As far as I recall from the '97 Outback that I used to have, this advisory was only in the Owner’s Manual. I believe that this still holds true for most automatic transmission Subarus.
However, for those of us who purchased the more recent, more expensive Subaru VDC model, this information does not apply. The VDC model is equipped with the Variable Torque Distribution (VTD) drive system that is not sensitive to differences in tire circumference, and as a result, no warning is needed. But, you can be sure that I did read the Owner’s Manual very carefully–as all prudent car owners do–right after bringing the car home, just to be sure of that information, as well as everything else that I needed to know.
The VDC models don’t even have a provision to insert a fuse to disengage the AWD system, simply because of the lack of problems with varying tire circumference for their VTD system.
I’ve sat in some vehicles just in the show room and have looked through parts of the manual on stuff like break-in period and a couple other things that should be known before even driving off the lot.
While it might be a good idea for manufacturers to put that warning on a donut spare tire
After they get sued a few times, another warning label will appear. Let’s see… “unleaded gas only”, “do not put baby in front seat”, “objects are closer than they appear in the mirror”,… But seriously, a label somewhere in the spare tire compartment reminding drivers about speed and mileage limits, as well as disabling AWD or whatever, would be a good idea (are you going to remember everything the owner’s manual said, even if you ever bothered to read it, while changing a tire on a dark and rainy night on the edge of a busy highway?).
After reading your post again I realize you went 50 miles which is far exceeding the “emergency” and “temporary use” stamped into your tire. Most people get off the highway find the next service station and get the tire fixed.
Most spares only have a rated life of about 25miles stamped on the side.
Maybe you were in the middle of no where, maybe you just wanted to keep trucking on. Bummer though, you cooked it as it was in constant slippage.
the manf. would never give you a spare thAt would damage their own car
Sure they would, and they would put a disclaimer on a sticker on it and the stock jack warning you to disange the AWD. They would also put that information in the owner’s manual. It wouldn’t damage the car unless you ignored all the warnings.
The ONLY time I really ever checked the pressure of the spare was when driving my 69 bug. The windshield washer fluid ran off the air pressure of the spare tire, so it keeps going down.
For what it’s worth, I burned up an open differential in a Crown Vic by using the “space saver” spare that came with my Crown Vic. 180 miles at 55mph. Differentials simply are not designed to take that kind of abuse…
My brother had a '64 Big with that same hokey setup. Besides depleting the spare tire’s air pressure, he had problems with defective washer fluid tanks that wouldn’t hold the air pressure and that would split the seams.
After replacing washer fluid tanks a couple of times, he learned to do without the windshield washers. After all, the wipers were so bad, the washers really didn’t add much to the equation!
I’m not going to sit on the side of the road somewhere with a flat tire and pull out reading material.
Of course you wouldn’t. A responsible owner could read the owner’s manual before ever taking out a new car. An owner’s manual is most effective if you read it before something happens. Not everyone has your automotive ESP skills.
If you need an instruction manual on how to remove 5 nuts, swap tires and replace the 5 nuts and tighten, then by all means, please read your car’s manual, the Chilton shop manual or whatever it is you need to know in order to perform this pretty simple task.
Personally, I think if you don’t already know enough about how to swap a tire, you’d be better off to call a wrecker and let someone swap tires that knows how to do it.
Manuals are great if you need to know facts such as what weight of oil to use, how many quarts, what fuse goes to what? Where’s the other fuse box? Where is the jack and spare tire hidden and how do you manipulate that thing a ma doodle to get it out?
I’d think that any reasonable person would expect that the spare tire supplied with the car should be designed to be safely used with the car otherwise one shouldn’t be included from the factory. Nobody should design a vehicle such that you can’t change a spare tire out without disconnecting fuses and going through some rain dance to use the spare included with the vehicle.
If you really think changing a tire is as simple as “to remove 5 nuts, swap tires and replace the 5 nuts and tighten”, then I won’t bother trying to correct you. However, for everyone else who might benefit from a manual, you should also block the wheels, set the parking brake, and jack the car up before you try “to remove 5 nuts, swap tires and replace the 5 nuts and tighten…” You mere mortals should also check the torque specifications for your lug nuts.
Hello! What is the rated MAXIMUM m.p.h.? It’s right on the tire. Hello! What is the rated mileage? That is certainly in the Owner’s Manual and probably on the spare donut tire itself. If either, or as it seems to be the case here, BOTH maximum ratings were exceeded, it certainly could have caused an axle to burn up. When all else fails, read the instructions! When running on a donut, even at night, (maybe especially at night), if you are travelling at a speed under the speed limit, just put your emergency flashers on. This would be a good idea at any speed to let others on the road know that they should pay attention to your vehicle as the emergency flashers are on, eh? Pelchat. C’est Francais, nest ce pas? (No hidden or derogatory intentions–just curious.) This sounds to me like an “operator error”, not a “defective mechanism”.
What you do is tighten the lug nuts fairly tight, sit the car down off the jack and bear down on the cheap lug wrench they include till the sorry metal splits at the seam and then you’ll know it’s torqued all you can do.
I’ve never torqued a wheel nut in a garage much less on the side of the highway. On the side of the highway, I’m just thankful I can get it changed without getting killed or ran over.
Skipper there is NO FUSE to disconnect on this particular Subaru from OP. The manual transmission AWD Subaru is a purely mechanical and elegantly simple AWD system.
The spare is meant for temporary use, 50 miles is not temporary in my opinion. The differential failed since they use limited slip on most Outbacks and it was driven to far at too high of a speed cooking it. AWD was not much of a factor here as the poster did not even mention CENTER differential.
I still say the car is a puss if it can’t take that kind of non punishment.
I pulled over and put the right side in a ditch on an Alabama red clay mud road once to let a car pass not knowing the ditch full of water was 6’ deep. Truck turned over on it’s side and had to be drug out with a dozer. Back on 4 wheels I drove 20 miles back to town on tires that were so full of mud you couldn’t hang on to the steering wheel above 40 mph and it all got cured at a carwash. No burned up rearend. A car that’s going to be permanently damaged by 1 wheel being half an inch taller than the others is exactly what I said it was. No way I’d entertain the idea of owning an ill designed machine like that.