Hey Guys,

Quick question about the SW-AWD. Does it do the torque steering if i disengage the gas pedal?

Also how much faith do you guys have in the SH-AWD, there are some curves on the highway that I do take a bit aggressively with the SHAWD, but not sure if I should be reallly cutting the corners with the car.

Thanks!

 

given your question, your tires are likely to lose traction WAY before SHAWD is ineffective.

 

The MID has a screen that shows the power distribution. Watch that when you play with the gas pedal. My guess is that it still does vector the torque when you let off the pedal, but the power is going to drop off a cliff very quickly.

 

Thanks!

the second video at 7:10 explains it nicely. SHAWD really engages on a "power - ON" mode. Power off is just standard AWD.

 

I tested that before and even if I don't press the gas pedal, turning the steering wheel al.one changes the distribution to the tires. You can monitor it in the MID as spy said.

And if your car has VSA, it's even more stable. You can cut even wet corners and keep pressing a bit of gas, the car will breeze through it without any slide.

I went through a wet curve last week and pressed the pedal harder, the tail swung and then as if something slapped it back into position and kept going. I figured it's the VSA.

Extremely stable car.

 

Not sure if everyone is familiar with round abouts, but I have entered them around 40 mph, the back end breaks loose a bit but whips right back on track. I have had a few oh shit moments where the SHAWD/VSA kicks in after loosing traction. I trust it a lot, even in the rain they handle great. I definitely feel more traction under aceleration.

 

Absolutely. The car can be pushed much harder than what "feels safe". The VSA response time is remarkable because of the ability to transfer power between corners.

The video of the MDX going up the steep grade with one side on ice is . (Too lazy to post a link.)

 

I remember being impressed by this too

 

I'm guessing given its weight, the RL could make that hill as well.

 

 

I've heard bmw xdrive is a copy of acura sh drive. Just tranny sends power to rear wheels first and then to front wheels. Same clutch application to distribute power between front and rear.. aND right and left wheels. Is this true?

 

"The front and rear differentials in xDrive vehicles are typically an open differential design, thus relying on brake application by the DSC system to transfer power from the slipping wheel to the wheel with traction."

Basically, it can transfer power front to back but not side to side. It relies upon DSC to brake each wheel to regain traction. I've not been able to track down the system's manufacturer. As for Acura, I think there system was home grown.

 

"The front and rear differentials in xDrive vehicles are typically an open differential design, thus relying on brake application by the DSC system to transfer power from the slipping wheel to the wheel with traction."

Basically, it can transfer power front to back but not side to side. It relies upon DSC to brake each wheel to regain traction. I've not been able to track down the system's manufacturer. If I had to guess, I'd say ZF. As for Acura, I think there system was home grown.

 

Hm
.yes I believe honda make their own transmissions mostly. Well I haven't heard of any transmission sourced from another company. Heard higher end like 6 series bimmers have side to side transfer as well. Recently bmw just takes a very very long time to develop and make things work flawlessly. Too often a major flaw continues through 2-3 generations of a car. Afriend was asking. X5 or mdx. Need to research on which year transmission is best On mdx.

 

The new X5 is very promising. But, I definitely would get one in its first or second model year. As for the MDX, I'm wary of the 9-speed automatic. I don't think Honda did sufficient testing. Thankfully, management has only put the transmission in a few upper end trims in the Honda line. It likes to "hunt" a lot though the gears, with abrupt downshifts and lagging in upshifts.

 

What I historically knew was that bmw uses the differential block thingy that eventually remained with 4x4 and awd cars.

I think one of the videos above says Acura's shawd is 1st of its kind, German manufacturers calling it initially an overkill, only to try and mimic it today.

 

When you wake up and drive out and around and up a sharp slope in 2 feet of snow as if the road is dry, and others stuck and/or sliding around and look at you dazzled.... and you drive back and forth to open up the road for them coz the plowers didn't come...

Just makes you proud doesn't it.

Thank you RL.

 

Having went recently through replacement of the suspension parts on a 06 140k RL, I would definitely recommend checking the last service dates / of replacement of following parts if you plan to do cornering more aggressively:
- shocks, struts, springs, control arms, tie-rods, bushings, ball-joints, steering rack...
- engine mounts!

Considering all 2nd gen RLs are no longer young that much, parts that were never replaced may fail you or cause you further headache.