legacy outback

Do you drive with 2 feet or 1 foot? That is, do you brake with your left foot and accelerate with your right foot, or do you use your right foot for both braking and acceleration (which eliminates you pressing both pedals at the same time)? If you don't have a clutch pedal, you really should be driving using just one foot: the right foot should manage (switch between) the brake and accelerator. Driving with 2 feet, one for each pedal, is why the Brake-Throttle Override got put into cars to handle stupid drivers.

Brake-Throttle Override (BTO)

So when you apply the brakes AND with your foot OFF the accelerator (i.e., you use ONE foot to switch between pedals), you actually see a sudden jump in RPM? Or are you pressing both the brake and accelerator at the SAME time using BOTH feet? The BTO operates under the presumption s that you're in a panic stop and really didn't mean to rev the engine when instead you are trying to emergency brake. The BTO is probably designed for the mass of untrained drivers who never exercise their vehicle to know how it handles, do spin turns, and practice stops to see which way the car tends to curve or otherwise behave. The only practice most drivers get is driving to and back from work each day which is hardly a means to gain expertise for hard handling or emergencies. They paid good money for those tires and they don't want to scrub them off practicing on how to handle their car. So instead in an emergency, they go whiteknuckle and both their feet go smashing on the pedals or one fat foot manages to hit both pedals (and the driver is too panicked to angle at the ankle to slide off the accelerator).

If you're braking normally which means your foot just presses on ONE pedal and you drive using just ONE foot instead of two then I don't see how you could be engaging the BTO safety. A 1-foot (right-foot only) driver only presses on one pedal at a time (while the left foot remains dedicated to the clutch for a manual or remains unused for an automatic). The only way for a 1-foot driver to hit both pedals is because they have very big feet, are wearing very big shoes (e.g., snow boots), or they angle their foot to use for both pedals (i.e., heel sits in one place while they angle the foot left and right). 2-foot drivers, on the other hand, are often seen pressing on both pedals as evidenced when you see someone accelerating but their brake light comes on. So in an emergency they also mash with both feet.

This will probably suck when you're trying to pull out your trailer after loading the boat onto it. You put the car in low gear and rev up the engine to get more power to pull out while braking to make sure you move slow rather than jerk out but BTO kills the RPM when you brake to keep control under higher RPM. You'd need an manual override switch to kill the automatic override.

Apparently Subaru is now adding BTO to their Eyesight-equipped cars; see:

section)

I am unaware that Subies have BTO but then I'm still driving a 20-year old Legacy. Although the concept has been around for decades, BTO seems to be something new as of this year in it is getting attention.

If you don't like BTO, don't drive with 2 feet (do use left-foot braking; or stop angling1 foot across 2 pedals which makes it more likely you'll mash bothpedals (as it is unlikely you are practiced in using heel-to-toe stylepedallingl; BTO is tocompensate for bad or unpracticed drivers.

Do you get the vibration at the RPM or at a speed? When parked and you rev the engine to 2-2.5 kRPM, do you get the vibration? Or do you get the vibration when driving at that RPM which probably means you are driving around some particular speed?

Can you rev the engine while braked (assuming BTO doesn't get in the way while also assuming you have BTO) to produce the vibration?

I have a 2000 Subaru with a 4 speed automatic that also will downshift if I brake. It's an electronic controlled trans if I'm correct. It will also learn your driving habits and anticipate your moves and shift accordingly.

And yes, I'm using only my right foot on the pedals. I don't think it's a case of the BTO. I think it's normal, and I'm glad it does it.

PS. that is a 2000 Subaru Forester.

Tim

(Subaru section)

That's a lot of information, but I use one pedal. Never tried to rev engine in neutral.

Greg

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> (Subaru section)

There is vibration of motor in neutral, same pm range.

Greg

Going to check engine mounts, harmonic balancer, plugs, look around.

Greg