2017 SUBARU LEGACY brakes

!Tongue load
Tongue load
WARNING
If the trailer is loaded with more
weight in the back of trailer ’s axle
than in the front, the load is taken off
the rear axle of the towing vehicle.
This may cause the rear wheels to
skid, especially during braking or
when vehicle speed is reduced dur-
ing cornering, resulting in over-
steer, spin out and/or jackknifing.
Ensure that the trailer tongue load is from
8 to 11 percent of the total trailer weight
and does not exceed the maximum value
of 200 lbs (90 kg).
NOTE
For vehicles with trailer brakes, the
trailer tongue load exceeds 200 lbs (90
kg) when calculated at 8% of the
maximum total trailer weight.
Even in this case, the maximum value
is 200 lbs (90 kg).
1) Jack
2) Bathroom scale
The tongue load can be weighed with a
bathroom scale as shown in the following
illustration. When weighing the tongue
load, be sure to position the towing
coupler at the height at which it would be
during actual towing, using a jack as
shown.
F: Front
The tongue load can be adjusted by
proper distribution of the load in the trailer.
Never load the trailer with more weight in
the back than in the front; approximately
60 percent of the trailer load should be in
the front and approximately 40 percent in
the rear. Also, distribute the load as evenly
as possible on both the left and right
sides.
Be sure that all cargo is firmly secured to
prevent a change in weight distribution
while driving.
Driving tips/Trailer towing (Outback)
–CONTINUED –8-25

Driving tips/Trailer towing (Outback)
&Trailer Hitches
WARNING
Never drill the frame or under-body
of your vehicle to install a commer-
cial trailer hitch. If you do, danger-
ous exhaust gas, water or mud may
enter the passenger compartment
through the drilled hole. Exhaust
gas contains carbon monoxide, a
colorless and odorless gas which is
dangerous, or even lethal, if inhaled.
Also, drilling the frame or under-
body of your vehicle could cause
deterioration of strength of your
vehicle and cause corrosion around
the drilled hole.
CAUTION
. Do not modify the vehicle ex-
haust system, brake system, or
other systems when installing a
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 in
total, 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
8-26

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 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,
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating, pay atten-
tion to the following items.
–Temperature gauge
– AT OIL TEMP warning light (CVT
models)
. If any of the following conditions occur,
immediately turn off the air conditioner and
stop the vehicle in the nearest safe
location. Refer to “If you park your vehicle
in an emergency ”F9-2 and “Engine
overheating ”F 9-13.
– Temperature gauge needle ap-
proaches the OVERHEAT zone. Refer
to “Temperature gauge ”F 3-12.
– AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates (CVT models). Refer to “AT OIL
TEMP warning light (CVT models) ”
F 3-17.
. For CVT models, do not use 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. 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”(CVT models) and shut
off the engine.
Driving tips/Trailer towing (Outback)8-29

