325iX AWD question

Looking at an '89 325iX and the owner says the AWD works sometimes and
doesn't at others. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet, but wondered if
any one might have a reasonable guess as to the cause. I don't know much
about the AWD systems. thanks in advance

Matt

> Looking at an '89 325iX and the owner says the AWD works sometimes and
> doesn't at others. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet, but wondered if
> any one might have a reasonable guess as to the cause. I don't know much
> about the AWD systems.

Find that hard to believe. The system has a chain driven transfer case
at the back of the gearbox. It's permanent 4wd, nothing fancy.

--
Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
Web : http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html
www.Strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible price

"John Burns" > wrote
>> Looking at an '89 325iX and the owner says the AWD works sometimes and
>> doesn't at others. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet, but wondered if
>> any one might have a reasonable guess as to the cause. I don't know much
>> about the AWD systems.
>
> Find that hard to believe. The system has a chain driven transfer case
> at the back of the gearbox. It's permanent 4wd, nothing fancy.

Isn't the center differential some sort of limited slip sucker that was
troublesome?

FloydR

"The system has a chain driven transfer case
at the back of the gearbox. It's permanent 4wd, nothing fancy. "

This is by far, the most ignorant comment Ive heard all year....If you
dont know the difference between 4wd and AWD....

I have a 89 iX and have had no problem with the AWD, and am told they
are basically bulletproof. Perhaps a clustch problem? Like anything
else, these can go and require replacement.

Matthew Warren wrote:
> Looking at an '89 325iX and the owner says the AWD works sometimes and
> doesn't at others. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet, but wondered if
> any one might have a reasonable guess as to the cause. I don't know much
> about the AWD systems. thanks in advance
>
> Matt

Matthew Warren wrote:

> Looking at an '89 325iX and the owner says the AWD works sometimes and
> doesn't at others. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet, but wondered if
> any one might have a reasonable guess as to the cause. I don't know much
> about the AWD systems. thanks in advance
>
> Matt
>
>

That is the difference between 4WD and AWD. It's computer controlled.
When you are on a dry, flat, road the computer will drive only the front
or the back - usually the back.

Dan

In article . net>,
Dan Krueger > wrote:
> That is the difference between 4WD and AWD. It's computer controlled.

That's an interesting definition. Is this universally accepted?

--
*El nino made me do it

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" > haute in die Tasten:

> In article
> . net>,
> Dan Krueger > wrote:
>> That is the difference between 4WD and AWD. It's computer
>> controlled.
>
> That's an interesting definition. Is this universally accepted?
>

IMHO: No. In my personal opinion AWD means that all wheels are driven
permanently i.e. yo cannot switch off the drive for one axle. Many
4WD SUVs and All Terrain Vehicles offer the option to switch off one
axle. Often they lack a differential gearbox between both axles which
means that you have wear and tear when you use the 4WD on other than
slippery roads. I know that BMW, VW, Audi and Mercedes use AWD
systems. I am not sure with Subaru.

Frank

--
please replace spam-muelleimer with fk-newsgroups for e-mail contact

Citroen - Made in Trance

I have serious issues with your definition of AWD vs 4wd, but I will
digress to one point, your concept of awd is that all wheels get power
all the time? This being the case it would be similar to running a
locker on your front and rear axle that is fully locked at all times?
Heres my experience with AWD on BMW and Land Rover (Freelander is AWD)
the wheel with the least resistance will get all the power. ie, if you
are on stuck in snow, (high centered) you will get one wheel that will
spin. NOT all 4, put three wheels up against a large rock, then put one
wheel on ice. try to drive out, the only wheel that will turn is the
wheel on ice, it will occasionally slow and try to turn the other
wheels but there is too much resistance and they will not turn.
Here in lies the difference in 4wd and awd.
A true 4 wheel drive will give equal power to the front and rear axle,
also, a good 4wd will have a lock on the center, rear and front dif
which will all "all wheels being driven". This is 4wd. not awd.
Comparing the two is like comparing bimmer to a fiat....

On 28 Dec 2005 16:22:07 -0800, "
> wrote:

>I have a 89 iX and have had no problem with the AWD, and am told they
>are basically bulletproof. Perhaps a clustch problem? Like anything
>else, these can go and require replacement.
>
Don't the iX models use a transfer case to drive all 4 wheels? It
sounds like this car (the one the OP is looking at) might have a bad
one.
epbrown
--
2003 BMW 325i Black/Black
2003 BMW Z4 Black/Black