AWD Transmission: Doese exactly what is says on the Tin !!

[SED5]

Hi all, I am a very happy person......... after reading with growing concern so many posts on the failure of the AWD system I am happy to report my 2005 XC90 has not suffered the same fate and over the last week it has coped with challenging conditions brilliantly , snow, Ice all handled really well, even climbed a 1 in 4 hill covered in snow and Ice to my brothers house with no drama .......I was a bit concerned because in normal conditions you cannot easily tell whether the awd is working , but after this week I have no such worries ......for those who have suffered failures I am truly sorry and I hope your respective dealerships will do the decent thing and resolve your problems to your satisfaction.......of course you still have to drive sensilbly no amount of traction gizmos will keep you out of trouble if your not very subtle with brakes and throttle .....one thing I am not sure of is what use the "W" button is, other than getting the autobox to pull away in second I really have not noticed any difference ...does any one know what settings it actually adjusts ? I found it better to... say when decending a gradient to change to semi auto and control the gears manually using engine breaking to slow down , forcast is for a prolonged cold spell to come so no doubt I will have the oppertunity to put her to the test again !!!! whatever your doing stay safe and a Happy New Year to you all.....

Thanks
Michael

[GSMGuy]

Yup, having done over 1000 miles in the last week in ALL kinds of freezing and icy conditions, likewise - my XC90 has done so well, I believe she is due for a wash!!

Mike

[Sportwag]

I understand that "W" starts the car in 3rd (if it is a 5-speed Geartonic). I used it initially in the snow but found no real benefit and have been using normal "D" mode instead. I also wasn't used to Geartronic in snow and so used manual selection mode a few times but almost everytime I switched over from Auto, it was in the gear I wanted anyway. No doubt "W" has an advantage if things get really tricky. After 3 weeks of persistent snow and ice, I have been extremly impressed with the XC90 - our other car is a fwd B8Audi A4 Avant which has been hopeless in the snow/ice/slush.

[Frank]

I also have a 2005 XC90 and have had no problems with 6 or 7 up and towing caravan through the snow in the past week. I also commute each day and I do use the W as I think it does pull away more smoothly but maybe it is just an impression.
The car also performed brilliantly throughout the whole of last winter towing the caravan in heavy snow and ice so I am very happy with it.

Frank

[kentishdriver]

Originally Posted by Sportwag

I understand that "W" starts the car in 3rd (if it is a 5-speed Geartonic). I used it initially in the snow but found no real benefit and have been using normal "D" mode instead. I also wasn't used to Geartronic in snow and so used manual selection mode a few times but almost everytime I switched over from Auto, it was in the gear I wanted anyway. No doubt "W" has an advantage if things get really tricky. After 3 weeks of persistent snow and ice, I have been extremly impressed with the XC90 - our other car is a fwd B8Audi A4 Avant which has been hopeless in the snow/ice/slush.

Generally pleased with performance in snow, although it did get stuck in office carpark. Have used W on the main roads for starting, although seems to offer no real benefit. As soon as the going gets tough starting on an icy/snowy incline it will not pull away in 3rd, so need to drop it back into Manual or normal Auto.

[paul chocks]

Fun in the snowDSC01414.jpg

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[Beavis]

Originally Posted by paul chocks

Fun in the snowAttachment 19032

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now, either someone lives in the middle of no-where, or you too have been looking for something a little more challenging than the local 'A' roads!

[bobdabuilda]

Originally Posted by paul chocks

Fun in the snowAttachment 19032

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At last! An xc90 with mudguards attached! thanks.

[RoscoMac]

As an aside, did anyone see the BBC news last night (Wed) where there was a clip of some Traffic cops somewhere with an xc70, which they had managed to get stuck on a snow dirft. What concerned me was that the front wheel was spinning wildly while trying to get traction - though the hole point of all the gadgetry was that the wheels shouldnt spin!?!?!

R.

[NCS XC90]

Hi RoscoMac,
I live at the end of a close and on Boxing day the road was sheet ice. I had the XC90 out on it and can confirm that the wheels will spin (all 4 of them) so assuming the XC70 used by the Police also had the back wheels spinning this is completely normal.
I think the gadgetry just detects that the front wheels are spinning and then applies an increasing amount of drive to the rear wheel until the maximum front to back split is applied. Once this has happened it’s a simple case that all wheels spin.
I too am very happy with the performance over this period. Not got stuck anywhere yet.
Neil