2012 SUBARU TRIBECA traction control

is important that winter tires be used
when driving on snow-covered or icy
roads. (All four wheels should be fitted
with tires of the same size and brand). .It is always important to reduce
speed when approaching a corner,
even if the vehicle is equipped with
Vehicle Dynamics Control. . All four wheels should be fitted with
tires of the same size, type, and brand;
furthermore, the amount of wear
should be the same for all four tires. If
these precautions are not observed
and non-matching tires are used, it is
quite possible that the Vehicle Dy-
namics Control system will be unable
to operate correctly as intended. . Always turn off the engine before
replacing a tire as failure to do so may
render the Vehicle Dynamics Control
system unable to operate correctly. &
Vehicle Dynamics Control
system monitor
Refer to the following sections. . “Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light (U.S.-spec models and Canada-
spec. models)/Vehicle Dynamics Control
operation indicator light (all models) ”F 3-
18 . “Traction Control system OFF indicator
light (U.S.-spec models and Canada-
spec. models) ”F 3-19
. “Vehicle Dynamics Control warning
light (Latin America-spec. models)/Trac-
tion Control OFF indicator light (Latin
America-spec. models) ”F 3-19 &
Traction Control system OFF switch
Traction Control system OFF indicator
light (U.S.-spec. models and Canada-spec. models) Starting and operating
7-25
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7-26Starting and operating
Traction Control system OFF indicator
light (Latin America-spec. models)
Traction Control system OFF switch
Pressingtheswitchtodeactivatethe
Traction Control system can facilitate the
following operations. .
a standing start on a steeply sloping
road with a snowy, gravel-covered, or
otherwise slippery surface . extrication of the vehicle when its
wheels are stuck in mud or deep snow
When the switch is pressed during engine
operation, the Traction Control system
OFF indicator light on the combination
meter illuminates. The Traction Control
system will be deactivated and the vehicle
will behave like a model not equipped with
the Traction Control system. When the
switch is pressed again to reactivate the
Traction Control system OFF indicator
light turns off.
With the Traction Control system deacti-
vated, traction enhancement offered by
Traction Control system is unavailable.
Therefore you should not deactivate the
Traction Control system except under
above-mentioned situations.
NOTE . When the switch has been pressed
to deactivate the Traction Control sys-
tem, the Traction Control system auto-
matically reactivates itself the next time
the ignition key is turned to the “LOCK ”
position and the engine is restarted.. If the switch is held down for 10
seconds or longer, the indicator light
turns off, the Traction Control system is activated, and the system ignores
any further pressing of the switch. To
make the switch usable again, turn the
ignition key to the
“LOCK ”position and
restart the engine.. Whentheswitchispressedto
deactivate the Traction Control system,
the vehicle ’s running performance is
comparable with that of a vehicle that
does not have a Traction Control
system. Do not deactivate the Traction
Control system except when absolutely
necessary.

lead to loss of vehicle control.
. You must install four tires that are
of the same size, circumferences,
construction, manufacturer,
brand (tread pattern), degree of
wear, speed symbol and load
index. Mixing tires of other sizes,
circumferences or constructions
may result in severe mechanical
damage to the drive train of your
vehicle and may affect ride,
handling, braking and speed-
ometer/odometer calibration. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.
CAUTION
If you use a temporary spare tire to
replace a flat tire, be sure to use the
original temporary spare tire stored
in the vehicle. Using other sizes may
result in severe mechanical damage
to the drive train of your vehicle.
All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine
power to all four wheels. AWD models
provide better traction when driving on
slippery, wet or snow-covered roads and
when moving out of mud, dirt or sand. By
shifting power between the front and rear
wheels, SUBARU AWD can also provide
added traction during acceleration, and
added engine braking force during decel-eration.
Therefore, your SUBARU AWD vehicle
may handle differently than an ordinary
two wheel drive vehicle and it contains
some features unique to AWD. For safety
purposes as well as to avoid damaging
the AWD system, you should keep the
following tips in mind. . An AWD model is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles. .
Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom-
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver ’s side.
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detailed information, refer to “Towing ”
F 9-14. Driving tips
8-5

13-14Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
XXX kg or XXX lbs. 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-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, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE, West
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
13-15
– CONTINUED –

