1997 GMC Sierra Logo
Posted on Feb 11, 2011
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My 4 wheel drive isn't working. why are my tires spinning on the littlest patch of ice?

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Boundless Company Limited

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  • GMC Master 2,122 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 11, 2011
Boundless Company Limited
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Joined: Jun 26, 2008
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Hi Correia,
Having four wheel drive built onto a vehicle gives traction through all four wheels, meaning that if one of the four wheels looses traction all the driving motion is directed through that spinning wheel. When driving on snow, ice or mud, gently does it all the time! Gentle acceleration and slow down using gentle gear changes. Use the brakes as little as possible. Remember if you lock up the brakes and the vehicle begins to slide you'll have no control at all! Traction control is entirely different than four wheel drive. Traction control will control any wheel which begins to slip and thereby keep you in control.
Regards Johngee10

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0helpful
1answer

2001 4.7l diesel. Does it have a limited slip differential?

4wd or NOT, 2wd, but 4wd both ends match.
well , not wanting to pulled cover off and have GL5 lube all over
or #2 googling for all Jeep axle codes. (your call)
there is no CHEVY RPO code build list\
#3you call jeep dealer give VIN and he tells build list to you.

or the tests. #4
put car in 2wd, but one rear tire on ICE or wet grass
then move forward quick. (gas pedal

if both tires spin car moves is Positration clutch packed rear gear set.(or lockers of many kinds)
if limited slip 4 gears only then one tire on grass /ice only spins fast and car does not.
there answered all 4 ways.

ok way #5, rear tires off ground both, ON JACKS STAnds safe.
in neutral 4wd box or. if not 4wd tranny in neutral.
hand spin 1 tire and both turn same direction for locker.
if it 1 spins backwards the axle is open (limited slip)
open is 4 gears (side+ spider)
Lockers have a locker or clutch pack just like seen in the A./T BOX.

lockers have vast names. but all lock up some way.
open axles means sans/locks.
I love lockers. saved my bacon vast times. even pulling super heavy boats out of the ramp, and zero slip. 2 tires spin is JOY.
even 2wd drive with a locker is a joy. on snow and ice too.
1 wheel drive is for squids.
tip

Winter driving tips.

WINTER TIRES
As a mechanic and a shop owner I get to try out various types of vehicles during test drives. So we get to try out different types of tires too. We learn what works well and what doesn't.
Don't kid yourself, all season tires don't come close to a quality winter tire on ice and snow. And when you add studs to a winter tire it makes them incredibly good. I hope they allow studded tires where you drive.
All season tires work well when they can contact the road surface directly, but when isolated from the road by ice and snow they just don't work. The compound of the tire is generally harder to resist summer heat that wears tires out and with the colder temperatures they just get stiffer.
The winter tire compound is a little softer which allows a better contact patch with whatever is under it and the larger tread gaps pinch the snow to gain traction.
Another big misconception with tires is putting them on the drive wheels only.
OK, why not you ask? Well lets start with one of the most common vehicles on the road today, a family sedan, front wheel drive.
On these cars your engine and transmission is front mounted, so a good part of the weight is front biased. So that puts lots of weight on your front wheels. Weight =traction, right? So you put your winter tires on the front and your already used all seasons on the back.
Imagine now cruising down the freeway in 4 inches of fresh snow, "man these winter tires are awesome !" But you need to brake in a hurry for a deer coming out. Well those fresh winters do their job OK but the lightweight back end of your car hasn't the traction to handle the maneuver, the back end is sliding around sideways...hang on to it!!!
Well you get the picture now. You need all 4.

DONT SPIN YOUR TIRES

How many times do you see it each slippery day? You know, the drivers wheels howling for mercy as they attempt to accelerate.
Many vehicles today are equipped with traction control, there is a good reason for this accessory to your vehicle. If you can accelerate without spinning you will get moving faster than someone who is, and under more control too. A spinning tire will often create a hot spot under itself, melt the ice or snow and make it even more slippery. You even run the risk of getting yourself stuck in the rut you create.
A spinning tire also will go sideways easier, as it loses traction it also loses some direction.
Granpa said to me sometimes...slow down and go faster ...I now have seen the truth in it.

0helpful
1answer

What would make my 2006 Subaru forester, witch we all know is AWD, only have front wheel drive? I noticed it when the tires were spinning on the snow & ice. Only the front tires were spinning.

all wheel drive is not 4 wheel drive
there is a diff in the transmission that supplies power equally to the front and read wheels
when traction is lost on a drive set , the other set will remain stationary and the set without traction will spin as in your description
the same result will occur if you have both driver side wheels in a bog, the passenger wheels will be stationary and the drivers side wheels will spin
on some AWD vehicles and I thing yours has one there is a button that can be engaged that stops the transmission diff from acting like a diff and then the rear wheels will drive
read you owners hand book for driving in bad conditions
0helpful
1answer

Why does my 4 wheel drive not work all the time?

Elaine,

not work, do tell what makes you think it dont work (a lamp) or tires slipping or dead tires. (by tires mean that and traction)??????????

what mode fails, of the many, and where.???????



first off, we dont know what your tires are touching.

on road, or off road. pavement or ICE or snow.

that matters big time . (you read manual and match MODE to Road)

your lost operators guide explains all that, right?

eg: how and when to use, 4wd, its all there. I promise.

