Anyone Else Enjoy the Intelligent 4WD Display?

[christopheru]

FWIW: There is a button to turn off traction control. It's on the center console, left-rear of the four switches surrounding the rotary GOAT Mode selector. At least that's the way it is on my Badlands, don't know for sure about other models.

Alas, those of us not blessed with a badlands have to go menu diving every time we want to turn it off.

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[YukiSport]

Alas, those of us not blessed with a badlands have to go menu diving every time we want to turn it off.

Awww, Man, I didn't know. Fumbling through the menu is, as you say, tedious. That sucks.
Why the heck would they eliminate that switch on some models?
When you want (or need) to turn off Traction Control, you want to do it right NOW.....not 16 keystrokes on the touch screen from now.
Thanks for letting me know.

 

[BRedi]

A friend of mine who works for Ford tells me the Bronco Sport when in Sport GOAT mode in the snow is a drift missile.
I live in Minnesota...

I'm in Minnesota too.. so what's the best setting for snow?

 

[christopheru]

Awww, Man, I didn't know. Fumbling through the menu is, as you say, tedious. That sucks.
Why the heck would they eliminate that switch on some models?
When you want (or need) to turn off Traction Control, you want to do it right NOW.....not 16 keystrokes on the touch screen from now.
Thanks for letting me know.

It is the preferred way.
A feature, if you will.
I will be ever grateful to Steve Jobs for that line of marketing nonsense - mistakes or bugs in iPhones/iOS were not mistakes or bugs under his rule, but features; things they didn't come out with first - like weather sealing - are needless garbage, until they come out with them and then they are the best thing ever; and the party faithful swallow it hook, line, and sinker.
Every. Single. Time.
The same thing happens in the auto industry to brand loyalists.
So it is a feature

 

[VirtualJMills]

This was driving me batty, because the UI/UX "scrollable list" hint in the settings menu is •too• subtle.

6 inch digital dashboard, center section Intelligent 4WD per-wheel power visualization:

From the Steering Wheel, click "Menu" (right side button). If you just see "Settings" and "Display", click steering-wheel Up or Down Arrow •twice• (next to "Menu" button) to get to the other items in the settings menu, one of which allows you to select which information screens get displayed. Within that list is the "Intelligent 4WD" item, if your vehicle trim level includes it (Badlands, don't recall which others).

 

[WoodmanMN]

I'm in Minnesota too.. so what's the best setting for snow?

Can't say. Bought it in May, hasn't snowed yet. I'm told "sport" is for sliding fun. I'd imagine normal is more than adequate for most situations, and the snow/ice setting for anything else.

 

[R. Bird]

There's also an offroad screen you can activate to see pitch and roll and steering position.

I have not seen the pitch and roll screen on the OB. I think that is exclusive to the BL, and maybe the FE.

 

[R. Bird]

I really need to get into my owners manual. I was saddened to see I don't have a 4WD button in my Big Bend. Something I failed to notice at the dealership!?!?!? So GOAT mode is my 4WD button when I select slippery or sand.... correct? But in the ECO or Normal modes it is AWD all the time.

Im too old for owners manuals.

From my understanding, the BS runs mostly in FWD until the rear wheels are needed, in any mode.

 

[magicbus]

From my understanding, the BS runs mostly in FWD until the rear wheels are needed, in any mode.

That is exactly what I see, although when I needed to accelerate hard into a turn from standing still I noticed power being applied to all 4 wheels. This completely removed the front wheel drive pull I had experienced on front wheel drive cars when doing this type of maneuver.

 

[R. Bird]

That is exactly what I see, although when I needed to accelerate hard into a turn from standing still I noticed power being applied to all 4 wheels. This completely removed the front wheel drive pull I had experienced on front wheel drive cars when doing this type of maneuver.

Same for me. I like the not pulling when accelerating!

 

[VirtualJMills]

From my understanding, the BS runs mostly in FWD until the rear wheels are needed, in any mode.

BS Badlands on my end.

There's a moderate amount of power applied to the rear wheels for 0 .. 3 MPH or so (reducing any possible wheelspin at "launch") in Normal / Eco / Sport, then it backs-off to FWD only unless you're accelerating hard.

My own experiences, not a lead-foot, and experiments run on level terrain.

 

[Bronclahoma]

The car I cannot mention here has the same feature and it is cute. I like it.
So far I am impressed with the way that my BigBend handles things in normal mode. I have to remember to put it into low when climbing steeper tracks and to turn off the traction control at times (tedious menu dive there - that is just dumb - even the car I may not mention has a button!) to avoid operator troubles ? and increase grip.
GOAT modes help a bit there for sure. I was on a very slippery and sandy incline and started to notice the system hunting and tried the sand mode and was quite impressed with how the machine got about the business of hauling it up the hill. Minor scrabbling and off it went. Fun!

Broncos don't have a low range. What to you mean "remember to put it into low?" The Bronco, too, has the traction control button to turn off. No "tedious menu dive" necessary. Jeesh! I can't help but wonder if you've ever driven a Bronco.

 

[Bronclahoma]

I quickly got bored with watching my gas mileage and all of the other info on the display, so I went to the Calm Screen. As I was poking the up/down lever on the right side of the steering wheel I came across the Intelligent 4WD option and it has become my favorite. It surprised me how much time the BS uses only the front wheels for drive. I was taking a left from a standing stop onto a cross road and realized a car was coming over a hill, so I punched it. Having had many front wheel drive cars I was expecting a big torque pull on the wheel from this maneuver but instead I smoothly pulled through the accelerating turn. I happened to glance at the display and it was pretty cool to see how the power was distributed to different wheels until I was on the straight-and-narrow and then it all went to the front wheels.

If you haven't tried this display setting it is worth a look for a bit of entertainment.

I haven't tried mine much. Did turn it on while in CO on a long, steep rock incline with small gravel on it. I have previously failed to make it up with an Explorer AWD. I put it in 4wd before starting and experienced very little wheel spin. Was a 19 degree incline. So far as roll goes, I have a sphincter device that warns me when I am le aning too far.

 

[VirtualJMills]

So far as [[potential for]] roll[[-over]] goes, I have a sphincter device that warns me when I am leaning too far.

Disappearing seat-cushion phenomenon.

 

[christopheru]

Broncos don't have a low range. What to you mean "remember to put it into low?" The Bronco, too, has the traction control button to turn off. No "tedious menu dive" necessary. Jeesh! I can't help but wonder if you've ever driven a Bronco.

Thank you for telling me that my car does not have low range. I never would have guessed that without your help.

1) You drive a badlands. Good for you.
2) I drive a big bend. Good for me.

In the big bend, there is a low mode since we do not have a manual mode. Your shifter has a M in the middle of it, mine a L. In case you have never driven an automatic before, the L stands for low and shifting it there puts the vehicle in first gear. In the big bend, we have to menu dive in order to disengage traction control. The badlands has a button.

In terms of usability, the badlands wins hands down.

Try reading a spec sheet before shooting your mouth off?

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