Disable AWD on a Subaru Legacy by removing a fuse?

[oneinchsidehop]

I've been told (3 or 4 times now) that you can disable the AWD on a Legacy by removing a fuse... but no one seems to know which one.

Is this an Urban legend?

I'm not willing to drop the transfer case and drive shafts in back, but a fuse? Heck yeah.

[theholycow]

I could swear I saw this question in another thread but now I can't find it. At the time, someone responded that while it was easy enough to do, it didn't save anything because all that weight was still there and all the mechanical stuff still had to be rotated.

[oneinchsidehop]

Originally Posted by theholycow

I could swear I saw this question in another thread but now I can't find it. At the time, someone responded that while it was easy enough to do, it didn't save anything because all that weight was still there and all the mechanical stuff still had to be rotated.

The rumor I've heard here is that it's good for 3-5mpg, and dropping the shafts is good for 10+.

Of course, a 2mpg improvement in a Subu-pig that only gets 20mpg is enough for me to get all excited about. This is one tough car to hyper-mile.

[ihatemybike]

Don't know about Surbarus, but fuse removal works on '99 and newer AWD Astros. The fuse is labeled ATC on the vans, maybe there's a similarly labeled fuse in your Sube.

[EH3]

yes, it's under the hood near the firewall. as i recall it applies to automatic transmissions only because the center diffs are electronically controlled where the manuals are mechanically.

[thisisntjared]

rotating mass is rotating mass. unless you are getting rid of it, its still there unless you are spinning your tires, which wastes even more gas...

however, i could understand if there is some sort of "brake" on either side of the diff that would cause energy to be wasted...

[oneinchsidehop]

Originally Posted by EH3

yes, it's under the hood near the firewall. as i recall it applies to automatic transmissions only because the center diffs are electronically controlled where the manuals are mechanically.

Found it!!!

But it's already been removed.
As has the AC belt.

Dang it, I'm running out of ideas.

[EH3]

sounds like you need a tune up or have a mechanical problem

[oneinchsidehop]

Originally Posted by EH3

sounds like you need a tune up or have a mechanical problem

Could be both, that'll be checked this week. But I've been getting the EPA combined-EPA highway mileage for the car all along, still do. It's just a 3000lb car with 2 automatic transmissions (FWD+AWD), and the aerodynamics of a Kleenex box.

Most of the people in the area with the same model / options think 20mpg would be great, they usually get 17-18mpg.

Looks like a small car, feels like a big car, drinks like a truck.

[EH3]

i don't ever remember my legacy doing a that bad. it was a manual trans tho. seems like it got ~28mpg pretty consistently.