I don't think I have a problem just want to talk out something I noticed the other day and get some feedback.

Right now as everything is melting it is well not ideal traction.
Around my property, since some areas require a little tighter turning and it is loose enough that the rear wheels will slip I don't run in AWD as then the front end would engage and actually tear up more ground and make wider turns.

Anyway, I was riding slowly in a straight line and decided to follow the dogs up the hil to see what they were getting into up on the back property. Besides the hill was very muddy and I knew I just had to try it. So...

less than 5mph and no wheel spin I engaged it into AWD never letting off the throttle and then hit the gas heading up the hill. I got almost to the top and started spinning rears only. I know because I looked over the left and right sides and the fronts were not pulling.

I let off the throttle completely only for a split second and then gassed it again the fronts pulled just fine and over the top I went.

I tired it two more times with the same exact results. AWD engages if I drop the throttle to an idle and then hit it again. But if I keep even the slightest bit of throttle on it (No wheel spin when I click it into AWD) and engage AWD it doesn't engage.

So I am thinking this is normal operation as it works just fine all other fashions.

For reference this is on the 07 800 Sportsman.

 

That is normal. I believe the rpm's have to drop below about 2200(not sure the exact number) to engage the awd. It is a safety feature so the front does not kick in when the rear is spinning.

 

Thats the correct answer dslanec. My Hawkeye engagment rpm is below 3100 and not sure about the 400HO.

 

Hey guys, they say 'on demand AWD' on the new XP's do you think it's a different engagement system? On the sportsman shootout videos they show the rears spinning the guy flipping the switch while the rears are spinning and as soon as the guy hits the switch up and over the obstacle he goes. Just wondering?

 

Can;t see them changin the system to work that way and I'm not about to try it. Maybe the video was done that way incorrectly.

 

AWD is not "shift on the fly"...lol.
This safety feature saves us a lot of money. I blew out my front end by dropping the reverse over ride switch while my wheels were spinning at high RPM. Expensive lesson.

 

My bad just watched the vid again the popo was already in AWD. The other machines were in 4wd they had to flip a diff switch to get over the hump. they had to stop to engage diffs too. Had not watched that vid since jan. funny how the story changes in peoples minds isn't it. But hey, I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong. Guess that other post should be deleted so nobody tries it. Sorry.