Subaru 2012 Forester Owner's Manual page 395

! 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.
– Temperature gauge (if equipped)
– Coolant temperature high warning
light (if equipped)
– AT OIL TEMP warning light (AT
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 case of an emergency" F9-2 and
"Engine overheating" F9-13.
– Temperature gauge needle ap-
proaches the OVERHEAT zone (if
equipped). Refer to "Temperature
gauge (models with type A combina-
tion meter)" F3-11.
– Coolant temperature high warning
light illuminates (if equipped). Refer to
"Coolant temperature low indicator
light/Coolant temperature high warn-
ing light" F3-16.
– AT OIL TEMP warning light illumi-
nates (AT models). Refer to "AT OIL
TEMP warning light (AT models)" F3-
18.
. 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-
mission, place the select lever as follows.
Uphill slopes: "D" position
Downhill slopes: A low-speed gear posi-
tion to use engine braking
! 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. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you
should take the following steps.
1. Press and hold the brake pedal.
2. Have someone place chocks under
both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the chocks are in place, release
the brake pedal slowly until the chocks
absorb the load.
Driving tips
4. Press the brake pedal fully and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the brake pedal.
5. Shift into 1st or reverse gear (manual
transmission models) or the "P" position
(automatic transmission models) and shut
off the engine.
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