I have a 98 Outback wagon. Is it bad to drive it in FWD? I put in the 15 amp fuse to try and improve gas mileage. How often should I remove it and run it in AWD?

this has been posted about several times since i joined (once by me) so ill give you an abreviated answer.

 

1. most of the loss in mpg from AWD is from the extra weight.

 

2. there is some electrical componet that will be worn out(search and youll find more on this)

 

3. its just not worth it

 

Edit: isnt it a 20 amp fuse? it is in a 97 legacy any way

I have a 97 OB. Some (and I quote, "some") have claimed considerable milage improvements from putting the vehicle into FWD. I drove for about 2 weeks this way a couple of years ago after a tire was replaced. (Until I could confirm that the difference in tire size was within limits.) I didn't notice any difference in gas milage to speak of. (I do mostly highway driving.) What I did notice though was that it took very little to spin the front wheels (summertime, road grit, dirt, all on pavement btw) when starting off and turning at a corner.

You've got an AWD vehicle. Use it.

 

Commuter