Subaru Outback (BR): Operation during cold weather
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.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder starting.
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.
SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid contains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5% surfactant, by volume. Its freezing temperature varies according to how much it is diluted, as indicated in the following table.
In order to prevent freezing of washer fluid, check the freezing temperatures in the table above when adjusting the fluid concentration to the outside temperature. 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.
READ NEXT:
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 ac
Parking in cold weather
WARNING
Snow can trap dangerous exhaust gases under your vehicle. Keep snow clear of
the exhaust pipe and from around your vehicle if you park the vehicle in snow with
the engine running.
Do not
Refueling in cold weather
To help prevent moisture from forming in the fuel system and the risk of its
freezing, use of an antifreeze additive in the fuel tank is recommended during cold
weather. Use only additives that ar
SEE MORE:
Photosensors in the mirror
The Subaru Outback (BR) features a mirror equipped with photosensors on both its front and rear sides. These sensors are designed to detect bright glare from headlights of vehicles behind you during nighttime driving. As a safety measure, the mirror automatically dims to reduce glare and ensure
Replacement of wiper blades
Grease, wax, insects, or other materials on the windshield or the wiper blade
results in jerky wiper operation and streaking on the glass. If you cannot remove
the streaks after operating the windshield washer or if the wiper operation is jerky,
clean the outer surface of the windshield (or re
