have a 2005 Polaris Sportsman 500,,Do all four wheels turn when you have it in AWD? Or just 2? What wheels turn?

 

I believe it's three wheels (both in back and the one slipping in front) and once the tire in front starts slipping the differential locks and gives power to all four wheels. It senses when you need more traction and gives it to all wheels.

 

When switch is in AWD it is driving the 2 rear wheels until it detects 20% slip or 1/5 of a revouloution more in the rear. Then all 4 wheels are locked. When it detects that the spinning has stopped it disengages.

 

Check on Youtube. There is a cool video of a polaris on ice in AWD. Demonstrates the system. Sorry I don't have the link

 

The fronts lock after 20% slippage on the back; it's seamless so that you can't tell when it engages and when it doesn't. The bad thing is if your going down a narrow trail, tilted on the down hill side, (this has happened to me more than once) where you need to use the brake but you also need the front tires to keep pulling the front end away from the edge...forget it. You're stuck in 2 wheel drive BECAUSE THE REAR-END ISN'T SLIPPING![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img] Talk about sucking the set into where the sun doesn't shine.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img] I wish Polaris would get rid of that aspect of their ATV's. Note to engineers at Polaris: If we put the selector switch into AWD it's because we need it in AWD. Stop jacking around with when YOU think it should be in AWD...otherwise it works great. Sorry for venting but two weeks ago I almost rolled my Sportsman down the side of a very steep hill because of that.

 

Ya would be nice to have a LOCK when you know you are going to need it. Like when you are staring out over a nice mud hole. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

As for going down hill I think this is what their ADC is supposed to address. Don't have much for hills here in WI so has never been a problem for me.

 

The ADC works great. On Deluxe versions, is Polaris' Active Descent Control (ADC). The system provides four-wheel engine braking when the vehicle is in all-wheel drive (AWD), is operating at speeds below 15 mph and there is no throttle being applied. Have used it several times and it works well. On my 800 you can select AWD or AWD/ADC.

 

No 3-wheel drive. No limited slip. No differential. Just locked in 4-wheel drive anytime the rear tires slip 1/5 of a revolution, and 2-wheel drive when the rear gets traction again. I've never felt the 4x4 engage or disengage. It works like magic.

 

The 2005 version of ADC is not like the 2007 version of ADC...I wish it was because snow pack on a narrow down hill slanted trail is no fun trying to traverse at a very slow speed in 2wd because the AWD isn't pulling...O yea if forgot the 150ft drop on one side your trying to desperately keep away from but the ATV keeps trying to slip towards. I felt sick to my stomach by the time I got to the bottom of that one. The next Sportsman I buy will have the new version ADC. I saw where a guy with a 2005 Sportsman went to the dealer and asked how much it would cost to upgrade. He was told $1500 to $1800.

 

"Not everyone gets to live on top of a mountain."

I guess nearly falling off a cliff or steep hill goes with the territory. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] I'll leave the mountains to the mountain goats. They even fall down mountains and die once in awhile, but I won't. I'm glad I'm a flatlander.