perparing a subaru for a hard winter

[98outbackpdx]

so in the northern parts of the U.S. they are saying a really nasty winter.
what kinds of things you do to prepare your cars for the winter season?
they are saying very cold in the pacific NW, what kinds of things/tricks do you have to keep an engine warm (while running) when it is very cold outside, and it is going to stay cold outside? i have herd to put a piece of cardboard infront of your radiator to keep the motor warm, does this work?
also what about snow/ice build up on windows? could a bug guard help with that?
any ideas would be appricated, and for those on the east coast, the PNW might be getting a snowmagadden, instead of you.

[mike-tracy]

Are you being serious? You'll be fine. Make sure your fluids are in good order, keep blankets in the car, and consider snow tires.
Put some deicer in your windshield wiper bottle, etc. Maybe let the car warm up before you take off, and remember to clear the snow off your windshield BEFORE you put the defroster on, otherwise the cracks could get bigger (happened to me).


Cardboard infront of the radiator? I've heard of that, by my granny in Nebraska where it gets -16 below. In portland it's gonna be at the worst, 15 or 20 degrees above zero.

[1996Battlewagon]

It's a damn SUBARU!!!! It's going to be grinning from ear to ear because it's cold and snowy. The best thing you can do to prepare it is to drive it!

[httrdd]

Just make sure you have fluids in the engine, deicer in the wiper fliuid, use 15 below blinker fluid, and clean the car and give it a good wash/wax to protect the paint with all that damn salt.

[TGX4776]

We never did anything special to our Saabs when we were in Quebec city where it would regularly get to 40 below. Put in the correct fluid and prepped it to protect against salt plus snow tires. never had a problem.

Subarus shouldn't have a problem either.

[Bookem]

Also make sure there isn't too much play between the bullgear and the heffershaft. If there is it will be hard to get mooving when it's below zero temps.

[98outbackpdx]

hardy har har ohh and btw oregon does not use salt.

[Huffer]

You should read the "it's winter" thread...and your car is going to be fine. I'd be more worried about the house.

[1996Battlewagon]

We never did anything special to our Saabs

Somebody should change your title to something like "Dr. Saab" :lol:

[02_Legacy]

Just make sure you have fluids in the engine, deicer in the wiper fliuid, use 15 below blinker fluid, and clean the car and give it a good wash/wax to protect the paint with all that damn salt.
+1 on the blinker fluid, I had mine freeze on me once and it was horrible. :wink:

[TGX4776]

talk to reason about that. I'd be cool with it. as far as instead of my t3h ub3r m3mb3r. I love my tgx477. so useful for my stalkers.

[decke48]

basicly check fluids, test your antifreeze freezing temp, snowtires if needed, scrapper/brush and deicer.
personal i keep, blankets, emergency lights/trangles, foldable shovel, sandbag, grip pads, and a tow strap.

[98outbackpdx]

basicly check fluids, test your antifreeze freezing temp, snowtires if needed, scrapper/brush and deicer.
personal i keep, blankets, emergency lights/trangles, foldable shovel, sandbag, grip pads, and a tow strap.

thank you very helpful

[rougeben83]

its more about knowing how to drive in the snow that matters. Otherwise just make sure your washer fluid is rated below freezing (if not, just dump some rubbing alcohol in there and it'll keep it from freezing), and you're not running bald tires or summer ones and you'll be fine.

[ouch1011]

Ummm....a "harsh winter" in the PNW would be like a mild winter on the east coast. Seriously, I doubt it will be bad at all.

Other than what has been said, make sure you are running the correct viscosity oil in the gear boxes and the engine. i.e., 75w90 in the manual trans and rear diff, 5w30 in the engine. None of the 10w40 or 20w50 that some people seem to think is a good idea.

As for the engine running temp, other than making sure the cooling system is working ok, you don't need to do anything. The engine thermostat will keep the engine temp where it needs to be, as it doesn't allow flow through the radiator until the coolant temp gets to a certain point.

And if the weather does get bad, keep off the roads! Period! People around here think that their 4x4 behemoth SUVs make them invincible in the snow and ice, and it makes the other drivers on the road FARRRRRR more dangerous than the weather itself.

[anothernord]

We have weeks of sub-zero temps here. I've never done anything special except use the block heater when its convenient to get it warmed up a little faster.

