2014 SUBARU TRIBECA warning

11-12Maintenance and service
Air cleaner element
WARNING
Do not operate the engine with theair cleaner element removed. The aircleaner element not only filtersintake airbut also stops flames ifthe engine backfires. If the aircleaner element is not installedwhen the engine backfires, youcould be burned.
CAUTION
When replacing the air cleaner ele-ment, use a genuine SUBARU aircleaner element. If it is not used,there is the possibility of causing anegative effect to the engine.
The air cleaner element functions as afilter screen. When the element is perfo-rated or removed, engine wear will beexcessiveand engine life shortened.
It is unnecessary to clean or wash theelement.
&Replacing the air cleaner
element
Replace the air cleaner element accordingto the maintenance schedule in the“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”. Un-der extremely dusty conditions, replace itmore frequently. It is recommended thatyou always use genuine SUBARU parts.
1) Connector2) Clamp3) Air intake boot4) Clip
1. Unplug the connector that is attachedto the top of the air cleaner case.
2. Loosen the screw on the clamp andpull theair intake boot out of the aircleaner case.
3. Unsnap the two clips holding the air
cleaner case cover.
4. Open the air cleaner case cover andremove the air cleaner element.
5. Clean the inside of the air cleaner caseand case cover with a damp cloth andinstall a new air cleaner element.

11-16Maintenance and service
&Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own baseoils and additives. Never use differentbrands together. For details, refer to“Frontdifferential and rear differential gear oil”F12-6.
Rear differential gear oil
There is no oil level gauge. To check therear differential gear oil level, consult yourSUBARU dealer for inspection.
&Recommended grade and
viscosity
Each oil manufacturer has its own baseoils and additives. Never use differentbrands together. For details, refer to“Frontdifferential and rear differential gear oil”F12-6.
Power steering fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
Be careful not to burn yourselfbecause the fluid may be hot.
CAUTION
.When power steering fluid isbeing added, use only clean fluid,and be careful not to allow anydirt into the tank. And never usedifferent brands together.
.Be careful not to spill powersteering fluid when adding it. If

power steering fluid touches theexhaust pipe, it may cause a badsmell, smoke, and/or a fire. Ifpower steering fluid gets on theexhaust pipe, be sure to wipe itoff.
The power steering fluid expands greatlyas its temperature rises; the fluid leveldiffers according to fluid temperature.Therefore, the reservoir tank has twodifferent checking ranges for hot and coldfluids.
Check the power steering fluid levelmonthly.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface,and stop the engine.
2. Check the fluid level of the reservoirtank.
When the fluid is hot after the vehicle hasbeen run: Check that the oil level isbetween“HOT MIN”and“HOT MAX”onthe surface of the reservoir tank.
When the fluid is cool before the vehicle isrun: Check that the oil level is between“COLD MIN”and“COLD MAX”on thesurface of the reservoir tank.
3. If the fluid level is lower than theapplicable“MIN”line, add the recom-mended fluid as necessary to bring thelevel between the“MIN”and“MAX”line.
If the fluid level is extreme low, it mayindicate possible leakage. Consult yourSUBARU dealer for inspection.
&Recommended fluid
Refer to“Fluids”F12-7.
Brake fluid
&Checking the fluid level
WARNING
.Never let brake fluid contact youreyes because brake fluid can beharmful to your eyes. If brakefluid gets in your eyes, immedi-ately flush them thoroughly withclean water. For safety, whenperforming this work, wearingeye protection is advisable.
.Brake fluid absorbs moisturefrom the air. Any absorbed moist-ure can cause a dangerous lossof braking performance.
.If the vehicle requires frequentrefilling, there may be a leak. Ifyou suspecta problem, have thevehicle checked at your SUBARUdealer.
CAUTION
.When adding brake fluid, be care-ful not to allow any dirt into thereservoir.
.Never splash the brake fluid overpainted surfaces or rubber parts.
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11-20Maintenance and service
you apply the brake pedal, have the brakepads serviced by your SUBARU dealer assoon as possible.
&Breaking-in of new brake
pads and linings
When replacing the brake pad or lining,use only genuine SUBARU parts. Afterreplacement, the new parts must bebroken in as follows.
!Brakepad and lining
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brakepedal lightly. Repeat this five or moretimes.
!Parking brake lining
WARNING
A safe location and situation shouldbe selected for break-in driving.
CAUTION
Pressing the parking brake pedaltoo forcefully may cause the rearwheels to lock. To avoid this, becertain to press the pedal slowlyand gently.
1. Drive the vehicle at a speed ofapproximately 22 mph (35 km/h).
2. Depress the parking brake pedalSLOWLY and GENTLY. (Pressing with aforce of approximately 34 lbf [150 N, 15kgf].)
3. Drive the vehicle for approximately220 yards (200 meters) in this condition.
4. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the parkingbrake to cool down. Repeat this proce-dure.
5. Check the parking brake stroke. If theparking brake stroke is out of the specifiedrange, adjust it by turning the adjusting nutlocated on the parking brake pedal.
Parking brake stroke:
5–6 notches / 67 lbf (300 N, 30 kgf)
Parking brake stroke
Check the parking brake stroke accordingto the maintenance schedule in the“Warranty and Maintenance Booklet”.When the parking brake is properlyadjusted, braking power is fully appliedby depressing the pedal five to six notchesgently but firmly (approximately 67 lbf [300N, 30 kgf]). If the parking brake pedalstroke is not within the specified range,have the brake system checked andadjusted at your SUBARU dealer.

