2012 SUBARU TRIBECA wheel size

trol.
. Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season
tires ”which are designed to provide an
adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving. In winter, it may be possible to
enhance performance through use of tires
designed specifically for winter drivingconditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your
vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire size
and type. You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, construction,
brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous hand-
ling characteristics. When you choose a
tire, make sure that there is enough
clearance between the tire and vehicle
body.
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on yourvehicle.
Your vehicle comes with P255/55R18 “ all season tires ”as original equip- ment. You should be aware that some
winter tires with that same size desig-
nation may actually be too large for the
vehicle and may cause rubbing on
sharp turns. Listed in the following is
the winter tire size that we recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size P255/55R18 stud less
& Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on your
vehicle because of the lack of
clearance between the tires and
vehicle body.
& Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator 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.
For information about holding the trans-
mission in the 2nd position, refer to“
Selection of manual mode ”F 7-16 and
“ Driving tips ”F 7-17. Driving tips
8-11

Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed and intended to
be used primarily as a passenger-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer puts additional
loads on your vehicle’s engine, drivetrain,
brakes, tires and suspension and has an
adverse effect on fuel economy.
If you do decide to tow a trailer, your safety
and satisfaction depend upon proper use
of correct equipment and cautious opera-
tion of your vehicle. Seek the advice of
your SUBARU dealer to assist you in
purchasing a hitch and other necessary
towing equipment appropriate for your
vehicle. In addition, be sure to follow the
instructions on correct installation and use
provided by the trailer and other towing
equipment manufacturers.
SUBARU assumes no responsibility for
injuries or vehicle damage that result from
trailer towing equipment, or from any
errors or omissions in the instructions
accompanying such equipment or for your
failure to follow the proper instructions.
& Warranties and maintenance
SUBARU warranties do not apply to
vehicle damage or malfunction caused
by trailer towing. If you use your vehicle to
tow a trailer, more frequent maintenance
will be required due to the additional load. (Refer to
“Maintenance schedule under
severe driving conditions ”in the “Warranty
and Maintenance Booklet ”.)
Under no circumstances should a trailer
be towed with a new vehicle or a vehicle
with any new powertrain component (en-
gine, transmission, differential, wheel
bearings, etc.) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,600 km) of driving.
& Maximum load limits
WARNING
Never exceed the maximum load
limits explained in the following.
Exceeding the maximum load limits
could cause personal injury and/or
vehicle damage.
CAUTION
. Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.
. Before towing a trailer, check the
trailer total weight, GVW, GAWs
and tongue load. Make sure the
load and its distribution in your
vehicle and trailer are accepta- ble.
! Total trailer weight
Total trailer weight
The total trailer weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo load) must never exceed the
maximum weight shown in the followingtable. Driving tips
8-21
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9-4In case of emergency
and pull it through the center of the
temporary spare tire.
9. After the temporary spare tire is
removed from the cable, the cable must
be wound up completely by turning the
hoist nut shaft clockwise until you hear a
clicking sound. Also visually inspect the
cable to make certain that there is no
longer any slack present.
WARNING
. Do not use the extension when
turning the wheel nuts. If you did,
you would not be able to achieve
sufficient tightening torque. The
wheel nuts could then come
loose, resulting in a seriousaccident. .
When using the spare tire hoist:
After the temporary spare tire is
removed from the cable, wind the
cable up completely until the
retainer at end of the cable sits
against the underside of the
vehicle. Driving with the cable
not retracted fully could result in
damage to the adjacent under
floor parts and lead to a seriousaccident.
. The spare tire holder is designed
to carry only the following kinds
of tires. – the temporary spare tire that
came with your vehicle
– a full-size flat tire
A full size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder
in an emergency only. After hav-
ing the full-size flat tire repaired,
immediatelyswapitwiththe
temporary spare tire.
Never stow a full-size tire that is
not flat in the spare tire holder.
Doing so can result in damage to
adjacent under floor parts and
can lead to a serious accident.
CAUTION
When using the spare tire hoist:
Do not use air tools or power tools
to turn the spare tire hoist shaft end.
If you do, it could result in severe
mechanical damage to the spare tirehoist.
& Re-storage of spare tire
1. Turn the spare tire hoist shaft end
counterclockwise with the wheel nut
wrench to loosen the cable sufficiently
enough to allow the cable end retainer go
through center hole of the temporary
spare tire.
2. Insert the retainer through the center
hole of the temporary tire (with the outside

