Subaru AWD

Nah, the Subie is the good stuff, full time AWD, not part time.

The down side is that it's reflected in your rather lousy fuel economy.

-- Todd H.

2001 Legacy Outback Wagon, 2.5L H-4 Chicago, Illinois USA

Maybe. If it's a stick shift, there's an excellent chace it works like the Audi system. Automatic transmission? Less of a chance.

Subaru uses 5 AWD systems:

It's an auto. And that site, while interesting, doesn't say WHICH vehicles and years have which system....

Dan D '99 Legacy L 30th (son's) Central NJ USA

How do you find out what kind you have? I have an Impreza GT from year

2000, european, stick shift. I'd guess I have the continuous AWD system, with "Viscous-Coupling Locking Center Differential". I suppose the other diffs don't have locks, so the car is effectively 2wd on slippery surfaces?

If you don't have the original window sticker, which you probably don't, check your manual for descriptions, and the presence of an empty "FWD" fuse location.

This is what I hate about the Subaru web site. I have a 99 OBW auto and a '03 WRX Wgn stick. I still don't know which I have in which car. It doesn't matter but it would be nice to be able to look it up somewhere.

Your WRX has a viscous locking center diff. It also likely has a limited slip rear diff.

Your 99 most likely has the 'plain' 4EAT. no VDC, etc.

Carl

four speed, electronic automatic transmission I suppose. You might dig around at

for more info on equipment/features of various Soob models.

Carl

Again its not important but it just seems strange that the best I can get is "also likely" and "most likely". Where there that many variations during model years to further confuse the answer...

Why do need to know? I say most likely because, especially with the autotrannies, there are

2-3 variations. I'm 99% sure your WRX has LSD rear. If you put it on a lift (or raise just the rear) and spin one side in the rear, look at the other side - if it rotates the opposite direction + open diff. If it rotates the same direction = LSD.

Carl

No, there is also a viscous coupled rear diff on those cars too. So to summarize, you have the limited slip on the centre diff and the rear diff, but not on the front diff.

Yousuf Khan

If you have a /plebian/ model with manual transmission, then you will be using the system that they call the "Continuous" AWD.

If you have the STi (which only comes with manual trans), then you're getting the "DCCD" system.

The remaining 3 other systems are for the automatic trannies only. Low-end 4-cyl models get the low-end "Active" system. High-end 6-cyl models get the standard "VTD" or optional "VDC" systems. VDC is a slight upgrade of the VTD, and usually those models will come with a nameplate that says "VDC" on the outside.

Yousuf Khan

These may help to tell you exactly what you have: Googled "Subaru VIN"

I don't need to know, I just wanted to know.

I have one other question, does it matter. For instance if I have ABS or not matters on how I brake. Without I need to pump the pedal instead of locking up the brake and without I just smash the pedal to the floor (I'm just generalizing).

So with these different types of LSD or not and locking central diff or whatever, are there different driving skills needed. In general driving or only in extreme cases like I have two wheels stuck or one wheel in the air, etc.

Not really. I suppose having open diffs front and back, there are some rare conditions under which applying a little brake force will actually be beneficila. I believe another thread here just dealt with that issue. Its and old trick a lot of off-roaders use I think. In high performance driving it can alter the drift angle in sharp turns comapred to other cars I think(less oversteer than RWD, more than FWD). You might also ask this question in the motorsports forum at

or over at . It IS very important to rotate tires and generally avoid driving on a donut spare or diferent sized tires. And do not tow with 2 wheels on the ground - it can destroy the center diff. The manual trannies can, with some caveats - check you owners guide - be towed with all 4 on the ground.

Carl