2014 Outback performance in extreme winter weather?

[stagefrog2]

Hi,

 

I'm thinking of buying a 2014 Outback to drive to North Dakota and camp for a month near Cannonball, ND. Can anyone share how it handles in cold or extreme winter weather? It can go down to -40F where I'm headed, with high wind and heavy snow at times. I'm planning on leaving the car parked outside for the month but taking it into Bismark or driving on dirt roads to construction sites occasionally. I may be sleeping in it too. How often should I make sure to turn it on and run it?

 

Also any recommendations for sleeping in it, type of oil to use or other things to consider? I'm from Southern CA, so don't have much experience with this.

 

Thanks!

[idosubaru]

Cold weather - others will be more versed but run appropriate weight old and have a good battery. If you're going to let it sit for extended periods in cold then maybe there are batteries with better capabilities for that use?  Trickle charger?  Solar charger? (lol)

 

Oil - follow the owners manual.  I think that calls for synthetic 0w-20 in the FB engine so that should be an excellent winter performer. 

 

Performance - will be as good as the tires you put on it.  The AWD should perform excellent, up to whatever tires you have equipped and the conditions you experience.

 

Sleeping - I haven't slept in any newer ones but have enough padding to mitigate the hump where the seats fold down.   

[DaveT]

Batteries - Measure the area it goes in, and find the largest case that will fit.  Get a decent quality brand.  Assume 5 year maximum life.  A battery at 0 degrees as about 1/4 of what it is at 70 degrees.

 

I don't know the new models specifically.  I run 100% synthetic lubes in all the appropriate places - Engine, transmission, differentials.   It makes a noticeable difference in how things move until the drive line warms up.  Follow the manual for weights.

[forester2002s]

I would definitely buy some battery jump-start cables.

And I would seriously consider buying a spare battery, and keeping it fully charged at all times.

And how's the cell-phone reception where you're headed?

[gbhrps]

stagefrog2,

 

If your subie doesn't have a block heater, get one installed!

[DaveT]

Oh, yes, if a block heater is a good idea, so is a battery warmer.

[potter2010]

I spent a few years in northern Manitoba where temperatures reach -50c for week or months on end. I probably went a little overboard but I had a block heater, battery warmer, trickle charger, heating pad on the oil pan, and a Little Buddy interior car warmer. I had thought about tossing a heating pad on the tranny pan as well but never got around to it. That thing started like it was the middle of the summer. If you don't want to go that far I'd say a battery warmer and oil pan heater as a minimum as they are easy to install and will make a big difference for the cost and time necessary though you need to be plugged in somwhere. A block heater is good too but takes a bit more work, though if you can change the oil you can probably do that too, again needs ot be plugged in. If the car is sitting for periods of time, near an outlet, the trickle charger will keep you going without any worries. The interior car warmer is a bit more of a luxury but keep frost off the interior and makes initial driving more enjoyable. You will have to drill a 1/2" hole through the bottom of your car though or through the firewall.

 

If you're not near an electricial hookup the above won't help much so I would go with a battery powered jump starter and just hope that your battery doesn't freeze!

[Rooster2]

If you start the motor to keep warm at night, suggest you crack a window just a bit. Yea, I know you don't want the cold air to come in, but if you have an exhaust leak, even slight, you don't want to wake up dead from carbon monoxide poisoning.

[BB's93LegacyL]

If you find a temp threshold below which your car won't start, you might have to set an alarm to drive the car up to operating temperature about every 4 hours, even during the night, so it never cools to the outside temperature.

I think once you experience serious cold weather you will decide that sleeping in the car is a no-go. Falling asleep at that temperature puts you at risk for frostbite, hypothermia and death. Using a space heater in the car carries its own risks of failure or carbon monoxide poisoning. Your body will not be acclimated to cold, making this adventure even worse.

 

If you park it outside, your car will get much colder overnight than if it is garaged. According to the thermometer in my garage, parking in an unheated garage leaves the car about 20 deg warmer than outside temp in the morning after being parked in the evening. There is a big difference in starting a car whose components have cooled to -5 vs -25F. 

 

All of the suggestions above are excellent.

If you do replace the battery or purchase a back-up, look for the highest CCA that will fit in your car. I bought one last year that is rated at 640 cold cranking amps.

If you have to park the car outside, you might not have a place to plug in any heating accessories mentioned above?

If you have access to electricity and want to use a trickle charger overnight, I recommend the CTEK MUS 4.3 Polar (the one with the orange body). Other chargers I've used have plastic cord/battery lead insulation that becomes brittle and breaks when flexed in serious cold weather. This charger has thick rubber cord insulation that stays flexible. It is expensive at about $110, but it is worth it. It can be ordered direct, but is hard to find locally. http://smartercharger.com/products/batterychargers/ctek-mus-4-3-polar/

[Numbchux]

FYI, your car originally came with either a 340 or 356 CCA battery. We don't have too much trouble with those up here (Duluth, MN) unless you're using a remote start system on the car. So it may be fine, but that's probably going to be your weak link.

 

The Subaru replacement batteries that you'd get through a dealer are 590 CCA, and most aftermarket batteries for it would be similar.

 

There are a myriad of little lithium-ion jump boxes available now for $50-$100. These could be a life saver, much like having a spare battery, but very easy to leave plugged in and keep charged.

 

 

As mentioned, the 0W20 that's in it is fine for cold weather.

 

 

The car will offer little more protection than a tent for camping. I don't recommend sleeping in it for long periods of time.

[unfrozen]

Heating the block is a good idea. Agreed.

 

Another issue is the frozen windshield. I hate scraping ice off the windows. I hate cleaning the windshield and then having it fog up hard because my breath condenses on the inside (before the defroster starts working).

 

Many years ago, I found that putting a blow dryer, air popcorn popper, or small heater in the car would work nicely to warm the cabin and windows before I had to go. A half hour was usually enough to defrost the windows and keep them clear until the car defroster kicked in.