2012 SUBARU FORESTER ESP

1) Jack
2) Bathroom scale
The tongue load can be weighed with a
bathroom scale as shown in the illustration
above. 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 as shown.F: Front of vehicle
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.
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more
weight in the back of trailer ’s axle
than in the front, the load is taken off the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
This may cause the rear wheels to
skid, especially during braking or
when vehicle speed is reduced dur-
ing cornering, resulting in over-
steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
& 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 Driving tips
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10-4Appearance care
Corrosion protection
Your SUBARU has been designed and
built to resist corrosion. Special materials
and protective finishes have been used on
most parts of the vehicle to help maintain
fine appearance, strength, and reliableoperation. &Most common causes of corrosion
The most common causes of corrosion are:
1. The accumulation of moisture retain-
ing dirt and debris in body panel sections,
cavities, and other areas.
2. Damage to paint and other protective
coatings caused by gravel and stone
chips or minor accidents.
Corrosion is accelerated on the vehicle when:
1. It is exposed to road salt or dust
control chemicals, or used in coastal
areas where there is more salt in the air,
or in areas where there is considerable
industrial pollution.
2. It is driven in areas of high humidity,
especially when temperatures range just
above freezing.
3. Dampness in certain parts of the
vehicle remains for a long time, even though other parts of the vehicle may be
dry.
4. High temperatures will cause corro-
sion to parts of the vehicle which cannot
dry quickly due to lack of proper ventila-tion.
& To help prevent corrosion
Wash the vehicle regularly to prevent
corrosion of the body and suspension
components. Also, wash the vehicle
promptly after driving on any of the
following surfaces. . Roads that have been salted to prevent
them from freezing in winter. Mud, sand, or gravel
. Coastal roads
After the winter has ended, it is recom-
mended that the underbody be given a
very thorough washing.
Before the beginning of winter, check the
condition of underbody components, such
as the exhaust system, fuel and brake
lines, brake cables, suspension, steering
system, floor pan, and fenders. If any of
them are found to be rusted, they should
be given an appropriate rust prevention
treatment or should be replaced. Contact
your SUBARU dealer to perform this kind
of maintenance and treatment if you need assistance.
Repair chips and scratches in the paint as
soon as you find them.
Check the interior of the vehicle for water
and dirt accumulation under the floor mats
because that could cause corrosion.
Occasionally check under the mats to
make sure the area is dry.
Keep your garage dry. Do not park your
vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated
garage. In such a garage, corrosion can
be caused by dampness. If you wash the
vehicle in the garage or put the vehicle
into the garage when wet or covered with
snow, that can cause dampness.
If your vehicle is operated in cold weather
and/or in areas where road salts and other
corrosive materials are used, the door
hinges and locks, and hood latch should
be inspected and lubricated periodically.

11-28Maintenance and service
Replacement of brake pad
and lining
Each disc brake has audible wear indica-
tors on the brake pads. If the brake pads
wear close to their service limit, the wear
indicator makes a very audible scraping
noise when the brake pedal is applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time
you apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
If you continue to drive despite the
scraping noise from the audible
wear indicator, it will result in the
need for costly brake rotor repair or replacement.
& Breaking-in of new brake
pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining,
use only genuine SUBARU parts. After
replacement, the new parts must be
broken in as follows.
WARNING
A safe location and situation should
be selected for break-in driving.
! Brake pad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40
mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake
pedal lightly. Repeat this five or moretimes. ! Parking brake lining
CAUTION
Pulling the parking brake lever too
forcefully may cause the rear
wheels to lock. To avoid this, be
certain to pull the lever up slowly
and gently.
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed of approximately 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. With the parking brake release button
pushed in, pull the parking brake lever
SLOWLY and GENTLY (pulling with a
force of approximately 34 lbf [150 N,
15.3 kgf]).
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately
220 yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parking
brake to cool down. Repeat this proce-dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If the
parking brake stroke is out of the specified
range, adjust it by turning the adjusting nut
located on the parking brake lever.
Parking brake stroke: 7–8 notches / 45 lbf (200 N, 20.4 kgf)

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.

11-32Maintenance and service
Check the tire pressures when the tires
are cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjust
the tire pressures to the values shown on
the tire placard. The tire placard is located
on the door pillar on the driver ’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms up
the tires and increases the tire pressures.
Also, the tire pressures are affected by the
outside temperature. It is best to check tire
pressure outdoors before driving thevehicle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air inside
it expands, causing the tire pressure to
increase. Be careful not to mistakenly
release air from a warm tire to reduce itspressure. NOTE .
The air pressure in a tire increases
by approximately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3 kgf/cm
2) when the tire becomes warm.
. The tires are considered cold when
the vehicle has been parked for at least
3 hours or has been driven less than 1
mile (1.6 km).
WARNING
Do not let air out of warm tires to
adjust pressure. Doing so will result
in low tire pressure.
Incorrect tire pressures detract from con-
trollability and ride comfort, and they
cause the tires to wear abnormally. .
Correct tire pressure (tread worn
evenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering is
responsive. Rolling resistance is low, so
fuel consumption is also lower.

