2008 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 257

8-24

Driving tips

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 slow down

immediately but gradually.

.

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

the

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, pay

attention to the water temperature gauge

pointer (for all vehicles) and AT OIL TEMP

warning light (for AT vehicles) since the

engine

and

transmission

are

relatively

prone to overheating under these condi-

tions.

If

the

water

temperature

gauge

pointer approaches the OVERHEAT zone

or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-

nates,

immediately

switch

off

the

air

conditioner and stop the vehicle at the

nearest safe place. Refer to the

“

Engine

overheating

”

section

in chapter

9,

and

“

Warning and indicator lights

”

section in

chapter 3.

.

If your vehicle has an automatic trans-

mission, 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.

.

If your vehicle has an automatic trans-

2008 Subaru Forester Owner's Manual - Page 257

2008 Subaru Forester Manual

Page 257 highlights