SkagSig40
12-31-2015, 06:14 PM
I thought my AWD might not be working correctly. I was on a snow packed road With my 2004 XC70 that was super smooth and frozen solid. While turning left I gave it some gas and my XC70 accelerated quickly but spun out and did a 360. Car felt like it was rear wheel drive. Today I got a chance to test it a bit more. I took it out into a field with deep snow up to the front bumper and the car plowed through. I hit one drift that was very deep(up to grill) and I got high centered and stuck. I rocked it for a couple minutes and got free. I could see the front and rear driver side tires spinning fast while sitting still. Both would spin fast at the same time. Some times the front would spin and then the rear would kick in and vice versa so it appears the front and back tires are getting power. I could not see what the passenger side was doing but I assume the same thing the driver side was doing.
To me that would make it seem the AWD is working correctly but when I did that complete 360 while turning in the slick road makes me wonder? I tried this same turn on a slick road with my 2012 V6 Honda Accord and with the traction control on it just goes through the turn without slipping. In fact the Accord handles slick roads incredibly well and even trying hard will not lose traction or spin out and do a 360 unless I pull the emergency brake. I would expect the XC70 AWD to out perform the Honda Accord with FWD on these slick roads but it seems the Accord is better.
Now that field I drove was pretty rough with deep snow and the XC70 did great. I would never take the Accord in it because I just don't think it would make it. So how does all this work? I have never really tested my AWD system and with all this snow we got I'm curious. Thanks for the information!
To me that would make it seem the AWD is working correctly but when I did that complete 360 while turning in the slick road makes me wonder? I tried this same turn on a slick road with my 2012 V6 Honda Accord and with the traction control on it just goes through the turn without slipping. In fact the Accord handles slick roads incredibly well and even trying hard will not lose traction or spin out and do a 360 unless I pull the emergency brake. I would expect the XC70 AWD to out perform the Honda Accord with FWD on these slick roads but it seems the Accord is better.
Now that field I drove was pretty rough with deep snow and the XC70 did great. I would never take the Accord in it because I just don't think it would make it. So how does all this work? I have never really tested my AWD system and with all this snow we got I'm curious. Thanks for the information!