Get Maintenance and service -> Tires and wheels Guide for Subaru Forester SUV 2024

^{Tires and wheels}471

! Winter (snow) tires

11-16. Tires and wheels

CAUTION

Winter tires are best suited for driving on

snow-covered and icy roads. However,

winter tires do not perform as well as

summer tires and all season tires on roads

other than snow-covered and icy roads.

If you continue to drive despite the

scraping noise from the audible

brake pad wear indicator, it will

result in the need for costly brake

rotor repair or replacement.

& Types of tires

You should be familiar with the type of tires

present on your vehicle.

! All season tires

All season tires are designed to provide an

adequate measure of traction, handling

and braking performance in year-round

driving including snowy and icy road

conditions. However, all season tires do

not offer as much traction performance as

winter (snow) tires in heavy or loose snow

or on icy roads.

& Tire pressure monitoring

system (TPMS) (U.S.-spec.

models)

& Breaking-in of new brake

pads

The tire pressure monitoring system pro-

vides the driver with a warning message by

sending a signal from a sensor that is

installed in each wheel when tire pressure

is severely low. The tire pressure monitor-

ing system will activate only when the

vehicle is driven. Also, this system may not

react immediately to a sudden drop in tire

pressure (for example, a blow-out caused

by running over a sharp object).

When replacing the brake pad, use only

genuine SUBARU parts. After replace-

ment, the new parts must be broken in.

Contact your SUBARU dealer for details.

All season tires are identified by “ALL

SEASON” and/or “M+S” (Mud & Snow) on

the tire sidewall.

! Summer tires

Summer tires are high-speed capability

tires best suited for highway driving under

dry conditions.

Summer tires are inadequate for driving on

slippery roads such as on snow-covered or

icy roads.

If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered

or icy roads, we strongly recommend the

use of winter (snow) tires.

When installing winter tires, be sure to

replace all four tires.

If you adjust the tire pressures in a warm

garage and will then drive the vehicle in

cold outside air, the resulting drop in tire

pressures may cause the low tire pressure

warning light to illuminate. To avoid this

problem when adjusting the tire pressures

in a warm garage, inflate the tires to

pressures higher than those shown on

the tire inflation pressure label. Specifi-

cally, inflate them by an extra 1 psi (6.9

kPa, 0.07 kgf/cm ) for every difference of

– CONTINUED –

Tires and wheels

472

108F (5.68C) between the temperature in

the garage and the temperature outside.

By way of example, the following table

shows the required tire pressures that

correspond to various outside tempera-

tures when the temperature in the garage

is 608F (15.68C).

turns off a few minutes later. If the low tire

pressure warning light does not turn off,

the tire pressure monitoring system may

not be functioning normally. In this event,

go to a SUBARU dealer to have the

system inspected as soon as possible.

ignition switch is turned on or the

light illuminates steadily after blink-

ing for approximately 1 minute, you

should have your tire pressure mon-

itoring system checked at

SUBARU dealer as soon as possi-

ble.

While the vehicle is driven, friction be-

tween tires and the road surface causes

the tires to warm up. After illumination of

the low tire pressure warning light, any

increase in the tire pressures caused by an

increase in the outside air temperature or

by an increase in the temperature in the

tires can cause the low tire pressure

warning light to turn off.

Example:

Tire size: 225/60R17

If this light illuminates while driving,

never brake suddenly and keep

driving straight ahead while gradu-

ally reducing speed. Then slowly

pull off the road to a safe place.

Otherwise, an accident involving

serious vehicle damage and serious

personal injury could occur.

Standard tire pressures:

Front: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm²)

Rear: 32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm²)

Garage temperature: 608F (15.68C)

Adjusted pressure

[psi (kPa, kgf/cm²)]

Front Rear

Outside

temperature

If this light still illuminates while

driving after adjusting the tire pres-

sure, a tire may have significant

damage and a fast leak that causes

the tire to lose air rapidly. If you have

a flat tire, replace it with a spare tire

as soon as possible.

