I've heard a few people talking about a FWD fuse holder on Subarus. While looking over my '97 Legacy, I noticed a fuse holder near the firewall on the passenger's side of the car. I am guessing this is the fuseholder,
Is this something yu can install a fuse in and use the car FWD only for the summer, or is it just for special purposes like towing?
Also, I noticed a couple years ago a fuseholder in the same location on my '89 GL coupe. Same function?
I had often thought of placing the fuse in and wiring a switch on the dash so I could switch btw FWD and AWD. Then I tested the driving with just FWD fuse in first as a test...WAYYYYYY too much oversteer. Plus it has been discussed numerous time here and on USMB that you don't save any gas as the mass of the AWD components is still being "driven"
Ah. So there is no real advantage to turning off the AWD function.
BTW, my '89 is badged "4WD", and there is a switch on the shift lever to engage the rears. I am (have been) assuming this is not full-time AWD but only to be used when required...and it has been required a few times!
I used to have an '83 Tercel 4WD wagon I got free. It was a horrid Rustoleum-green spray can paint job, so I stripped it and painted it BRIGHT YELLOW (I drove it a lot at night in the winter...) and then put a white-pearl clear coat over it. Glowed in the dark!
It had a '6 speed' trans on it, with a creeper gear that was locked out unless you were in 4WD. It had a lever that slid a collar onto a mating collar on the trans that would engage the rear wheels. It would go INTO
4WD easily no matter what, but if you were on totally dry pavement it was harder than hell to disenage the RWD, so you would have to slip it out of 4WD if you saw dry pavement ahead. I don't know if the '89 Soob with the 4WD is the same, since it's electronic, but I always make sure to disengage the rear wheels if I see dry pavement ahead...My understanding is the FWD fuse is only used when the spare tire is used. The spare always goes on the rear axle when a flat is experienced. But I have never had a flat and have never used the FWD fuse.
Don't believe it will save your transmission if the car is towed with
2 wheels down.
From what I've read, 4EAT and 5EAT equipped soobs MUST be 'towed'/ moved ALL 4 WHEELS OFF THE GROUND. No exceptions. No games with turning the igntion on or with the FWD fuse.
I had one, well, it was moms then I took when she bought a new toyota. Those things were rust buckets but man, I never got stuck in that thing. They were one of the few small 4WD cars other than subes that had real 4WD with hi and lo. Traded it with 249K on it for an '86. The
86 wasn't as good as the gear ratios were too high for highway driving.MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.