Subaru 2006 B9 Tribeca - Manual (Page 251)

8-6
Driving tips
Your B9 TRIBECA is classified as a utility
vehicle. Utility vehicles feature a higher
ground clearance which enables them to
be used for wide applications including
off-road driving, but a higher center of
gravity in relation to the tread width as
compared with ordinary passenger cars
makes vehicles of this type more likely to
roll over. In reality, utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles. The high ground clear-
ance of this vehicle is a real advantage,
giving you a better view of the road and al-
lowing you to anticipate problems earlier.
However, remember that your utility vehi-
cle is not designed for high-speed corner-
ing comparable to ordinary passenger
cars and that your vehicle could roll over if
you make a sharp turn at high speed. If
you do take your SUBARU off-road, cer-
tain common sense precautions such as
the following should be taken:
y Make certain that you and all of your
passengers are wearing seatbelts.
y
Carry some emergency equipment,
such as a towing rope or chain, a shovel,
wheel blocks, first aid kit and cell phone or
citizens band radio.
y
Drive carefully. Do not take unneces-
sary risks by driving in dangerous areas or
over rough terrain.
y
Slow down and employ extra caution at
all times. When driving off-road, you will
not have the benefit of marked traffic
lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and the
like.
y
Do not drive across steep slopes. In-
stead, drive either straight up or straight
down the slopes. A vehicle can much
more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or
down slopes that are too steep.
y
Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, espe-
cially at higher speeds.
y
Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel. A bad bump could jerk the
wheel and injure your hands. Instead drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the out-
side of the rim.
y
If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the
stream bed for firmness and ensure that
the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly
and completely through the stream. The
water should be shallow enough that it
does not reach the vehicle’s undercar-
riage. Water entering the engine air intake
or the exhaust pipe or water splashing
onto electrical parts may damage your ve-
hicle and may cause it to stall. Never at-
tempt to drive through rushing water; re-
gardless of its depth, it can wash away the
ground from under your tires, resulting in
possible loss of traction and even vehicle
rollover.
y
Always check your brakes for effective-
ness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal. Repeat
that process several times to dry out the
brake discs and brake pads.
y
Do not drive or park over or near flam-
mable materials such as dry grass or fall-
en leaves, as they may burn easily. The
exhaust system is very hot while the en-
gine is running and right after engine
stops. This could create a fire hazard.
y
After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stones,
sand, etc. adhering to or trapped on the
y Whenever strong crosswinds are
present, slow down sufficiently to
maintain control of your vehicle.
Remember that your vehicle, with
its higher profile and center of
gravity, is more likely to be affect-
ed by crosswinds than ordinary
passenger cars.
y Always use the utmost care in
driving – overconfidence because
you are driving an All-Wheel Drive
vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident.