2014 SUBARU TRIBECA Owners Manual

8-10Driving tips
vior can cause the wheels to lock, possiblyleading to loss of vehicle control.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-hances your vehicle’sbrakingperfor-mance on snowy and icy roads. Forinformation about braking on slipperysurfaces, refer to“ABS (Anti-lock BrakeSystem)”F7-20 and“Vehicle DynamicsControl system”F7-23.
!Wiper operation when snowing
Before driving in cold weather, make surethe wiper blades are not frozen to thewindshield or rear window. If the wiperblades are frozen to the windshield or rearwindow, use the defroster with the airflowcontrol button in the“”position and thetemperature control dial set for maximumwarmth until the wiper blades are com-pletely thawed out. The wiper deicer ishelpful to thaw the windshield wiperblades. To thaw out the rear wiper blade,use the rear window defogger.
When driving in snow, if frozen snow startsto stick on the surface of the windshielddespite wiper operation, use the defrosterwith the airflow control button in“”andthe temperature control dial set for max-imum warmth. After the windshield getswarmed enoughto melt the frozen snowon it, wash it away using the windshieldwasher.
Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents thewiper from working effectively. If snow isstuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road toa safe place, then remove it. If you stopthe vehicle at road side, use the hazardwarning flasher to alert other drivers.
We recommend use of non-freezing typewiper blades (winter blades) during theseasons in which you could have snowand freezing temperatures. Blades of thistype givesuperior wiping performance insnowy conditions. Be sure to use bladesthat are suitable for your vehicle.
CAUTION
During high-speed driving, non-freezing type wiper blades may notperformas well as standard wiperblades. If this happens, reduce thevehicle speed.
NOTE
When the season requiring non-freez-ing type wiper blades is over, replacethem with standard wiper blades.
&Corrosion protection
Refer to“Corrosion protection”F10-4.
&Snow tires
WARNING
.When replacing original tires withwinter (snow) tires, make sureyou use only tires of the samesize, circumference, speed sym-bol and load index as the originaltires listed on the tire placard.Using tires of other sizes orconstructions may affect speed-ometer/odometer calibration andclearance between the body andtires. It also may be dangerousand lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.
.You must install four winter tiresthat are of the same size, circum-ferences,construction, manufac-turer, brand (tread pattern), de-gree of wear, speed symbol andload index. Mixing tires of othersizes, circumferences or con-structions may result in severemechanical damage to the drivetrain of your vehicle and mayaffect ride, handling, braking andspeedometer/odometer calibra-tion. It also may be dangerousand lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.

.Do not use a combination ofradial, belted bias or bias tiressince it may cause dangeroushandling characteristics and leadto an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with“all seasontires”which are designed to provide anadequate measure of traction, handlingand braking performance in year-rounddriving. In winter, it may be possible toenhance performance through use of tiresdesigned specifically for winter drivingconditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on yourvehicle, be sure to use the correct tire sizeand type. You must install four winter tiresthat areof the same size, construction,brand and load range and you shouldnever mix radial, belted bias or bias tiressince this may result in dangerous hand-ling characteristics. When you choose atire, make sure that there is enoughclearance between the tire and vehiclebody.
Remember to drive with care at all timesregardless 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 thevehicle and may cause rubbing onsharp turns. Listed in the following isthe winter tire size that we recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size
P255/55R18 stud less
&Tire chains
CAUTION
Tire chains cannot be used on yourvehicle because of the lack ofclearance between the tires andvehicle body.
&Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it fromsnow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-erator pedal slightly and move the selectlever back and forth between“D”and“R”repeatedly. Do not race the engine. Forthe best possible traction, avoid spinningthe wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremelyslippery, you can obtain better traction bystartingthe 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”F7-16 and“Driving tips”F7-17.
Driving tips8-11

