2012 SUBARU FORESTER sensor

10-2Appearance care
Exterior care &Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and area adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air in-
take, electrical parts or the power
steering fluid reservoir, it will
cause engine trouble or a mal-
function of power steering.
. Do not use organic solvents
when washing the surface of the
bulb assembly cover. If a deter-
gent with organic solvents is
mistakenly used to wash the
surface, completely rinse off the
detergent with water. Otherwise,
the surface may be damaged.
. Since your vehicle is equipped
with a rear wiper, automatic car-
wash brushes could become
tangled around it, damaging the wiper arm and other compo-
nents. Ask the automatic car-
wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle ’s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in directsunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required.
If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or softcloth. !
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody. Carefully flush the suspen-
sion and axle parts, as they are particu-
larly prone to mud and sand buildup. Do
not use a sharp-edged tool to remove
caked mud.
CAUTION
. Be careful not to damage brake
hoses, sensor harnesses, and
other parts when washing sus-

Parking brake stroke
Check the parking brake stroke according
to the maintenance schedule in the“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”.
When the parking brake is properly
adjusted, braking power is fully applied
by pulling the lever up 7 to 8 notches
gently but firmly (approximately 45 lbf [200
N, 20.4 kgf]). If the parking brake lever
stroke is not within the specified range,
have the brake system checked and
adjusted at your SUBARU dealer. Tires and wheels &
Types of tires
You should be familiar with type of tires
present on your vehicle.
The factory-fitted tires are all-season tires. ! All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
an adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving including snowy and icy road
conditions. However all season tires do
not offer as much traction performance as
winter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snow
or on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by “ALL
SEASON ”and/or “M+S ”(Mud & Snow) on
the tire sidewall. ! Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited for highway driving under
dry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for driving
on slippery roads such as on snow-
covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered
or icy roads, we strongly recommend the
use of winter (snow) tires.
When installing winter tires, be sure to
replace all four tires. !
Winter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving on
snow-covered and icy roads. However
winter tires do not perform as well as
summer tires and all season tires on roads
other than snow-covered and icy roads. & Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec.models)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with a warning message
by sending a signal from a sensor that is
installed in each wheel when tire pressure
is severely low. The tire pressure monitor-
ing system will activate only when the
vehicle is driven. Also, this system may
not react immediately to a sudden drop in
tire pressure (for example, a blow-out
caused by running over a sharp object).
If you adjust the tire pressures in a warm
garage and will then drive the vehicle in
cold outside air, the resulting drop in tire
pressures may cause the low tire pressure
warning light to illuminate. To avoid this
problem when adjusting the tire pressures
in a warm garage, inflate the tires to
pressures higher than those shown on the
tire placard. Specifically, inflate them by an
extra 1 psi (6.9 kPa, 0.07 kgf/cm
2) for
every difference of 10 8F (5.6 8C) between
Maintenance and service
11-29
– CONTINUED –

11-30Maintenance and service
the temperature in the garage and the
temperature outside. By way of example,
the following table shows the required tire
pressures that correspond to various out-
side temperatures when the temperature
in the garage is 60 8F (15.6 8C).
Example:
Tire size: P215/65R16 96H
Standard tire pressures:
Front: 30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm
2)
Rear: 29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm2)
Garage temperature: 60 8F (15.6 8C)
Outside
temperature Adjusted pressure
[psi (kPa, kgf/cm
2)]
Front Rear
30 8F( 18C) 33
(230, 2.3) 32
(220, 2.2)
10 8F( 12 8C) 35
(240, 2.4) 34
(235, 2.35)
10 8F( 23 8C) 37
(255, 2.55) 36
(250, 2.5)
Example:
Tire size: P225/55R17 95H
Standard tire pressures:
Front: 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm
2)
Rear: 30 psi (210 kPa, 2.1 kgf/cm2)
Garage temperature: 60 8F (15.6 8C) Outside
temperature Adjusted pressure
[psi (kPa, kgf/cm
2)]
Front Rear
30 8F( 18C) 35
(240, 2.4) 33
(230, 2.3)
10 8F( 12 8C) 37
(255, 2.55) 35
(240, 2.4)
10 8F( 23 8C) 39
(270, 2.7) 37
(255, 2.55)
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates when you drive the vehicle in
cold outside air after adjusting the tire
pressures in a warm garage, re-adjust the
tire pressures using the method described
above. Then, increase the vehicle speed
to at least 20 mph (32 km/h) and check to
see that the low tire pressure warning light
turns off a few minutes later. If the low tire
pressure warning light does not turn off,
the tire pressure monitoring system may
not be functioning normally. In this event,
go to a SUBARU dealer to have the
system inspected as soon as possible.
While the vehicle is driven, friction be-
tween tires and the road surface causes
the tires to warm up. After illumination of
the low tire pressure warning light, any
increase in the tire pressures caused by
an increase in the outside air temperature
or by an increase in the temperature in the tires can cause the low tire pressure
warning light to turn off.
System resetting is necessary when the
wheels are changed (for example, a
switch to snow tires) and new TPMS
valves are installed on the newly fitted
wheels. Have this work performed by a
SUBARU dealer following wheel replace-ment.
It may not be possible to install TPMS
valves on certain wheels that are on the
market. Therefore, if you change the
wheels (for example, a switch to snow
tires), use wheels that have the same part
number as the standard-equipment
wheels. Without four operational TPMS
valve/sensors on the wheels, the TPMS
will not fully function and the warning light
in the instrument panel will illuminate
steadily after blinking for approximately
one minute.
When a tire is replaced, adjustments are
necessary to ensure continued normal
operation of the tire pressure monitoring
system. As with wheel replacement, there-
fore, you should have the work performed
by a SUBARU dealer.

WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
does not illuminate briefly after the
ignition switch is turned ON or the
light illuminates steadily after blink-
ing for approximately one minute,
you should have your Tire Pressure
Monitoring System checked at a
SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-ble.
If this light illuminates while driving,
never brake suddenly and keep
driving straight ahead while gradu-
ally reducing speed. Then slowly
pull off the road to a safe place.
Otherwise an accident involving
serious vehicle damage and serious
personal injury could occur.
If this light still illuminates while
driving after adjusting the tire pres-
sure, 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 as possible.
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. If the light
illuminates steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute,
promptly contact a SUBARU dealer
to have the system inspected.
& Tire inspection
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.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immedi-
ately if you find any problem. NOTE . When the wheels and tires strike
curbs or are subjected to harsh treat-
ment as when the vehicle is driven on a
rough surface, they can suffer damage
that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
This type of damage does not become
evident until time has passed. Try not
to drive over curbs, potholes or on
other rough surfaces. If doing so is
unavoidable, keep the vehicle ’s speed
down to a walking pace or less, and approach the curbs as squarely as
possible. Also, make sure the tires are
not pressed against the curb when you
park the vehicle..
If you feel unusual vibration while
driving or find it difficult to steer the
vehicle in a straight line, one of the
tires and/or wheels may be damaged.
Drive slowly to the nearest authorized
SUBARU dealer and have the vehicleinspected. & Tire pressures and wear
Maintaining the correct tire pressures
helps to maximize the tires ’service lives
and is essential for good running perfor-
mance. Check and, if necessary, adjust
the pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month (for example,
during a fuel stop) and before any long
journey. Maintenance and service
11-31
– CONTINUED –

Rear....................................................................... 1-7
Seatbelt ................................................................. 5, 1-12
Fastening .............................................................. 1-14
Maintenance .......................................................... 1-20
Pretensioners ........................................................ 1-20
Safety tips ............................................................. 1-12
Warning light and chime ......................................... 3-13
Security Alarm system ........................................................ 2-14
Immobilizer. ............................................................. 2-3
Indicator light ......................................................... 3-23
Shock sensors ....................................................... 2-19
Select lever ............................................................... 7-16
Position indicator ................................................... 3-24
Shift lock function ................................................... 7-17
Shock sensors ........................................................... 2-19
Shopping bag hook .................................................... 6-13
Snow tires ........................................................ 8-11, 11-29
Snowy and icy roads .................................................. 8-10
Sounding a panic alarm .............................................. 2-10
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-17, 12-3
Specifications ............................................................ 12-2
Speedometer ............................................................... 3-8
SPORT mode ............................................................ 7-20
Indicator light ......................................................... 3-24
SRS Curtain airbag ........................................................ 1-48
Frontal airbag ........................................................ 1-38
Side airbag ........................................................... 1-48
SRS airbag (Supplemental Restraint System airbag) ... 5, 1-34 SRS airbag system
Monitors ................................................................ 1-58
Servicing ............................................................... 1-59
Warning light .......................................................... 3-15
Starting the engine ...................................................... 7-7
State emission testing (U.S. only) .................................. 7-6
Steering wheel Power ................................................................... 7-21
Tilt/telescopic ......................................................... 3-47
Stopping the engine ..................................................... 7-9
Storage compartment ................................................... 6-5
Sun shade ................................................................. 2-26
Sun visors .................................................................. 6-4
Supplemental Restraint System airbag (SRS) ................ 1-34
Synthetic leather upholstery ......................................... 10-5
T
Tachometer ................................................................ 3-10
Temperature gauge ..................................................... 3-11
Temperature warning light AT OIL TEMP ......................................................... 3-18
Coolant ................................................................. 3-16
Temporary spare tire .................................................... 9-2
Tether (child restraint system) .............................. 1-29, 1-32
Tie-down hooks .......................................................... 9-14
Tire Chains .................................................................. 8-11
Inspection ............................................................ 11-31
Pressures and wear .............................................. 11-31
Replacement. ....................................................... 11-35
Rotation .............................................................. 11-35 Index
14-9