Quick question on how the AWD setup works in my city beater. Its a 2008 Ford escape 2.3 I-4 auto. The thing I hate is the front tires spin at an icy intersection and the AWD kicks in and the grinds because the rear is on dry pavement, or always waiting for the back to kick in when in an already slippery situation.

In other words, are there any tricks I can do to permanently turn on the AWD 100% of the time to avoid this on winter roads (don't care about mileage)? I know the system uses a "PTO" for a transfer case off the tranny to drive the rear, but is the AWD activated electronically so that it that can be tricked, or is a useless venture?

I've done the googling, and have an understanding on how it works, but found nothing on if it can tricked like how I'd like to. Looks like there is a electronic clutch pack in the PTO, and another at the rear diff. But I'm not sure if playing with these would screw with the escape CPU or not.

Thanks.

 

Every time you leave from a dead stop, torque is sent to the rear wheels no matter what the road conditions are. There is no clutch in the PTO, it's just a gearbox. The electric clutch in in the rear end.

There have been write ups in the past about this system much of which is false. There was even a Ford site with a graphic where you select the road condition and it showed where the torque was going. One show showed it shifting from side to side on a "S" curved road. There aren't any clutches at the wheels so that's impossible. It can only shift torque from back to front.

The maximum amount of torque that can be sent to the rear is 50%. Front torque isn't controlled so as/if it could go over 50% and approach 100%, you'd have a steering problem on turns like a locked real 4x4 on dry hard pavement. I have a Scangauge II which can be programmed to show rear wheel torque and the highest I've ever seen was 35%.

There was one Ford engineer that wrote that a full throttle start sent 100% torque to the rear wheels. No way!!

In 2009 I first used a scope on the 4WD module to measure the duty cycle to see how it really worked. Later I got the Scangauge II.

 

Perfect, just what I need to know. I'm not to concerned with the power transfer numbers, as good driving conditions aren't the problem, its when its icy, I don't want to wait for the system to play catch up (honestly its slow to react). That said can that clutch be overridden?


Agreed, you'd have to entirely disconnect the front wheel drive part of the system.

 

If you had the software package like a dealer has, you can command whatever rear torque you want. In fact, the operation test is to command 100% and if it's hard to make a tight turn, it's working as it should.

It's called "Intelligent 4WD System" but really it isn't! Can't be if the rear is engaged on dry hard pavement. I really don't know how any other these mickey mouse 4WD/AWD systems works but maybe they all are the same. I thought they actually worked like the brochure stated.