Hey, has anyone had any experience with this new "intelligent 4WD" system? IF so what kind of conditions and how did it do? I know alot of people out there are interested in this because Ford did away with the switch on the dashboard which could be for he worst. Also if you had the Control trac 4x4 II tell how it compared. Sorry for the long post
I'm not sure which system you are reffering to, but I have whatever comes with the '04s and it works great. If I come to a stop on a slipery hill, and then hit the gas, the front wheels spin briefly and the the back wheels kick in and away she goes. I also had it in deep snow and it just plowed through, no problem. In the snow I put the dash switch in the 4x4 position, but I don't think it was necessary.
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2004 XLT "No Boundaries" Escape
I don't even know if they are making the Limited, 4x4 2005's yet, at least not in the Limited I want. There were none at the Dallas auto show, so I went on the internet and looked at dealer inventories within a 100 mile radius... and found none at all.
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'08 EB,5.4L,4x4,3.73,17" wheels,rear air,HDtow pkg. all options except convenience pkg.
'05 Escape Limited, 4x4, all options, tow pkg.
Originally posted by tsdrallyer I don't even know if they are making the Limited, 4x4 2005's yet, at least not in the Limited I want. There were none at the Dallas auto show, so I went on the internet and looked at dealer inventories within a 100 mile radius... and found none at all.
They're out there. We got our first 2005 about 2 weeks ago, have 3 right now. One is a Limited. Takes about 6-8 weeks to order one. Haven't had enough slippery conditions to try out the new system, though.
I believe the new "intelligent 4-wheel-drive" is an all-wheel-drive system, much like Subaru uses.
It calculates how much traction each tire has and it distributes power according to which tires have the most traction.
I believe that it is better than control-trac, although I havent driven one yet.
Ive driven a few Explorers with Control-Trac and I didnt care for it. Lots of times the back end would slide out just as it would engage the front tires, causing the front to then slide. It makes it kind of difficult to predict what the vehicle will do, usually if I knew it would activate I would just turn the knob to "4x4". I also didnt like the "clunk" when it engaged.
Heres my question. Doesnt the manual state that you should not have the 4x4 system activated on dry roads? I wonder then, how the AWD systems are OK on dry roads, because they are always active.
All references say that the new 05 Escape 4x4 system is a full time four wheel drive. That is not the same as an all wheel drive. Huge difference in performance potential off road.
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'08 EB,5.4L,4x4,3.73,17" wheels,rear air,HDtow pkg. all options except convenience pkg.
'05 Escape Limited, 4x4, all options, tow pkg.
Originally posted by Serpent30
Heres my question. Doesnt the manual state that you should not have the 4x4 system activated on dry roads? I wonder then, how the AWD systems are OK on dry roads, because they are always active.
All Wheel Drive works like this: inside the transfer case there is another differential that can slip so that when the front tires are moving faster than the rear tires (like when turning a corner) it slips inside the transfer case instead of slipping the tires (or hopping like 4x4's do).
Originally posted by tsdrallyer All references say that the new 05 Escape 4x4 system is a full time four wheel drive. That is not the same as an all wheel drive. Huge difference in performance potential off road.
I think we would all agree that vehicles such as the Escape, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V are not designed to be off-road vehicles. Thats perfectly clear when you realize that none of these vehicles has low-range.
They are nothing more than cars that have some kind of 4x4 system and SUV bodies.
Thats not to say that they arent great vehicles. I almost bought a Toyota RAV4 once and I wish I would have followed through and bought it.
Me personally, I dont really drive off-road. However, living in Wisconsin we do get snow, so having a 4x4 is a luxury Im not sure Id want to be without. So for me, vehicles such as the Escape/RAV4/CR-V are almost perfect.
Now, on to the "full-time four wheel drive". Its not exactly like Subaru uses, but it is pretty much the same concept. Its not at all like the system that an F-150 would have where when you activate the system the front tires get the same amount of power to them at all times.
It works like this. When you are driving on dry pavement, both the front and rear tires do get power, but the fronts get the majority of it. Typically, the front gets 80% and the rear gets 20%. The fronts start to spin, usually it redistributes the power to 50% front and 50% rear. When the fronts stop spinning, it once again puts it back to 80% front, 20% rear.
Id personally rathar have the option of putting it in 50/50 with a pushbutton on the dash, but Im sure its not a big deal.
The first-generation Toyota RAV4s had an actual center-lock for the viscous coupling. Push the button and you had all 4 tires getting maximum power. It certainly didnt make it a mud-bogger, but it made it a lot more predictable. Something that most vehicles with an automatic-4x4 system dont have.
To be perfectly honest with you, this type of 4x4 system isnt anything new. Toyota used it on the Corolla All-Trac as far back as 1987.
Originally posted by Steven@nd All Wheel Drive works like this: inside the transfer case there is another differential that can slip so that when the front tires are moving faster than the rear tires (like when turning a corner) it slips inside the transfer case instead of slipping the tires (or hopping like 4x4's do).
I think they call it a viscous clutch...
No transfer case on the Escape!
Not really 4WD or AWD, kind of a cross between the two.
The RBC (the power splitting device) is a vicsous coupling with an electronic actuator. The "LOCK" button engages the coupling quicker than when it is not locked, but it will lock on its own when the front wheels start to spin.
I own the '02 Escape XLT. Very happy with it.
My first AWD was the Aerostar. Loved it too. Also had a Suzuki Grand Vitera.
I have found that with AWD , when driving on icy roads that the system is far superior on the Ford than the Rice Burnr. There is a slight 'Jocking for traction' as the wheels chatter ,so-to speak, to get the best traction on a pull away. ( Like ABS in reverse) The 4X4 switch on the Escape simply eliminates this and all wheels drive more or less equal. There is a slight loss in 'effective' pull away traction.
The most noticible difference I have found is not in the pull away, but the slowing down.
Last winter I was driving on the Trans-Canada Hwy when there was an area of freezing rain creating black ice. Cars and Semi's sliding into the ditch ( one semi took out an entire Steel Hydro tower), a real mess!!
I came upon the black ice and felt the rear of the Escape begin to to fish-tail slightly. I took my foot off the gas and it got worse. I eased back on the gas to keep the engine from braking the wheels and it steadied out. I turned the 4X4 switch on and eased off the gas once again and no more fish-tail. The wheels were all now recieving equal power and it was like driving with Studded tire on all fours.
On the Suzuli, I would have been in the ditch for sure.
I am sold on this little puddle hopper. Great for city. Ease of parking and relitivly comfortably for the long trips.
It's my understanding that nothing has really changed except that in the 2005 version, there is no switch on the dash to "set" the vehicle to 50/50 front/rear setting. It's an AWD system like ost the other Mini-utes
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New Intelligent 4WD system
