Subaru Forester: Trailer towing tips / Driving on grades

• Before going down a steep hill, slow down and shift to a lower gear (if necessary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the engine braking effect and prevent overheating 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 because the engine and transmission are relatively prone to overheating.

: Coolant temperature high warning light

: AT OIL TEMP warning light

If the coolant temperature high warning light and/or the AT OIL TEMP warning light illuminates, immediately turn off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle in the nearest safe location. For further instructions and additional information, refer to the following sections.

• “If you park your vehicle in case of an emergency”
• “Engine overheating”
• “Coolant temperature low indicator light/Coolant temperature high warning light”
• “AT OIL TEMP warning light”

• 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.