Not Impressed

[Raque Thomas]

with the VX's snow manners!

I finally got my VX back from the ex-wife and drove it in the snow for the first time today. If my TOD is working correctly - IT SUCKS!!! I've owned several Cherokees and Explorers and never had a 4X4 that handles the snow so poorly! I saw a post a while back about someone doing a 360 in the snow by accident, and everyone said that shouldn't happen - I pulled away from a red light, turning right and almost swapped ends - the rear end swung around and pointed me sideways - without a lot of gas. I am VERY familiar with driving in slick conditions, and like I said have never had a 4X4 that handled so poorly. I've got the stock tires with 20k on them.

My TOD gauge was lighting up like a set of blinking Christmas lights - up and down, up and down everytime I took off (I wasn't doing jack rabbit starts - just normal, snowy condition starts). Seems like it should engage the front wheels and leave them engaged for a short while, instead of rapid engaging and disengaging. Is this how the system is supposed to work? If so, I'd like to figure out hosw to hook up a switch to leave the 4X4 high engaged for these kinds of conditions. I slid several times, and there was a lot of activity audibly going on in the drivetrain. Also, the ABS system seems extremely sensitive in these conditions, and would engage at the drop of a hat. I was looking forward to bragging about the prowess of the VX in the snow - now I'm hoping no one asked me how it did!

[VehiX]

1, sounds like you need new tires. 2, You need to take the power mode off and use alternate gears depending on the conditions. 3rd is good the snow IMHO. Power mode in the snow is not needed. There's a lot of torque put to the wheels with the power mode on. Hell, I can get tod to kick in on dry roads with plenty of tread on the tires

The ABS is sensitive because you are trying to stop a very heavy vehicle in snowy, slippery conditions. Work on anticipating your breaking distances.

I would recomend finding a big, empty parking lot and getting use to how the VX performs in these conditions.

[coachreed]

Sound completely wrong to me... my VX (before the motor went) got around GREAT in the snow... I was TRYING to slide and had a hard time doing so... heck, I was driving regular freeway speeds in a snow storm that had everyone else doing 20-25 mph... I LOVE my VX in the snow... I just hope that i have the new motor in before the last snow... not gonna be in time for the NEXT one... expecting to get 8-1 5 inches fron Saturday night thru Monday sometime... gotta love it! Sounds to me that you need new tires. As for ABS... even in good conditions I think the ABS is sketchy... don't care for ABS on any vehicle... I am from the school of pumping my own brakes anyway... I don't need no stinking ABS. I know of a couple other Isuzu vehicles that have had ABS problems... not the VX... but Amigo and Rodeo have had service bulletins on the ABS... if not recalls.

Anyway... get new tires... get some practice... if it keeps slipping and sliding like that, I'd consider having the TOD checked out. I wonder if the TOD display could be displaying what it SHOULD be doing... even if its NOT doing it... if that made any sense.

Good Luck... TTYL!

[VXRaNgEr]

Yup! I drove to Denver (50 miles) on ICE(!), not snow and the VX did wonderfully. Other 4WDs (namely trucks) were getting stuck going up slight grades while I just zipped along. And this is with stock Duelers at 35psi. Someone else had posted about the TOD lighting up but the front wheels not engaging. Maybe you should check it out? Even without the TOD working, the VX has one of the tightest limited slip rear diffs made...

[billh23]

I am still getting used to my VX in the snow too. I have owned a Ford 4x4 pickup and a Ford Explorer 4x4. Both vehicles reacted quite a bit different in the snow then my VX has. It doesn't really feel like it has true 4x4, which maybe it doesn't?? I get quite a bit of snow driving practice in MN, currently my street has been frozen with snow since December. It seems to react more like a rear-wheel drive car then a 4x4 truck. The handling doesn't seem quite there when you are driving on all hard pack snow or a mix of hard pack and cement. I find my back end kicking out a lot when giving it some pedel, which normally wouldn't happen on a 4x4 truck when 4x4 high.

[mrtew]

I discovered a little button on the console near the Power button labled "Winter". It really helps! It's almost impossible to get the back end to whip around on you like it does with only the Power button on. Has anyone else tried it? They must have put it there for some reason. Seriously.

[yal^]

well...
The weather conditions in Chicago area weren't so great in last couple of weeks, so I thought my VX with new all terrain BFG's A/T 265/75/16 will go through with no bigger problems, but...
Road handling is not bad at all once it's moving. It's the corners and taking off that are giving me problems. I sled through the stop sign; TOD and ABS were working, and almost got hit by oncoming car. It's not my driving either, although I tend to have a heavy foot, but freezing rain and short distance to the exit did not let me to get any speed. It is better than any truck I drove before, definitely better than my aunts' Cherokee, but I feel it could be better. Finally, after a week of this sliding I used Power Drive. It got better, a little better, but still... I guess there is no solution for ice. We gonna dance on it anyway...