of the tire facing up).
3. Turn the hoist shaft end clockwise with
the wheel nut wrench to wind the cable up
completely until you hear a few clicking
sounds. Confirm that the temporary spare
tire holding cable has been wound up
completely by shaking the temporary tire.
CAUTION
If the temporary spare tire is not
stored securely, it could damage
adjacent areas of the vehicle and
make an abnormal noise.
4. Place the wheel nut wrench and
extension back into the tool bag and store
the jack and tool bag in their storagelocations. 5. Fit the lid of the cargo area.
CAUTION
. When stowing a flat tire in the
spare tire holder, turn the hoist
shaft end only slowly. If it is
turned quickly, the wheel disc of
the flat tire could be damaged.
. A full-size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder
in an emergency only. After hav-
ing the flat tire repaired, immedi-
ately swap it with the temporary
spare tire.
. Remember that the tread width of
a flat tire is wider than that of the
temporary spare tire. When car-
rying a flat tire stowed in the
spare tire holder, make sure the
tire does not touch any obsta-cles. Temporary spare tire
WARNING
. Never tow a trailer when the
temporary spare tire is used.
The temporary 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 and
may lead to an accident.
. When a spare tire is mounted or a
wheel rim is replaced without the
original pressure sensor/trans-
mitter being transferred, the low
tire pressure warning light will
illuminate steadily after blinking
for approximately one minute.
This indicates the tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) is un-
able to monitor all four road
wheels. Contact your SUBARU
dealer as soon as possible for
tire and sensor replacement and/
or system resetting. In case of emergency
9-5
– CONTINUED –

9-6In case of emergency
CAUTION
Never use any temporary spare tire
other than the original. Using other
sizes may result in severe mechan-
ical damage to the drive train of yourvehicle.
The temporary spare tire is smaller and
lighter than a conventional tire and is
designed for emergency use only. Re-
move the temporary spare tire and re-
install the conventional tire as soon as
possible because the spare tire is de-
signed only for temporary use.
Check the inflation pressure of the tem-
porary spare tire periodically to keep the
tire ready for use. The correct pressure is
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2) .
When using the temporary spare tire, note
the following. . Do not exceed 50 mph (80 km/h).
. Do not put a tire chain on the temporary
spare tire. Because of the smaller tire size,
a tire chain will not fit properly. . Do not use two or more temporary
spare tires at the same time.. Do not drive over obstacles. This tire
has a smaller diameter, so road clearance
is reduced.
1) Tread wear indicator bar
2) Indicator location mark
. When the wear indicator appears on
the tread, replace the tire. . The temporary spare tire must be used
only on a rear wheel. If a front wheel tire
gets punctured, replace the wheel with a
rear wheel and install the temporary spare
tire in place of the removed rear wheel. Flat tires
If you have a flat tire while driving, never
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safeplace. &
Changing a flat tire
WARNING
. Do not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface.
The jack can come out of the
jacking point or sink into the
ground and this can result in a
severe accident.
. Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get
under the vehicle while support-
ing the vehicle with this jack.

9-10In case of emergency
holder.
Refer to “Spare tire ”F 9-2 for its location,
instructions and precautions.
CAUTION
. When stowing a flat tire in the
spare tire holder, turn the hoist
shaft end only slowly. If it is
turned quickly, the wheel disc of
the flat tire could be damaged.
. A full-size flat tire should be
stowed in the spare tire holder
in an emergency only. After hav-
ing the flat tire repaired, immedi-
ately swap it with the temporary
spare tire.
. Remember that the tread width of
a flat tire is wider than that of the
temporary spare tire. When car-
rying a flat tire stowed in the
spare tire holder, make sure the
tire does not touch any obsta-cles.
WARNING
Never place a tire or tire changing
tools in the passenger compartment
after changing wheels. In a sudden
stop or collisions, loose equipment could strike occupants and cause
injury. Store the tire and all tools in
the proper place.
& Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-
vides the driver with the warning message
indicated by sending a signal from a
sensor that is installed in each wheel
when tire pressure is severely low.
The tire pressure monitoring system will
activate only when the vehicle is driven.
Also, this system may not react immedi-
ately to a sudden drop in tire pressure (for
example, a blow-out caused running over
a sharp object).
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates while driving, never
brake suddenly and keep driving
straight ahead while gradually redu-
cing speed. Then slowly pull off the
road to a safe place. Otherwise an
accident involving serious vehicle
damage and serious personal injury
could occur.
Check the pressure for all four tires
and adjust the pressure to the COLD
tire pressure shown on the vehicle
placard on the door pillar on thedriver ’s side. If this light still illumi-
nates while driving after adjusting
the tire pressure, 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

