2011 Subaru Outback Owner's Manual - Page 309

8-10 Driving tips leading to loss of vehicle control. An anti-lock brake system (ABS) enhances your vehicle's braking performance on snowy and icy roads. For information about braking on slippery surfaces, refer to "ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)" F7-25 and "Vehicle Dynamics Control system" F7-28. ! Wiper operation when snowing Before driving in cold weather, make sure the wiper blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear window. If the wiper blades are frozen to the windshield or rear window, perform the following procedure. . To thaw the windshield wiper blades, use the defroster with the airflow selection in " " and the temperature set for maximum warmth until the wiper blades are completely thawed. Refer to "Climate control" F4-1. . If your vehicle is equipped with a wiper deicer, use it. It is helpful to thaw the windshield wiper blades. Refer to "Defogger and deicer" F3-34. . To thaw the rear wiper blade, use the rear window defogger. Refer to "Defogger and deicer" F3-34. 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" F3-33. 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" F3-5. We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades (winter blades) during the seasons you could have snow and freezing temperatures. Blades of this type give superior wiping performance in snowy conditions. Be sure to use blades that are suitable for your vehicle. NOTE When the season requiring non-freezing type wiper blades is over, replace them with standard wiper blades. & Corrosion protection Refer to "Corrosion protection" F10-4. & Snow tires WARNING . When replacing original tires with winter (snow) tires, make sure you use only the same size, construction and load range as the original tires listed on the tire placard. Using other sizes and construction may affect speedometer/odometer calibration and clearance between the body and tires. It also may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control. . You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, circumferences, construction, brand, and load range. Mixing other sizes, circumferences or constructions may result in severe mechanical damage to the drive CAUTION During high-speed driving, nonfreezing type wiper blades may not perform as well as standard wiper blades. If this happens, reduce the vehicle speed.