Tires and wheels
&Types of tires
You should be familiar with type of tirespresent on your vehicle.
!All season tires
The factory-installed tires on your newvehicle are all season tires.
All season tires are designed to providean adequate measure of traction, handlingand braking performance in year-rounddriving including snowy and icy roadconditions. However all season tires donot offer as much traction performance aswinter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snowor on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by“ALLSEASON”and/or“M+S”(Mud & Snow) onthe tire sidewall.
!Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capabilitytires best suited for highway driving underdry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for drivingon slippery roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-coveredor icy roads, we strongly recommend theuse 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 onsnow-covered and icy roads. Howeverwinter tires do not perform as well assummer tires and all season tires on roadsother than snow-covered and icy roads.
&Tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS)
The tire pressure monitoring system pro-vides the driver with a warning messageby sending a signal from a sensor that isinstalled in each wheel when tire pressureis severely low. The tire pressure monitor-ing system will activate only when thevehicle is driven. Also, this system maynot react immediately to a sudden drop intire pressure (for example, a blow-outcausedby running over a sharp object).
If you adjust the tire pressures in a warmgarage and will then drive the vehicle incold outside air, the resulting drop in tirepressures may cause the low tire pressurewarning light to illuminate. To avoid thisproblem when adjusting the tire pressuresin a warm garage, inflate the tires topressures higher than those shown on thetire placard. Specifically, inflate them by anextra 1 psi (6.9 kPa, 0.07 kgf/cm2) forevery difference of 108F (5.68C) between
the temperature in the garage and thetemperature outside. By way of example,the following table shows the required tirepressures that correspond to various out-side temperatures when the temperaturein the garage is 608F (15.68C).
Standard tire pressures:
Front: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm2)
Rear: 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm2)
Garage temperature: 608F (15.68C)
OutsidetemperatureAdjusted pressure[psi (kPa, kgf/cm2)]
FrontRear
308F(!18C)36 (250, 2.5) 35 (240, 2.4)
108F(!128C)38(265, 2.65)37(255, 2.55)
!108F(!238C)40 (280, 2.8)39 (270, 2.7)
If the low tire pressure warning lightilluminates when you drive the vehicle incold outside air after adjusting the tirepressures in a warm garage, re-adjust thetire pressures using the method describedabove. Then, increase the vehicle speedto at least 20 mph (32 km/h) and check tosee that the low tire pressure warning lightturns off a few minutes later. If the low tirepressure warning light does not turn off,the tire pressure monitoring system may
Maintenance and service11-21
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11-22Maintenance and service
not be functioning normally. In this event,go to a SUBARU dealer to have thesystem inspected as soon as possible.
While the vehicle is driven, friction be-tween tires and the road surface causesthe tires to warm up. After illumination ofthe low tire pressure warning light, anyincrease in the tire pressures caused byan increase in the outside air temperatureor by an increase in the temperature in thetires can cause the low tire pressurewarning light to turn off.
System resetting is necessary when thewheels are changed (for example, aswitch to snow tires) and new TPMSvalves are installed on the newly fittedwheels. Have this work performed by aSUBARU dealer following wheel replace-ment.
It may not be possible to install TPMSvalves on certain wheels that are on themarket. Therefore, if you change thewheels (for example, a switch to snowtires), use wheels that have the same partnumber as the standard-equipmentwheels. Without four operational TPMSvalve/sensors on the wheels, the TPMSwill not fully function and the warning lightin the instrument panel will illuminatesteadily after blinking for approximatelyone minute.
When a tire is replaced, adjustments arenecessary to ensure continued normaloperation of the tire pressure monitoringsystem. As with wheel replacement, there-fore, you should have the work performedby a SUBARU dealer.
WARNING
If the low tire pressure warning lightdoes not illuminate briefly after theignition switch is turned ON or thelight illuminates steadily after blink-ing for approximately one minute,you shouldhave your Tire PressureMonitoring System checked at aSUBARU dealer as soon as possi-ble.
If this light illuminates while driving,never brake suddenly and keepdriving straight ahead while gradu-ally reducing speed. Then slowlypull off the road to a safe place.Otherwise an accident involvingserious vehicle damage and seriouspersonal injury could occur.
If this light still illuminates whiledriving after adjusting the tire pres-sure, a tire may have significantdamage and a fast leak that causesthe tire to lose air rapidly. If you havea flat tire, replace it with a spare tire
as soon as possible.
When a spare tire is mounted or awheel rim is replaced without theoriginal pressure sensor/transmitterbeing transferred, the low tire pres-sure warning light will illuminatesteadily after blinking for approxi-mately one minute. This indicatesthe TPMS is unable to monitor allfour road wheels. Contact yourSUBARU dealer as soon as possiblefor tire and sensor replacement and/or system resetting. If the lightilluminates steadily after blinkingfor approximately one minute,promptly contact a SUBARU dealerto have the system inspected.
&Tire inspection
Checkon a daily basis that the tires arefree from serious damage, nails, andstones. At the same time, check the tiresfor abnormal wear.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immedi-ately if you find any problem.
NOTE
.When the wheels and tires strikecurbs or are subjected to harsh treat-ment as when the vehicle is driven on arough surface, they can suffer damage

