Tire Chains; Rocking The Vehicle - Subaru FORESTER Manual

8-10
Driving tips
tion may affect speedometer/od-
ometer calibration and clearance
between the body and tires. It
also may be dangerous and lead
to loss of vehicle control.
. You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, con-
struction, brand, and load range.
Mixing other sizes or construc-
tions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle and may
affect ride, handling, braking and
speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion. It also may be dangerous
and lead to loss of vehicle con-
trol.
. Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
In winter, it may be possible to enhance
performance through use of tires designed
specifically for winter driving conditions. If
you choose to install winter tires on your
vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire size
and type. All four tires must be of the same
size, construction, brand and load index
and you should never mix radial, belted
bias or bias tires since this may result in
dangerous handling characteristics. Re-
member to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on your
vehicle.
When using winter tires (speed symbol Q
or H) never exceed 160 km/h (99 mph) or
210 km/h (130 mph), respectively.
& Tire chains
Driving on snowy grades or icy roads may
require the use of tire chains, in which
case put the chains on the front wheels
only. Use only chains that are of the
correct size for your tires so as not to
damage the vehicle body or suspension.
When driving with tire chains, drive at
speeds below 30 km/h (19 mph).
Always use the utmost care when driving
with tire chains – overconfidence because
you are driving with tire chains could
easily lead to a serious accident.
& Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the selector
lever back and forth between "D" and "R"
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle.
When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st (both for MT and AT).
If your vehicle is an AT vehicle, refer to the
relevant one of the "Automatic transmis-
sion" sections in chapter 7 for information
on holding the transmission in the 2nd
position.