Get Driving tips -> Winter driving Guide for Subaru Outback SUV Fourth Generation (2010-2014)

8-8 Driving tips

nance Booklet”.

Remember that damage done to your

SUBARU while operating it off-road and

no t us ing common sense precautions

such as those listed above is not eligible

for warranty coverage.

Winter driving

& 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.

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 after-

wards thoroughly wipe the water away.

Use a windshield washer fluid that con-

tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use

engine antifreeze or other substitutes

because they may damage the paint of

the vehicle.

SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid con-

tains 58.5% methyl alcohol and 41.5%

surfactant, by volume. Its freezing tem-

perature varies according to how much it

is diluted, as indicated in the following

table.

Washer Fluid Con-

centration

Freezing Temperature

30% 10.48F (−128C)

50% −48F (−208C)

100%

−498F (−458C)

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 concen-

tration appropriately for the out-

side temperature. If the concen-

tration 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 lo cal regul ations on

volatile organic compounds may

restrict the use of methanol, a

common windshield washer anti-

freeze additive. Washer fluids

containing non-methano l anti-

freeze agents shou ld be used

only if they provide cold weather

protection without damaging

your vehicle’s paint, wiper blades

or washer system.

! 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.

Wh ile warming up the vehicle before

driving, check that the accelerator pedal,

brake pedal, and all other controls operate

smoothly.

Clear away ice and snow that has

accumulated under the fenders to avoid

making steering difficult. During severe

winter driving, stop when and where it is

safe to do so and check under the fenders

periodically.

! Parking in cold weather

WARNING

Snow can trap dangerous exhaust

gases under your vehicle. K eep

snow clear of the exhaust pipe and

from around your vehicle if you park

the vehicle in snow with the engine

running.

Do not u se the parking brake wh en

parking for long periods in cold weather

since it could freeze i n that position.

Instead, you should observe the following

tips.

1. Place the shift lever in “1” or “R” for MT

models, or the select lever in “P” for AT

models and CVT models.

2. Use tire stops under the tires to

prevent the vehicle from moving.

When the vehicle is parked in snow or

when it snows, raise the wiper blades off

the glass to prevent damage to them.

When the vehicle has been left parked

after use on roads heavily covered with

snow, or has been left parked during a

snowstorm, icing may develop on the

brake system, which could cause poor

braking action. Check for snow or ice

buildup on the suspension, disc brakes

and brake hoses underneath the vehicle.

If there is caked snow or ice, remove it,

being careful not to damage the disc

brakes and brake hoses and ABS har-

ness.

! 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 are specifically

designed for this purpose. When an

antifreeze additive is used, its effect lasts

longer if the tank is refilled whenever the

fuel level reaches half empty.

Driving tips 8-9

– CONTINUED –

8-10 Driving tips

If your SUBARU is not going to be used

for an extended period, it is best to have

the fuel tank filled to capacity.

& Driving on snowy and icy

roads

WARNING

Do not use the cruise control on

slippery roads such as snowy or icy

roads. This ma y cause loss of

vehicle control.

CAUTION

Avoid prolonged continuous driving

in snowstorms. Snow will enter the

en gine’s intake system and may

hinder the airflow, which could re-

sult in engine shutdown or even

breakdown.

To prevent skidding and slipping, avoid

sudden braking, abrupt acceleration, high-

speed driving, and sharp turning when

driving on snowy or icy roads.

Always maintain ample distance between

your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you

to avoid the need for sudden braking.

To supplement the foot brake, use the

engine brake effectively to control t he

vehicle speed. (Shift into a lower gear

when necessary.)

Avoid shifting down abruptly. Such beha-

vior can cause the wheels to lock, possibly

leading to loss of vehicle control.

An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-

hances yo ur vehi cle’s braking p erfor-

mance on s nowy and icy roads. For

information about braking on slippery

surfaces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake

System)” F7-29 and “Vehicle Dynamics

Control system” F7-31.

! Wiper operation when snowing

Before driving in cold weather, make sure

the wiper blades are not frozen to the

windshield or rear window.

If the wiper blades are frozen to the

windshield or rear window, perform the

following procedure.

. To thaw the windshield wiper blades,

use the defroster with the airflow selection

i n “

” and the temper ature set for

maximum warmth until the wiper blades

are completely thawed. Refer to “Climate

control” F4-1.

. If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper

deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the

windshield wiper blades. Refer to “Defog-

ger and deicer” F3-49.

. To thaw the rear wiper blade, use the

rear window defogger. Refer to “Defogger

and deicer” F3-49.

When driving in snow, if frozen snow starts

to stick on the surface of the windshield

despite wiper operation, use the defroster

with the airflow selection in “

” and the

temperature set for maximum warmth.

After the windshield gets warmed enough

to melt the frozen snow on it, wash it away

using the windshield washer. Refer to

“Windshield washer” F3-47.

Snow stuck on the wiper arm prevents the

wiper from working effectively. If snow is

stuck on the wiper arm, pull off the road to

a safe place, then remove it. If you stop

the vehicle at road side, use the hazard

warning flasher to alert oth er drivers.

