1999 Subaru Legacy Owner's Manual - Page 271

cold winter starts. Use an engine oil of proper grade and viscosity for cold weather. Heavy summer oil will cause harder starting. 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 afterwards thoroughly wipe the water away. Use a windshield washer fluid that contains an antifreeze solution. Do not use engine antifreeze or other substitutes because they may damage the paint of the vehicle. B Before driving your vehicle Before entering the vehicle, remove any snow or ice from your shoes because that could make the pedals slippery and dangerous. While 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. B Parking in cold weather 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. Do not use the parking brake when parking for long periods in cold weather since it could freeze in that position. Instead, observe the following: 1. Place the shift lever in "1" or "R" for manual transmission vehicles, and in "P" for automatic transmission vehicles. 7-40