Subaru Forester Manuals 2016 Forester Owner's Manual | Page 234

3-92 Instruments and controls/Wiper and washer . In freezing weather, be sure that the wiper blades are not frozen to the windshield or rear window before switching on the wipers. Attempting to operate the wiper with the blades frozen to the window glass could cause not only the wiper blades to be damaged but also might cause the wiper motor to fail. If the wiper blades are frozen to the window glass, be sure to operate the defroster, windshield wiper deicer (if equipped) or rear window defogger before turning on the wiper. . If the wipers stop during operation because of ice or some other obstruction on the window, this might cause the wiper motor to fail even if the wiper switch is turned off. If this occurs, promptly stop the vehicle in a safe place, turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK”/“OFF” position and clean the window glass to allow proper wiper operation. . Use clean water if windshield washer fluid is unavailable. In areas where water freezes in winter, use SUBARU Windshield Washer Fluid or the equivalent. Refer to “Windshield washer fluid” F11-32. Also, when driving the vehicle when there are freezing temperatures, use non-freezing type wiper blades. . Do not clean the wiper blades with gasoline or a solvent, such as paint thinner or benzine. This will cause deterioration of the wiper blades. NOTE . The windshield wiper motor is protected against overloads by a circuit breaker. If the motor operates continuously under an unusually heavy load, the circuit breaker may trip to stop the motor temporarily. If this happens, park your vehicle in a safe place, turn off the wiper switch, and wait for approximately 10 minutes. The circuit breaker will reset itself, and the wipers will again operate normally. . Clean your wiper blades and window glass periodically with a washer solution to prevent streaking, and to remove accumulations of road salt or road film. Operate the windshield washer for at least 1 second so that washer solution will be sprinkled all over the windshield or rear window. . Grease, wax, insects or other material on the windshield or the wiper blade results in jerky wiper operation and streaking on the glass. If you cannot remove those streaks after operating the washer or