nents. !Using a warm water washer
. Keep a good distance of 12 in (30 cm)
or more between the washer nozzle and
the vehicle. . Do not wash the same area continu-
ously.. If a stain will not come out easily, wash
by hand. Some warm water washers are
of the high temperature, high pressure
type, and they can damage or deform the
resin parts such as mouldings, or cause
water to leak into the vehicle. & Waxing and polishing
Always wash and dry the vehicle before
waxing and polishing.
Use a good quality polish and wax and
apply them according to the manufac-turer ’s instructions. Wax or polish when
the painted surface is cool.
Be sure to polish and wax the chrome trim,
as well as the painted surfaces. Loss of
wax on a painted surface leads to loss of
the original luster and also quickens the
deterioration of the surface. It is recom-
mended that a coat of wax be applied at
least once a month, or whenever the
surface no longer repels water.
If the appearance of the paint has dimin- ished to the point where the luster or tone
cannot be restored, lightly polish the
surface with a fine-grained compound.
Never polish just the affected area, but
include the surrounding area as well.
Always polish in only one direction. A
No. 2000 grain compound is recom-
mended. Never use a coarse-grained
compound. Coarser grained compounds
have a smaller grain-size number and
could damage the paint. After polishing
with a compound, coat with wax to restore
the original luster. Frequent polishing with
acompoundoranincorrectpolishing
technique will result in removing the paint
layer and exposing the undercoat. When
in doubt, it is always best to contact your
SUBARU dealer or an auto paint specia-list.
CAUTION
Do not use any agents with organic
solvents on the surface of the bulb
assembly cover. However, if a polish
or wax with organic solvents is
applied to the cover surface, com-
pletely wipe off the polish or wax.
Otherwise, the cover surface may bedamaged. NOTE
Be careful not to block the windshield
washer nozzles with wax when waxing
the vehicle. &
Cleaning aluminum wheels
. Promptly wipe the aluminum wheels
clean of any kind of grime or agent. If dirt
is left on too long, it may be difficult to
clean off. . Do not use soap containing grit to
clean the wheels. Be sure to use a neutral
cleaning agent, and later rinse thoroughly
with water. Do not clean the wheels with a
stiff brush or expose them to a high-speed
washing device. . Clean the vehicle (including the alumi-
num wheels) with water as soon as
possible when it has been splashed with
sea water, exposed to sea breezes, or
driven on roads treated with salt or otheragents. Appearance care
10-3

11-26Maintenance and service
the direction mark facing forward. & Tire rotation
Vehicles equipped with 4 non-unidirec-
tional tires
1) Front
Vehicles equipped with unidirectional tires
1) Front
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. 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). Move the tires to the positions shown
in the illustration each time they arerotated.
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn
tire at the time of rotation. After tire
rotation, adjust the tire pressures and
make sure the wheel nuts are correctlytightened.
After driving approximately 600 miles
(1,000 km), check the wheel nuts again
and retighten any nut that has become loose. &
Tire replacement
The wheels and tires are important and
integral parts of your vehicle ’s design;
they cannot be changed arbitrarily. The
tires fitted as standard equipment are
optimally matched to the characteristics
of the vehicle and were selected to give
the best possible combination of running
performance, ride comfort, and service
life. It is essential for every tire to have a
size and construction matching those
shown on the tire placard and to have a
speed symbol and load index matching
those shown on the tire placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts
from controllability, ride comfort, braking
performance, speedometer accuracy and
odometer accuracy. It also creates incor-
rect body-to-tire clearances and inappro-
priately changes the vehicle ’s ground
clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of
manufacturer, brand (tread pattern), con-
struction, and size. You are advised to
replace the tires with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equip-ment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU
recommends replacing all four tires at
the same time.