Preparing to drive
You should perform the following checks
and adjustments every day before you
start driving.
1. Check that all windows, mirrors, and
lights are clean and unobstructed.
2. Check the appearance and condition
of the tires. Also check tires for properinflation.
3. Look under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
4. Check that the hood and rear gate are
fully closed.
5. Check the adjustment of the seat.
6. Check the adjustment of the inside
and outside mirrors.
7. Fasten your seatbelt. Check that your
passengers have fastened their seatbelts.
8. Check the operation of the warning
and indicator lights when the ignition
switch is turned to the“ON ”position.
9. Check the gauges, indicator and warn-
ing lights after starting the engine.
NOTE
Engine oil, engine coolant, brake fluid,
washer fluid and other fluid levels
should be checked daily, weekly or at
fuel stops. Starting the engine
CAUTION
. Do not operate the starter motor
continuously for more than 10
seconds. If the engine fails to
start after operating the starter
for 5 to 10 seconds, wait for 10
seconds or more before tryingagain.
. If you restart the engine while the
vehicle is moving, shift the select
lever into the “N ” position. Do
not attempt to place the select
lever of a moving vehicle into the“ P ” position.
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac- cessories.
3. Shift the select lever to the “P ” or “N ”
position (preferably “P ” position). The
starter will only operate when the select
lever is at the “P ”or “N ”position.
4. Turn the ignition switch to the “ON ”
position and check the operation of the
warning and indicator lights. Refer to“ Warning and indicator lights ”F 3-9.
5. Turn the ignition switch to the “START ”
position without depressing the accelera- tor pedal. Release the key immediately
after the engine has started.
If the engine does not start, try the following.
(1) Turn the ignition switch to the“LOCK ”position and wait for at least
10 seconds. After checking that the
parking brake is firmly set, turn the
ignition switch to the “START ”position
while depressing the accelerator pedal
slightly (approximately a quarter of the
full stroke). Release the accelerator
pedal as soon as the engine starts.
(2) If this fails to start the engine, turn
the ignition switch back to the “LOCK ”
position and wait for at least 10
seconds. Then fully depress the accel-
erator pedal and turn the ignition
switch to the “START ”position. If the
engine starts, quickly release the
accelerator pedal.
(3) If this fails to start the engine, turn
the ignition switch again to the “LOCK ”
position. After waiting for 10 seconds
or longer, turn the ignition switch to the“ START ”position without depressing
the accelerator pedal.
(4) If the engine still refuses to start,
contact your nearest SUBARU dealer
for assistance.
6. Confirm that all warning and indicator
lights have turned off after the engine has
Starting and operating/Preparing to drive7-7
– CONTINUED –
trailer.
The use of a genuine SUBARU trailer
hitch is recommended. A genuine
SUBARU hitch is available from your
SUBARU dealer.
If use of a non-genuine hitch is unavoid-
able, be sure the hitch is suited to your
vehicle and trailer. Consult with a profes-
sional hitch supplier to assist you in
choosing an appropriate hitch for your
vehicle. Be sure to follow all of the hitchmanufacturer’s instructions for installation
and use.
Never use a hitch that mounts only to the
rear bumper. The bumper is not designed
to handle that type of load.
For all types of hitches, regularly check
that the hitch mounting bolts and nuts aretight. & Connecting a trailer
! Trailer brakes
WARNING
. Adequate size trailer brakes are
required when the trailer and its
cargo exceed 1,000 lbs (453 kg)
total weight.
. Do not directly connect your
trailer ’s hydraulic brake system to the hydraulic brake system in
your vehicle. Direct connection
would cause the vehicle
’s brake
performance to deteriorate and
could lead to an accident.
If your trailer ’s total weight (trailer weight
plus its cargo weight) exceeds 1,000 lbs
(453 kg), the trailer is required to be
equipped with its own brake system.
Electric brakes or surge brakes are
recommended, and must be installed
properly. Check that your trailer ’s brakes
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. YourSUBARU ’s brake system is not designed
to be tapped into the trailer ’s hydraulic
brake system. Please ask your SUBARU
dealer and professional trailer supplier for
more information about the trailer ’s brake
system. ! Trailer safety chainsWARNING
Always use safety chains between
your vehicle and the trailer. Towing
trailer without safety chains could
create a traffic safety hazard if the
trailer separates from the hitch due
to coupling damage or hitch balldamage. In case the trailer hitch connector or hitch
ball should break or become discon-
nected, the trailer could get loose and
create a traffic safety hazard.
