In my all wheel drive 1996 Legacy, there is this fuse holder under the hood on the passenger side. It has FWD printed on it, and when i opening it there was no fuse present, but prongs like one is supposed to be there. i have a Haynes manual but found nothing on said fuse. anyone know what it is?

FWD = Front Wheel Drive

Haynes manual won't say jack about it. All the info about the FWD fuse is in the Owners manual.

 

Short and sweet version. There should NOT normally be a fuse in the FWD holder fuse. When a fuse is placed in the FWD fuse holder it disables the AWD system, and allows engine power to reach only the front wheels. This is used when a spare tire is on the car to avoid damage to the AWD components in the transmission. It can also be useful when diagnosing certain problems with the AWD system.

sweet. thank you. now i know not to put a fuse in it, and when to put a fuse in it.

 

and i already knew what FWD stood for i just needed to know the purpose of this fuse jack.

To answer your next question, no you won't get better MPG if you put the FWD fuse in. Instead of being spun by the transmission, the rear drivetrain will be spun by the rear wheels, which are being pulled along by the front wheels, which are spun by the transmission, so you end up with the exact same amount of power being used.

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