I took my 2001 MDX to Tahoe this weekend, where there was perhaps 2 or 3 inches of fresh snow on the roads. Every time I gave the car gas from a stop, the front tires would spin unless I was very gentle and backed off. If I didn't back off, the car started to turn sideways, usually, if not always to the left.
What's up with that?
And that was on a flat road. On a slight incline, the car had almost NO ability to go up hill at all, unless I was very VERY gentle on the gas, or unless I turned on the VTM-4 lock mode. Then it worked fine, at low speeds.
I drove my friend's explorer to Tahoe a couple of years ago, and we had 2 feet of snow, and the explorer drove through everything it encountered without even a twitch. Straight through everything. I tried gunning the engine, and it was straight as an arrow, no slipping at all as far as I can recall.
I expected less from my not full time 4wd MDX, but the experience I had was no better than my 1988 acura integra. I am not exaggerating. I have no confidence in the snow with the MDX unless I install chains, which I was trying to avoid when I bought the MDX in the first place.
So my question is: is my VTM not working? I've read all the web sites and see how it's actually supposed to work, and it seems as though I should feel sure-footed when I drive in the snow, that it should switch power to the rear wheels at least partially whenever I start from a stop, and should do quite well in the snow when I am already moving. But as I said, I didn't have that experience at all.
Any advice for me?
JP
What's up with that?
And that was on a flat road. On a slight incline, the car had almost NO ability to go up hill at all, unless I was very VERY gentle on the gas, or unless I turned on the VTM-4 lock mode. Then it worked fine, at low speeds.
I drove my friend's explorer to Tahoe a couple of years ago, and we had 2 feet of snow, and the explorer drove through everything it encountered without even a twitch. Straight through everything. I tried gunning the engine, and it was straight as an arrow, no slipping at all as far as I can recall.
I expected less from my not full time 4wd MDX, but the experience I had was no better than my 1988 acura integra. I am not exaggerating. I have no confidence in the snow with the MDX unless I install chains, which I was trying to avoid when I bought the MDX in the first place.
So my question is: is my VTM not working? I've read all the web sites and see how it's actually supposed to work, and it seems as though I should feel sure-footed when I drive in the snow, that it should switch power to the rear wheels at least partially whenever I start from a stop, and should do quite well in the snow when I am already moving. But as I said, I didn't have that experience at all.
Any advice for me?
JP