Disengaging AWD
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 31
From: Reading PA
Car Info: 2001 Legacy L Sedan AWD
Disengaging AWD
I read in my owners manuel that you need to disengage the AWD when useing a spare. You do this buy pulling a certain relay. My question is, is there a way to hook up a switch so i can turn it on and off from inside the car. I was thinking about doing this for better gas milage. I know it probly would not be saveing a whole lot but i was was just curious about it. Has anyone done it and if so have you seen and kind of difference? Please let me know what you guys think.
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 372
From: Encinitas CA
Car Info: Black 03 WRX
That might be for older subarus the had 4wd and not AWD. With 4WD you can disengage the 4x4 because they are designed that way. Everything is mechanical in the WRX so I don't thikn there is a way to do that unless you want to start taking out parts of your transmission and axles. I may be mistaken though. I hope more people reply to this thread.
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Registered User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 31
From: Reading PA
Car Info: 2001 Legacy L Sedan AWD
Before i got this Subaru i had a 98 explorer. it came stock with a dial on the dash that you could switch between AWD-4HI-4LO. I found a way to interupt the automatic clutch control's power line by installing a switch. When i turned the switch on power went to the A.C.C. and i had traction conrtol when i turned it off it was RWD 100%. That was fun during burnout on just the right amount of gravel or wet ground.
I don't know how Subaru has there system setup but is it anything like the Explorer where the power is devided between the front and rear wheels?
if that is the case then there has to be something like the ACC and it can be interupted. Or we should beable to set a swtich up where we pull the AWD relay/fuse (not sure wich one).
I don't know how Subaru has there system setup but is it anything like the Explorer where the power is devided between the front and rear wheels?
if that is the case then there has to be something like the ACC and it can be interupted. Or we should beable to set a swtich up where we pull the AWD relay/fuse (not sure wich one).
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 372
From: Encinitas CA
Car Info: Black 03 WRX
like i said before, that is the key difference between AWD and 4WD. In 4WD you can select whether you want 4x2 or 4x4 and you can also select torque output aswell. Some cars have permanent 4x4 and its still 4WD because they can usually selct torque output. In AWD it is permanently in 4x3.5 or 4x4 depending on how the differentials are setup and you can not select a different gearing in most cases.( I do realize that the STi has the vccd, that is for distributing the power between front and rear and not for total torque output.) Older Subarus used to have selectable 4WD like my buddy's Subaru Justy. At the push of a button he could engage the front or rear wheels, we never did figure out which ones. In the case of modern Subarus there is usually an open diff in the front and a limmited slip in the rear (less the STi). If you need to change a tire and it is a rear one that blew, take a front wheel and put it in place of the blown one and put the spare in place of the front one.
As for driving in 4x2. On the freeway you will not save any gas because the weight of the extra junk for 4x4 is still there. On the drag strip 4x2 is better if you have good enough tires where you won't get any wheel spin.
I hope more people catch on to this thread...
As for driving in 4x2. On the freeway you will not save any gas because the weight of the extra junk for 4x4 is still there. On the drag strip 4x2 is better if you have good enough tires where you won't get any wheel spin.
I hope more people catch on to this thread...
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in a manual u are always in awd
in an automatic u take a spare fuse and insert it into an empty slot in the fuse box under the hood and that puts u in fwd
there are no other solutions unless u weld the center diff and remove the front axles to be rwd in a manual(u need to do more than just that, but thats in a nut shell)
in an automatic u take a spare fuse and insert it into an empty slot in the fuse box under the hood and that puts u in fwd
there are no other solutions unless u weld the center diff and remove the front axles to be rwd in a manual(u need to do more than just that, but thats in a nut shell)
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the 93+ autos had an electronically controlled center diff, so the fusible link can cut off the rear wheels. also, driving on the freeway in 4x2 does help fuel economy -- it won't get you the efficiency of a 2wd vehicle, but there's a reason people buy locking hubs for their jeeps, etc. when they're disengaged, the power going to those wheels only has to turn the axles -- a significant rotating mass, indeed, but less than going all the way to the wheels. similarly, if the center diff were able to disengage from, say, the rear driveshaft, as in the case of the auto trans impreza, it would take almost no power to drive that side of the diff, requiring even less power than a set of locking hubs. there is still some loss by comparison with the 2wd, since the rotation of everything between the rear output of the trans and the rear wheels adds a fair amount of drag to what's already there from the rear wheels alone.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Reading PA
Car Info: 2001 Legacy L Sedan AWD
Originally posted by YaZahX
in a manual u are always in awd
in an automatic u take a spare fuse and insert it into an empty slot in the fuse box under the hood and that puts u in fwd
in a manual u are always in awd
in an automatic u take a spare fuse and insert it into an empty slot in the fuse box under the hood and that puts u in fwd
That is exactly what im talking about. But what im saying is, there has to be a wire coming out of that fuse box that supplies power to that fuse. N ow i don't know if there would be one line for the box or a line for each fuse. It makes sence to me that there would be a line for each fuse. I am pretty good at wireing stuff up, i would just need to find that wire. Any ideas? If i can get this to work ill post step by step, with pics if im successful.
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Originally posted by FloydLegacy
I own a SLOmatic.
That is exactly what im talking about. But what im saying is, there has to be a wire coming out of that fuse box that supplies power to that fuse. N ow i don't know if there would be one line for the box or a line for each fuse. It makes sence to me that there would be a line for each fuse. I am pretty good at wireing stuff up, i would just need to find that wire. Any ideas? If i can get this to work ill post step by step, with pics if im successful.
I own a SLOmatic.
That is exactly what im talking about. But what im saying is, there has to be a wire coming out of that fuse box that supplies power to that fuse. N ow i don't know if there would be one line for the box or a line for each fuse. It makes sence to me that there would be a line for each fuse. I am pretty good at wireing stuff up, i would just need to find that wire. Any ideas? If i can get this to work ill post step by step, with pics if im successful.
1 open hood
2 remove fuse box cover
3 take spare fuse
4 insert sare fuse in open slot marked "fwd" on lid
5 put lid on
6 close hood
7 drive slow because the fwd fuse is only meant for emergencys and is not good to leave in for prolonged time
Thread Starter
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 31
From: Reading PA
Car Info: 2001 Legacy L Sedan AWD
Originally posted by YaZahX
...7 drive slow because the fwd fuse is only meant for emergencys and is not good to leave in for prolonged time
...7 drive slow because the fwd fuse is only meant for emergencys and is not good to leave in for prolonged time
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From: Lawrence, Kansas
Car Info: 19' Impreza Sport Manual / 99 Miata / 13' OB
Since its just a matter of a fuse, couldn't you wire up a nice little switch? I tried searching scooby mods, but couldn't find anything of the sort.
I would bet, though, that flipping the switch while the car is on and/or moving would be a very *very* bad thing.
I would bet, though, that flipping the switch while the car is on and/or moving would be a very *very* bad thing.