Through the middle of January, it got blisteringly cold in Denver. So cold, in fact, that the TFLcar long-term BRZ’s tachometer began icing over (see above).
I’d already driven the BRZ through some nasty stuff, but how would it fare in single-digit ambient temperatures?
Walking up to the car, the BRZ let loose its first “uh-oh” with a driver’s window that wouldn’t retract upon opening the door. For those who have owned vehicles with frameless windows, you might know the agony of cold weather operation. Thankfully, the BRZ knew it was cold too, and properly shunned me for trying to operate the iced-over mechanisms.
The notification appeared by way of flashing window switches, which rendered the BRZ’s window regulators mostly inoperable. By the time I arrived to work, the interior had heated to 72 degrees, so I figured it’d be a good time to give the reset procedure a try.
According to the BRZ’s manual, simply lower the driver’s window to its halfway point, then raise it back up and hold the switch in the “up” position for a few seconds. Simple enough, and it worked just fine.
Other than this small hiccup, the car performed flawlessly. Make that one blizzard, one ice storm and one sub-zero week which the 2013 Subaru BRZ has made it through unscathed.
What cool features or “Easter eggs” does your car have? Have any of them saved you from a costly repair or helped in avoiding an accident?
Daniel Buxbaum has had a life-long passion for all things automotive. His background as a Porsche, Audi and BMW service advisor brings a more technical approach to his writing. Dan’s passion for automotive journalism secured him a position as regional manager and contributing writer for Parts & People, a multi-region automotive trade publication. Dan is also an active member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP) and Motor Press Guild (MPG).
