ak11

I got stucked in my friends driveway for 15 minutes tonight. How do our rear wheels work? Only the passenger rear wheel was spinning where the ice located. What happen to the driver side rear. I tried to push the ECS off, but same(I guess it only lock our breaks). I tried push the Snow Mode, no luck. I have to try my front and backward move for 15 minutes inch by inch in order to get out. Basically looks like my car depends on rear passenger side wheel.

FYI, I tried to ECS on or Snow Mode in regular snow driving, my rear wheels spin like regular when I turn.

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

We don't have a posi rear end (both wheels receiving power). The rear passenger wheel is the "drive" wheel for the car. Obviously, in the newer cars with AWD, this would not be the case.

You want to be careful spinning back and forth, too. You can really do a number on the differential fluid when there is no friction on there. Not good to let it spin freely for too long.

Big Mack

lxus4xms

The only thing that the snow mode does is start the car in second gear for a slower turning wheel with more tork and less truning speed. Don not drive at full speed in snow mode your tranny wont like it. Just a note to the wise, even in a four wheel drive vehicle only two wheels turn one front and one rear unless you have a posi rear end as stated above.

Solo_D33A

actually, our snow mode drives off in 1st gear, just halving your throttle but if you floor it, it's still full throttle. And it holds onto a higher gear, but the main point is first, SNOW TIRES!

Unless you're stuck or want to slide around, keep your VSC on. That is if you got stuck WITH snow tires, without them, the GS doesn't really go anywhere even if you can get it out of the driveway.

BTW it spins 1 wheel because we don't have LSD, thus unable to lock both wheels when only 1 side have grip.

JeffTsai

iTrader: (1)

Also a side note. Those of us with LSD, depending on the type you have it may not engage if the wheels are just free spinning. With a Torque Sensing LSD, you have to have load applied to at least 1 wheel to get the differential to transfer power to the other wheel. It doesn't need to have a lot of load, but just something better than free spin. What I had to do a few times is just to step on the brake lightly while allowing the wheels to move, and that creates just enough load on one wheel for the differential to transfer power over to the other side. If it's a clutch type LSD, I don't think it has the same issue. But I can't say for sure because I don't have a clutch type LSD on my car.

McKrevice

iTrader: (1)

This is why I drive a 500 beater in the winter with winter tires. I drove my GS4 once in the snow. Never going to do it again.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Open differential sucks when you dont have traction at all. I would love to have a clutch-type LSD on my car (Prefer it over torsen), but not for snow purposes

Solo_D33A

well, at least I haven't got really suck that I need a push or tow out yet. I've only got snow tires Blizzak WS60 225/45/17

BTW, I got stuck but I don't need a push... more like it can't be pushed... Hung up on iced snow by the chassis bottoming out, but I just let the snow tire dug to the road then it popped out. lol

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

Huh? Four wheel drive means all four wheels are driven. They have differentials that can send different amounts of power to the wheels that have traction, but all four wheels get power. It can be "full time" four wheel (AKA AWD) which locks the differentials together, or it can be "standard" four wheel drive where they are independent (front vs. rear), but all 4 wheels get the juice. This is why comparably equipped vehicles that offer 4 wheel or AWD cost more to insure - gotta replace two diffs if the drivetrain gets the crap knocked out of it. Also why a four wheel drive gets worse gas mileage (generally speaking).

Big Mack

Och

iTrader: (3)

See, with the VSC system its horrible. You see, in RWD car without LSD, only one wheel spins, and its the wheel that is getting the least traction. And the VSC system is supposed to apply brakes to the slipping wheel so that the other wheel can start spinning instead, but that doesnt work because it also cuts off power completely.

Now, the old Lexus TRAC system was amazing. MY LS400 goes through snow like a tank. That system basically applies brakes just just VSC, but it doesnt cut off power, but just greatly reduces it, and so if one wheel is slipping, it would apply brakes to it until the other one starts spinning, and if the other one is slipping, it alternates the brakes really fast, all you hear is click click click and your car slowly gets itself out of snow.

With the GS on the other hand, the only way to get out of snow is to shut off VSC, and keep burning tires in backward-forward movements. And stupid gated shifter and throttle by wire system only make it worse, so I pretty much park my GS in my driveway on snowy days and drive the LS.

biscuit141

Do any GS models or years have a LSD? I have been looking at a 2004 GS300 to replace my 97 Audi A6 with quattro, but I can't imagine getting stuck all the time. With all wheel drive and snow tires on the Audi that never happens. I have read that a lot of people throw a set of snow tires on rear wheel drive BMW's and they do pretty well in the snow, do they have LSD's and the GS's don't or is it a different system? I live in northern Indiana and this will be my DD so driving in snow Nov-Feb/March is a must.

Solo_D33A

If your city plows the streets that you don't bottom out and you don't go to places that's built up with snow, you'll be fine. I live north of North Dakota and Minnesota and I'm fine.

In Vancouver, they didn't plow well, I drove on 4-5? inches of snow, bottoming out everywhere as I'm lowered (but not tucking, still have a finger gap) and I'm still fine, just drive carefully... You won't get as much grip as AWD for sure, but it shouldn't give you any problems other than starting off slower from a stop.

Rippaflow

iTrader: (4)

Im handling snow fine with a 430 with summer tires and no VSC... It's all in how you drive. Driving like a slug > walking...remember that. Leave early to account for slower driving and take it easy.

ak11

I just dont know why my GS just spin on the right rear wheel and not use both rear wheels for movement. Everyone knows that after the sanitation department plows, it plows to the right side. Basically my left wheel was free from snow, but the right REAR wheel was full of ice...especially I have to back up with my right rear tire. Thats how my car got stuck when I was parking.

2-3 years ago, I messed up my TL's tranny from the snow. Hopefully it didnt do it this time.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Thats how any open differential works actually.