2017 SUBARU CROSSTREK warning

Driving tips/Trailer towing
hitch or other trailer towing
equipment.
.Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires.
Do not use a trailer hitch other than
genuine SUBARU trailer hitch. A genuine
SUBARU hitch is available from your
SUBARU dealer.
&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. Your
SUBARU’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 chains
WARNING
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 ball
damage.
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. Two chains should be used intotal, one to the right side and the other to
the left side trailer tongue. 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 disconnect from the hitch ball.
Allow sufficient slack in the chains taking
tight turn situations into account; however,
be careful not to let them drag on the
ground.
!Side mirrors
After hitching a trailer to your vehicle,
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.
8-22

!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 and the brake
lights each time you connect a trailer to
your vehicle.
!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 vehicleare properly inflated. Refer to“Tires”F12-
8.
Trailer tire condition, size, load rating and
proper inflation pressure should be in
accordance with the trailer manufacturer’s
specifications. Also check federal, state,
province and/or other applicable regula-
tions.
In the event your vehicle gets a flat tire
when towing a trailer, ask a commercial
road service representative or profes-
sional 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
.For models equipped with the
BSD (Blind Spot Detection) and
RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)
driving support systems, when
towing a trailer, press the BSD/
RCTA OFF switch to deactivate
the system. The system may not
operate properly due to the
blocked radar waves. For details
about the BSD/RCTA OFF switch,refer to“BSD/RCTA OFF switch”
F7-55.
.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 when compared to normal
operation. For safety’s sake, you
should employ extra caution
when towing a trailer and you
should never drive at excessive
speeds. You should also keep the
following tips in mind:
.When parking on a steep slope
with a trailer attached to your
vehicle, the braking power of the
parking brake may not be suffi-
cient since stronger braking
power is needed.
!Before starting out on a trip
.Check the towing regulations for trailer
or caravan vehicles that vary by state/
region. Failure to comply with the proce-
dures set forth will not only compromise
your safety, but will also negate your
insurance coverage and/or may violate
the state road and traffic acts and regula-
tions.
Driving tips/Trailer towing
–CONTINUED–8-23

Driving tips/Trailer towing
.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 rests horizon-
tally 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.
.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 learnthe“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.
8-24

!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”F9-2
–“Engine overheating”F9-12
–“Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light”F3-17
–“AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVTmodels)”F3-19
.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.
Driving tips/Trailer towing8-25

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

In case of emergency/Maintenance tools
&Tool locations
1) Jack handle
2) Tool bucket
3) Spare tire
1) Wheel nut wrench
2) Screwdriver
3) Jack
4) Towing hook (eye bolt)
A jack handle is stored under the floor of
the cargo area. A jack and a towing hook
are stored in the tool bucket that is located
in the recess of the spare tire wheel.
Also, a tool bag that contains a wheel nut
wrench and a screwdriver is equipped with
the vehicle. Open the tool bag and store
the tools in the tool bucket as illustrated in
order that all tools are ready for use at any
time.
&Using the jack
1. Park on a hard, level surface, when-
ever possible, then stop the engine.
2. Apply the parking brake securely and
shift the shift lever in reverse (MT models)
or the select lever to the“P”(Park)
position (CVT models).
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher
and unload all occupants and luggage
from the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire diagonally opposite the tire that
you are going to replace.
5. Take out the jack and jack handle.
9-4

Jack-up points
6. Place the jack under the side sill at the
front or rear jack-up point closest to the
tire that you are going to replace.
Turn the jackscrew by hand until the jack
head engages firmly into the jack-up point.
7. Insert the jack handle into the jack-
screw, and turn the handle until the tire
clears the ground. Do not raise the vehicle
higher than necessary.
Flat tires
If you have a flat tire while driving, never
brake suddenly; keep driving straight
ahead while gradually reducing speed.
Then slowly pull off the road to a safe
place.
&Changing a flat tire
WARNING
.Do not jack up the vehicle on an
incline or a loose road surface.
The jack can come out of the
jacking point or sink into the
ground and this can result in a
severe accident.
.Use only the jack provided with
your vehicle. The jack supplied
with the vehicle is designed only
for changing a tire. Never get
under the vehicle while support-
ing the vehicle with this jack.
.Always turn off the engine before
raising the flat tire off the ground
using the jack. Never swing or
push the vehicle supported with
the jack. The jack can come out
of the jacking point due to a jolt
and this can result in a severe
In case of emergency/Flat tires
–CONTINUED–9-5

In case of emergency/Flat tires
accident.
1. Park on a hard, level surface, when-
ever possible, then stop the engine.
2. Apply the parking brake securely and
shift the shift lever in reverse (MT models)
or the select lever to the“P”(Park)
position (CVT models).
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher
and unload all occupants and luggage
from the vehicle.
4. Put wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire diagonally opposite the flat tire.
5. Take out the jack, jack handle and
wheel nut wrench.
The tools and the spare tire are stored
under the floor of the cargo area. Refer to
“Maintenance tools”F9-3.
NOTE
Make sure that the jack is well lubri-
cated before using it.
6. Take out the tool bucket and turn the
attaching bolt counterclockwise, then take
the spare tire out.
NOTE
If the spare tire provided in your vehicle
is a temporary spare tire, carefully read
“Temporary spare tire”F9-2 and
strictly follow the instructions.
1) Notch
2) Valve hole
7. If your vehicle has wheel covers, insert
a flat-head screwdriver into the notch on
the opposite side of the valve hole and pry
the wheel cover to remove it.
9-6