I have 2 - 91 legacy turbos, that we ralley. Mostly TSD's. I recently found that both of them have no AWD. I cannot figure out why? We of course did the basic checks, jacked up the car and checked the wheel spin. All the wheels spin a little, one front fast the rest very slow and easy to stop. Any ideas. I have a winter ralley comeing soon and need the AWD if possible. thanks

You either have it or you don't, If the car is AWD and an Auto, the rears may not spin unless the front are slipping, and if its an AWD 5MT, then you should be fine.

the problem is that only one wheel spins on the snow? I have no traction. You must be from Seattle, go hawks.

Well, if it's an auto, there could be duty solenoid c/clutch pack problems. if it's a 5mt, the viscous coupling could be fried. One way to find out is the do some tight corners in a parking lot and stomp on it. If the AWD isn't working, you'll know. Although I guess you already do.

 

Subaru awd tends to be kind of voodoo magic sort of stuff that is only completely understood by engineers deep in a laboratory in Japan. When things stop working they tend to just be replaced. It'd probably be cheapest and easiest to find a used transmission somewhere. If it's a manual you have a lot more choices.

I am a little confussed? Is the AWD part of the Transmission or after the trans. By the way , sorry these are both Automatics. One I had the Transmission overhauled last year, but dont know if they did anything about the ADW. Any more ideas?

I don't think Subaru AWD systems are voodoo magic at all. They are pretty straight forward.

 

Here's what I'd like you to do. Take the cars out in the snow or gravel, or where ever there is a slippery surface. Put the gear selector in the "1" position. Floor it, and have someone stand outside and watch the rear of the car. See if the rear wheels move. The reason I say to put the gear selector in the "1" position is because the TCU will up the torque split to near 50/50.

 

Also, the 91 turbos came with a rear viscous LSD. So...both rear wheels "should" spin.

I tried both in the manual mode and not in the manual mode and both ways one front wheel spins and nothing else happens. The other wheels are just along for the ride. Any ideas, thanks

Did you have the gear selector physically in the 1 position...all the way back????

 

Do not mess with the manual button, it doesn't do what you think. Read this

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?p=410273#post410273

Yes I had it fixed in 1rst. And tried with and without the manual on. Thanks for the update on what the manual does. But I tried it without the manual and locked in 1rst

I don't think Subaru AWD systems are voodoo magic at all. They are pretty straight forward.

 

Here's what I'd like you to do. Take the cars out in the snow or gravel, or where ever there is a slippery surface. Put the gear selector in the "1" position. Floor it, and have someone stand outside and watch the rear of the car. See if the rear wheels move. The reason I say to put the gear selector in the "1" position is because the TCU will up the torque split to near 50/50.

 

Also, the 91 turbos came with a rear viscous LSD. So...both rear wheels "should" spin.

 

the "1" posistion doesn't lock a 50/50 split exactly... it might be a better split like 55/45 or something like that.. but in my testing of the 4EAT and my all mightly 4wd switch, the '1' position does a whole lot of nothing except keep the tranny from shifting into 2nd.

the "1" posistion doesn't lock a 50/50 split exactly... it might be a better split like 55/45 or something like that.. but in my testing of the 4EAT and my all mightly 4wd switch, the '1' position does a whole lot of nothing except keep the tranny from shifting into 2nd.

 

It does alter the AWD transfer...and yeah I would agree 55/45 is probably a more realistic number.....

Yes I had it fixed in 1rst. And tried with and without the manual on. Thanks for the update on what the manual does. But I tried it without the manual and locked in 1rst

 

Well I guess you could try changing the fluid, but I don't think that's going to help.

 

Only other suggestion I can give is to try disconnecting the wire that goes to the duty c solenoid. That way the rear drive portion would get full line pressure and essentually be 50/50 split.

Would that wire be the one on the left hand (passenger) side of the tranny near the rear housing that leads to a rounded end? I happened to notice this earlier today. I've been having intermittent solenoid problems. Perhaps it may be a lousy connection.

 

 

 

Well I guess you could try changing the fluid, but I don't think that's going to help.

 

Only other suggestion I can give is to try disconnecting the wire that goes to the duty c solenoid. That way the rear drive portion would get full line pressure and essentually be 50/50 split.

I'm not sure of the exact location of the wiring, but yeah I'm pretty sure it goes back to the rear extension housing. Either that or the wire will have a connection inside the transmission.

Thanks I will try it and see what happens