[coachreed]

Originally posted by yal^
blah blah blah yak yak yak...but still... I guess there is no solution for ice... blah blah blah yah yak yak

Have you never heard of studded snow tires? I have seen jeep races in colorado on frozen lakes... them damn things launch like rockets and corner like they are onl rails... ok, relatively speaking... no, studded snow tires aren't for everyday use, but there IS a solution to ice...

TTYL!

Coach!

[Daver]

Originally posted by billh23
It seems to react more like a rear-wheel drive car then a 4x4 truck.

I'll agree with this to an extent. TOD is fundamentally reactive, and not proactive. I've been wanting a 4Hi since I got the thing. It really doesn't have the raw traction of full-time 4WD except in 4Lo.

-Daver

[dog]

This is my first winter with the VX and my experience is similar to Rac and Yal's. I have driven Cherokees, Grand Cherokees and an Explorer over the past 15 years. The VX IS diferent. It's great when you get going, but it does perform like a 2wd until TOD kicks in at about 7mph. I've held off getting new tires and debated about get snow tires just for winter (studded tires are illegal in my State), tall and narrow for the snow, and wider for the remaining eight months of the year. But, still thinking that one over.

Back to driving. If you use the Winter button, you have to engage it every time you stop. Not always practical in city driving. I agree that the slow-turn or turn-from-stop create the most problems. I've found that accelerating through the turn gets the best results....get the front tires spinning and kick in TOD and pull your way through the turn. Not so easy in traffic......hard to push on the accelerator when reading the bumper sticker in front of you. But, take it out in an open area and play with it. Try different techniques, the VX is different. Once you get it going, it's great in the snow. I've always rated a 4wd on how it cuts through the ruts when you change lanes at highway speeds. The Cherokee was the best (like a hot knife through butter) and the Explorer the worst. The VX is right up there with the Cherokee.

Stopping.....that's another issue. I'm still working on that one. I've held off disconnecting the ABS, still getting the "feel" of the sensitive system. Pulling the fuse or installing a switch may be the answer. But I'm not giving up just yet.

As we all know, our VX is different. It looks different and performs differently, that's why we own one. "Different" is not bad, in fact, it's good.

[autox-racer]

Hmm, I am very impressed with the VX TOD.

However, you cannot compare it to a full time 4wd or AWD. It is a little tricky because the rear wheels have to start spinning before more power is transmitted to the front. I personally prefer it that way because i can throw it sideways with throttle induced oversteer and then counter steer to pull it out of the spin as the TOD kicks (works in snow/wet/grass/mud) … couple that with our low gearing and I can understand why my VX is a little twitchy taking off in snow.

Makes for a fun vehicle to drive in my opinion. In a straight line i have great acceleration in the snow... almost scary acceleration as i realize im doing 40mph in no time, down a street with parked cars on both sides of me and limited brake traction.

The one area im have problems with is the massive understeer I get when turning on snow. I don’t know if it is my nitto terra grapplers or if it is just the vehicle being so damn heavy. I have solved this problem by stomping on the gas so the TOD kicks in. I cant remember how my stock tires did during turning in snow but I do remember them being almost bald and they had great acceleration in a straight line.

[AnalogVX]

Originally posted by coachreed
Have you never heard of studded snow tires? I have seen jeep races in colorado on frozen lakes... them damn things launch like rockets and corner like they are onl rails... ok, relatively speaking... no, studded snow tires aren't for everyday use, but there IS a solution to ice...

TTYL!

Coach!

Studded tires are illegal on any road in Illinois. Except for emegency vehicles. So we keep dancing.

[joe-yamma]

I had similar problems until i got my 255/70/16 BFG A/T's...
I have found that staying on the gas (when possible of course) really increases control as the front wheels pull you along and straighten you out.

I will admit that I am still suspect of the ABS, but I have been getting used to it at least. Hopefully, any braking problems I have will disappear when I put new rotors and pads all the way around.

Joe

[VXRaNgEr]

It just snowed this morning so I'm gonna go out and shoot some VIDEO of this b!tch in the snow if I get some time. Check your laws on studded tires...almost everyone in NY and VT had 'em and I've heard a couple out here. Yep, HEARD. Those things are the loudest set of skins you can buy. They sound like you're driving on millions of suction cups...wait, that's kinda cool isn't it?

[Eckstream]

I spun mine the first time I drove in the snow too. I was on a straight road and got on it..... Next thing I know Im off the road. I think its because of the extremely short wheel base. As for the ABS I just pulled the fuse out. I never did like ABS.....