ControlTrac 4-wheel-drive system



here are the mode. which one , gives you problems.



quote ford with comments.



What are the modes, and how do they differ?

(note this is the operational behavior of a 2008 Ford Expedition. Newer and older Expeditions will vary only slightly)



2H 2-wheel-drive with high range gearing (1.00:1) Rear-wheel-drive capability,

2-wheel electronic traction control system is enabled



4A 4-wheel-drive Auto with high range gearing (1.00:1) Full-time all-wheel-drive capability, ((best on pavement or any time)

Electronically adjusted torque split to front & rear wheels, Electronically variable center differential,

Front driveshaft & rear primary driveshaft allowed rotational speed difference,

4-wheel electronic traction control system is enabled



4H 4-wheel-drive with high range gearing (1.00:1) Part-time 4-wheel-drive capability, (not for dry pavement EVER)

Continuous 50/50 torque split to front & rear wheels, Electronically locked center differential,

Front driveshaft & rear primary driveshaft mechanically locked with no rotational speed difference,

4-wheel electronic traction control system is enabled



4L 4-wheel-drive with low range gearing (2.64:1) Part-time 4-wheel-drive capability, (off road usage, mostly)

Continuous 50/50 torque split to front & rear wheels, Electronically locked center differential,

Front driveshaft & rear primary driveshaft mechanically locked with no rotational speed difference,

4-wheel electronic traction control system is enabled, ESC and RSC are disabled



In 4A mode the center differential is electronically-controlled and rear drive wheel bias. The on-board computer monitors for any sign of rear drive wheel slip (loss of traction)

If loss of traction is detected, the center differential is told to send a share of the engine\'s torque to the front drive wheels. It will not let the front driveshaft turn at the same speed as the rear driveshaft.



What about traction management?

1997-2002 model Ford Expeditions offered an optional limited-slip rear differential (LSD). A conventional open rear differential was standard along with the conventional open front differential and the electronic locking center differential.

comment with out LSD, one tire can spin, on say ice.

but the other 3 tires dont, in full time.
0helpful
1answer

Sway to right on rough road

I'm not sure that you have a problem. When tire adhesion varies from side to side, the vehicle stance will often change. In your described situation, the passenger tires have dramatically reduced adhesion and the drivers side do not. A bit of a sway to the right would be normal and expected. It's rather like only the drivers side wheels are moving the car.
0helpful
1answer

Have had my sensors scanned an all are reading on scanner, when i activate tire learning mode the front will read but the rear wont read at all, have grounded the antenna remove the caps, let air out an in...

most of these cars you have to drive the car to reset the tire monitor to get a reading on it.the monitor can`t reset if the car isn`t driven so it can monitor wheel speed as this is how it knows if a tire has too little air in it compared to the other tires.less air more wheel rotation(has to spin more to keep up to other wheels),more air less wheel rotation.
1helpful
1answer

I'm stuck in the snow and I have front wheel drive. I'm in drive and my left side tire doesn't turn but my right one does is it broken

Not necessarily. That is the normal operation of the differential. If the Left tire is on dry pavement and/or getting good traction and the right tire is on snow and ice, the right tire will spin and the left tire will just sit there. If you can get something under the right tire (a board, large piece of cardboard, sand, salt.etc.) both tires will drive to get you out of the snow.
0helpful
1answer

My 2007 Mazda3 is the worst car I have ever driven on snow and ice? Is this a common problem and can anything be done about it?

First,any car that has low ground clearance can be a problem in deep snow. But the problem you are facing is probably related to the contact patch of the tires. If you have wide, flat tread, go-cart/race track style tires you will have problems in rain, on ice , and on snow. I am guessing you have too much tread on the ground for the weight of the car. You can try adding weight to the car ( sand bags in the trunk , it works for pick ups). I live in Minnesota. For one car I had to get narrower tires and rims ( about 2" to 3" narrower) for winter driving. It made all the difference in the world. If there is a different tire offered for your model that is narrower( off of the less sporty version) , you may want to buy a second set of wheels at the salvage yard for winter driving. This should take care of the problem.
13helpful
4answers

When i have my 4 wheel drive engaged making turns

If you are in 4WD, and not on a slippery surface, the tires may be having an effect called "scrubbing" where the tire on the outside of the turn is not rotating at the same rpms as the tire on the inside of the curve. I have noticed this on my jeep wrangler in 4wd.

Using 4wd on dry or non-slippery surfaces can cause this problem, and also will cause excessive tire wear.

Try the same manuever on a gravel road or a ice patch (it's been in 90s here in Texas, so good luck on that one) and see if it is improved.

Also, would probably expect a little more effort to steer when in 4wd because the universal joints or CV joints are not in perfect alignment during a turn.
0helpful
1answer

1996 Rodeo Isuzu - I put it in Winter Drive and now 1 rear wheel

Based on another similar problem and it was fixed driving backwards, that's exactly what I did. I drove the Rodeo backwards and then would stop and put it in gear and did this for 10 minutes until I worked the 4x4 gear loose and now all four wheels run. I must say, I created quite a sight driving backwards in a Wal-Green's parking lot for 10 minutes.
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