scuba_suit Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 i recently got a pre-owned 2003 outback wagon, i drove it today and popped a flat, the tire specs are 225/60 R16 97S, well i started calling around and looked up on the net for a replacement, but what i found out was that the car should have THESE tire specs: 225/60 R16 97H, my question is: should i take it back to the dealer and tell them to replace ALL four tires and match the factory specs (and for free cuz the car should have had them on in the first place and it's "certified pre-owned", i know it's my fault that i got the flat but discovering that the speed rating on it was wrong shouldn't the dealer take the hit? im not telling them to give me a tire for free, morelike they were in violtion of safety regulations that did not meet car manufacturer specs for safety) cuz aren't they responsible eventhough the car is used they should have checked out and known which tires should have been on it before selling it, or should i just buy a tire with a 97S rating to match the other tires, the tires are winston classic (having a had time tracking those down) and would buying a different brand tire realy make that big of a deal? i mean the treadmight be different but can that have any ill effect? some people are telling me yes, some no, some say take it back to the dealer, i need help and i can't spend a lot of money on new tires, any info would be very helpful, this is my first AWD car and i don't want to end up screwing it up... right now i'm rollin on the spare, and by the way how long should i be on a spare? a week the most (i doubt it's going to take that long to replace the tire BUUUUUT...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 do you plan to dirve at 130 mph often? H = 130 mph s = 112 mph. S is fine. Just because the car came out with X tire does not mean that they always need to be the same. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=35 This is probably the second set of tires on the car, and they went with either something that was cheaper, available or both. Also OE tires may be over rated for what is required due to being a marketing tool, or getting a good deal from the tir mfg, or both. There is also some questions about the same make and model the car comes with is the same quality of what you and i buy at a tire store (tire store better). i can sort of see that argumnet, but dont beleive it myself. nipper nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 I hope you put the FWD fuse in while you are peddling around with one lame foot!? If not you may be damaging the AWD system. If uncertain, read the manual for this and other related issues such as speed when using the spare tire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scuba_suit Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 I hope you put the FWD fuse in while you are peddling around with one lame foot!?If not you may be damaging the AWD system. If uncertain, read the manual for this and other related issues such as speed when using the spare tire. greeeeat, i looked in the manual and it doesn't say anything about driving with a spare, where would the FWD fuse be? is it a switch? i am now digging through the manual and plan to take the car back to the dealer to get the tires replaced, if not get a replacement for the blown tire (because places won't sell me the S cause of the car's make and model for safety reasons...ugh) i didn't know all this about AWD, but i love my car so i gotta do what i gotta do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger83 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Speed rated tires are not specified by the manufacturer in the US market because they expect you to go out and drive at that speed all day. They are usually specified because the sidewall and other handling characteristics best meet the manufacturer's specifications. So, one would expect a factory certified car to meet their own specs. I would speak to the dealer. The S speed rating isn't unsafe - it's just not what Subaru specified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 It is a fuse and needs to be installed when driving with the spare to prevent damage to the AWD caused by different sized tires. The fuse disengages AllWD and makes the car FrontWD. If you do a Search on the site, there are numerous discussions of concern in using replacement tires where there is significant difference in wear of the other tires. Some tire dealers flat out (no pun intended) recommend that you need to replace all 4. greeeeat, i looked in the manual and it doesn't say anything about driving with a spare, where would the FWD fuse be? is it a switch? i am now digging through the manual and plan to take the car back to the dealer to get the tires replaced, if not get a replacement for the blown tire (because places won't sell me the S cause of the car's make and model for safety reasons...ugh) i didn't know all this about AWD, but i love my car so i gotta do what i gotta do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Wheels and tires : 16" alloy with 225/60R-16 M+S Bridgestone Potenza (mud and snow tires) http://www.cars101.com someone is trying to sell you more tire then you need. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rweddy Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 this is my first AWD car and i don't want to end up screwing it up... Also you cannot just buy one tire, you will need to replace all 4. Your times need to match very closely or you will cause issues with your awd system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bright1 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 It is a fuse and needs to be installed when driving with the spare to prevent damage to the AWD caused by different sized tires. The fuse disengages AllWD and makes the car FrontWD. Pretty S-T-U-P-I-D on Subaru's part to label the little thing 'FWD', huh? FWD could also stand for FourWheel Drive, or Forward. The all wheel drive deactivating fuse should have been labeled '2WD' instead. Better yet, they could have just put a switch in the wiring harness next the jack and labeled it 'AWD / 2WD' with a simple explanation of when to use it. ALSO, there ought to be clear and urgent labeling on the spare tire and jack that explains the importance of inserting the 2WD fuse when all four tires aren't the same circumference, as well as the importance of putting the spare on the rear axle in order to keep both front tires matched. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one on Earth with a full-sized brain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
half-fast Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 well, I know its been discussed here before, but I have a 95 legacy L wagon 5 speed w/180,000 miles, I've had mismatched (not severely mismatched, but replaced a tire w/10-20,000 miles w/a brand new one) tires at least 3 different times on my car and have never had an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 well, I know its been discussed here before, but I have a 95 legacy L wagon 5 speed w/180,000 miles, I've had mismatched (not severely mismatched, but replaced a tire w/10-20,000 miles w/a brand new one) tires at least 3 different times on my car and have never had an issue. as long as its within 1/4 inch circumfrence of the other tires its fine. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 From the Subaru school of duh! You couldn't make it more obscure if you tried. Pretty S-T-U-P-I-D on Subaru's part to label the little thing 'FWD', huh? FWD could also stand for FourWheel Drive, or Forward. The all wheel drive deactivating fuse should have been labeled '2WD' instead. Better yet, they could have just put a switch in the wiring harness next the jack and labeled it 'AWD / 2WD' with a simple explanation of when to use it. ALSO, there ought to be clear and urgent labeling on the spare tire and jack that explains the importance of inserting the 2WD fuse when all four tires aren't the same circumference, as well as the importance of putting the spare on the rear axle in order to keep both front tires matched. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one on Earth with a full-sized brain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Pretty S-T-U-P-I-D on Subaru's part to label the little thing 'FWD', huh? FWD could also stand for FourWheel Drive, or Forward. The all wheel drive deactivating fuse should have been labeled '2WD' instead. Better yet, they could have just put a switch in the wiring harness next the jack and labeled it 'AWD / 2WD' with a simple explanation of when to use it. ALSO, there ought to be clear and urgent labeling on the spare tire and jack that explains the importance of inserting the 2WD fuse when all four tires aren't the same circumference, as well as the importance of putting the spare on the rear axle in order to keep both front tires matched. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one on Earth with a full-sized brain! FWD is the universal symbol for front wheel drive, for like almost forever. 4wd is the same for four wheel drive. Its designated by SAE and the NHTSA. This was not a subaru invention. These markings are set by engineering standards. There is normally a label that says read your owners manual someplace on the instructions label for changing the tire. Very few people read thier owners manual. Very few read labels. There is only so much you can do to rule out peoples stubborness or stupidity or thier big brains. Every tire changing instruction i have ever seen has said Read your owners manual. If you buy a car without one its your responsability to get one. Also i've seen lables disapear on cars. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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