2017 SUBARU BRZ brake

5
When trouble arises
393
5-1. Essential information
If your vehicle needs to be towed
Emergency towing
If a tow truck is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or chain secured to the emergency
towing eyelet to move the vehicle to a safe location or to free a stuck
vehicle from sand or snow. This should only be attempted on hard
surfaced roads for short distances at low speeds.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle's wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in
good condition.
For vehicles with an automatic transmission, only the front towing
eyelet may be used.
Towing eyelet
If towing is necessary, we recommend having your vehicle towed by
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial towing service, using a flat
bed truck.
The vehicle must be secured properly with safety chains. Each
safety chain should be equally tightened and care must be taken not
to pull the chains so tightly that the suspension bottoms out.

394 5-1. Essential information
■Before emergency towing
Release the parking brake.
Shift the select lever to N (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
or shift lever to neutral (vehicles with a manual transmission).
Vehicles without a keyless access with push button start system:
Turn the engine switch to the “ACC” (engine off) or “ON” (engine
running) position.
Vehicles with a keyless access with push button start system: Turn
the push-button ignition switch to “ACC” (engine off) or “ON”
(engine running) mode.
■If towing a vehicle
Do not tow another vehicle. If towing a vehicle that has broken down is
unavoidable, avoid towing a vehicle that is heavier than your vehicle. Also,
do not pull out a vehicle that has fallen into a ditch.
WARNING
■Caution while towing
●Use extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which place excessive
stress on the emergency towing eyelets and the cables or chains. Always
be cautious of the surroundings and other vehicles while towing.
●If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering
will not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3

5
When trouble arises
395 5-1. Essential information
Installing towing eyelet
Remove the eyelet cover using a flathead screwdriver.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, cover the tip of the screwdriver
with a rag.
Front
CAUTION
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission in emergency
towing (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Never tow a vehicle from the rear with four wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to the transmission.
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
●When towing this vehicle, make sure to observe the following:
• Do not use a wire rope
• Keep vehicle speed below 20 mph (30 km/h) and do not tow for dis-
tances over 19 miles (30 km)
• Tow the vehicle in the forward direction
• Do not apply rope to the vehicle's suspension and so forth
●Do not tow another vehicle, boat (trailer) and so forth, that is heavier than
this vehicle.
■When towing down a long slope
Use a wheel lift-type or flat bed truck. (oP. 398, 399)
If a wheel lift-type or flat bed truck is not used, the brakes may overheat,
leading to poor brake performance.
STEP 1

400
5-1. Essential information
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Contact your SUBARU dealer as soon as
possible.
■Visible symptoms
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air conditioning after use is normal.)
●Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
●Vehicles with a monochrome multi-information display: The
engine coolant temperature gauge needle continually points
higher than normal
●Vehicles with a color multi-information display: The high
engine coolant temperature warning light flashes or illumi-
nates
■Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
●Excessive tire squeal when cornering
●Strange noises related to the suspension system
●Pinging or other noises related to the engine
■Operational symptoms
●Engine missing, stumbling or running rough
●Appreciable loss of power
●Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
●Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
●Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

402
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a warning light turns on or a war ning buzzer sounds...
Stop the vehicle immediately. Continuing to drive the vehicle
may be dangerous.
The following warning indicates a possible problem in the brake sys-
tem. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your
SUBARU dealer.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada and
Mexico)Brake system warning light
• Low brake fluid
• Malfunction in the brake system
This light also comes on when the parking brake is not
released. If the light turns off after the parking brake is fully
released the system is operating normally.
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning lights turn
on or flash. If a light turns on or flashes, but then turns off, this does
not necessarily indicate a malfunction in the system.

404 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Have the vehicle inspected immediately.
Failing to investigate the cause of the following warnings may lead to
the system operating abnormally and possibly cause an accident.
Have the vehicle inspected by your SUBARU dealer immediately.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada and
Mexico)Malfunction indicator lamp
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The electronic engine control system;
• The electronic throttle control system;
• The electronic automatic transmission control system.
SRS airbag system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system;
• The seatbelt pretensioner system;
• The front passenger occupant detection system.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada and
Mexico)ABS warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS;
• The brake assist system.
Electric power steering warning light (warning buzzer)
Indicates a malfunction in the electric power steering sys-
tem.
Slip indicator
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The Vehicle stability control (VSC) system;
• The TRAC system;
• The hill start assist system.
Automatic headlight leveling system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the automatic headlight leveling
system.

5
When trouble arises
411 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
WARNING
■If the tire pressure warning light comes on (if equipped)
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inflation pres-
sure adjustment, it is probable that you have a flat tire. Check the tires.
If the tire is flat, change to the spare tire and have the flat tire repaired
by the nearest SUBARU dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage should occur (vehicles with a tire
pressure monitoring system)
The tire pressure monitoring system may not activate immediately.

414
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a warning message is displayed (vehicles with a color multi-infor mation display)
Stop the vehicle immediately. Continuing to drive the vehicle
may be dangerous.
The following warning indicates a possible problem in the brake sys-
tem. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your
SUBARU dealer.
Warning messageDetails
(U.S.A.)
(Canada and Mexico)
Indicates that:
• The brake fluid level is low; or
• The brake system is malfunctioning
A buzzer also sounds.
If a warning is shown on the multi-information display, stay calm and
perform the following actions:
Master warning light
The master warning light also
comes on or flashes in order to
indicate that a message is cur-
rently being displayed on the
multi-information display.
Multi-information display
If any of the warning light comes on again after the following
actions have been performed, contact your SUBARU dealer.