Disappointing 4WD performance on snow.

[Rezolution]

In snow, put it in snow mode, don't use 4A or "Normal" 4A. Snow mode still uses traction control. You can manually turn the traction control off. Snow mode also retards the throttle a bit.

If the snow is deep or it's icy, use mud/ruts. Mud/ruts locks it 50/50 and disables traction control by default. Don't drive fast in mud/ruts or do too much turning...

 

[Jimmer]

In snow, put it in snow mode, don't use 4A or "Normal" 4A. Snow mode still uses traction control. You can manually turn the traction control off. Snow mode also retards the throttle a bit.

If the snow is deep or it's icy, use mud/ruts. Mud/ruts locks it 50/50 and disables traction control by default. Don't drive fast in mud/ruts or do too much turning...

I agree, my preferred setting combination for snow driving is:

Snow mode with a double tap on the traction control button to put the traction control settings in "Sport Mode."

This allows a little more wheel slip without TC cutting back the power when I want/need to use throttle input to either help rotate the vehicle in the right direction via oversteer, or utilize power to the front wheels to help "pull" the vehicle in the direction I'm wanting to go.

This combination does not eliminate the lazier throttle response, which I wish it would, but is the best combination I can come up with since there is no customizable drive mode. Would really love to see a custom mode (or two) available in the future.

 

[Yupster Dog]

I can see now when I get my new expy I will have to keep the old one,
1 To keep the salt off the new truck.
2 To go 4H in the snow full out balls to the wall fun without the computer retarding anything, although the driver could be a bit retarded.

-not like the 30 of us here represent--well 30 of a bazillion people who would be putting diesel in their gas SUVs if it wasn't that the nozzle don't fit.

YA that does suck, they will never put an option on or have a setting just for the 30, only for the 30 billion idiots do they cater to.
I mean who wouldn't want to post a pic with a diesel nozzle hanging out of the expy.

 

[5280tunage]

For all the OE marked tires: BMW Star, Mercedes MO, etc... which come on their vehicles, are you saying that none of those are available in the aftermarket? All of the star marked BMW runflats to buy from Tirerack are actually a completely separate developed runflat marked with BMW?

Simple way to verify is check the full DOT codes of the tires you receive as aftermarket and compare to the original tires on the vehicle (or the P/N). I'm sure you'll find most of the same size / product line specs have the same DOT code as what was found on the vehicle (except the date code obviously).

No, if you saw the previous posts, and the one I replied to, i was specifically talking about the tires that are created specifically for OEM use, that, and to you response, Hankook makes tires for Ford that actually use the exact same series and models, but are slightly different to decrease costs. As I said, having worked at one of the largest tire shops out there, we used to do that a lot. We would get someone in that had a road hazard issue on a set of stock tires, and even if we had the same tire in stock, it may have actually had different DOT certs. Sometimes it's things like trad depth may be a little less, composition might be slightly different, in fact, some brands are making tires different right now so that car manufacturers can pass EPA requirements a little easier. But the consumer version of that very same tire may be different.

All I was referring to is those "custom" versions for vehicle manufacturers aren't typically going to show up on aftermarket sites, as they aren't orderable by consumers. And just as a side note, I actually had this exact issue on my last vehicle. Destroyed a stock tire offroad, and the not only was the replacement slightly higher tread depth than the stock tires (and they only had about 2k miles on them), but they were stiffer. Which was noticeable in some conditions.

 

[MxRacer965]

I live in W. Michigan, we generally get a good amount of snow if for no other reason due to lake effect. I’ve thought of my Expedition as a tank. It plows through everything I’ve seen so far with it much more sure footed than any other AWD/4A vehicle I’ve had. This includes a 2004 Grand Cherokee LTD, 2011 Grand Cherokee Summit, 2008 Infiniti M45x (x is AWD), and a 2015 Lincoln MKS AWD. Do I think the Grand Cherokee’s Quadra Drive is a bit better overall? Yeah. I think it engaged 4WD a little quicker and smoother. The Infiniti and Lincoln are my wife’s DD so I don’t get a lot of seat time in those but if memory serves those are full time AWD. Tires on those cars made big differences according to her. They still aren’t as confidence inspiring as the Expedition to me.

Generally though I find the Expedition to be extremely confidence inspiring driving through anything. Almost too much so. I find myself feeling like I can easy go faster than other vehicles around me. I have to temper that urge quite often...

 

[Modelcarguy]

What a surprise. Car tech is no replacement for “human” tech. At the first hint of trouble the question should have been - if the automated systems can’t handle it, how do I correct the problem?

Don’t blame the truck, point the finger where it belongs - at the person behind the wheel.

Too much of the time people forget they are the final answer to a problem. Stop what you’re doing, assess the situation and correct the problem. Tech, in any form can only do so much, anticipate so much. It is a helpmate to safely operate the vehicle, and doesn’t remove you from the chain of command.

 

[lurch]

I drive over mountain passes in the early morning while they are still snow-covered most weekends November - April. I hit one a few weeks ago that still had over a foot of untouched snow on it and the Expy drove up in fine in 4A w/ normal mode As what most people in the thread have already stated, snow performance differences between most AWD/4wd vehicles are really tire differences.

 

[Jimmer]

What a surprise. Car tech is no replacement for “human” tech. At the first hint of trouble the question should have been - if the automated systems can’t handle it, how do I correct the problem?

Don’t blame the truck, point the finger where it belongs - at the person behind the wheel.

Too much of the time people forget they are the final answer to a problem. Stop what you’re doing, assess the situation and correct the problem. Tech, in any form can only do so much, anticipate so much. It is a helpmate to safely operate the vehicle, and doesn’t remove you from the chain of command.

Couldn't agree more. I'm not sure about others, but my main motive in discussing all this is to figure out what/why/how the "Car Tech" intervenes so if I get into a situation where the "car tech" is in over its head (or counterproductive) I can make the appropriate driver inputs to remedy the situation. The more complicated the tech gets, the more difficult it becomes for a skilled driver to intervene in a productive way.

My last truck was a 2014 F150 platinum. When it was snowing hard and the roads got really bad, i would always put it in 4H and turn off the traction control. To me, this was allowing me to feel out the conditions better (without a false sense of security from traction control until it was too late) and use my skills as a driver to react how I had learned- while limiting potential intervention from the "Car tech." I always worry that the Car Tech could potentially negate my driver inputs or create a situation where my inputs combined with the tech inputs make the situation worse instead of better. By utilizing 4H and getting rid of most of the traction control's input, I felt like i was in the best position to safely feel out the road conditions and proceed appropriately.

The problem I have now is that I'm on the front end of the learning curve in my 2020 Expedition, and without an actual 4H, I am unable to replicate how I drove my F150. I am trying to learn how the car tech intervenes in different driving modes and traction control settings so that I can better use my abilities as a driver along with the car tech to actually drive safely and not just have a false sense of security until it's too late. Having blizzaks on almost hurts this situation as it adds another "safety feature" that helps me feel safer but still has limitations. Since the limitations are higher, the danger also increases when those limitations are surpassed.

Having a 1 year old in the car really changes a guy's perspective on things!

 

[Fozzy]

Kinda off topic but do the new 10 speed F-150’s have a 4H. My last F-150 was a 16’ and had it and my 18’ Superduty has it but they both have the 6 speed.


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[Brucek50]

Even with Mud&Snow Ice is tough. I've been over Sierras in a blizzard in the snow but slid all the way thru Tahoe on ice.