I am worried something is damaged in my SH-AWD. This is the only time I've had it in snow (or anything significantly slipperly) since it was new in July.

Short version:

If the RDX front wheels cannot get traction, but the rear wheels can shouldn't the rear wheels power the front wheels over the obstacle they are spinning on or at least spin themselves trying to do? Does VSC have to be disabled or does it make any difference?

More detail/Long version:

This week I had about six inches of snow and I did not plow my driveway. The city plowed the street adding a few inches to the end of the driveway and it looks like the neighbors pickup truck made a tire rut in that deep stuff as he parallel parked just up from my driveway.

Tonight my RDX's front wheels were stuck in the rut as I tried to enter the driveway, but the back wheels were on the COMPLETELY DRY plowed street.

I could not get in the driveway until I disabled VSC. One or both front wheels were spinning trying to get up the near-vertical rut created by the march larger truck tire. I had enough time to look at the SH-AWD gauge in the MID. Until I disabled VSC it did not seem to be putting much power to the rear wheels.

I've heard SH-AWD has an affinity for front-wheel drive, but I didn't think it would react like this.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

 

I had the same experience on my rdx when it was 6 inches of snow in my driveway, I thought SH-AWD works better compare to montero awd system but i was wrong. In my opinion SH-AWD is design for cornering and not for snow.

 

with 6 inches you definitely should turn off VSA. the VSA kicks in way too much in the RDX. i usually turn it off if i'm stuck in deep snow and or having problems going uphill.

 

^^^ Yup pretty much he's covered it...

 

I hope you mean TCS, Traction Control System, NOT the stability control system. The RDX will ALWAYS be primarily FWD. As such the front wheels can NEVER be allowed to lose traction due to too much engine torque being used for the roadbed conditions.

Unless you can disabled TCS there is no way....

 

2008 RDX Owners Manual Quote:
"In certain unusual conditions when your vehicle gets stuck in shallow mud or fresh snow, it may be easier to free it with the VSA temporarily switched off...."

 

but the problem is that it is not just unusual conditions. the VSA kicks in way too much for my liking. even up hills that have a thin coating of snow, with the VSA on, it struggles up it...with it off, it just powers through it. i just wish it wasn't as sensitive as it is...but i guess it serves it's purpose for cornering.

 

Best case scenerio vsa on while the car is in "S" mode. This way you can get enough rpm and power through any snow, rally style while maintianing control

 

It definitely serves it's purpose in cornering. But, I have also recently tested my RDX with OEM tires in fresh virgin snow, about 3-4 inches, uphill at about a 30% grade, VSA on and it did fine. I actually looked for a spot that looked extra thick with fresh snow and incline and came to a complete stop! I then slowly, and I think slowly is the trick, applied the gas with the VSA on and the visual on the dash showing where the power was going. It confindently went up the hill no problems. I think if you give it too much throttle it will make the VSA freak out and kick in constantly. The purpose of SH-AWD with VSA in slick stuff is not to go fast but to be able go, period. It works VERY well IMHO.

 

The VSA (which incorporates traction control) uses wheel braking to reduce wheel spin.

If the front wheels are spinning excessively, the braking will be inhibited to protect the front brakes from overheating.

The technique (as mentioned above) is to use as little power as possible that will move the car, and avoid excess wheel spin.

I also have tried up-hill starts in fresh snow, packed snow, slush, etc and have not been able to get the car stuck. I use Sport mode, paddle shift into 2nd and slowly apply throttle (VSA on).

The little rally wagon's a mountain goat.