Appearance care/Exterior care
Exterior care
&Washing
CAUTION
. When washing the vehicle, the
brakes may get wet. As a result,
the brake stopping distance will
be longer. To dry the brakes,
drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes.
. Do not wash the engine compart-
ment and areas adjacent to it. If
water enters the engine air intake
or electrical parts, it will cause
engine trouble or a malfunction
of the power steering.
. When washing inner fenders,
underbody, bumpers and pro-
truding objects such as exhaust
pipes and exhaust finishers, be
careful to prevent injuries from
contacting sharp ends.
. Do not use any organic solvents
when washing the surface of the
bulb assembly cover. However, if
a detergent with organic solvents
is used to wash the cover sur-
face, completely rinse off the
detergent with water. Otherwise, the cover surface may be da-
maged.
. Outback: Since your vehicle is
equipped with a rear wiper, auto-
matic car-wash brushes could
become tangled around it, dama-
ging the wiper arm and other
components. Ask the automatic
car-wash operator not to let the
brushes touch the wiper arm or
to fix the wiper arm on the rear
window glass with adhesive tape
before operating the machine.
NOTE
When having your vehicle washed in
an automatic car wash, make sure
beforehand that the car wash is of
suitable type.
The best way to preserve your vehicle’ s
beauty is frequent washing. Wash the
vehicle at least once a month to avoid
contamination by road grime.
Wash dirt off with a wet sponge and plenty
of lukewarm or cold water. Do not wash
the vehicle with hot water and in direct
sunlight.
Salt, chemicals, insects, tar, soot, tree
sap, and bird droppings should be washed
off by using a light detergent, as required. If you use a light detergent, make certain
that it is a neutral detergent. Do not use
strong soap or chemical detergents. All
cleaning agents should be promptly
flushed from the surface and not allowed
to dry there. Rinse the vehicle thoroughly
with plenty of lukewarm water. Wipe the
remaining water off with a chamois or soft
cloth. Wear rubber gloves and use a hand
brush when washing down underbody,
inner fenders and suspension to effec-
tively remove mud and dirt off.
!
Washing the underbody
Chemicals, salts and gravel used for
deicing road surfaces are extremely cor-
rosive, accelerating the corrosion of un-
derbody components, such as the exhaust
system, fuel and brake lines, brake
cables, floor pan and fenders, and sus-
pension.
Thoroughly flush the underbody and in-
side of the fenders with lukewarm or cold
water at frequent intervals to reduce the
harmful effects of such agents.
Mud and sand adhering to the underbody
components may accelerate their corro-
sion.
After driving off-road or on muddy or
sandy roads, wash the mud and sand off
the underbody.
Carefully flush the suspension and axle
10-2

Maintenance and service/Replacement of brake pad
&Checking the clutch pedal
free play
1) 0.19 –0.44 in (5 –11 mm)
Lightly press the clutch pedal down with
your finger until you feel resistance, and
check the free play.
If the free play is not within proper
specification, contact your SUBARU deal-
er.
Replacement of brake pad
CAUTION
. If you continue to drive despite
the scraping noise from the audi-
ble brake pad wear indicator, it
will result in the need for costly
brake rotor repair or replace-
ment.
. It is recommended that you dis-
connect the vehicle battery be-
fore replacing the brake pad.
However, it is dangerous to dis-
connect the vehicle battery. We
recommend that you have your
SUBARU dealer replace the
brake pad.
The disc brakes have audible wear
indicators on the brake pads. If the brake
pads wear close to their service limit, the
wear indicator makes a very audible
scraping noise when the brake pedal is
applied.
If you hear this scraping noise each time
you apply the brake pedal, have the brake
pads serviced by your SUBARU dealer as
soon as possible.
& Breaking-in of new brake
pads
When replacing the brake pad, use only
genuine SUBARU parts. After replace-
ment, the new parts must be broken in as
follows:
! Brake pad
While maintaining a speed of 30 to 40
mph (50 to 65 km/h), step on the brake
pedal lightly. Repeat this five or more
times. Also, apply and release the electro-
nic parking brake five or more times.
11-24

