Preparing your Subaru for Different Climates

You expect your Subaru to take care of you in all kinds of weather.  It’s a given that it will keep you cool and comfortable as you drive across the southwest in August, just as it will keep you warm, dry and sure-footed on the road in the winter months.  While all-weather preparation is designed into your Subaru, there remain certain maintenance items you can do to optimize your Subaru as the seasons transition and we at Ewing Subaru are here to help.

Warm Climate Preparation

While summer weather can generally be easy on your car, Texas’ notable hot weather can bring specific challenges.  Here are some items to check as you head into those long sunny days:

• Inspect the tires – Tire temperature can run notably hotter on cross-country trips during triple digit temperatures which can exploit any exiting tire damage or excessive wear. Be sure to check your tires’ pressure, tread depth and condition.
• Check all fluid levels – Fluids are often key to cooling various systems in your car so make sure they are fresh and at the right levels.
• If you plan on exploring the outer reaches of your car’s handling, consider summer tires over all-season tires for improved traction and heat resistance.
• Check the wipers – Wiper blades are more vulnerable to drying in the heat, which could result in steaking during rain or when using washer fluid.
• Test the battery ­ – Extreme heat speeds up the chemical reaction inside a battery which causes an increase in self-discharging and plate corrosion.
• Check the brake pads and components – Because they operate on friction, brakes generate heat in normal use and thus work even harder in hot conditions.
• Review the A/C system – Have this system checked before it gets its biggest workout and the consequences of failure are the most uncomfortable.
• Inspect the engine air and cabin air filters – Dust accumulation can be higher in the summer.

Moderate Climate Preparation

The Spring and Fall seasons can be the most comfortable yet the most unpredictable, offering short sleeve temperatures one week and light snowfall the next.  Also, you may want to check how components have endured the previous harsh weather months.  Some common seasonal vehicle preparations for a moderate climate are as follows:

• Inspect the tires – Primarily pressure but also tread depth and condition.
• Test the battery – It may have worked hard in the previous months.
• If you have summer tires, change back to all-season tires for better wet-weather traction.
• Check the wipers and exterior lights – Keep yourself and everything around you visible in the rain.
• Check the components of the suspension system
• Check all fluid levels. The previous months may have depleted these at a faster than usual rate.
• Check the wheel alignment.
• Inspect the heating, cooling and defroster system.
• Check the brake pads and components.

Cold Climate Preparation

It may not reach the harshness of Minnesota, but there is plenty of winter here in Plano, including snow and an almost annual freezing rain.  Your Subaru is better equipped for it than most models, but preparing for winter is still the most important seasonal check of all.

• Check tire tread depth and consider purchasing/switching to winter tires – During those few days of snowfall, or if you plan on traveling north, all-wheel drive makes the best use of available traction, but winter tires actually increase traction, thus making AWD all that more effective.
• Check the condition of wiper blades and consider winter wiper blades – Anything that increases your visibility is vital in poor weather.
• Check exterior lights – Your visibility to others is just as high in importance in snowy conditions.
• Adjust tire pressure – Cold temperatures decrease tire pressure
• Test the battery – Batteries are not only weaker in the cold, but it is also the worse time to have one die.­
• Check the brake pads and components – The need for emergency maneuvers increases in poor weather.
• Check all fluid levels
• Check the heating and defroster systems – Another case of this being the worse time for to find out something is wrong.
• Make sure windshield washer fluid is suitable for freezing temps. A washer fluid that isn’t will only make things worse.

The best way to check all these things is to schedule an appointment with our Ewing Subaru staff of service professionals.  They will always know how to best check your Subaru for the months ahead.  Have your season check when the climate appears to transition, or combine it with your next oil change.