Driving Tips For Awd Vehicles - Subaru FORESTER Manual

Driving tips for AWD vehicles

All-Wheel Drive distributes the engine
power to all four wheels. In normal driving,
however, an AWD vehicle operates almost
the same as other vehicles with front
wheel drive. AWD vehicles provide better
traction when driving on slippery, wet or
snow-covered roads and when moving out
of mud, sand or dirt.
For safety purpose as well as to avoid
damaging the AWD system, you should
keep the following tips in mind:
. An AWD vehicle is better able to climb
steeper roads under snowy or slippery
conditions than a two wheel drive vehicle.
There is little difference in handling,
however, during extremely sharp turns or
sudden braking. Therefore, when driving
down a slope or turning corners, be sure
to reduce your speed and maintain an
ample distance from other vehicles.
. When replacing a tire, make sure you
use only the same size, construction,
brand, speed symbol and load index as
the original tires listed on the tire placard.
Using other sizes or construction may
result in severe mechanical damage to the
drive train of your vehicle and may affect
ride, handling, braking, speedometer/od-
ometer calibration, and clearance be-
tween the body and tires. It also may be
dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle
control.
. Always check the cold tire pressure
before starting to drive. The recom-
mended tire pressure is provided on the
tire placard, which is located under the
door latch on the driver's side.
. Tire chains should always be placed on
the front wheels only.
. Frequent driving of an AWD vehicle
under hard-driving conditions such as
steep hills or dusty roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the "Maintenance schedule" in
chapter 11.
. There are some precautions that you
must observe when towing your vehicle.
For detail information, refer to the "Towing"
Driving tips
section in chapter 9.
WARNING
. Always maintain a safe driving
speed according to the road and
weather conditions in order to
avoid having an accident on a
sharp turn, during sudden brak-
ing or under other similar condi-
tions.
. Always use the utmost care in
driving - overconfidence because
you are driving an All-Wheel
Drive vehicle could easily lead
to a serious accident.
8-5