It may not be possible to install TPMS

valves on certain wheels that are on the

market. Therefore, if you change the

wheels (for example, a switch to snow

tires), use wheels that have the same part

number as the standard-equipment

wheels. Without four operational TPMS

valve/sensors on the wheels, the TPMS

will not fully function and the warning light

on the combination meter will illuminate

steadily after blinking for approximately 1

minute.

308F

36 (250, 2.5) 35 (240, 2.4)

38 (265, 2.65) 37 (255, 2.55)

(−18C)

108F

(−128C)

−108F

(−238C)

39 (270, 2.7)

41 (280, 2.8)

When a spare tire is mounted or a

wheel rim is replaced without the

original pressure sensor/transmitter

being transferred, the low tire pres-

sure warning light will illuminate

steadily after blinking for approxi-

mately 1 minute. This indicates the

TPMS is unable to monitor all four

road wheels. Contact your SUBARU

dealer as soon as possible for tire

If the low tire pressure warning light

illuminates when you drive the vehicle in

cold outside air after adjusting the tire

pressures in a warm garage, re-adjust the

tire pressures using the method described

above. Then, increase the vehicle speed

to at least 20 mph (32 km/h) and check to

see that the low tire pressure warning light

WARNING

If the low tire pressure warning light

does not illuminate briefly after the

^{Tires and wheels}473

Consult your SUBARU dealer.

and sensor replacement and/or sys-

tem resetting. If the light illuminates

steadily after blinking for approxi-

mately 1 minute, promptly contact a

SUBARU dealer to have the system

inspected.

pressed against the curb when

you park the vehicle.

& Tire inspection

. If you feel unusual vibration

while driving or find it difficult

to steer the vehicle in a

straight line, one of the tires

and/or wheels may be da-

maged. Drive slowly to the

nearest authorized SUBARU

dealer and have the vehicle

inspected.

Check on a daily basis that the tires

are free from serious damage,

nails, and stones. At the same time,

check the tires for abnormal wear.

Contact your SUBARU dealer im-

mediately if you find any problems.

! TPMS valve self-registration

When the wheels are replaced (such as

when installing snow tires) or when a new

TPMS valve is mounted on a new installed

wheel, you will need to perform TPMS

valve self-registration. Refer to the follow-

ing procedure to perform TPMS valve self-

registration.

1. Install the wheels with TPMS valves on

the vehicle.

2. Adjust the tire pressure to the specified

value. For information about the spe-

cified value of the tire pressure, refer to

“Tires” �P504.

NOTE

. When the wheels and tires

strike curbs or are subjected

to harsh treatment as when the

vehicle is driven on a rough

surface, they can suffer da-

mage that cannot be seen with

the naked eye. This type of

damage does not become evi-

dent until time has passed. Try

not to drive over curbs, pot-

holes or on other rough sur-

faces. If doing so is unavoid-

able, keep the vehicle’s speed

down to a walking pace or less,

and approach the curbs as

squarely as possible. Also,

make sure the tires are not

& Tire pressures and wear

Maintaining the correct tire pres-

sures helps to maximize the tires’

service lives and is essential for

good running performance. Check

and, if necessary, adjust the pres-

sure of each tire and the spare (if

equipped) at least once a month

and before any long journey.

3. Drive at speeds above 25 mph (40

km/h) for at least 4 miles (6 km) or until

the low tire pressure warning light turns

off.

NOTE

When installing TPMS valves, use

only genuine SUBARU parts.

Registration of TPMS valves can

also be done at a SUBARU dealer.

– CONTINUED –

Tires and wheels

474

When a tire becomes warm, the air

inside it expands, causing the tire

pressure to increase. Be careful not

to mistakenly release air from a

warm tire to reduce its pressure.

NOTE

. The air pressure in a tire

increases by approximately

4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3 kgf/cm )

when the tire becomes warm.

. The tires are considered cold

when the vehicle has been

parked for at least three hours

or has been driven less than 1

mile (1.6 km).

Tire inflation pressure label

Check the tire pressures when the

tires are cold. Use a pressure

gauge to adjust the tire pressures

to the values shown on the tire

inflation pressure label. The tire

inflation pressure label is located

on the door pillar on the driver’s

side.

