90legacywagon Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I just bought a 2005 outback wagon to replace the 90 legacy wagon i just blew up. it was 2wd, and of course my new one is AWD. I read in the manual that if I have a flat and use the spare tire to replace the full-size tire, that I should put a jumper fuse in the FWD spot to disengage the AWD. My concern is that my wife will have a flat one day and either not know how to do this or will not bother with it, or forget to do it..etc. In that case, how critical is this procedure? What will it to the AWD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I just bought a 2005 outback wagon to replace the 90 legacy wagon i just blew up. it was 2wd, and of course my new one is AWD. I read in the manual that if I have a flat and use the spare tire to replace the full-size tire, that I should put a jumper fuse in the FWD spot to disengage the AWD. My concern is that my wife will have a flat one day and either not know how to do this or will not bother with it, or forget to do it..etc. In that case, how critical is this procedure? What will it to the AWD? if you drive less than a mile, slowly to get the tire repaired, no big deal. if you drive at speed for the rest of the week, month , year, you can damage the AWD unit. if you have a flat, drive directly to the repair shop, that's your safest bet. the spare tire is a 'temporary' tire, not a replacement tire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiffy Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 the temp spare must not be the same outer-diameter size as the tires... when you mismatch the tires you risk burning up the center differential... that's why they ask that you change the spare putting the temp spare on the rear and disable the AWD... this with keep the front working with matched tires and disable the center diff to avoid damage... for peace of mind you could get a full-sized spare... I probably wouldn't my wife having to change 2 tires (if it's the front that goes flat) and then having to jumper wires to get back on the road... this may also be a good time to get roadside assistance, so they can just tow you to the nearest tire shop... (: --Spiffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 [...]I read in the manual that if I have a flat and use the spare tire to replace the full-size tire, that I should put a jumper fuse in the FWD spot to disengage the AWD. My concern is that my wife will have a flat one day and either not know how to do this or will not bother with it, or forget to do it..etc.[...] [...]I probably wouldn't my wife having to change 2 tires (if it's the front that goes flat) and then having to jumper wires to get back on the road... this may also be a good time to get roadside assistance, so they can just tow you to the nearest tire shop... (: That raises the question: "Will a person who doesn't understand or remember the reason to install the FWD fuse then call a towing service that will flat-bed or otherwise protect an AWD car?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reveeen Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 "Will a person who doesn't understand or remember the reason to install the FWD fuse then call a towing service that will flat-bed or otherwise protect an AWD car?" Tow me now, or tow me later? (groan!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I sure am glad this issue was posted. I am on my third Leggy with AWD and AT. I knew about the existance of the FWD fuse, and that is about it. I never knew when it should be used, let alone what size fuse to insert in the fuse holder. Thanks for the education. It sounds like the spare should be used as only as a last resort. To me, it is easier to add a can of "fix a flat," then pump up the tire with an electric tire pump that plugs into the cig lighter holder. That is what I did recently when I found a tire completely down on my Leggy. I immediately drove the car to a tire store to patch a nail hole. The tire repair guys hate to repair a tire containing fix a flat, as it makes a wet mess around their tire changer. However, I told them in advance about the fix a flat, and they were okay about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 There is an easy solution. Stick a note on the spare tire in sealed plastic bag facing up that says in big letters "put this fuse in the FWD holder under the hood" and have a spare fuse in it. If she can change a flat, she will undestand that. I am impressed that she can. And if someone else does, they will se the note. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CNY_Dave Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 There is an easy solution. Stick a note on the spare tire in sealed plastic bag facing up that says in big letters "put this fuse in the FWD holder under the hood" and have a spare fuse in it. If she can change a flat, she will undestand that. I am impressed that she can. And if someone else does, they will se the note. nipper Scrolling through this thread I was thinking the same thing. Add to that: add a photo of where the fuse box is, and where the fuse goes, and where the spare fuse is. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 Scrolling through this thread I was thinking the same thing. Add to that: add a photo of where the fuse box is, and where the fuse goes, and where the spare fuse is. Dave Il'd just throw the spare fuse in the bag. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Subaru should have attached a bag to the spare tire, with brightly colored fuse on all automatic AWD versions to this extent.........good call There is an easy solution. Stick a note on the spare tire in sealed plastic bag facing up that says in big letters "put this fuse in the FWD holder under the hood" and have a spare fuse in it. If she can change a flat, she will undestand that. I am impressed that she can. And if someone else does, they will se the note. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Subaru should have attached a bag to the spare tire, with brightly colored fuse on all automatic AWD versions to this extent.........good call There is an easy solution. Stick a note on the spare tire in sealed plastic bag facing up that says in big letters "put this fuse in the FWD holder under the hood" and have a spare fuse in it. If she can change a flat, she will undestand that. I am impressed that she can. And if someone else does, they will se the note. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 [...]I knew about the existance of the FWD fuse, and that is about it. I never knew when it should be used, let alone what size fuse to insert in the fuse holder. [...] The circuit draws little current, so any spare fuse in the car that fits the holder can be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 The circuit draws little current, so any spare fuse in the car that fits the holder can be used. Thanks for the info on using "any size fuse." I bet most people don't know that, or when to use the FWD system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 This brings up a question/observation. I have purchased 2 97-99 Subaru automatics 120-170k miles that had been tow dollied with no fuse and no battery. One had torque bind when I fixed the engine and one did not. My guess is that both were towed over 20 miles this way. Any comment on whether the battery being dis-connected is good enough? If might be good to know in general and might come in handy if the lady stranded could tell the tow truck driver to disconnect the battery. Most TT drivers aren't very well motivated to do more than absolutely necessary (in my personal experience). It would be easy to play dumb and say - "what fuse where?". It's much harder to say that you don't know where the battery is. Just a question and a thought. Dave Edit: for spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzam Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Any comment on whether the battery deing dis-connected is good enough? Dave No, the purpose of the fuse is to fully energize the duty c solenoid which disables the AWD by disengaging the clutch packs. That's why you can drive on a spare donut tire AND why tourque bind goes away when there is a fuse inserted in the FWD socket. So a disconnected battery would be the same as a connected battery when towed on 2 wheels. You may have gotten lucky on the one car and not caused enough immediate damage to the clutches, but they may have suffered enough to shorten the life of them in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Somebody might just want to suggest to Subaru that they might want to consider 2 things - relocate the clutch pack disconnect to the spare wheel well and put in a rotary switch with 2 positions that say "USE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE WHEN USING THE SPARE" "FRONT WHEEL DRIVE --- ALL WHEEL DRIVE" That would eliminate the "where's the FWD fuse go anyway?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 beats me - I have a 97 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 (edited) Great thread. I have an '05. Never knew about the fuse thing. Will re-read my manual. Question: Can I use Fix-a-Flat confident in the expectation of NO torque bind? Juan Edited February 3, 2010 by Juan capitalize name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I have, as long as the tire fully inflates. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Subaru should have attached a bag to the spare tire, with brightly colored fuse on all automatic AWD versions to this extent.........good call Yea great call. When I had my 91 with AWD, I knew about the fuse holder, but didn't know when, or where to use it, let alone what it was really for, or what size fuse to use. Maybe it was described in the owner's manual, but who looks at that until the car is disabled. Luckily, I never used it, and when the car broke down, I knew enough to have the car flat bed transported to a repair shop. I wish I had joined this forum back in the day to learn what the fuse empty fuse holder was for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 beats me - I have a 97 Don't get this. If it had an Automatic in it, it's the saem setup. Only difference is that he FWD fuse is in a differnet location (on strut tower instead of in fuse box) One thing to note, is that even donut spares of the newer cars have the same outer diameter as the rest of the fullsize tires on the car. Skinny, but same size around, at least very close. I think Subaru did this for obvioius reasons 1: people forget/don't know/can't find the FWD fuse. A close match diameter wise makes at least short trips withou the fuse in not so likely to cause damage. 2: Manual trans vehichles have no way of disabling the AWD, so for them, a close match diameter wise is even more important. Any variation, on any wheel causes excess friction in the center diff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Don't get this. it probably did not make sense 2.5 years ago either, when he wrote it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasaan Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 1997 Outback 2.5L 5-speed 130,000mi I had an at speed blowout (complete separation of tread from sidewall) of the driver rear tire on the interstate this summer, and, not knowing, put the spare on and drove at highway speeds for another 300-400 miles. I was heading to the airport from my last work station for the summer, and when I got back I still had to drive home. I did not / do not seem to have any issues related to this, but that is probably because it was already on the rear tire? Still, next time, I will put the fuse in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzam Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 (edited) 1997 Outback 2.5L 5-speed 130,000mi I had an at speed blowout (complete separation of tread from sidewall) of the driver rear tire on the interstate this summer, and, not knowing, put the spare on and drove at highway speeds for another 300-400 miles. I was heading to the airport from my last work station for the summer, and when I got back I still had to drive home. I did not / do not seem to have any issues related to this, but that is probably because it was already on the rear tire? Still, next time, I will put the fuse in. Good Luck finding the holder on a manual transmission, they don't have one. Plus I like reading an old post and seeing something I posted and not remember doing it. Age related? Edited February 3, 2010 by Suzam added info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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