8-12Driving tips
Loading your vehicle
WARNING
Never allow passengers to ride on afolded rear seatback or in the cargoarea. Doing so may result in seriousinjury.
WARNING
.Never stack luggage or othercargo higher than the top of theseatback because it could tumbleforward and injure passengers inthe event of a sudden stop oraccident. Keep luggage or cargolow, as close to the floor as
possible.
.When you carry something insidethe vehicle, secure it wheneveryou can to prevent it from beingthrown around inside the vehicleduring sudden stops, sharp turnsor in an accident.
.Do not pile heavy loads on theroof. These loads raise the vehi-cle’s center of gravity and make itmore prone to tip over.
.Secure lengthy items properly toprevent them from shooting for-ward and causing serious injuryduring a sudden stop.
.Never exceed the maximum loadlimit. If you do, some parts onyour vehicle can break, or it canchange the way your vehiclehandles. This could result in lossof control and cause personalinjury. Also, overloading canshorten the life of your vehicle.
.Do not place anything on theextended luggage cover. Suchitems could tumble forward inthe event of a sudden stop or acollision. This could cause ser-ious injury.
CAUTION
Do not carry spray cans, containerswith flammable or corrosive liquidsor any other dangerous items insidethe vehicle.
NOTE
For better fueleconomy, do not carryunneeded cargo.
&Vehicle capacity weight

The load capacity of your vehicle isdetermined by weight, not by availablecargospace. The maximum load you cancarry in your vehicle is shown on thevehicle placard attached to the driver’sside door pillar. It includes the total weightof the driver and all passengers and theirbelongings, any optional equipment suchas a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier,etc., and the tongue load of a trailer.
&GVWR and GAWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating and
Gross Axle Weight Rating)
Certification label
The certification label attached to thedriver’s side door shows GVWR (GrossVehicle Weight Rating) and GAWR (GrossAxle Weight Rating).
The GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) mustnever exceed the GVWR. GVW is thecombined total of weight of the vehicle,fuel, driver, all passengers, luggage, anyoptional equipment and trailer tongueload. Therefore, the GVW changes de-pending on the situation.
In addition, the total weight applied toeach axle (GAW) must never exceed theGAWR. The front and rear GAWs can be
adjusted by relocating luggage inside thevehicle.
Even if the total weight of your luggage islower than the vehicle capacity weight,either front or rear GAW may exceed theGAWR, depending on the distribution ofthe luggage.
When possible, the load should be evenlydistributedthroughout the vehicle.
If you carry heavy loads in the vehicle, youshould confirm that GVW and front andrearGAWs are within the GVWR andGAWR by putting your vehicle on avehicle scale, found at a commercialweighing station.
Do not use replacement tires with a lowerload range than the originals because theymay lower the GVWR and GAWR limita-tions. Replacement tires with a higher loadrange than the originals do not increasethe GVWR and GAWR limitations.
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8-14Driving tips
&Roof rails and crossbar (if
equipped)
1) Roof rails2) Crossbar kit
CAUTION
.For cargo carrying purposes, theroof rail must be used togetherwith a roof crossbar kit and theappropriate carrying attachment.The roof rail must never be usedalone to carry cargo. Otherwise,damageto the roof or paint or adangerous road hazard due toloss of cargo could result.
.When using the roof crossbar kit,make sure that the total weight ofthe crossbars,carrying attach-
ments and cargo does not ex-ceed the maximum load limit.Overloading may cause damageto the vehicle and create a safetyhazard.
The roof rails are not designed to carrycargo by themselves. Cargo can becarried after securing the roof crossbarkit to the roof rail and installing theappropriate carrying attachment. Wheninstalling the roof crossbar kit, follow themanufacturer’s instructions.
When you carry cargo on the roof usingthe roof crossbar kit and a carryingattachment, never exceed the maximumload limit as explained below. You shouldalso be careful that your vehicle does notexceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating(GVWR) and front and rear Gross AxleWeight Rating (GAWR). For informationon loading cargo into or onto your vehicle,refer to“Loading your vehicle”F8-12. Themaximum load limit of the cargo, cross-bars and carrying attachments must notexceed150 lbs (68 kg).Placetheheaviestload at the bottom, nearest theroof, and evenly distribute the cargo.Always properly secure all cargo.
!Installing carrying attachments onthe crossbars
When installing any carrying attachmentssuch as a bike carrier, ski carrier, kayakcarrier, cargo basket, etc. on the cross-bars, follow the manufacturer’s instruc-tions and make sure that the attachmentsare securely fixed to the crossbars. Useonly attachments designed specifically forthe crossbars. The maximum load limit ofthe cargo, crossbars and carrying attach-ments must not exceed150 lbs (68 kg).Before operating the vehicle, make surethat the cargo is properly secured on theattachments.
NOTE
Remember that the vehicle’s center ofgravity is altered with the weight of theload on the roof, thus affecting thedriving characteristics.
Drive carefully. Avoid rapid starts, hardcornering and abrupt stops. Crosswindeffects will be increased.
!Removal and installation of thecrossbars
The crossbars can be removed when youdo not use the roof to carry cargo.

