
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.
.Check that the tire rating and pressures
are 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 brake
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 oper-
ated.
– 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 of
control.
. Avoid abrupt starts and sudden accel-
erations. If your vehicle has a manual
transmission, always start out in first gear
and release the clutch at moderate engine
revolution.
. 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 your
vehicle.
. 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 promptly begin
decelerating your vehicle at a gradual
pace.
. 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 your nearest SUBARU
dealer.
Driving tips/Trailer towing (Crosstrek models)
–CONTINUED –8-25

Driving tips/Trailer towing (Crosstrek models)
!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 following indicators be-
cause the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating.
: Coolant temperature high warning light
: AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVT models)
If the coolant temperature high warning
light and/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 case of
an emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-13
–“ Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light ”F 3-17 –“
AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVT
models) ”F 3-19
. For CVT models, avoid using the
accelerator pedal to stay stationary on
an uphill slope instead of using the
parking brake or foot brake. That may
cause the transmission fluid to overheat.
! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake firmly. You should not
park on a hill or slope. If parking on a hill or
slope cannot be avoided, you should take
the following steps:
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal
down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (MT
models) or “P ” position (CVT models)
and shut off the engine.
8-26

In case of emergency/If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency
If you park your vehicle in
case of an emergency
1) Models with multi function display
2) Models without multi function display
The hazard warning flasher should beused in day or night to warn other drivers
when you have to park your vehicle under
emergency conditions.
Avoid stopping on the road. It is best to
safely pull off the road if a problem occurs.
The hazard warning flasher can be acti-
vated regardless of the ignition switch
position.
Turn on the hazard warning by pushing
the hazard warning flasher switch. Turn it
off by pushing the switch again.
NOTE
When the hazard warning flasher is on,
the turn signals do not work.
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.
9-2

Maintenance and service/Engine oil
Engine oil
CAUTION
.If the level gauge cannot be
pulled out easily, twist the level
gauge right and left, then gently
pull it out. Otherwise, you may be
injured accidentally straining
yourself.
. Use only engine oil with the
recommended grade and vis-
cosity.
. Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If
engine oil gets on the exhaust
pipe, be sure to wipe it off.
& Engine oil consumption
Some engine oil will be consumed while
driving. The rate of consumption can be
affected by such factors as transmission
type, driving style, terrain and tempera-
ture. Under the following conditions, oil
consumption can be increased and thus
require refilling between maintenance
intervals:
. When the engine is new and within the break-in period
.
When the engine oil is of lower quality
. When the incorrect oil viscosity is used
. When engine brakin g is employed
(repeatedly)
. When the engine is operated at high
engine speeds (for extended periods of
time)
. When the engine is operated under
heavy loads (for extended periods of time)
. When towing a trailer (Crosstrek mod-
els)
. When the engine idles for extended
periods of time
. When the vehicle is operated in stop
and go and/or heavy traffic situations
. When the vehicle is used under severe
thermal conditions
. When the vehicle accelerates and
decelerates frequently
Under these or similar conditions, you
should check your oil at least every 2nd
fuel fill-up and change your engine oil
more frequently. Different drivers in the
same car may experience different results.
If your oil consumption rate is greater than
expected, contact your authorized
SUBARU retailer who may perform a test
under controlled conditions.
& Locations of the oil level
gauge, oil filler cap and oil
filter
1) Oil level gauge
2) Oil filler cap
3) Oil filter
&Checking the oil level
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”/
“OFF ”position. If you check the oil level
just after turning the ignition switch to the
“LOCK ”/“OFF ”position, wait a few minutes
for the oil to drain back into the oil pan
before checking the level.
2. Pull out the level gauge, wipe it clean,
and insert it again.
3. Be sure the level gauge is correctly
11-8

Specifications/Fuses and circuits
Fuses and circuits
&Fuse panel located in the passenger compartment
Fuse
panel Fuse
rating Circuit
1 20A .Trailer hitch connector
2 15A —
3 15A .Door locking
4 10A .Front wiper deicer relay
5 10A .Combination meter
. Clock
6 7.5A .Remote control rear
view mirrors
. Seat heater relay
7 15A .Combination meter
. Integrated unit
8 10A .Stop light
9 15A .Front wiper deicer
10 7.5A .Power supply (battery)
11 7.5A .Turn signal unit
12 15A .Transmission control
unit
. Engine control unit
. Integrated unit
13 20A .Accessory power outlet
(center console)
. AC110V (If installed)
14 15A .Parking light
. Tail light
. Rear combination light
12-10

Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
&Tire care –maintenance and
safety practices
.Check on a daily basis that the
tires are free from serious damage,
nails, and stones. At the same time,
check the tires for abnormal wear.
.Inspect the tire tread regularly
and replace the tires before their
tread wear indicators become visi-
ble. When a tire ’streadwear
indicator becomes visible, the tire
is worn beyond the acceptable limit
and must be replaced immediately.
With a tire in this condition, driving
at even low speeds in wet weather
can cause the vehicle to hydro-
plane. Possible resulting loss of
vehiclecontrolcanleadtoan
accident.
.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).
For information about the tire rota-
tion order, refer to “Tire rotation ”
F 11-26
.Replace any damaged or
unevenly worn tires at the time of rotation. After tire rotation, adjust
the tire pressures and make sure
the wheel nuts are correctly tigh-
tened. For information about the
tightening torque and tightening
sequence for the wheel nuts, refer
to
“Flat tires” F9-6
.
& Vehicle load limit –how to
determine
The load capacity of your vehicle is
determined by weight, not by avail-
able cargo space. The load limit of
your vehicle is shown on the
vehicle placard attached to the
driver ’s side door pillar. Locate the
statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs ”on your
vehicle ’s placard.
Thevehicleplacardalsoshows
seating capacity of your vehicle.
The total load capacity includes the
total weight of driver and all pas-
sengers and their belongings, any
cargo, any optional equipment such
as a trailer hitch, roof rack or bike carrier, etc., and the tongue load of
a trailer. Therefore cargo capacity
can be calculated by the following
method.
Cargo capacity = Load limit
−(total
weight of occupants + total weight
of optional equipment + tongue
load of a trailer (if applicable))
For information about vehicle load-
ing, refer to “Loading your vehicle ”
F 8-12.
For information about towing capa-
city and weight limits, refer to
“Trailer towing (Crosstrek models) ”
F 8-18
.
13-10

Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
2.Calculate the available load ca-
pacity.
3.The total weight now exceeds
the capacity weight by 92 lbs (42
kg), so the cargo weight must be
reduced by 92 lbs (42 kg) or more.
Example 2A
Vehicle capacity weight of the
vehicle is 900 lbs (408 kg), which
is indicated on the vehicle placard with the statement
“The combined
weight of occupants and cargo
should never exceed 408 kg or
900 lbs ”.
For example, the vehicle has one
occupant weighing 165 lbs (75 kg)
plus cargo weighing 375 lbs (170
kg). In addition, the vehicle is fitted
with a trailer hitch weighing 22 lbs
(10 kg), to which is attached a
trailer weighing 1,764 lbs (800 kg).
10% of the trailer weight is applied
to the trailer tongue (i.e. Tongue
load = 176 lbs (80 kg)).
1.Calculate the total weight.
2.Calculate the available load ca-
pacity.
3.The result of step 2 shows that a
further 162 lbs (73 kg) of cargo can
be carried.
13-12

Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
cle’s suspension, axles and other
parts of the body.
Therefore, this means that the
vehicle cannot necessarily be
loaded up to the tire ’s maximum
load rating on the tire sidewall.
& Adverse safety conse-
quences of overloading on
handling and stopping and
on tires
Overloading could affect vehicle
handling, stopping distance, and
vehicle and tire performance in the
following ways. This could lead to
an accident and possibly result in
severe personal injury.
.Vehicle stability will deteriorate.
.Heavy and/or high-mounted
loads could increase the risk of
rollover.
.Stopping distance will increase.
.Brakes could overheat and fail.
.Suspension, bearings, axles and
other body parts could break or
experience accelerated wear that
will shorten vehicle life.
.Tires could fail.
.Tread separation could occur.
.Tire could separate from its rim.
& Steps for Determining Cor-
rect Load Limit
1.Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs. ”on your vehicle ’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined weight
of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
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
1400 lbs. and there will be five 150
lb passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and
luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 −750 (5 6150) = 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.
13-14