For safety, always connect the towing
vehicle and trailer with trailer safety
chains. Pass the chains crossing each
other under the trailer tongue to prevent
the trailer from dropping onto the ground
in case the trailer tongue should discon-
nect from the hitch ball. Allow sufficient
slack in the chains taking tight turn
situations into account; however, be care-
ful not to let them drag on the ground.
For more information about the safety
chain connection, refer to the instructions
for your hitch and trailer. !
Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
Driving tips/Trailer towing8-25
– CONTINUED –
8-26Driving tips/Trailer towing
check that the standard side mirrors
provide a good rearward field of view
without significant blind spots. If significant
blind spots occur with the vehicle’s stan-
dard side mirrors, use towing mirrors that
conform with Federal, state/province and/
or other applicable regulations. ! Trailer lights
CAUTION
Direct splicing or other improper
connection of trailer lights may
damage your vehicle ’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction of
your vehicle ’s lighting system.
Connection of trailer lights to your vehi-cle ’s electrical system requires modifica-
tions to the vehicle ’s lighting circuit to
increase its capacity and accommodate
wiring changes. To ensure the trailer lights
are connected properly, please consult
your SUBARU dealer. Check for proper
operation of the turn signals, stop lights
and parking lights each time you hitch up. ! Tires
WARNING
Never tow a trailer when the tem-
porary spare tire is used. The tem- porary 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.
Make sure that all the tires on your vehicle
are properly inflated. Refer to “Tires ”F 12-
8.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer ’s
specifications.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service to repair the flat tire.
If you carry a regular size spare tire in your
vehicle or trailer as a precaution against
getting a flat tire, be sure that the spare
tire is firmly secured.
& Trailer towing tips
CAUTION
. Never exceed 45 mph (72 km/h)
when towing a trailer in hilly
country on hot days.
. When towing a trailer, steering,
stability, stopping distance and braking performance will be dif-
ferent from normal operation. Forsafety
’s sake, you should employ
extra caution when towing a
trailer and you should never
speed. You should also keep the
following tips in mind:
! Before starting out on a trip
. Check that the vehicle and vehicle-to-
hitch mounting are in good condition. If
any problems are apparent, do not tow the
trailer. . Check that the vehicle sits horizontally
with the trailer attached. If the vehicle is
tipped sharply up at the front and down at
the rear, check the total trailer weight,
GVW, GAWs and tongue load again, then
confirm that the load and its distribution
are acceptable. . Checkthatthetirepressuresare
correct.. Check that the vehicle and trailer are
connected properly. Confirm that
–the trailer tongue is connected
properly to the hitch ball. – the trailer lights connector is con-
nected properly and trailer ’s stop lights
illuminate when the vehicle ’s brake
pedal is pressed, and that the trailer ’s
turn signal lights flash when the
vehicle’s turn signal lever is operated.
– the safety chains are connected
properly. – all cargo in the trailer is secured
safely in position.– the side mirrors provide a good
rearward field of view without a sig-
nificant blind spot.
. Sufficient time should be taken to learn
the “feel ”of the vehicle/trailer combination
before starting out on a trip. In an area free
of traffic, practice turning, stopping and
backing up. ! Driving with a trailer
. You should allow for considerably more
stopping distance when towing a trailer.
Avoid sudden braking because it may
result in skidding or jackknifing and loss ofcontrol. . Avoid uneven steering, sharp turns and
rapid lane changes.. Slow down before turning. Make a
longer than normal turning radius because
the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. In
a tight turn, the trailer could hit yourvehicle. . Crosswinds will adversely affect the
handling of your vehicle and trailer, caus-
ing sway. Crosswinds can be due to
weather conditions or the passing of large trucks or buses. If swaying occurs, firmly
grip the steering wheel and slow down
immediately but gradually. .
When passing other vehicles, consid-
erable distance is required because of the
added weight and length caused by
attaching the trailer to your vehicle.
1) Left turn
2) Right turn
. Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn. . If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer. !
Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge
pointer and AT OIL TEMP warning light
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating under
these conditions. If the water temperature
gauge pointer approaches the OVER-
HEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately turn off the
air conditioner and stop the vehicle in the
nearest safe location. For further instruc-
tions and additional information, refer to
the following sections.