!To remove the crossbar
1. Loosen and remove the T-30 torx®
head screw from the top of each crossbarend support.
Loosen the lower clamps.
2. Carefully raise the crossbar from roofrails.
!To install the crossbar
Front crossbar:
Front crossbar has a 150 lbs (68 kg) loadlabel on left-hand side.
1) T-25 torx®head screw
1. Make sure that the T-25 torx®headscrew on the back of each crossbar endsupport is tightened correctly.
2. Before placing the crossbar on the roofrails, make sure that the T-30 torx®headscrew is removed from the top of eachcrossbar end support.
3. The crossbar with a 150 lbs (68 kg)load label attached onto it is the frontcrossbar. An arrow is marked on the backof the front crossbar for correct installa-tion. Install the front crossbar so that thearrow faces the front of the vehicle.
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8-16Driving tips
1) 6 in (150 mm)
4. Install the front crossbar so that thecrossbar end supports are located ap-proximately 6 in (150 mm) rearward fromthe joints between the roof rails and thefront roof rail supports.
1) Lower clamp2) T-30 torx®head screw
5. Tighten the lower clamps onto thecrossbar. Using a torque wrench, looselytighten the T-30 torx®head screws.
NOTE
It may be necessary to squeeze thelower clamp and the end supporttogether to compress the pads andgaina better alignment of the pieceswhile trying to start the screw. Use carenot to cross-thread the screw in theinsert.
6. Adjust the alignment of the crossbaron the roof rails, and if available, use a T-30 torx®bit and torque wrench and tightenthe T-30 torx®headscrews to 30 to 35lbf·in (3.4 to 4.0 N·m, 0.35 to 0.41 kgf·m) oftorque (or tighten securely with the torx®
wrench provided).

Rear crossbar:
1) 8 in (200 mm)
Install the rear crossbar so that the cross-bar end supports are located approxi-mately 8 in (200 mm) forward from thejoints between the roof rails and the rearroof rail supports.
Install the rear crossbar in the samemanner as the front crossbar.
CAUTION
Do not carry cargo on the roof whenthe crossbars are removed. Lug-gage on the roof will be thrownforward or backward in suddenstops or rapid accelerations, result-ing in a dangerous road hazard.
NOTE
Before each use of the roof crossbar,make sure the four T-30 crossbarclamp screws have been checked,and retightened if necessary to 35 lbf·in(4.0 N·m, 0.41 kgf·m), as outlined inStep #5 above.
&Roof molding and crossbar
(if equipped)
CAUTION
.For cargo carrying purposes, theroofmolding must be used to-gether with a roof crossbar kitand the appropriate carrying at-tachment. Otherwise, damage tothe roof or paint or a dangerous
road hazard due to loss of cargocould result.
.When using the roof crossbar kit,make sure that the total weight ofthe crossbars, carrying attach-ments and cargo does not ex-ceed the maximum load limit.Overloading may cause damageto the vehicle and create a safetyhazard.
Cargo can be carried after securing theroof crossbar kit to the roof molding andinstalling the appropriate carrying attach-ments. When installing the roof crossbarkit, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
When you carry cargo on the roof usingthe roof crossbar kit and a carryingattachments, never exceed the maximumload limit as explained below. You shouldalso be careful that your vehicle does notexceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating(GVWR) and front and rear Gross AxleWeight Rating (GAWR). Refer to the“Loading your vehicle”section in thischapter for information on loading cargointo or onto your vehicle. The maximumload limit of the cargo, crossbars andcarrying attachments must not exceed150 lbs (68 kg). Place the heaviest loadat the bottom, nearest the roof, and evenlydistribute the cargo. Always properly
Driving tips8-17
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