that cannot be seen with the naked eye.This type of damage does not becomeevident until time has passed. Try notto drive over curbs, potholes or onother rough surfaces. If doing so isunavoidable, keep the vehicle’s speeddown to a walking pace or less, andapproach the curbs as squarely aspossible. Also, make sure the tires arenot pressed against the curb when youpark the vehicle..If you feel unusual vibration whiledriving or find it difficult to steer thevehicle in a straight line, one of thetires and/or wheels may be damaged.Drive slowly to the nearest authorizedSUBARU dealer and have the vehicleinspected.
&Tire pressures and wear
Maintaining the correct tire pressureshelps to maximize the tires’service livesand is essential for good running perfor-mance. Check and, if necessary, adjustthe pressure of each tire (including thespare) at least once a month (for example,during a fuel stop) and before any longjourney.
Check the tire pressures when the tiresare cold. Use a pressure gauge to adjustthe tirepressures to the values shown onthe tire placard. The tire placard is locatedon the door pillar on the driver’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms upthe tires and increases the tire pressures.Also, the tire pressures are affected by theoutside temperature. It is best to check tirepressure outdoors before driving thevehicle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air insideit expands, causing the tire pressure toincrease. Be careful not to mistakenlyreleaseair from a warm tire to reduce itspressure.
NOTE
.The air pressure in a tire increasesby approximately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3kgf/cm2) when the tire becomes warm..The tires are considered cold whenthe vehicle has been parked for at least3 hours or has been driven less than 1mile (1.6 km).
WARNING
Do not let air out of warm tires toadjust pressure. Doing so will resultin low tire pressure.
Incorrect tire pressures detract from con-trollability and ride comfort, and theycause the tires to wear abnormally.
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11-24Maintenance and service
.Correct tire pressure(tread wornevenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering isresponsive.Rolling resistance is low, sofuel consumption is also lower.
.Abnormally low tire pressure(treadworn at shoulders)
Rolling resistance is high, so fuel con-sumption is also higher.
.Abnormally high tire pressure(treadworn in center)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tiremagnifies the effects of road surfacebumps and dips, possibly resulting invehicle damage.
WARNING
Driving at high speeds with exces-sively low tire pressures can causethe tires to deform severely and torapidly become hot. A sharp in-crease in temperature could causetread separation, and destruction ofthe tires. The resulting loss ofvehicle control could lead to anaccident.