“(Some people use AWD and 4WD interchangeably… but, traditionally AWD referred to a system that can be used at all times, usually it runs power to 2 wheels until there is some slip and then distributes it to all 4. 4WD refers to systems that rigidly lock all 4 wheels together, so it cannot be used on dry pavement without damage (since the wheels turn at different speeds when cornering or turning.))”
Thats not quite accurate. AWD is on all the time, it uses a differential of some type to distribute power to the front and rear wheels. The center differential is usually some type of limited slip, but AWD vehicles have been produced with a standard differential. Those did not work very well because when you lost traction on one wheel, you were stuck.
A true 4wd has a locking gearset in the center. The term differential doesn’t really apply here as it does not allow different speeds between the front and rear wheels. It is either all on or all off. Because the front and rear wheels turn at different rates in a corner, you do not want to engage the 4wd on a high traction surface.
At each end of the vehicle, the differentials are usually standard differentials but some vehicles may have a limited slip in the rear.
There is a guy who took an old Toyota Tercel 4wd wagon, welded the rear differential to make it a true “posi-traction”, added a snorkel to the air filter and drove it into a pond, and back out. Its on youtube, search for “tercel”. That thing showed up the big boys, but he had to trailer it to the site, it was not streetable because of the rearend.
There is another video of a blue Tercel doing the same thing but I don’t know if he modified the rear end. I suspect that he put a limited slip from an AWD Corolla in the rear as the Tercel did not have LS available.
My friend has an AWD Subaru. But part of the A on the logo on the back was broken off, and it looks like an F. That’s why I thought it was front wheel drive.
There were never any Ford Rangers made with 4WD or AWD. It is their little pickup with FWD. I even looked underneath to make sure. Were you thinking of a Range Rover or an Escape?
“There were never any Ford Rangers made with 4WD or AWD. It is their little pickup with FWD. I even looked underneath to make sure. Were you thinking of a Range Rover or an Escape?”
Ummm, every single Ranger ever made was either rear wheel drive or four wheel drive. There is no front wheel drive model.
There are many Ford Rangers with 4wd, My granddaughter’s husband has one. 2nd gear start helps a lot in snow or ice, because there is less torque to the wheels. However, I do not know if any vehicles have it now. CrusOmatic used to have it and my '99 and '01 S-10 had it.
My friend does have a front wheel drive Ranger. I looked under his hood, and saw a transverse engine.
My traction control uses the brakes. Acceleration on wet roads activated it a couple of times, and it sounded just like antilock brakes. But it didn’t act until the front of the car had slid sideways a few inches. This was at a stop sign on an uphill incline. This makes it useless for my problem.
The traction control also activated in the driveway once during a downpour. It then shut itself off, with the “traction control off” light blinking.
I don’t know if I mentioned this, but the reason the driveway is so hard to get out of is that the street is about three feet higher than the rest of my land. The incline is a 20% grade, and there is a lip at the top where the driveway meets the street, ostensibly to keep rainwater out of the driveway (it does not work).
I have done more research. Nobody, not even the dealer, can tell me anything about this. GM told me to ask the dealer. The dealer said he would have to have the car for some time to find out (I can’t do that because I need it for work). None of the Motors or Haynes auto repair manuals mention this (but they also don’t for the 1994 models I know have it). I have found a pin called “shift select in” that the Haynes manual says belongs to “ride control”.
I do not want to try the connection until I know it will work, for fear of damaging the PCM if the connection is not compatible. I also can not tell on the PCM which pin is the correct one, as the manual just gives the color of the wire that is not there on my car. There are no pin numbers.
As I have mentioned before and will again, My '99 and '01 S-10s both had “second gear start”. It came in handy in snow, however the '99 was 4 wheel drive.
You might be able to transplant a transmission from a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix. I know that the model with the 3.1 v-6 came with second gear start. You would be able to use it to get it going. It’s the best option though.
As said before, you have 2 choices in this issue you have:
Try it yourself by hooking up the wire, and see if it works.
No one has the answer for you here.
Buy winter tires, and use them.
Buy a small storage unit and store your non-winter tires there during the winter months, or find a friend or family member with garage space you can borrow.
Those are your two choices.
The third choice is to buy both the Factory repair manuals for your car, and the car you said has the feature, then look up the wiring diagrams, and see if the parts you need to energize are on your car. Its entirely possible that the TCM for your car is different than the car that has the SGS feature, and you would need to change the TCM before you are ever able to get this feature to work.
But again, we don’t have the answer for you here, and obviously you can’t get it from your dealer or GM.
So, either risk the electrical damage to your computer, or buy a set of winter tires.
Why is everyone suggesting things that are either not germane or horribly expensive???
The reason I have not tried the connection is that it does not seem to be the same on my car. The pin number those instructions give is used for something else.
One problem is that I have three different diagrams for the pinouts, and none of them agree!
Have you considered buying a set of tire chains? If your ice conditions are infrequent as I think you implied, this may be the most reliable, inexpensive, simple solution. You’ll have great traction.
Yes, chains are a hassle to mount and remove, but they WILL get you out your driveway. For your very limited needs, you might do fine with cable chains which I’ve found to be a lot easier to mount and remove. I think there are also a plastic type, though I have no experience with those.
You might even find chains at a junk yard or even a thrift store. But check the size, and try mounting them on a nice sunny day just to make sure they really are the correct size.
This driveway is not something new. I have had 21 years of experience with it. I know what works and what does not. I have tried all of these over the years:
Various kinds of vehicles (4 wheel drive does better, front and rear drive equal)
Various kinds of tires (very little difference on this kind of ice)
Sand and kitty litter (won’t stay put on the hill, can’t apply in traffic)
Every kind of ice melter (takes too long, kills the grass, can’t apply in traffic)
Metal chains (worked until the city council banned them to save paving costs)
Plastic chains (useful on snow, useless on the icy slope)
Reducing tire pressure (worked, but greatly shortened tire life)
Traction control (usually causes the brakes to lock up, then shuts itself off)
Gearshift 2 position that shifts between first and second (fails)
Second gear start (works)
Gearshift 2 position gives nothing but second gear (works)
Its your driveway.
What do you care about the laws the city has for driving on their roads with chains?
Just put them on when you are entering your driveway, get up it, and take them off when you get back down the driveway heading out.
Its your property.
City road laws have no jurisdiction over your driveway.
I still believe your best bet is a set of the newest generation of winter tires.
Your second best bet is to give the mod a try, and hope you don’t kill your car.
Third best is to get a different vehicle with the feature you are wanting.
Fourth best is to have someone install heating coils in your driveway to melt ice.
Fifth best is to MOVE.
Notice everything gets more and more costly as you go up my list of options.
Also, since it is now November, and you said that you bought winter tires earlier in this thread, have you had a chance to see if they have improved your ability to get up your driveway?
And just out of curiosity, which size tires are on your Bonneville?
225/60-16 or 235/55-17