corresponding fuse. If a fuse has blown,
replace it.
1. Turn the ignition switch to the“LOCK ”
position and turn off all electrical acces- sories.
2. Remove the cover.
3. Determine which fuse may be blown.
Look at the back side of each fuse box
cover and refer to “Fuses and circuits ”
F 12-11.
4. Pull out the fuse with the fuse puller.
5. Inspect the fuse. If it has blown,
replace it with a spare fuse of the samerating.
6. If the same fuse blows again, this
indicates that its system has a problem.
Contact your SUBARU dealer for repairs. Installation of accessories
Always consult your SUBARU dealer
before installing fog lights or any other
electrical equipment in your vehicle. Such
accessories may cause the electronic
system to malfunction if they are incor-
rectly installed or if they are not suited for
the vehicle.
Replacing bulbs
WARNING
Bulbs may become very hot while
illuminated. Before replacing bulbs,
turn off the lights and wait until the
bulbs cool down. Otherwise, there is
a risk of burn injury.
CAUTION
Replace any bulb only with a new
bulb of the specified wattage. Using
a bulb of different wattage could
result in a fire. For the specified
wattage of each bulb, refer to “Bulb
chart ”F 12-15.
& Headlights (models with HID headlights)
WARNING
High-intensity-discharge (HID) bulbs
are used for the low beams of the
headlights. These HID bulbs use an
extremely high voltage. To avoid the
risk of an electric shock that could
result in serious injury, observe the Maintenance and service
11-45
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13-6Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
. Extra load tire
A tire designed to operate at higher
loads and higher inflation pressure
than the corresponding standardtire. . Groove
The space between two adjacent
tread ribs.. Innerliner
The layer(s) forming the inside sur-
face of a tubeless tire that contains
the inflating medium within the tire. . Innerliner separation
The parting of the innerliner from
cord material in the carcass.. Intended outboard sidewall
(1) The sidewall that contains a
whitewall, bears white lettering
or bears manufacturer, brand,
and/or model name molding that
is higher or deeper than the
same molding on the other side-
wall of the tire, or (2) The outward facing sidewall
of an asymmetrical tire that has
a particular side that must al-
ways face outward when mount- ing on a vehicle.
. Light truck (LT) tire
A tire designated by its manufac-
turer as primarily intended for use
on lightweight trucks or multipur-
pose passenger vehicles. . Load rating
The maximum load that a tire is
rated to carry for a given inflationpressure.. Maximum inflation pressure
The maximum cold inflation pres-
sure to which a tire may be inflated.. Maximum load rating
The load rating for a tire at the
maximum permissible inflation
pressure for that tire.. Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The sum of: (a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight
(d) Production options weight
. Maximum permissible inflation
pressure
The maximum cold inflation pres-
sure to which a tire may be inflated. .
Measuring rim
The rim on which a tire is fitted for
physical dimension requirements. . Normal occupant weight
150 lbs (68 kg) times the number of
occupants specified in the second
column of Table 1 that is appended
to the end of this section. . Occupant distribution
Distribution of occupants in a vehi-
cle as specified in the third column
of Table 1 that is appended to the
end of this section. . Open splice
Any parting at any junction of tread,
sidewall, or innerliner that extends
to cord material. . Outer diameter
The overall diameter of an inflated
new tire.. Overall width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, including elevations
due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.

.Passenger car tire
A tire intended for use on passen-
ger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, and trucks, that have a
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
of 10,000 lbs (4,535 kg) or less. . Ply
A layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.. Ply separation
A parting of rubber compound
between adjacent plies.. Pneumatic tire
A mechanical device made of rub-
ber, chemicals, fabric and steel or
other materials, that, when
mounted on an automotive wheel,
provides the traction and contains
the gas or fluid that sustains theload. . Production options weight
The combined weight of those
installed regular production options
weighing over 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) in
excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously
considered in curb weight or acces- sory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
. Radial ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at substantially 90 degrees to
the centerline of the tread. . Recommended inflation pres-
sure
The cold inflation pressure recom-
mended by a vehicle manufacturer. . Reinforced tire
A tire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation pres-
sures than the corresponding stan-
dard tire. . Rim
A metal support for a tire or a tire
and tube assembly upon which the
tire beads are seated. . Rim diameter
Nominal diameter of the bead seat. . Rim size designation
Rim diameter and width. .
Rim type designation
The industry of manufacturer ’s des-
ignation for a rim by style or code. . Rim width
Nominal distance between rim flanges. . Section width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, excluding elevations
due to labeling, decoration, or
protective bands. . Sidewall
That portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.. Sidewall separation
The parting of the rubber com-
pound from the cord material in
the sidewall.. Test rim
The rim on which a tire is fitted for
testing, and it may be any rim listed
as appropriate for use with that tire.. Tread
That portion of a tire that comes
into contact with the road.
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-7
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