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.