The vehicle placard shows original
tire size, recommended cold tire
inflation pressure on each tire at
maximum loaded vehicle weight,
seating capacity and loading infor-
mation.
!Adverse safety consequences
of under-inflation
Driving at high speeds with exces-
sively low tire pressures can cause
the tires to flex severely and to
rapidly become hot. A sharp in-
crease in temperature could cause
tread separation, and failure of the
tire(s). Possible resulting loss of
vehicle control could lead to an
accident.
!Measuring and adjusting air
pressure to achieve proper in-
flation
Check and, if necessary, adjust the
pressure of each tire (including the
spare) at least once a month and
before any long journey. Check the
tire pressures when the tires are
cold. Use a pressure gauge to
adjust the tire pressures to the specific values. Driving even a
short distance warms up the tires
and increases the tire pressures.
Also, the tire pressures are affected
by the outside temperature. It is
best to check tire pressure out-
doors before driving the vehicle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air
inside it expands, causing the tire
pressure to increase. Be careful not
to mistakenly release air from a
warm tire to reduce its pressure.
&
Glossary of tire terminology
.Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be
replaced) of automatic transmis-
sion, power steering, power brakes,
power windows, power seats, radio,
and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in-
stalled equipment (whether in-
stalled or not).
.Bead
The part of the tire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit
the rim.
.Bead separation
A breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
.Bias ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at alternate angles substantially
less than 90 degrees to the center-
line of the tread.
.Carcass
The tire structure, except tread and
sidewall rubber which, when in-
flated, bears the load.
.Chunking
The breaking away of pieces of the
tread or sidewall.
.Cold tire pressure
The pressure in a tire that has been
driven less than 1 mile or has been
standing for three hours or more.
.Cord
The strands forming the plies in the
tire.
.Cord separation
The parting of cords from adjacent
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
–CONTINUED –13-5

sidewall, or innerliner that extends
to cord material.
.Outer diameter
The overall diameter of an inflated
new tire.
.Overall width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, including elevations
due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
.Passenger car tire
A tire intended for use on passen-
ger cars, multipurpose passenger
vehicles, and trucks, that have a
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
of 10,000 lbs (4,535 kg) or less.
.Ply
A layer of rubber-coated parallel
cords.
.Ply separation
A parting of rubber compound
between adjacent plies.
.Pneumatic tire
A mechanical device made of rub-
ber, chemicals, fabric and steel or
other materials, that, whenmounted on an automotive wheel,
provides the traction and contains
the gas or fluid that sustains the
load.
.Production options weight
The combined weight of those
installed regular production options
weighing over 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) in
excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously
considered in curb weight or acces-
sory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special
trim.
.Radial ply tire
A pneumatic tire in which the ply
cords that extend to the beads are
laid at substantially 90 degrees to
the centerline of the tread.
.Recommended inflation pres-
sure
The cold inflation pressure recom-
mended by a vehicle manufacturer.
.Reinforced tire
A tire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation pres- sures than the corresponding stan-
dard tire.
.Rim
A metal support for a tire or a tire
and tube assembly upon which the
tire beads are seated.
.Rim diameter
Nominal diameter of the bead seat.
.Rim size designation
Rim diameter and width.
.Rim type designation
The industry of manufacturer
’s des-
ignation for a rim by style or code.
.Rim width
Nominal distance between rim
flanges.
.Section width
The linear distance between the
exteriors of the sidewalls of an
inflated tire, excluding elevations
due to labeling, decoration, or
protective bands.
.Sidewall
That portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
.Sidewall separation
The parting of the rubber com-
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
–CONTINUED –13-7

2.Calculate the available load ca-
pacity.
3.The total weight now exceeds
the capacity weight by 22 lbs (10
kg), so the cargo weight must be
reduced by 22 lbs (10 kg) or more.
& Determining compatibility of
tire and vehicle load capaci-
ties
The sum of four tires ’maximum
load ratings must exceed the max-
imum loaded vehicle weight
( “ GVWR ”). In addition, sum of the
maximum load ratings of two front
tires and of two rear tires must
exceed each axle ’smaximum
loaded capacity ( “GAWR ”). Original
equipment tires are designed to
fulfill those conditions.
The maximum loaded vehicle
weight is referred to Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). And each
axle ’s maximum loaded capacity is
referred to Gross Axle Weight Rat-
ing (GAWR). The GVWR and each
axle ’s GAWR are shown on the
vehicle certification label affixed to
the driver ’s door.
The GVWR and front and rear
GAWRs are determined by not only
the maximum load rating of tires but
also loaded capacities of the vehi-
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, vehicle
and tire as shown in the following.
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 parts of the body could break
or experience accelerated wear
that will shorten vehicle life.
.Tires could fail.
.Tread separation could occur.
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects/Tire information
–CONTINUED –13-13