Is AWD working?
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Put your car on jack stands. 2wheel drive rear spins, All wheel drive all spin:grin2:
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Rather than jack stands,
Get your General on a concrete surface, like the garage floor. Get the machine so that you have 6 to 10 feet of open space in front.
Use a floor jack, inline with the machine, and raise the rear wheels about 4" off the floor. Sit in the Driver's seat.
With the AWD switch OFF, start the machine, put the trans in L, and give it a bit of throttle. The rear wheels should begin to turn, and that's all.
Step on the brakes and bring the rear wheels to a stop. Flip the AWD switch to ON. Give it a bit of throttle. The rear wheels should begin to turn. After only about 1/4 turn, the front diff will lock up and the front wheels begin to pull the machine across the floor.
Repeat the process, but put the Trans in R
If, with the AWD switch ON, the front diff engages...then its working as it should.
For the most part, except in a lot of mud or water, where you can see all four wheels spinning, you actually don't really know when the front diff is engaged.
Pirate
Get your General on a concrete surface, like the garage floor. Get the machine so that you have 6 to 10 feet of open space in front.
Use a floor jack, inline with the machine, and raise the rear wheels about 4" off the floor. Sit in the Driver's seat.
With the AWD switch OFF, start the machine, put the trans in L, and give it a bit of throttle. The rear wheels should begin to turn, and that's all.
Step on the brakes and bring the rear wheels to a stop. Flip the AWD switch to ON. Give it a bit of throttle. The rear wheels should begin to turn. After only about 1/4 turn, the front diff will lock up and the front wheels begin to pull the machine across the floor.
Repeat the process, but put the Trans in R
If, with the AWD switch ON, the front diff engages...then its working as it should.
For the most part, except in a lot of mud or water, where you can see all four wheels spinning, you actually don't really know when the front diff is engaged.
Pirate
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264 Posts
I'm searching the forum for answers.
This weekend we were riding in snow and slush. I could tell at times the front wasn't pulling as I'd go into corners.
I noticed that the indicator on the dash would change to two wheel drive sometimes even though I had it in AWD.
Is that a sign of a problem or does it do that as it engages and disengages? I've never noticed it before, seems to me when I have it in AWD the indicator always shows AWD so I think I have an issue.
This weekend we were riding in snow and slush. I could tell at times the front wasn't pulling as I'd go into corners.
I noticed that the indicator on the dash would change to two wheel drive sometimes even though I had it in AWD.
Is that a sign of a problem or does it do that as it engages and disengages? I've never noticed it before, seems to me when I have it in AWD the indicator always shows AWD so I think I have an issue.
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3,202 Posts
AWD won't engage above a certain speed/rpm. I had read that somewhere before, but found it out a while back, first hand, on a nasty hill.
To be more clear, I wasn't already in AWD, I hit the switch while moving, and apparently the revs or speed were to high to let it engage. When I hit the section that needed AWD, I had none. Came to a stop, foot off, then back on the throttle, I had AWD, and went on my way.
To be more clear, I wasn't already in AWD, I hit the switch while moving, and apparently the revs or speed were to high to let it engage. When I hit the section that needed AWD, I had none. Came to a stop, foot off, then back on the throttle, I had AWD, and went on my way.
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264 Posts
I was engaging it from a dead stop. I think with the moisture and freezing weather something was just weird.
The front of my machine is covered in ice and we went throw a lot of water puddles of a fair siae. Maybe the ice was interfering with it engaging.
The front of my machine is covered in ice and we went throw a lot of water puddles of a fair siae. Maybe the ice was interfering with it engaging.
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302 Posts
It should be on and stay on when in AWD but engine rpm has to be below 3000 for it to kick in initially when driving, it only engages the front diff when it senses rear wheel spin when in AWD.
so if your cruising around 35-40 mph and come across a sand hill and flip the switch to AWD it will not show the icon on the indicator or engage the front diff until engine rpm is below 3000 rpm
Now if you start out in AWD (because your below 3000rpm) it will engage front diff as needed when rear wheel slip is detected.
yea i dont care for the 3000 rpm part either.
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MMX,
You are correct. If you're in mud or snow...and above 3100 RPM and flip the AWD switch "ON". Even if the rear wheels are spinning, the ECU won't put voltage to the Hilliard differential coil until the RPM drops below 3100 RPM. Thus there is no way the diff will lock up.]
As Eazmo wrote...plus a little more...The Hilliard differential is an "overrunning" design. That being that when the rear wheels lose traction, the rear wheels spin faster, the driveshafts to the front diff spin faster, and with the AWD switch on, the coil inside the diff creates a drag on the roller cage, and the rapid acceleration of the driveshaft spin wedges the rollers (in the cage) between the Output Hubs and the Interior of the Ring Gear. And the front wheels have power. As soon as the rear wheels regain traction..the Hilliard diff disengages. In both the locking up and disengaging situations...they happen in about 1/4 turn of the rear wheels.
Carbon Summit, as you go through a slushy or snowy area, and given how fast the Hilliard diff engages and disengages...in a the situation you were in, the Hilliard diff might engage or disengage a half dozen times or more. Been there done that. It can be very noisy doing so, and that's where I got started with JJandA Racing Products having my Hilliard differential blueprinted and upgraded. Then its smooth and quiet...even in situations like you were in.
Slush, snow, mud won't interfere with the Hilliard differential function. Just a matter of how many times it cycles through engagement.
Just sayin'
Pirate
You are correct. If you're in mud or snow...and above 3100 RPM and flip the AWD switch "ON". Even if the rear wheels are spinning, the ECU won't put voltage to the Hilliard differential coil until the RPM drops below 3100 RPM. Thus there is no way the diff will lock up.]
As Eazmo wrote...plus a little more...The Hilliard differential is an "overrunning" design. That being that when the rear wheels lose traction, the rear wheels spin faster, the driveshafts to the front diff spin faster, and with the AWD switch on, the coil inside the diff creates a drag on the roller cage, and the rapid acceleration of the driveshaft spin wedges the rollers (in the cage) between the Output Hubs and the Interior of the Ring Gear. And the front wheels have power. As soon as the rear wheels regain traction..the Hilliard diff disengages. In both the locking up and disengaging situations...they happen in about 1/4 turn of the rear wheels.
Carbon Summit, as you go through a slushy or snowy area, and given how fast the Hilliard diff engages and disengages...in a the situation you were in, the Hilliard diff might engage or disengage a half dozen times or more. Been there done that. It can be very noisy doing so, and that's where I got started with JJandA Racing Products having my Hilliard differential blueprinted and upgraded. Then its smooth and quiet...even in situations like you were in.
Slush, snow, mud won't interfere with the Hilliard differential function. Just a matter of how many times it cycles through engagement.
Just sayin'
Pirate
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