NOTE
Using any non-specified type of auto-
matic transmission fluid could result in
damage inside the transmission. When
replacing the automatic transmission
fluid, be sure to use a fluid of the types
specified above. Front differential gear oil &
Checking the oil level
1) Yellow handle
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the level gauge, wipe it clean,
and insert it again.
1) Upper level
2) Lower level
3. Pull out the level gauge again and
check the oil level on it. If it is below the
lower level, add oil to bring the level up to
the upper level.
CAUTION
Be careful not to spill front differ-
ential gear oil when adding it. If oil
touches the exhaust pipe, it may
cause a bad smell, smoke, and/or a
fire. If oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off. Maintenance and service
11-17
– CONTINUED –

11-20Maintenance and service
.Be careful not to spill power
steering fluid when adding it. If
power steering fluid touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
power steering fluid gets on the
exhaust pipe, be sure to wipe itoff.
The power steering fluid expands greatly
as its temperature rises; the fluid level
differs according to fluid temperature.
Therefore, the reservoir tank has two
different checking ranges for hot and coldfluids.
Check the power steering fluid level
monthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,
and stop the engine.
2. Check the fluid level of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle has
been run: Check that the oil level isbetween “HOT MIN ”and “HOT MAX ”on
the surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle is
run: Check that the oil level is between“ COLD MIN ”and “COLD MAX ”on the
surface of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than the
applicable “MIN ”line, add the recom- mended fluid as necessary to bring the
level between the
“MIN ”and “MAX ”line.
If the fluid level is extreme low, it may
indicate possible leakage. Consult your
SUBARU dealer for inspection.
& Recommended fluid
Use one of the following types of auto-
matic transmission fluid. SUBARU ATF
IDEMITSU ATF HP “Dexron III ”Type Automatic Transmis-
sion Fluid Brake fluid &
Checking the fluid level
WARNING
. Never let brake fluid contact your
eyes because brake fluid can be
harmful to your eyes. If brake
fluid gets in your eyes, immedi-
ately flush them thoroughly with
clean water. For safety, when
performing this work, wearing
eye protection is advisable.
. Brake fluid absorbs moisture
from the air. Any absorbed moist-
ure can cause a dangerous loss
of braking performance.
. If the vehicle requires frequent
refilling, there may be a leak. If
you suspect a problem, have the
vehicle checked at your SUBARU
dealer.
CAUTION
. When adding brake fluid, be care-
ful not to allow any dirt into the
reservoir.
. Never splash the brake fluid over
painted surfaces or rubber parts.

Braking..................................................................... 7-19
Tips...................................................................... 7-19
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ................... 11-23
Bulb Chart .................................................................... 12-8
Replacing ............................................................. 11-40
C Capacities ................................................................. 12-3
Cargo area
Cover ................................................................... 6-14
Light ....................................................................... 6-3
Tie-down hooks ..................................................... 6-16
Catalytic converter ....................................................... 8-3
Center Console .................................................................. 6-6
Ventilators ............................................................... 4-4
Changing Coolant ................................................................ 11-12
Flat tire ................................................................... 9-6
Oil and oil filter ...................................................... 11-8
Charge warning light .................................................. 3-13
CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator lamp ...................................................................... 3-12
Checking Brake pedal free play ............................................ 11-22
Brake pedal reserve distance ................................. 11-22
Coolant level ........................................................ 11-11
Fluid level (automatic transmission fluid) .................. 11-16
Fluid level (brake fluid) .......................................... 11-20
Fluid level (power steering fluid) .............................. 11-19 Fluid level (washer fluid)
........................................ 11-32
Oil level (engine oil) ................................................ 11-7
Oil level (front differential gear oil) .......................... 11-17
Oil level (rear differential gear oil) ........................... 11-18
Child restraint systems ................................................ 1-31
Installation of a booster seat .................................... 1-37
Installation with A/ELR seatbelt ... ............................. 1-34
Lower and tether anchorages ................................... 1-38
Top tether anchorages ............................................ 1-41
Child safety ................................................................... 5
Locks .................................................................... 2-21
Chime Key........................................................................ 3-4Light ..................................................................... 3-26
Seatbelt. ........................................................ 1-18, 3-10
Chrome plated wheels .............................................. 11-31
Cleaning Aluminum wheels ................................................... 10-3
Interior .................................................................. 10-5
Ventilation grille ...................................................... 4-10
Climate control system
Automatic ............................................................... 4-5
Clock ........................................................................ 3-21
Coat hook. ................................................................. 6-12
Coolant ................................................................... 11-11
Cooling system ........................................................ 11-11
Corrosion protection .................................................... 10-4
Cruise control ............................................................ 7-30
Indicator light ................................................. 3-20, 7-33
Set indicator light ............................................ 3-21, 7-33 Index
14-3