The weather during the Winter months in the Puget Sound area is typically pretty mild when compared to other areas of the country. The west side of Washington state doesn’t often suffer days of snow storms or even prolonged days of temperatures below freezing. In other words, normally we have it pretty good in terms of a pretty mild climate but don’t let the past weather distract you from just how important it is to Winterize your Subaru, and there really is no better time than now to beat the winter freeze.    The State has announced that due to budget shortfalls and low staffing there just will not be as many staff available to run plows and trucks on the mountain passes.  If you plan on traveling over the passes this winter to go Skiing or just to head to the Sunny side of the state you really need to make sure you and your Subaru are prepared.

Just like it is better to disconnect the hose from the spigot at your house before it freezes, it’s really better to service your Subaru prior to it freezing outside or traveling to an area with a much different climate than the one we live in. So there really isn’t a better time to service your Subaru for Winter than now. Be ready, this year has been full of distractions and yes supply chain issues and it will be all too easy to skip this on accident or have to delay or cancel a trip because something your Subaru needs to be safe and reliable can’t be done or is not immediately available.

I want you to get the most out of your Subaru every season, but especially in the winter months where keeping you safe is everyone’s highest priority.  

So lets get your Subaru ready for Winter travel

This includes;

*Testing the Coolant freeze protection level.

*Inspecting the condition of the coolant and cooling system including the PH levels.

*Checking and servicing as needed the engine oil.

*Checking the tires for tread depth and proper air pressure.

*Testing the battery.

*Inspecting and ensuring all of your Subaru’s lights work so you can be seen in the dark.

*Checking the wipers for smearing, streaks or tears in the blade.

*Inspecting the rest of your Subaru’s vital fluids.

*Inspecting all rubber components including belts and hoses for age and wear.

Depending on how you will use your Subaru this winter, we may want to consider other items.

*Do you need Snow tires?

*Wiper blade condition, rubber just doesn’t last forever. And are you a candidate for winter wiper blades?

*Do you have any long road trips planned to see family during the holiday season?

*If your Subaru has over 150k, have the hoses and radiator ever been replaced?

Items that seemed to work just fine yesterday, can quickly fail during or after a cold front rolls through, the most common things are weak batteries preventing your Subaru from starting and aged coolant hoses turning into a leak or worse an overheat situation. Understanding where your Subaru needs are ahead of winter is really the best way to get through it.  If you have noticed any instances of slow cranking or something electrical not working quite right, don’t keep that a secret!

Keep in mind if you own a Subaru with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, it’s not uncommon to see the light come on during a cold morning, as the temperature drops so does the tire pressure and it may need to be corrected.

Here are some tips for winter driving in the NW with your Subaru

*Try to have more than ½ a tank of gas as much as possible,  this minimizes condensation in the fuel tank and helps rear traction as well.

*Try not to drive in the snow if your tires have less than 4/32 of tread life remaining.

*When you shut the Subaru off for the night, first turn off your wipers and headlights.

*When you start your Subaru up cold in the morning or after it’s sat for the day, say up at the pass, make sure your wipers are off and the lights are off prior to starting this is not only good for the battery but it also prevents the wipers from becoming damaged.

*If you’re parked for the day and it’s frozen outside, lift your wipers off of your windshield so they don’t freeze to the windshield, be sure to put them back before you drive away.

*Make sure you have an emergency kit in the car especially if you are taking a road trip, this includes a blanket, water and a flashlight.

*Deicer is a great thing to have around this time of year, not only can you use it to deice the window, it can help with frozen door locks and stubborn doors, keeping a can not in your Subaru is the best advice here.

*If you own a newer Model Subaru and you are looking for a tire chain alternative you might try the Auto Sock

*Remember after a trip up the pass, or after a lowland snow event it’s very important to wash your Subaru, the chemicals used to deice the roads can be very harmful to your Subaru’s exterior.

I hope this helps make your Winter Driving experience a great one, and your Subaru takes you somewhere fun in the most reliable way possible

-Justin Stobb

Whether you need to have your Subaru winterized or just need an oil change before the weather gets bad, we are here to help and you can schedule below.