All wheel drive / snow driving:

thanks to the storm, i took the M35x for a ride tonight, went on the highway, local roads and everywhere. the car did great, just great.

i had the snow button on and the "slip" warning light only went on once.

for reference, my car is still pretty new and the tires only have 500 miles on them so i guess that gave great traction. this, in my opinion might have caused bias conditions in this review, but anyway.

a couple of things that i noticed:

1. there is no place for me to put my change / coins2. i dont like the locations of the vdc off button, lane departure off button and the mirror adjuster button 3. i dont like the fact that i cant use cruise control when i have the snow button on, or when i have the vdc off4. the trunk requires a hard slam to be closed

this is not a list of complaint because i love my m35x. i just noticed these little things (every car is got them) and thought i would share with the forum. now, on to my questions:

1. there is a AWD light on the dash, when will this light go on?

2. i pressed the snow button so does that mean i am in 50/50 awd mode instantly? or, does the car go into the 50/50 awd mode when it detects slippage?

waldis wrote:All wheel drive / snow driving:

now, on to my questions:

1. there is a AWD light on the dash, when will this light go on?

2. i pressed the snow button so does that mean i am in 50/50 awd mode instantly? or, does the car go into the 50/50 awd mode when it detects slippage?

1. The AWD light is a WARNING light, it will come on:The AWD warning light comes on when the ignition switch is pushed to the ON position. It turns off soon after the engine is started.

If any malfunction occurs in the AWD system while the engine is running, the warning light will come on.

The warning light may blink rapidly (about twice per second) while trying to free a stuck vehicle due to high power train oil temperature. The driving mode may change to two-wheel drive. If the warning light blinks rapidly during operation, stop the vehicle with the engine idling in a safe place immediately. Then if the light goes off after a while, you can continue driving.

A large difference between the diameters of front and rear wheels will make the warning light blink slowly (about once per two seconds). Pull off the road in a safe area, and idle the engine. Check that alltire sizes are the same, tire pressure is correct and tires are not worn.

2. Snow mode switch:

For driving or starting the vehicle on snowy roads or slippery areas, turn on the SNOW mode switch and the indicator light on the switch will illuminate. When the SNOW mode is activated, engine output is controlled to avoid wheel spin.

3. i dont like the fact that i cant use cruise control when i have the snow button on, or when i have the vdc off

Although I have not tried it, there is no mention when using conventional cruise control in the manual.

Automatic cancellationA chime sounds under the following conditions and the control is automatically canceled.When the vehicle slows down more than 8 MPH (13 km/h) below the set speed When the vehicle speed falls below approximately 20 MPH (32 km/h)When the selector lever is shifted to the N (Neutral) positionWhen the VDC operates (except ABS, which is functional with ICC system operation)When the engine coolant temperature becomes excessively high.

Tried the "Conventional" cruise control today with VDC off and "Snow Mode" switch on, cruise control works.