If I ever have to tow my car, is there a fuse I have to pull to keep from burning up the AWD system? The dealer said all Subarus come with a full size spare because otherwise the AWD system will burn up. Maybe I should just flatbed it like my '91 Legacy.
JDM legend
2020 - Towing my Forester - fuse to disable the AWD or flatbed?
The spare is a donut not full size. As far as I know the Forester needs to be towed on a flatbed.
Yes it is full size circumferentially but it is still a donut and does not have the capabities of an actual full-size spare when it comes to speed and allowable travel distance. Wanted to make that clear for others.
12secFord
There is no AWD fuse pull disable option on the 2020. That ceased quite a few years ago.
Even if it were still the case, it would not prevent damage to the transaxle for towing with any wheels on the ground.
This is true for most AWD cars.
As others stated... the dealer is full of something other than knowledge when he tells you your car has a full size spare.
I would be wary of anything purported to be a fact by that person.
In the US, the Subaru geniuses decided to make the spare tire well too small to fit a "normal" tire, so it's a dougnut temporary good for 50 miles under 55mph (rated).
In some other countries that aren't the USA , the spare tire well might fit a full size tire, not that that helps you out..
The above technique @Ranman676 posted is the same as you would do for a RWD car with an automatic towed from the front.
While you could do the dolly routine for a planned trip, in the case of an accident or the car dies on the road, towing with a dolly is unlikely to be an option.
With a standard wrecker, try to convince the guy on the side of the freeway that you need to disconnect your driveshaft while he waits.
Require that it towed on a flatbed is the best bet to prevent damage.
There is no AWD fuse pull disable option on the 2020. That ceased quite a few years ago.
Even if it were still the case, it would not prevent damage to the transaxle for towing with any wheels on the ground.
This is true for most AWD cars.
As others stated... the dealer is full of something other than knowledge when he tells you your car has a full size spare.
I would be wary of anything purported to be a fact by that person.
In the US, the Subaru geniuses decided to make the spare tire well too small to fit a "normal" tire, so it's a dougnut temporary good for 50 miles under 55mph (rated).
In some other countries that aren't the USA , the spare tire well might fit a full size tire, not that that helps you out..
The above technique @Ranman676 posted is the same as you would do for a RWD car with an automatic towed from the front.
While you could do the dolly routine for a planned trip, in the case of an accident or the car dies on the road, towing with a dolly is unlikely to be an option.
With a standard wrecker, try to convince the guy on the side of the freeway that you need to disconnect your driveshaft while he waits.
Require that it towed on a flatbed is the best bet to prevent damage.
According the the manual all 4 wheels should be either on or off the ground. A flat deck is fine and being towed with a strop is also fine but never use a dolly when only 2 wheels are on the road. No fuse pulling needed, just put it into neutral and ignition to on when being towed on all 4 wheels.
As said above, the US comes with a space saver but here overseas we get a full sized spare with ours. If you want to change to a full size, it will still fit in the wheel well of a US Forester (standard sized wheel) but you will have to remove the storage tray that sits above the wheel (we have a different tray with cut outs for the full size).
As said above, the US comes with a space saver but here overseas we get a full sized spare with ours. If you want to change to a full size, it will still fit in the wheel well of a US Forester (standard sized wheel) but you will have to remove the storage tray that sits above the wheel (we have a different tray with cut outs for the full size).
I've yet to see a US spec Forester that can take a full sized inflated spare tire.
It isn't the foam insert, it's that the well is too small.
There are a lot of threads about this already in regards to required modifications to make the spare "fit"..
As to the main towing topic, towing with all 4 wheels on the ground was limited to MANUAL transmission vehicles, which are no longer sold.
The OP's 2020 has a CVT and is not available with any other transmission option.
Subaru no longer recommends flat towing Subarus with the only exception being in emergency situations, and this is limited to short distances at very low speeds.
The above recommendation for towing a 2020 with all four wheels on the ground is an excellent way to destroy the drive train in short order.
And no, it won't be covered under warranty since there are explicit instructions in the owner's manual not to do this.
It isn't the foam insert, it's that the well is too small.
There are a lot of threads about this already in regards to required modifications to make the spare "fit"..
As to the main towing topic, towing with all 4 wheels on the ground was limited to MANUAL transmission vehicles, which are no longer sold.
The OP's 2020 has a CVT and is not available with any other transmission option.
Subaru no longer recommends flat towing Subarus with the only exception being in emergency situations, and this is limited to short distances at very low speeds.
The above recommendation for towing a 2020 with all four wheels on the ground is an excellent way to destroy the drive train in short order.
And no, it won't be covered under warranty since there are explicit instructions in the owner's manual not to do this.
Grant Glazer
Have I personally tried it?
Yes - My standard size tire does not fit into the well for the dougnut spare. It sticks up above the deck level, preventing the hatch floor lid from closing.
This seems to be true for many original posters in the US, as these threads are all over the site, as are ways to make a full size spare fit.
BTW the "standard size" you noted isn't. It varies by model and equipment for that model, so it's not the same size for everyone, everywhere.
Have I personally tried it?
Yes - My standard size tire does not fit into the well for the dougnut spare. It sticks up above the deck level, preventing the hatch floor lid from closing.
This seems to be true for many original posters in the US, as these threads are all over the site, as are ways to make a full size spare fit.
BTW the "standard size" you noted isn't. It varies by model and equipment for that model, so it's not the same size for everyone, everywhere.
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