14-6Index
High beam ............................................................ 3-22
Immobilizer. ........................................................... 3-21
Security .......................................................... 2-4, 3-21
Select lever/Gear position ....................................... 3-21
SPORT mode ........................................................ 3-21
Traction control system OFF .................................... 3-19
Turn signal ............................................................ 3-21
Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF ................................ 3-19
Vehicle Dynamics Control operation ................. 3-18, 3-19
Inside mirror .............................................................. 3-38
Interior lights ............................................................... 6-2
J
Jack and jack handle .................................................. 9-19
Jack-up point ............................................................... 9-6
Jump starting. ............................................................ 9-11
K
Key ............................................................................ 2-2 Number .................................................................. 2-2
Reminder chime. ...................................................... 3-4
Replacement ........................................................... 2-4
Keyless entry system ................................................... 2-8
L
Leather seat materials ................................................ 10-5
License plate light ..................................................... 11-41
Light Back-up ............................................................... 11-39
Back-up (Station wagon) ........................................ 11-40
Cargo area .................................................... 6-3, 11-44 Control switch
........................................................ 3-27
Dome ............................................................ 6-2, 11-42
Door step ............................................................ 11-43
Front fog ..................................................... 3-32, 11-39
Front side marker ................................................... 3-28
Ignition switch ......................................................... 3-4
License plate ....................................................... 11-41
Map .............................................................. 6-3, 11-43
Rear combination ................................................. 11-39
Rear gate ............................................................... 6-3
Turn signal .................................................. 3-29, 11-39
Vanity mirror .................................................. 6-5, 11-43
Loading your vehicle ................................................... 8-12
Low fuel warning light ................................................. 3-17
Low tire pressure warning light ..................................... 3-14
Lower and tether anchorage ........................................ 1-37
Lumbar support ........................................................... 1-7
M
Main fuse ................................................................ 11-35
Maintenance Precautions ........................................................... 11-3
Schedule ............................................................... 11-3
Seatbelt. ................................................................ 1-26
Tools ..................................................................... 9-19
Malfunction indicator light (check engine warning light) .... 3-12Manual Transmission oil ..................................................... 12-6
Map light ........................................................... 6-3, 11-43
Maximum load limits ................................................... 8-21
Meters and gauges ...................................................... 3-5

14-10Index
Size and pressure .................................................. 12-8
Types .................................................................. 11-21
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). .... 7-27, 9-10, 11-21
Warning light ......................................................... 3-14
Tires and wheels. ...................................................... 11-21
Tools ........................................................................ 9-19
Top tether anchorages ........................................ 1-37, 1-40
Towing ...................................................................... 9-14
All wheels on the ground ........................................ 9-17
Flat-bed truck ........................................................ 9-17
Hooks ................................................................... 9-15
Weight.................................................................. 8-21
Traction Control system
OFF indicator light .................................................. 3-19
OFF switch ........................................................... 7-25
Trailer
Connecting ............................................................ 8-19
Hitch ............................................................ 8-18, 8-24
Towing .................................................................. 8-21
Towing tips ............................................................ 8-26
Trip meter ................................................................... 3-7
Turn signal
Indicator lights ....................................................... 3-21
Lever .................................................................... 3-29
U
Under-floor storage compartment ................................. 6-16
V
Valet mode ................................................................ 2-18
Vanity mirror ...................................................... 6-5, 11-43 Vehicle
Capacity weight ...................................................... 8-12
Identification ........................................................ 12-15
Symbols .................................................................... 3
Vehicle Dynamics Control Operation indicator light ................................... 3-18, 3-19
System .................................................................. 7-23
Warning light .................................................. 3-18, 3-19
Ventilator .................................................................... 4-2
W
Warning and indicator lights .......................................... 3-9
Warning chimes
Seatbelt. ................................................................ 3-10
Warning light ABS.............................................................. 3-15, 7-21
All-Wheel Drive ...................................................... 3-18
AT OIL TEMP ......................................................... 3-13
Brake system ......................................................... 3-16
Charge .................................................................. 3-13
CHECK ENGINE .................................................... 3-12
Door open ............................................................. 3-17
Low fuel ................................................................ 3-17
Low tire pressure .................................................... 3-14
Oil pressure ........................................................... 3-13
Rear differential oil temperature ................................ 3-13
Seatbelt. ........................................................ 1-18, 3-10
SRS airbag system ................................................. 3-11
Vehicle Dynamics Control ................................ 3-18, 3-19
Windshield washer fluid ........................................... 3-17
Warranties ..................................................................... 1