Subaru Forester 2019-2024 Owners Manual / Driving tips / Winter driving / Operation during cold weather / Maintenance

Subaru Forester: Operation during cold weather / Maintenance

Carry some emergency equipment, such as a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares, a small shovel and jumper cables.

Check the battery and cables. Cold temperatures reduce battery capacity. The battery must be in good condition to provide enough power for cold winter starts.

It normally takes longer to start the engine in very cold weather conditions. Use an engine oil of a proper grade and viscosity for cold weather. Using heavy summer oil will make it harder to start the engine. Keep the door locks from freezing by squirting them with deicer or glycerin.

Forcing a frozen door open may damage or separate the rubber weather strips around the door. If the door is frozen, use hot water to melt the ice, and afterwards thoroughly wipe the water away.

Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an antifreeze solution. Do not use engine antifreeze or other substitutes because they may damage the paint of the vehicle.

If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with a different concentration from the one used previously, purge the old fluid from the piping between the reservoir tank and washer nozzles by operating the washer for a certain period of time. Otherwise, if the concentration of the fluid remaining in the piping is too low for the outside temperature, it may freeze and block the nozzles.

CAUTION

Adjust the washer fluid concentration appropriately for the outside temperature. If the concentration is inappropriate, sprayed washer fluid may freeze on the windshield and obstruct your view, and the fluid may freeze in the reservoir tank.
State or local regulations on volatile organic compounds may restrict the use of methanol, a common windshield washer antifreeze additive. Washer fluids containing non-methanol antifreeze agents should be used only if they provide cold weather protection without damaging your vehicle’s paint, wiper blades or washer system.

Operation during cold weather

Before driving your vehicle

Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice from your shoes because that could make the pedals slippery and driving dangerous. While warming up the vehicle before driving, check that the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and all other controls operate smoothly...

Other information:

Subaru Forester 2019-2024 Owners Manual: Alarm system setting

To change the setting of your vehicle’s alarm system for activation or deactivation, do the following. Disarm the alarm system. Refer to “Disarming the system”. Sit in the driver’s seat and shut all doors, the rear gate and engine hood...

Subaru Forester 2019-2024 Owners Manual: Warning and indicator lights

Seatbelt warning light / Front passenger’s seatbelt warning light Rear seatbelt warning light SRS airbag system warning light Front passenger’s frontal airbag ON indicator Front passenger’s frontal airbag OFF indicator CHECK ENGINE warning light/Malfunction indicator light Coolant temperature low indicator light / Coolant temperature high warning light Charge warning light Oil pressure warning light Engine low oil level warning light AT OIL TEMP warning light ABS warning light Brake system warning light (red) Electronic parking brake indicator light Door open warning light Engine hood open warning light AWD warning light Power steering warning light Auto Vehicle Hold ON indicator light Auto Vehicle Hold operation indicator light Depress brake indicator light (if equipped) Vehicle Dynamics Control warning light/Vehicle Dynamics Control operation indicator light Vehicle Dynamics Control OFF indicator light Turn signal indicator lights LED headlight warning light High beam indicator light High beam assist indicator light (if equipped) Automatic headlight beam leveler warning light Steering Responsive Headlight warning light/Steering Responsive Headlight OFF indicator light Front fog light indicator light (if equipped) Access key warning indicator light (if equipped) Security indicator light Sport (S) mode indicator (if equipped) Intelligent (I) mode indicator (if equipped) Sport Sharp (S#) mode indicator (if equipped) Headlight indicator light (if equipped) Cruise control indicator light (if equipped) Cruise control set indicator light (if equipped) X-MODE indicator light (if equipped) Hill descent control indicator light (if equipped) Low fuel warning light Low tire pressure warning light (U...