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AMERICAN SUZUKI
MOTOR CORPORATION
All-Wheel Drive System
Q: What is all-wheel drive?
A: All-wheel drive (AWD) is a system designed to help maximize traction
on various types of road conditions, including wet, snowy, rough or dry.
The key component in the system is a viscous coupler. The viscous coupler
is used to link the back wheels to the front wheels so that if the front
wheels start to slip, power will be transferred to the rear wheels, thus
providing additional traction.
Q: How does the Suzuki AWD system work?
A: Suzuki AWD models use a transfer case with a viscous coupler to determine
the power split between the front and rear wheels. The viscous coupler
has two sets of plates inside a sealed housing that is filled with a thick
fluid (high viscosity silicone). One set of plates is connected to the
front wheels, the other to the rear wheels.
Under normal conditions (good road traction), both sets of plates and
the viscous fluid spin at the same speed. When the front set of wheels
starts to spin at a faster rate, perhaps because of lost traction on the
road, the set of plates corresponding to the front wheels spin at a faster
rate than the plates corresponding to the rear wheels. The viscous fluid,
stuck between the plates, heats up and expands, thereby dragging the slower
plates along. This transfers more power to the slower moving wheels --
the rear wheels that are not slipping -- until they reach the maximum
front and rear axle torque split of 50/50.
The faster the plates are spinning relative to each other, the more power
the viscous coupling transfers. As the front wheels continue to spin,
additional power is diverted to the rear wheels with traction.
Q: What are the benefits of AWD and the viscous coupling design?
A: AWD helps maximize traction on various types of road conditions, including
wet, snowy, rough, or dry.
AWD helps provide more neutral handling on slippery surfaces, helping
reduce oversteer and understeer.
Suzuki's viscous coupling is compact and lightweight.
On wet, snowy, slippery or rough roads, the Aerio's AWD system puts all
four tires to work, grabbing the best traction available for the conditions.
Q: What is the Warranty Coverage?
A: The AWD components are covered under Suzuki's 100,000-mile/ 7-year
powertrain limited warranty.
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