How does the all wheel drive work on the xtype? Is there a button to hit to kick it into action or it is automatic? Not used to driving in da snow but would like to know how the awd works relative to that. Any ideas? Thanks

 

It is always engaged. You don't need to do anything.
Don't make the mistake of pushing the traction control button down near the cupholder and turn it off the control accidentally.

If you think you did this, look at your display where your mileage is and when you push it again it will tell you whether you turned it on or off.

No need to ever turn it off, IMO.

 

ummm at the risk of sounding cheeky,

it is ALL WHEEL DRIVE

All the wheels are connected to the transmission ALL the time

All wheel drive = full time four wheel drive.

The jag centre differential divides torque 60/40 rear/front and then of course 50/50 at each of the front and rear diffs. Some cars have a viscous coupling, and may have DSC. before explaining how your awd works this information is needed.


Please put snow tires on if you are in the snow... all wheel drive is only a slight improvement over 2 wheel drive unless you install snow tires - then it will be magnificent

That being said please post your year, and options to get a better explanation.

 

Get yourself at the bottom of a snowy hill and try to get up with the DSC off... there are situations where you need some wheelspin to get going.
That is the most important time to understand how to use the button.
Also if you have to cross a busy street in the snow, you certainly dont want a computer shutting down all power to the wheels when you are part way across and a big truck is coming.... If you need to charge across a street in the winter, you had better have the DSC off.

You also cant do a quick turn around on a snowy street with the DSC on.

Also, how are you going to learn to be a good driver and learn good car control if you cant practice long 4wheel drifts in the snow?

I strongly urge everyone to get their car into an empty snowy parking lot (no curbs around) and practice skidding with and without the DSC on.
If you dont understand how it works, you are missing out on a HUGE part of car control.

 

I second that!! In the winter time, I get in the habit of hitting that button every time I start the car. The DSC system is great.. for use in RAIN but, if your driving in snow, that system is a large bother. Plus I've had the trac control kick on before randomly, not needed and, ended up spinning into a ditch. Snow+DSC no good. Turn it off, you have WAY more control over your vehicle

 

I am not going to agree with leaving it off... 99%of the time it is a very important safety feature. I am just saying that there are some circumstances that are better with it off, that of course is why the switch is there to begin with.

a snowy road with snow tires and DSC is awesome ...

Not sure how you managed to get in a ditch!

 

my 2002 was AMAZING in the snow on all season tires....

my 2006.... is HORRIBLE without snow tires!!! NOT happy about the change in the AWD system...

the 2002 awd system was amazing, I used to fly by everyone in that car when it was snowing.
My 2006 feels like I'm driving my RWD SC430 in the snow

 

all your senses smell, sight, touch, sight, taste might be telling you "amazing" but until you put 4 good snow tires on.. you will never find out what amazing really is.

the only difference is the lack of the viscous coupling in the newer cars.
I really suspect the issues is tires not the lack of VC.

I think the new car with snow tires will be better than the '02 with allseasons and the VC.

 

I completely disagree - how many cars NEVER came with any sort of stability control before they were invented? All of them! People need to learn to drive, not rely on electric ninnies. That is TRULY the ONLY way to be safe on the road - that and paying attention to whats around you.

/end rant

 

not one for technical progress are you?

how many horse and buggies came with them pesky engines ?

I agree with what you are saying, and we have a whole world of horribly skilled drivers out there, but DSC is not something to avoid.

DSC is a fantastic marvel of science. Sure there are passive and active safety approaches, and I tend to favour the active ones, but DSC needs to be understood before it is badmouthed.
The system is a far cry from an electronic nanny. It can read wheel speed, steering angle, and vehicle rotation. All to compute if the car is following its intended path. then it can use hydraulic pumps, accumulators, valves, throttle actuators, and of course the brakes themselves to address the problem.

Sure a skilled driver can sense when the car is not following the right path. They can use the gas pedal, and the brake pedal to help correct the skid. What the DSC can do that a driver can not do is it can apply each of the 4 wheel brakes independantly! it is revolutionary. There has never been a way to do this in the past. Even if there were 4 brake pedals, the calculations and decisions to make are far beyond what a human can do in a near-crash situation.
You really need to try this out on a snowy road. Just when you are about to ease on or off the gas, or start to counter-steer for a skid, the system is always a few milisecond ahead of you. AND it does a better job of correcting the skid than a good driver ever could.

 

You can borrow the keys to the cable driven drum braked cb175 in my garage anytime it snows. You really must be creative to stop her

 

Thanks guys and thanks benebob for the laugh. Anyway, I have a 2003 Xtype 2.5 and I dont have a DSC button. I only have a "S" for sport right by my gearstick. Now i dont know if it means the same thing but i assume it does. Enlighten me on this one. And sport, how much difference on a scale of 1 - 10, does the snow tires make?

 

Snow tires would be about a 15.....maybe 20 if your current tires are are high performance summer only tire or if your current tires are very worn. In snow, tires are everything. If you have a brand new set of high performance tires on your car and it snows out, you are taking your life into your hands if you can even get going awd or not. Plus, awd does not help you stop.

Just curious, what kind of tires do you currently have on your car and what condition are they?

 

While I live in Dallas, TX now, for almost 40 of my 52 years on earth, I lived in upstate New York, Syracuse to be specific. More than that, I commuted between Syracuse and Oswego (right on Lake Ontario). For those of you that KNOW what lake effect snow is, this will mean something to you. For those of you who don't I hope you never have to find out. I have driven in conditions where the only way to see was to roll down the window and look out to the side to see if you could make out the mile markers to tell if you were anywhere near the center of the road. That said, I agree completely that it is necessary every winter to find an empty parking lot and practice. While I have not had an opportunity to drive an AWD Jag on snow, I can say that I am most confident when driving a rear wheel drive on snow.