–“If you park your vehicle in an
emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-14
–“ Temperature gauge ”F 3-8
–“ AT OIL TEMP warning light ”F 3-13
Driving tips/Trailer towing8-27
– CONTINUED –
Maintenance and serviceRear window wiper blade rubber ....................... 11-31
Battery. .............................................................. 11-33
Fuses ................................................................ 11-34
Main fuse .......................................................... 11-35
Installation of accessories ............................... 11-36
Replacing bulbs ............................................... 11-36
Headlights (models with HID headlights) ........... 11-36
Headlights (models without HID headlights) .. .... 11-36
Parking light (right-hand side) ........................... 11-38
Front turn signal light (right-hand side) ............. 11-39Front fog light
.................................................. 11-39
Rear combination lights ................................... 11-39
Backup light/Tail light ...................................... 11-40
Rear gate light ................................................. 11-41
License plate light ........................................... 11-41
Dome light ....................................................... 11-42
Map light ......................................................... 11-43
Vanity mirror light ............................................ 11-43
Door step light ................................................. 11-43
Cargo area light ............................................... 11-44
&Map light
1. Remove the lens by prying the edge of
the lens with a flat-head screwdriver.
2. Turn the bulb until the flat surfaces at
its ends are aligned vertically. Pull the bulb straight downward to remove it.
3. Install a new bulb.
4. Reinstall the lens.
& Vanity mirror light
1. Remove the lens by prying the edge of
the lens with a flat-head screwdriver.
2. Pull the bulb out of the socket.
3. Install a new bulb.
4. Reinstall the lens. &Door step light
It may be difficult to replace the bulbs.
Have the bulbs replaced by your SUBARU
dealer if necessary.
Maintenance and service/Replacing bulbs11-43
– CONTINUED –
Fuses and circuits &Fuse panel located in the passenger compartmentFuse
panel Fuse
rating Circuit
1 20A .Trailer hitch connector
2 Empty
3 15A .Door locking
4 7.5A .Front wiper deicer relay
. Moonroof
5 7.5A .Combination meter
6 7.5A .Remote control rear
view mirrors
. Seat heater relay
7 15A .Combination meter
. Integrated unit
8 15A .Stop light
9 20A .Mirror heater
. Front wiper deicer
10 7.5A .Power supply (battery)
11 7.5A .Turn signal unit
12 15A .Automatic transmission
unit
. SRS airbag system
(sub)
. Engine control unit
. Integrated unit
Specifications/Fuses and circuits12-9
– CONTINUED –
Wattage Bulb No.
1) High beam headlight 12V-60W HB3
2) Low beam headlight
Models with HID light 12V-35W D1S
Models with halogen light 12V-55W H7
3) Front turn signal/Parking light 12V-28/8W 2357NA
4) Parking/Front side marker light 12V-5W 168(W5W)
5) Map light 12V-8W–
6) Dome light
Models with Rear Seat Entertainment 12V-5W –
Models without Rear Seat Entertainment 12V-8W –
7) Door step light 12V-3W–
8) Vanity mirror light 12V-3W
9) Fog light 12V-55W H3
10) Cargo area light 12V-13W 912
11) Tail light 12V-5W 168(W5W)
12) Stop light/Tail light 12V-27/8W 1157(W27/8W)
13) Rear turn signal light 12V-27W 1156(W27W)
14) Backup light 12V-16W 921(W16W)
15) Rear gate light 12V-5W (W5W)
16) License plate light 12V-5W 168(W5W)
A) Side turn signal light ––
B) High-mounted stop light ––WARNING
. Bulbs may become very hot while
illuminated. Before replacing
bulbs, turn off the bulbs and wait
until the bulbs cool down. Other-
wise, there is a risk of sustaining
a burn injury.
. For models with HID low beam
headlights, observe the following
precautions. Not doing so carries
the risk of an electric shock that
could result in serious injury
because the HID bulbs use an
extremely high voltage. – Do not replace any headlight
bulbs (both low beam and
high beam) by yourself.
– Do not remove/restore the
headlight assemblies by your-self.
– Do not remove any headlight-
assembly components byyourself.
For replacement, contact your SUBARU dealer.
Specifications/Bulb chart12-13
– CONTINUED –