All Wheel Drive

[M45xATL]

I'm curious, as I haven't been able to get a definitive answer from searching the forum or from Infiniti literature- when exactly does the AWD kick in? I understand that most of the time under normal conditions the power is routed to the rear wheels, and under extreme conditions (ice, snow, heavy rain) the power can be split 50/50 between the front and rear wheels. Does it sometimes split power 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and so on in some circumstances, like in heavy rain? Is it 50/50 in standing starts? I have been in some conditions where a RWD car (like my old BMW 540i) would break traction before the traction control would kick in (usually on wet pavement), but never had that happen in my M45x- it has always been rock solid. It's like the awd system is always there to maintain traction.....it's a wonderful system! Can anyone shed some light on this?

[antzrus]

Always there...

[bejjutsu]

Always there...

I don't know about that, unless you mean to say that the OPTION to go to AWD is always there... To me, it feels like rear wheel drive whenever conditions are ideal and you're going faster than about 15MPH.

I'm going to lay out some facts and quotes from various sources:
-What you hear most often is this: "The system defaults to rear-wheel drive, but can be set at a 50/50 split." -Cargurus.com

-ATTESA (the technology behind the system): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATTESA

-"During hard bursts of acceleration, the Infiniti's front wheels can generate a front-wheel-drive-style torque-steer effect, in which power from the engine twists the steering wheel in the driver's hands. Moreover, as power spreads out amongst the four wheels, it can create a driveline lash that comes across to the driver as a jerk somewhere in the bowels of the car." -http://autos.aol.com/cars-Infiniti-M35x ... rt-review/ (Everyone should be familiar with this..)

Video straight from the manufacturer (2011 model, but I believe the principle remains the same): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2kR8ASIiPs

[antzrus]

Always there...

I don't know about that, unless you mean to say that the OPTION to go to AWD is always there... To me, it feels like rear wheel drive whenever conditions are ideal and you're going faster than about 15MPH.

I'm going to lay out some facts and quotes from various sources:
-What you hear most often is this: "The system defaults to rear-wheel drive, but can be set at a 50/50 split." -Cargurus.com

-ATTESA (the technology behind the system): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATTESA

-"During hard bursts of acceleration, the Infiniti's front wheels can generate a front-wheel-drive-style torque-steer effect, in which power from the engine twists the steering wheel in the driver's hands. Moreover, as power spreads out amongst the four wheels, it can create a driveline lash that comes across to the driver as a jerk somewhere in the bowels of the car." -http://autos.aol.com/cars-Infiniti-M35x ... rt-review/ (Everyone should be familiar with this..)

Video straight from the manufacturer (2011 model, but I believe the principle remains the same): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2kR8ASIiPs

Looks like I stand corrected. The above wikipedia piece explains it nicely.

[bejjutsu]

Looks like I stand corrected. The above wikipedia piece explains it nicely.

Do you want an argument!? Because I've read about those as well!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductive_argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric

[antzrus]

Looks like I stand corrected. The above wikipedia piece explains it nicely.

Do you want an argument!? Because I've read about those as well!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductive_argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetoric

Argument? Don't need no damn argument! "The wise man is the man who knows that he doesn't know..."---Socrates.

[kingcnc91]

hmm id like to try to make my car do that driveline lash.. sounds cool

[KickinPups2]

I had similar questions when I switched over from my Audi S4...I had a G35S prior to my(For summer use and the one day I took it out I flipped it in the snow on it's roof) M and Im glad I made the switch. All the info posted above is great but to give a complete break down outside of "wiki" read this comparison it enlightened me on how Infiniti's AWD works.Also according to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2kR8ASIiPs (depending on year and model there is a 50/50 diff change) Give this article a read should help anyone with questions as to competitors AWD or even if they are considering the switch.

http://www.carthrottle.com/the-carthrot ... ry-sedans/

[bejjutsu]

http://www.carthrottle.com/the-carthrot ... ry-sedans/

Great article!

Here's the summary:

Pros: 100% RWD until slip occurs, clever lightweight packaging (around 100lbs heavier than a manual G37), helps handling in good and bad conditions, you can tell people you have the AWD from a GT-R
Cons: Automatic only, only sends 50% power to front wheels, open diffs at both axles, more complex than most systems.

[merlinq2]

Even better summary- I like it - It works - It is Nissan