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EnglishDriving tips -> Winter driving for your Subaru Forester 2019-2024
Winter driving 403
the vehicle.
& After driving
8-10. Winter driving
.
Always check your brakes for effective-
ness immediately after driving in sand,
mud or water. Do this by driving slowly
and stepping on the brake pedal.
Repeat that process several times to
dry out the brake discs and brake pads.
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.
& Operation during cold weath-
er
! Maintenance
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as a window scraper, a bag of sand, flares,
a small shovel and jumper cables.
.
After driving through tall grass, mud,
rocks, sand, rivers, etc., check that
there is no grass, bush, paper, rags,
stones, sand, etc. adhering to or
trapped on the underbody. Clear off
any such matter from the underbody. If
the vehicle is used with these materials
trapped or adhering to the underbody, a
mechanical breakdown or fire could
occur.
Check the battery and cables. Cold tem-
peratures reduce battery capacity. The
battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winter
starts.
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.
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.
.
Wash the vehicle’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components
are particularly prone to dirt buildup, so
they need to be washed thoroughly.
.
State or local regulations on
volatile organic compounds may
restrict the use of methanol, a
common windshield washer anti-
freeze additive. Washer fluids
containing non-methanol anti-
freeze agents should be used
only if they provide cold weather
protection without damaging
your vehicle’s paint, wiper blades
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 con-
tains an antifreeze solution. Do not use
engine antifreeze or other substitutes
because they may damage the paint of
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Winter driving
404
or washer system.
! Refueling in cold weather
CAUTION
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 anti-
freeze additive is used, its effect lasts
longer if the tank is refilled whenever the
fuel level reaches half empty.
.
.
.
Do not use the parking brake
when parking for long periods in
cold weather since it could freeze
in that position.
! 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.
When the vehicle is parked in
snow or when it snows, raise the
wiper blades off the glass to
prevent damage to them.
While warming up the vehicle before
driving, check that the accelerator pedal,
brake pedal, and all other controls operate
smoothly.
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, brake hoses or ABS
harness.
If your SUBARU is not going to be used for
an extended period, it is best to have the
fuel tank filled to capacity.
Clear away ice and snow that has accu-
mulated 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.
! Opening rear gate (models with
power rear gate)
CAUTION
! Parking in cold weather
Before operating the power rear
gate, check that there is no frost or
snow between the power rear gate
and the vehicle body. If you notice
frost or snow etc. on the power rear
gate, remove it. If you forcibly oper-
ate the power rear gate with frost or
snow, it may cause a malfunction.
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.
When parking for long periods in cold
weather, you should observe the following
tips.
1. Place the select lever in the “P”
position.
2. Use tire stops under the tires to prevent
the vehicle from moving.
Winter driving 405
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” �P242.
& Driving on snowy and icy
CAUTION
roads
Avoid prolonged continuous driving
in snowstorms. Snow will enter the
engine’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 the
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.
! Wiper operation when snowing
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 other drivers. Refer
to “Hazard warning flasher” �P164.
Before driving in cold weather, make sure
the wiper blade rubbers are not frozen to
the windshield or rear window.
If the wiper blade rubbers are frozen to the
windshield or rear window, perform the
following procedure.
! Lighting operation when snowing
.
To thaw the windshield wiper blade
rubbers, use the defroster with the
airflow selection in “ ” and the tem-
perature set for maximum warmth until
the wiper blade rubbers are completely
thawed. Refer to “Climate control”
�P259.
If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper
deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the
windshield wiper blade rubbers. Refer
to “Defogger and deicer” �P254.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) en-
hances your vehicle’s braking perfor-
mance on snowy and icy roads. For
information on braking on slippery sur-
faces, refer to “ABS (Anti-lock Brake
System)” �P334 and “Vehicle Dynamics
Control system” �P336.
Check that the headlights are clean before
driving. If snow, frost or ice are attached to
the headlights, remove it.
If the headlights are not clean, they will not
light the front normally. Also if the indica-
tors and brake lamps are not clean, the
vehicle will not be able to inform its status
to other drivers and it may result in an
accident.
.
.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control on
slippery roads such as snowy or icy
roads. This may cause loss of vehi-
cle control.
& Corrosion protection
Refer to “Corrosion protection” �P449.
To thaw the rear wiper blade rubbers,
use the rear window defogger. Refer to
“Defogger and deicer” �P254.
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Winter driving
406
body.
–
–
Speedometer/Odometer cali-
bration
& Snow tires
WARNING
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on your
vehicle.
Clearance between the body
and tires
.
When replacing or installing win-
ter tire(s), all four tires must be
the same for following items.
It also may be dangerous and
lead to loss of vehicle control,
and it can lead to an accident.
& Tire chains
(a) Size
CAUTION
.
Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
(b) Speed symbol
(c) Load index
Tire chains cannot be used on your
vehicle because of the lack of clear-
ance between the tires and vehicle
body.
(d) Circumference
(e) Construction
(f) Manufacturer
(g) Brand (tread pattern)
(h) Degrees of wear
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season
tires” as original equipment, which are
designed to provide an adequate measure
of traction, handling and braking perfor-
mance in year-round driving. In winter, it
may be possible to enhance performance
through use of tires designed specifically
for winter driving conditions.
When 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, construc-
tion, 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, make sure that there is enough
clearance between the tire and vehicle
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 ac-
count 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
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.
For the items (a) to (c), you must
obey the specification that is
printed on the tire inflation pres-
sure label. The tire inflation pres-
sure label is located on the dri-
ver’s door pillar.
If all the four tires are not the
same for items (a) to (h), serious
mechanical damage could be
caused to the drivetrain of the
car, and affect the followings.
–
–
–
Ride
Handling
Braking
Loading your vehicle 407
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.
8-11. Loading your vehicle
WARNING
.
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.
WARNING
.
.
Never allow passengers to ride
on a folded rear seatback in the
cargo area. Doing so may result
in serious injury.
& Rocking the vehicle
.
.
.
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.
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 close to the floor as
possible.
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from
snow, sand, or mud, depress the accel-
erator pedal slightly and move the select
lever back and forth between “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 is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission in
2nd than 1st.
Secure lengthy 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
injury. Also, overloading can
shorten the life of your vehicle.
For information about holding the trans-
mission in the 2nd position, refer to
“Selection of manual mode” �P326.
.
Do not place anything on the
extended cargo area cover. Such
items could tumble forward in the
event of a sudden stop or a
collision. This could cause ser-
ious injury.
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