I have a 95 Legacy Gt-B Spec and under the hood is a little box labelled 'Diff Lock', it looks like it holds a fuse but is currently empty.

 

Can anyone tell me what this is for ?

 

Is this the same as the 4WD fuse that I have heard can usually be found under the hood that can be used to convert the car to 2WD as I can't find this ?

 

Thanks.

I'd say it's probably the same thing as the FWD fuse holder to make the car FWD.

 

Do you have an owner's manual? It should say in there.

with how the MPT designed automatic transmission AWD system is, adding a fuse will not make it 50/50 torque split. The only way to get 50/50 all the time is if the duty c solenoid completely fails.

I don't have a manual unfortunately.

 

So you think then that the diff lock fuse will disable rear wheel drive ?

 

I did try putting a fuse in there and went for a drive around the block, the steering was heavier and there was less power similar to what it would be like if it was only 2wd, it also felt a bit strange going around corners.

 

I just can't understand though why they would call that fuse Diff Lock and not 4WD as they do other GT's ?

One way you could check is jack the car up off of all four wheels, put the fuse in and see if you can stop the rear wheels from spinning....or see if they're not spinning at all. Gently applying the ebrake would be the easiest way to accomplish this. If the motor doesn't bog or speed start to slow down, then you know that's what the fuse is for.

 

Try the test again, but this time with the fuse out. Don't hold the ebrake on very long with the fuse out.....it's bad.

Here in New Zealand on the early Legacy (single turbo) if you inserted a fuse in the box it turned it into a 2wd, but on the twin turbo Legacy's if you inserted a fuse into the box it locked the centre diff so it was 4wd all the time and when you turned corners it would bind up.

Yeah ive also seen it the other way around on some models. No idea why Subaru would do that but ive definately seen the "diff lock" fuse holder as well as the "FWD" fuse holder.

 

Ooops. Just checked the date

The "Diff Lock" fuse holder will indeed lock the center differential. I used to own a BG5 Legacy GT Wagon when I lived in Okinawa, Japan for 4 long years. It was meant for foul weather driving(snow, heavy rain, muddy, unpaved roads, etc) where and when tight cornering isn't really required. I also read somewhere that the automatic transmission has something like a 60/40 torque split without the diff lock being engaged. I was tempted on several occasions to connect a fuse holder and a relay, along with a toggle switch to the diff lock so that I could engage it without having to get out of the car during bad weather conditions. This was the answer to the Diff Lock switch in the old '80s model Subarus with the Fulltime 4WD trannys I think. I hope this helps.

 

Patrick

Ooops. Just checked the date

 

LOL.........Now I feel a bit silly too. I didn't look at the date either. Maybe it will help someone else out who has the same question.

 

Patrick