[peter]

I had no issues last winter and I did nothing to prepare my car, I dont even carry chains or get snow tires, just kept my toyos that I roll with all year round. I had to drive up some pretty crappy and windy back roads last winter and in the snow and ice my car didnt slide once. I even tried sliding around a little in a parking lot while it was snowing and I could barely get sideways, I was going easy on it though while I got a feel for it. Shortly after I got pulled over for it haha the video is on youtube. Anyway I would suggest just making sure your car is running good and an emergency kit and blankets if you do happen to get stranded for any reason

[98outbackpdx]

i keep a tow strap in my car at all times along with washer fluid, motor oil, water, and snacks (goldfish crackers) year round. i keep my car pretty well maintained. i am currently looking into some hankook studded tires. i am going to get a couple of sleeping bags for colder weather to put in the car. planning on getting tire chains, if i cannot get the studs or possibly both studs and chains. i am going to go to the store tomarrow and stock up on road flairs, and getting an oil change done (i always make a HUGE mess when i change the oil so i dont do it anymore. i will have them check the car over. i am really anal about leaks and funny noises coming from the car.
also peter, surosis park is a really good place to go and spin around, cops are not usually up there when it gets dark, just make sure it is at night and no one is around, i have been spinning cookies there since i was 16 and am 22 now, and my mom taught my younger brother to spin cookies at surosis when he had his permit, she said she would rather him learn it from her than someone else. i know awesome mom huh. also last winter was really really weak, compaired to the x-mas storm a few years ago.

[peter]

Are you in the dalles? Lol. I always see people up at sorosis. And cops up there alot it seems. I wish I knew of a really big open parking lot away from everything. I did it in bi marts parking lot last year and te cop was all pissed about the one other car way on the other side and that I could have hit a light pole and then I have to pay for it.

[rougeben83]

harsh winter in NW = mild winter here in the Midwest :razz: . Seriously, just keep up with the maintenance, get snow tires if you think you're going to be getting over a foot of snow at any given time, or just keep good all-seasons with at least 4/32nds on them. You'll be fine. OEM manufacturers do their homework for their cars to handle much more extreme weather conditions than most people will ever drive their cars.

My car sees sub-freezing temps and an assload of salt for basically 3 months each winter without missing a beat.

[98outbackpdx]

yeah peter i am in the dalles sadly. the park, first thing in the morning or late at night, after 8 or so the cops are not usuailly up there. why they are always up there is when the weather is good people buy/use drugs, and get all hanky panky at night up there. you could also try down on the port for a good parking lot, out of the way and not usually any cops.
and rogueben83, the city where i live does the worst job plowing. they will plow half assed and then everything turns to ice. then you have to chain up unless you have snows and 4x4 to get up and down some of the steeper hills since we don't use salt.

[peter]

yeah sadly were both here lol. Gotta be the one of the most boring town around haha. Hard to believe there's someone else from the dalles on here. What's you car look like? I wonder if iv seen it around

[98outbackpdx]

i saw you driving up dry hollow a few days ago, dent in the door caught my eye, i am one of the many blue and silver outback wagons, i have a white sticker of the shape of oregon with a black paw print in the middle of the sticker on my back window. also are you a server at sharis? if so i think i know who you are it that is you.

[peter]

Haha the dented door does stand out. And no I'm not a server at sharis, I work at spookys haha

[98outbackpdx]

oh my brothers worked there when they first opened up it was their first job. they are good friends with andrew.

[98outbackpdx]

so i got my oil changed today at dick hannah subaru since i was in vancouver washington. so they did the oil change and when it was done they told me that my steering box was leaking, not the rack but the box, the front prop shaft was leaking amd needed to be resealed, and the valve cover gaskets needed to be replaced since they leaked because my mechanic installed them wrong. the valve cover gaskets i thought were prone to leaking on the phase 1 EJ25? when i said called the service advisior on it (the valve cover gaskets prone to leaking he started mumbling,) i think i called him on it and he was suprised. please tell me that no matter what you do they are prone to leaking. because i really dont want to have to find another mechanic.

[peter]

Haha small world even smaller town. Everyone knows everybody somehow

[rougeben83]

valve cover gaskets are a common issue on all boxer motors. My old phase 2 ej25 had it, even my wrx ej205 as a little of it on the pass. side. Also the spark plug gaskets too. Theyre all usually replaced together since theyre sealing the valve covers.

[ouch1011]

Valve cover gaskets are prone to leaking but that doesn't mean they always leak. Mine are over a year old and don't leak a drop. If they were just installed and already leaking, they were installed wrong.

[98outbackpdx]

they were installed over a year ago and i have 30k miles on them, god i cannot believe i have driven 30k miles in a year.