Mark

 

Like Mark, I spent many years (34 to be precise) in the snow stretching from Buffalo to Albany long before any of today's electronic aids were even contemplated. A good set of snow tires however were a must. I can recall clearly at the first sticking snowfall the process for adapting one's driving technique. Re-gaining one's "sea legs" if you will. You learned pretty quickly how to slow down on snot slick roads without upsetting the car and swapping ends going down the road. The same goes for getting going without spinning the tires to death. It took paying attention and a bit of practice. AWD and snow tires is probably a kick butt setup but living in California I'll probably never get to find out. As far as stability control goes, I can't say that I'm all that excited by it. I believe that's a driver's job that should not be minimized. Kind of like self parking cars. Just puts more drivers out there with diminishiing skills. That's just MY opinion as it pertains to me.

 

No, the S button and DSC are not the same thing and have nothing to do with each other.

There would be a DSC button where that little coin holder thingy is near your cupholder if you had DSC. You don't.

I grew up near Erie, PA and lake effect snow was just a fact of life. Putting snow tires on in October was part of everyone's schedule. All seasons and summer tires just don't have the right compounds to hook up on ice and snow, AWD, 4WD, 20WD whatever isn't going to compensate for that.

If you live in an area that gets ice and snow, get proper tires. Your safety and everyone else's on the road depends on it.


+1 for practicing too - I don't care if you have electrical nannies or not, you need to know how your car (and you) reacts in poor conditions. Plus it's fun.

 

I enjoy reading these posts... because it's so true that you have to know the limits of your car IF you are used to push limits and you also have to have safety equipments when you get in troubles... Today I was driving with my 3.0 X in severe conditions (temperature dropped rapidly from -10C to 0C) Everything was cool like always, no problems at all when accelerating from 60km/h to 110km/h on the slushy highway to pass some grannies with hats and all. When I was using intersection to join crossing highway my wife told me not drive so fast to so tight curve I had 60km/h all the way and I pulled my shoe slightly from the pedal. Then it happened... car started to slide badly and I couldn't stay in my lane at that point... at least she was not saying all what she thought and boy I was shamed. I was driving too close to limits and there was some Ice in that position, also it might be a mistake to brake with engine at that point but what we can learn out of this is that we never should overestimate our skills or all mighty Jaguar and there's always possibility to rapid change in driving conditions and then it's nice to be protected. Still I love my snow leopard and promised myself to take her better care in future... no no, shame on you, I'm talking about my lovely wife.

 

yes and no.

there is All wheel Drive and there is FULL TIME all wheel drive.

GM is making their newer vehicles like the equanox with "all wheel drive" there idea of all wheel drive is just like using 4auto in my GMC Jimmy. the main drive wheels (equanox Front) do all the work untill it scenes any slipping then the rears turn on. this is designed this way for fuel economy. on my jimmy its rwd till they slip then the fronts turn on, or i can use 4hi 4lo 2hi...i have the upgraded transfer-case.

with AWD all 4 axle shafts are always engaged, its just weather they are being given power all the time or not that is the question, and depends on the make, model, year.

the X Type is full time all wheel drive, just like Subaru. im not sure but i think Cadillac are full time all wheel drive for the models that are equip with it.

 

I dont know what is not clear.

All wheel drive = all wheels connected at all times, receiving torque at all times, no way to disengage them (various methods of adjusting torque but they are always connected by a geartrain permanently. There must be a centre differential to be AWD compared to 4WD.


4Auto on the GMC is not all wheel drive. The front wheels are only connected when there is slip, then a clutch pack engages the front wheels. They are not connected directly by a geartrain. and certainly not receiving torque ALL the time. WHen the GM case is in auto, there is a centre diff, it is automatic "on demmand" awd
4hi and 4lo have a locked centre diff... dangerous at any speed beyond getting unstuck.

Dont worry about what the dealers tell you. They dont really have a clue. even the literature is bunk. I spent 15 years working in a factory that assembles transfer case... I have touched the gears, the clutches etc..

 

i did not mean that my jimmy is all wheel drive, i was saying that it has a 4 auto feature that engages the drive axles but does not put power to them until the car feels that it is required, it is 4x4. this feature is similar to how the newer AWD systems are in the scene that the axles are engaged and power is mainly given to 1 set of dominant drive wheels until power is requested by the cars computer to send power to the other wheels.(awd cars can not be disengaged)
owners manual: page 2-26
"AUTO 4WD: This setting is ideal for use when road conditions are variable. When driving your vehicle in AUTO 4wd, the front axle is engaged, but the vehicles power is sent only to the rear wheels. When the vehicle scenes a loss in traction, the system will automatically engage four-wheel drive. driving in this mode results in slightly lower fuel economy."

equanox awd power distribution: awd, but fwd with power given to the rears when required, it may have some power at all times in the rear but it is minimal.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1ee5cf

http://www.gmtruckclub.com/forum/sho...ox-Torrent-use

i have personally driven an awd equanox and i was greatly disappointed when i found out first hand that it was not AWD all the time. it was raining and i hit the gas going uphill, front wheels spun just like a normal FWD vehicle would then the rears kicked in. i did not like it at all and i can definitely see it causing more harm than good when the driver does not expect it to happen.

for the OP - yes the X type is all wheel drive ALL THE TIME.
power distribution depends on year, i believe the 02 had equal power50-50 f+r but in 04ish it went 60f+40r.