yesterday morning, I saw a Lexus RX400h driver getting stuck in snow. The SUV was parked on the street and its left side was covered by snow pushed in by the snowplow trucks.

I and a couple other neighbors helpe the guy and moved most of the snow... but the RX400h still couldn't get out. We saw the front wheels move, then stops... then the rear wheels started to spin, then stopped... the front and rear wheel took turns spinning, but the vehicles just stood still.

Finally we threw several shovels of gravel in front of all four tires and the RX400h finally made it out...

How can this happen on a 4-whee-drive vehicle?

This was in Vienna...

Why? Because it is an imported POS.

I have never gotten my SUVs stuck in any depth of snow. Ice, either.

all wheel drive isn't magical.

Firstly, the guy probably bought the cheapest tires he could find. He probably has poor traction even on wet roads, and lots of road noise and poor tracking. But he saved $50 bucks, and doesn't understand that saving $50 on tires amounts to saving less than a penny per mile.

But most likely, the guy is just an idiot, and like most people, when he gets stuck, he jams his foot on the gas pedal, believing more is always better.

If his car doesn't have a "snow" or "weather" or "traction" setting for his transmission, he should shift to second gear, and lightly press the gas pedal to only use a small amount of torque. Too much torque, even with all wheel drive, will leave a car just spinning it's wheels, with no traction whatsoever.

It's amazing how so few people understand the physics involved in operating a motor vehicle.

if anybody watched last night's news on Channel 9, there was a guy driving a
Chevy Suburban(with true 4WD). He also couldn't make it out of his driveway
with only 6 inches of snow. It was an older Suburban('98 or '99) with those
ugly Jeep tires. I don't get it... why would it get stuck like that?

Illina Wrote:
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> if anybody watched last night's news on Channel 9,
> there was a guy driving a
> Chevy Suburban(with true 4WD). He also couldn't
> make it out of his driveway
> with only 6 inches of snow. It was an older
> Suburban('98 or '99) with those
> ugly Jeep tires. I don't get it... why would it
> get stuck like that?


"It's amazing how so few people understand the physics involved in operating a motor vehicle."

The guy was demonstrating the power stupidity has to negate technology.

when will car companies listen to people and start making hover-cars... its just rediculous that we live in an age where we cant float over snow.

asshat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> when will car companies listen to people and start
> making hover-cars... its just rediculous that we
> live in an age where we cant float over snow.


According to Algore and all the sycophants, they're working on the solution to the problem of snow. Why make a car that can float over snow when you can just melt all the snow.

4 times 0 is the same as 2 times 0........................

This would all be solved if we could just zoom around in 4WD segways.

"If his car doesn't have a "snow" or "weather" or "traction" setting for his transmission, he should shift to second gear, and lightly press the gas pedal to only use a small amount of torque. Too much torque, even with all wheel drive, will leave a car just spinning it's wheels, with no traction whatsoever."


...So, with an automatic transmission, when you put it in "2" or "shift to second gear" it will still start in first gear. It limits the transmission from going above 2nd gear in to 3rd.

It's amazing how so few people understand the physics involved in operating a motor vehicle.

whateves.. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "If his car doesn't have a "snow" or "weather" or
> "traction" setting for his transmission, he should
> shift to second gear, and lightly press the gas
> pedal to only use a small amount of torque. Too
> much torque, even with all wheel drive, will leave
> a car just spinning it's wheels, with no traction
> whatsoever."
>
>
> ...So, with an automatic transmission, when you
> put it in "2" or "shift to second gear" it will
> still start in first gear. It limits the
> transmission from going above 2nd gear in to 3rd.
>
> It's amazing how so few people understand the
> physics involved in operating a motor vehicle.


In some newer cars, that might be true. But it isn't always true.

In my MB E350, it actually does upshift to 2nd if I pull the transmission back to the pseudo "manual" and tap the shifter to the left. You can even feel the transmission shifting up. But i have a "w" and "s" switch that allows me to set the transmission to start automatically in 2nd, so it's sort of a moot point with my car.

Okay, here is what happened. Lexus hybrids have the same dumb traction control system that Toyota's have (Toyota owns Lexus). This traction control system, if it senses any major slipping will take away all power to the driven wheels. If you don't belive me, watch this video with a Prius (same traction control as any Toyota or Lexus hybrid has(RX400hybrid)) trying to get up a driveway with a little ice on it. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y52iW82dupM

Why in the f**k are you people talking about snow when its 92 degrees outside.

Hello people,
I read your post and i thought to share this with you Lexus RX400h owners.
I have done this during the snow storm hit Jordan and the middle east this year.

To turn off the traction control in order to make all wheels spin follow these easy steps, you will be amazed >>

1- switch the car off, then switch it on without (ready) light.
2- while on P, press the gas pedal 4 times.
3- shift to N, press the gas pedal 4 times.
4- Shift to P again, press gas pedal 4 times.

Then a message will appear saying traction control is off, this way you can drive on all wheels without the silly computer controlling the wheels.

Once you are done, just turn the vehicle off, then turn it on just normal way and the traction will be back again.

Let me know if this works for you.

Thank God, I've been waiting SIX YEARS for someone to resolve this issue...

My Duramax laughs so hard it belches black sooty smoke every time it passes one of those Japanese turds in the snow.

Traction Grandpa Wrote:
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> Thank God, I've been waiting SIX YEARS for someone
> to resolve this issue...

LOL!

Because an SUV is a stupid useless vehicle that is why. PS. I'm going to go look for the footage now so I can laugh at that teenie weenie.

