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Wow... I just learned something. I've had my car over 3 years and I didn't have a clue that it could be locked into FWD.

:N_poke:

 

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Only the automatics can. Not the Manuals.

Ahhhhhhh. That makes a lot of sense actually!

Thanks for the clarification :icon_wink:

 

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That's not really an accurate comparison. Under normal circumstances the solenoid's highest duty cycle is around 90%. So it continuously turns on and off many times a second with a certain amount of resting time in between. It is not outside the realm of possibility that running it at 100% duty cycle over a longer period of time could wear it out prematurely.

From a mechanical stand point, I'd have to agree. Most mechanical devices (compressors, motors, etc.) have duty cycles for various reasons, but they all have the same goal.. to avoid premature failure of the part. Sometimes its a motor that gets hot, and needs time to cool down... sometimes it is a hydraulic piston that can warp or deform under constant stress...

I just don't like the idea of making anything do what it isn't designed to do, unless it is for a short duration.

 

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Since this can only be done to the AT cars, would this be the reason I have a full sized spare? (I have a MT). And why wouldnt they just put a full sized spare in all the cars instead of having to do this fuse thing when encountered with a flat?

Just seems like common sense to me, thats all.

Another really GOOD point. I just assumed that all Foresters had full sized spares. If the 5EATs don't, then that could explain it... but as you said it just doesn't make sense.