WARNING

Do not let air out of warm tires

to adjust pressure. Doing so

will result in low tire pressure.

Driving even a short distance

warms up the tires and increases

the tire pressures. Also, the tire

pressures are affected by the out-

side temperature. It is best to check

tire pressure outdoors before driv-

ing the vehicle.

Correct tire pressure (tread

worn evenly)

Roadholding is good, and

steering is responsive. Rolling

resistance is low, so fuel con-

sumption is also lower.

Incorrect tire pressures detract from

controllability and ride comfort, and

they cause the tires to wear abnor-

mally.

^{Tires and wheels}475

Under inflated tire (tread worn

on shoulders)

Rolling resistance is high, so

fuel consumption is also high-

er.

Over inflated (tread worn in the

center)

Ride comfort is poor. Also, the

tire magnifies the effects of

road-surface bumps and dips,

possibly resulting in vehicle

damage.

vehicle control could lead to

an accident.

CAUTION

Loss of correct wheel align-

ment causes the tires to wear

on one side and reduces the

vehicle’s running stability.

Contact your SUBARU dealer

if you notice abnormal tire

wear.

& Wheel balance

Each wheel was correctly balanced

when your vehicle was new, but the

wheels will become unbalanced as

the tires become worn during use.

Wheel imbalance causes the steer-

ing wheel to vibrate slightly at

certain vehicle speeds and detracts

from the vehicle’s straight-line sta-

bility. It can also cause steering and

suspension system problems and

abnormal tire wear. If you suspect

that the wheels are not correctly

balanced, have them checked and

adjusted by your SUBARU dealer.

Also have them adjusted after tire

repairs and after tire rotation.

NOTE

The suspension system is de-

signed to hold each wheel at a

certain alignment (relative to the

other wheels and to the road) for

optimum straight-line stability

and cornering performance.

If the tire inflation pressure label

shows tire pressures for the vehicle

when fully loaded, adjust the tire

pressures to the values that match

the loading conditions.

WARNING

Driving at high speeds with

excessively low tire pressures

can cause the tires to deform

severely and to rapidly heat

up. A sharp increase in tem-

perature could cause tread

separation and destruction of

the tires. The resulting loss of

– CONTINUED –

Tires and wheels

476

& Wear indicators

& Rotational direction of tires

is worn beyond the acceptable

limit and must be replaced

immediately. With a tire in this

condition, driving at high

speeds in wet weather can

cause the vehicle to hydro-

plane. The resulting loss of

vehicle control can lead to an

accident.

NOTE

For safety, inspect tire tread

regularly and replace the tires

before their tread wear indicators

become visible.

Example of rotational direction

marked on the sidewall

New tread

Worn tread

Tread wear indicator

Front

If the tires have specific rotational

direction, refer to the arrow marked

on the side wall.

The arrow should be pointing for-

ward direction when the wheels are

fitted.

Each tire incorporates a tread wear

indicator, which becomes visible

when the depth of the tread grooves

decreases to 0.063 in (1.6 mm). A

tire must be replaced when the

tread wear indicator appears as a

solid band across the tread.

WARNING

When a tire’s tread wear indi-

cator becomes visible, the tire

^{Tires and wheels}477

& Tire rotation

Vehicles equipped with unidi-

rectional tires

Models with a spare tire of the

same wheel type as the in-

stalled tires

Vehicles equipped with 4 non-

unidirectional tires

Front

NOTE

In prior to carrying out a tire

rotation, check the side wall of

the tires and confirm the follow-

ing.

. All 5 tires are the same in

brand and tread pattern.

. The rotational directions and

sizes match.

Tire wear varies from wheel to

wheel. Move the tires to the posi-

– CONTINUED –

Tires and wheels

478

speed symbol and load index matching

those shown on the tire inflation pressure

label.

(f) Manufacturer

tions shown in the illustration each

time they are rotated. For the tire

rotation schedule, refer to the “War-

ranty and Maintenance Booklet”.

