Subaru WRX & WRX STI Manuals 2018 WRX & WRX STI Owner’s Manual | Page 435

Driving tips/Winter driving to stick on the surface of the windshield despite wiper operation, use the defroster 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” F3-74. 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” F3-8. We recommend use of non-freezing type wiper blades (winter blades) during the seasons you could have snow and freez- ing temperatures. Blades of this type give superior wiping performance in snowy conditions. Be sure to use blades that are suitable for your vehicle. CAUTION During high-speed driving, non- freezing type wiper blades may not perform as well as standard wiper blades. If this happens, reduce the vehicle speed. NOTE When the season requiring non-freez- ing type wiper blades is over, replace them with standard wiper blades. & Corrosion protection Refer to “Corrosion protection” F10-4. & Snow tires WARNING . When you replacing or installing winter tire(s), all four tires must be the same for following items. (a) Size (b) Circumference (c) Speed symbol (d) Load index (e) Construction (f) Manufacturer (g) Brand (tread pattern) (h) Degrees of wear For the items (a) to (d), you must obey the specification that is printed on the tire placard. The tire placard is located on the bottom of driver’s door pillar. If all of four winter tires are not 8-9 the same for items (a) to (h), there is a possibility that serious me- chanical damage could occur to the drive train of your car, and affect the following. — Ride — Handling — Braking — Speedometer/Odometer calibration — Clearance between the body and tires It also may be dangerous and lead to loss of vehicle control, and it can lead to an accident. . Do not use a combination of radial, belted bias or bias tires since it may cause dangerous handling characteristics and lead to an accident. Your vehicle is equipped with “summer tires” as original equipment, which are inadequate for driving on slippery roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads. When you choose to install winter tires on your vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, construc- tion, brand and load range and you should – CONTINUED –