Refer to “Hazard warning flasher” F3-7.

We recommend use of non-freezing type

wiper blades (winter blades) during the

seasons you could have snow and freez-

ing temperatures. Blades of this type give

superior wiping performance in snowy

conditions. Be sure to use blades that

are suitable for your vehicle.

CAUTION

During high-speed driving, non-

freezing type wiper blades may not

perform as well as standard wiper

blades. If this happens, reduce the

vehicle speed.

NOTE

When the season requiring non-freez-

ing type wiper blades is over, replace

them with standard wiper blades.

& Corrosion protection

Refer to “Corrosion protection” F10-4.

& Snow tires

WARNING

. When replacing original tires with

winter (snow) tires, make sure

you use only tires of the same

size, circumferenc e, construc-

tion, brand (tread pattern), speed

symbol and load index as the

original tires listed on the tire

placard. Using tires of other sizes

a nd constructions may affect

speedometer/odom eter calibra-

tion and clearance between the

body and tires. It also may be

dangerous and lead to loss of

vehicle control.

. You must install four winter tires

that are of the same size, circum-

ference, construction, manufac-

turer, brand (tread pattern), de-

gree of wear, speed symbol and

load index. Mixing tires of other

sizes or constructions may result

in severe mechanical damage to

the drive train of your vehicle and

may affect ride, handling, braking

and speedometer/odometer cali-

bration. It also may be dangerous

and lead to loss of vehicle con-

trol.

. Do not use a combination of

radial, belted bias or bias tires

since it may cause dangerous

handling characteristics and lead

to an accident.

Your vehicle is equipped with “all season

tires” which are designed to provide an

adequate measure of traction, handling

and braking performance in year-round

driving. In winter, it may be possible to

enhance performance through use of tires

designed specifically for winter driving

conditions.

If you choose to install winter tires on your

vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire size

and type. You must install four winter tires

that are of the same size, construction,

brand and load range and you should

never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires

since this may result in dangerous hand-

ling characteristics. When you choose a

tire, ma ke sure that there is enough

clearance between the tire and vehicle

body.

Remember to drive with care at all times

regardless of the type of tires on your

vehicle.

& Tire chains

CAUTION

Tire chains cannot be used on your

vehi cle because of the lack of

clearance between the tires and

vehicle body.

NOTE

When tire chains cannot be used, use

of another type of traction device (such

as spring chains) may be acceptable if

use on your vehicle is recommended

by the device manufacturer, taking into

account tire size and road conditions.

Follow the device manufacturer’s in-

structions, especially regarding max-

imum vehicle speed.

To help avoid damage to your vehicle,

drive slowly, readjust or remove the

Driving tips 8-11

– CONTINUED –

8-12 Driving tips

device if it is contacting your vehicle,

and do not spin your wheels. Damage

caused to your vehicle by use of a

traction device is not covered under

warranty.

Make certain that any traction device

you use is an SAE class S device, and

use it on the front wheels only. Always

use the utmost care when driving with

a traction device. Overconfidence be-

cause you are using a traction device

could easily lead to a serious accident.

& Rocking the vehicle

If you must rock the vehicle to free it from

snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-

erator pedal slightly and move the shift

lever/select lever back and forth between

“1”/“D” and “R” repeatedly. Do not race the

engine. For the best possible traction,

avoid spinning the wheels when trying to

free the vehicle.

When the road surface i s extremely

slippery, you can obtain better traction by

starting the vehicle with the transmission

in 2nd than 1st (for MT, AT and CVT).

For information on holding the transmis-

sion in 2nd position, refer to “Selection of

manual mode” F7-25.

Loading your vehicle

WARNING

Never allow passengers to ride on a

folded rear seatback, in the trunk or

in the cargo area. Doing so may

result in serious injury.

WARNING

. Never stack luggage or other

cargo higher than the top of the

seatback because it could tumble

forward and injure passengers in

the event of a sudden stop or

accident. Keep luggage or cargo

low, as c lose to the floor as

possible.

. When you carry something inside

the vehicle, secure it whenever

you can to prevent it from being

thrown around inside the vehicle

during sudden stops, sharp turns

or in an accident.

. Do not pile heavy loads on the

roof. These loads raise the vehi-

cle’s center of gravity and make it

more prone to tip over.

. Secure long items properly to

prevent them from shooting for-

ward and causing serious injury

during a sudden stop.

. Never exceed the maximum load

limit. If you do, some parts on

your vehicle can break, or it can

change the way your vehicle

handles. This could result in loss

of control and cause personal

in jury. Also, overloading can

shorten the life of your vehicle.

. Do not place anything on the rear

shelf behind the rear seatback

(Legacy) or the extended cargo

area cover (Outback). Such items

could tumble forward in the event

of a sudden stop or a collision.

This could cause serious injury.

Driving tips -> Winter driving for Your Subaru Outback SUV Fourth Generation (2010-2014)

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