(g) Brand (tread pattern)

(h) Degree of wear

Using tires of a non-specified size detracts

from controllability, ride comfort, braking

For items (a) to (c), you must

obey the specification that is

printed on the tire inflation pres-

sure label. The tire inflation pres-

sure label is located on the dri-

ver’s door pillar.

Replace any damaged or unevenly performance, speedometer accuracy and

odometer accuracy. It also creates incor-

worn tires at the time of rotation.

After tire rotation, adjust the tire

pressures and make sure the wheel

nuts are correctly tightened.

rect body-to-tire clearances and inappro-

priately changes the vehicle’s ground

clearance.

If all the four tires are not the

same for items (a) to (h), serious

mechanical damage could be

caused to the drivetrain of the

car, and affect the followings.

All four tires must be the same in terms of

After driving approximately 600 manufacturer, brand (tread pattern), con-

struction, and size. You are advised to

miles (1,000 km), check the wheel

nuts again and retighten any nut

that has become loose.

replace the tires with new ones that are

identical to those fitted as standard equip-

ment.

–

Ride

Handling

Braking

For handling alloy wheels, refer to “Alloy

wheels” �P479.

For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU

recommends replacing all four tires at the

same time.

Speedometer/Odometer cali-

bration

& Tire replacement

WARNING

–

Clearance between the body

and tires

The wheels and tires are important and

integral parts of your vehicle’s design; they

cannot be changed arbitrarily. The tires

fitted as standard equipment are optimally

matched to the characteristics of the

vehicle and were selected to give the best

possible combination of running perfor-

mance, ride comfort, and service life. It is

essential for every tire to have a size and

construction matching those shown on the

tire inflation pressure label and to have a

When replacing or installing

tire(s), all four tires must be the

same for following items.

It also may be dangerous and

lead to loss of vehicle control,

and it can lead to an accident.

(a) Size

Use only radial tires. Do not use

radial tires together with belted

bias tires and/or bias-ply tires.

Doing so can dangerously re-

duce controllability, resulting in

(b) Speed symbol

(d) Circumference

(e) Construction

^{Alloy wheels}479

an accident.

11-17. Alloy wheels

11-18. Windshield washer

fluid

Alloy wheels can be scratched and da-

maged easily. Handle them carefully to

maintain their appearance, performance,

and safety.

& Wheel replacement

When replacing wheels due, for example,

to damage, make sure the replacement

wheels match the specifications of the

wheels that are fitted as standard equip-

ment. Replacement wheels are available

at your SUBARU dealer.

When any of the wheels are removed

and replaced for tire rotation or to

change a flat tire, always check the

tightness of the wheel nuts after driving

approximately 600 miles (1,000 km). If

any nut is loose, tighten it to the

specified torque.

WARNING

Use only those wheels that are

specified for your vehicle. Wheels

not meeting specifications could

interfere with brake caliper opera-

tion and may cause the tires to rub

against the wheel well housing dur-

ing turns. The resulting loss of

vehicle control could lead to an

accident.

Never apply oil to the threaded parts,

wheel nuts, or tapered surface of the

wheel.

When there is only a small amount of

washer fluid remaining, the windshield

washer fluid warning light will illuminate.

When this occurs, refill the washer fluid.

Never let the wheel rub against sharp

protrusions or curbs.

When wheel nuts, balance weights, or

the center cap are replaced, be sure to

replace them with genuine SUBARU

parts designed for alloy wheels.

& Adding the windshield

washer fluid

When stacking and storing removed

tires, place shock-absorbing material

between the tires to protect the wheels

from becoming scratched.

NOTE

CAUTION

When any of the wheels are removed

and replaced for tire rotation or for any

other reason, always check the tight-

ness of the wheel nuts after driving

approximately 600 miles (1,000 km). If

any nut is loose, tighten it to the

specified torque.

Never use engine coolant as washer

fluid because it could cause paint

damage.

– CONTINUED –

Maintenance and service -> Tires and wheels for Your Subaru Forester SUV 2024

Popular Manuals