Illina Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> if anybody watched last night's news on Channel 9,
> there was a guy driving a
> Chevy Suburban(with true 4WD). He also couldn't
> make it out of his driveway
> with only 6 inches of snow. It was an older
> Suburban('98 or '99) with those
> ugly Jeep tires. I don't get it... why would it
> get stuck like that?

I wouldn't have helped. I would have just recorded it and put it on you tube so everyone could laugh at his teenie weenie problem.

Clarkmilles Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yesterday morning, I saw a Lexus RX400h driver
> getting stuck in snow. The SUV was parked on the
> street and its left side was covered by snow
> pushed in by the snowplow trucks.
>
> I and a couple other neighbors helpe the guy and
> moved most of the snow... but the RX400h still
> couldn't get out. We saw the front wheels move,
> then stops... then the rear wheels started to
> spin, then stopped... the front and rear wheel
> took turns spinning, but the vehicles just stood
> still.
>
> Finally we threw several shovels of gravel in
> front of all four tires and the RX400h finally
> made it out...
>
> How can this happen on a 4-whee-drive vehicle?
>
> This was in Vienna...

SUV drivers always overestimate the abilities of their stupid useless vehicles. For example in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5Jezb_pxs

I find it hard to believe anyone considers the lexus RX a real suv. It's not designed to be one, and 4wd won't help.

Lexus RX400h is not a real suv...seeing a jeep, ford explorer, or Subaru stuck would be noteworthy though.

We had a Lexus 350 and it wasn't 4 wheel drive. We now have a Jeep with 4 wheel drive and it went great. But still had to put up with all the other drivers.

Your pussyass Toyota/Lexus 4WD isn't real AWD. IT's that part time bullshit with no limited slip differential. hOW DARE you call that AWD.

I have a bullshit AWD car too, but at least it lets me lock the clutches (vt4m lock) in for a semi true 4wd if I'm stuck. Still only like 10% of the power gets to the back.

That said, a FWD car will do just fine around here. Maybe a couple days last year you would have had trouble, but 99% of the time you'd be fine.


Look at cops and taxis in their RWD crown vics, getting around just fine.

...you only drive overcompensation vehicles.

Nicdoot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We had a Lexus 350 and it wasn't 4 wheel drive. We
> now have a Jeep with 4 wheel drive and it went
> great. But still had to put up with all the other
> drivers.

So basically... Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...you only drive overcompensation vehicles.
>
> Nicdoot Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We had a Lexus 350 and it wasn't 4 wheel drive.
> We
> > now have a Jeep with 4 wheel drive and it went
> > great. But still had to put up with all the
> other
> > drivers.


Leave Nicdoot alone, she is one of the nicer posters left on FFXU.

Pics or it didn't happen jerk

Saw a Toyota Land Cruiser that couldn't make it up a hill yesterday. But it was being driven by an Asian, so you have to take that into account.

"This was in Vienna..."

Well there is your problem. Nothing works right in Vienna. 'nuff said.

My 02 Grand Cherokee is pretty good in the snow. I've only gotten stuck once. The snow was deeper than the floor of the car and it just collected under the car and beached all 4 wheels. Can't do much about that..

There are special snow driving settings that the driver has to manually select on the steering wheel to engage the transmission properly on the 400h. Not engaging this when needed is likely what happened.

Still it is not a true 4 wheel drive vehicle where you can lock on all 4 wheels.

Regardless - face it there are too many local people that have no clue how to drive in 3" of snow. What a joke that the entire area is paralyzed with only a light snowfall. 1/3 of the nation endures snow and temps like this every week all winter - and the kids still go to school, and the people still go to work.

The WRX STi and the Lancer Evo would probably do much better in the snow than your crappy RX, and they're not even SUVs.

You want real AWD? Get a real AWD car.

* Lots of Jeep's offerings
* Some of the body-on-frame GM trucks
* Pretty much any Subaru
* VW Golf R/R32
* Audi Quattro-enabled cars (A3 is pretty much the same as the Golf R)
* Land Cruiser, 4Runner
* AWD Volvos

asdfgh3srga Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You want real AWD? Get a real AWD car.
>
> * Lots of Jeep's offerings
> * Some of the body-on-frame GM trucks
> * Pretty much any Subaru
> * VW Golf R/R32
> * Audi Quattro-enabled cars (A3 is pretty much the
> same as the Golf R)
> * Land Cruiser, 4Runner
> * AWD Volvos


Volkswagen Golf? Are you shitting me?
You might as well have just put a motorcycle on this list too, while you're at it.

You're aware it's still front drive based, right? And that the Golf R isn't made for off-roading, right?

I drive a Jeep and can tell y'all that was a tough little snow due to being so fine and powdery with super cold temps. I almost needed four wheel drive on the way to work 25 miles from here. It was slippery as hell.

Thanks for standing up for me. I try to be nice on her. he probably doesn't want to know that we also used to drive an Audi. Hehe

Just bought a RAV4 and love it but haven't driven it in the elements yet. I think it should do well although it's not a super heavy car.

Typical AWD / 4WD means 1 of the 4 wheels will spin, typically the one without traction.

Locked FZJ80 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Typical AWD / 4WD means 1 of the 4 wheels will
> spin, typically the one without traction.


Generally not since most have separate front and rear diffs in some form and many these days have various types of traction control. So more like 2 spinning even for the point that you're trying to make.

No, it's not as good as that goes versus lockers. But I doubt you're running full locked on the road around here anyway.