Awd

[mhl0125]

I just purchased a 1995 SVX "L" model. It has a rear spoiler and ABS brakes. I was told that it has the optional AWD instead of the standard FWD. How do I determine this for sure?

[Mr. Pockets]

Lift the tail.

No, really, if you've got snow or an slippery surface, you'll know whether or not you have an AWD SVX right away - the front wheels will spin with no help from the rear.

But you can also just stick your head under the rear bumper and look for the rear diff and axles.

I hope the car serves you well for many thousands of miles, and welcome to the Network! Post photos if you can. What color is it?

[svx_commuter]

You can look under the car at the rear and see a differential housing back there, rear axles shafts and also a drive shaft from the back end of the tranny. (propellor shaft )

Good idea to put it on a lift and make sure all four wheels have power when the car is idleing.

[wasions]

On dry pavement.

If it spins the tires, it's FWD. If not it's AWD.

That's a lot more fun than lifting the tail.

(You got the best SVX, by the way.)

[mhl0125]

Thank you all for the quick replies. My 95 SVX is polo green and has 84K. I am a car novice. so when I look at the rear..isn't there always a differential there. I guess if it was FWD, there would be no drive shaft Correct? Can you clarify and tell me exactly what to look for under there and what it should look like.
I also have another question. There are two matching tires on the right side and two other brand matching tires on the left side. They are all quite new and I really don't want to buy a new set. Should I put a matching pair on the front and a matching set on the rear instead of side to side? Thanks everyone.

[wasions]

Originally posted by mhl0125
Thank you all for the quick replies. My 95 SVX is polo green and has 84K. I am a car novice. so when I look at the rear..isn't there always a differential there. I guess if it was FWD, there would be no drive shaft Correct? Can you clarify and tell me exactly what to look for under there and what it should look like.
I also have another question. There are two matching tires on the right side and two other brand matching tires on the left side. They are all quite new and I really don't want to buy a new set. Should I put a matching pair on the front and a matching set on the rear instead of side to side? Thanks everyone.

Oh my. If you find that the car is FWD (Yes, FWD has no differential in the back) then all is well. Just put like tires on the front, and the others on the back. But! I suspect that you really do have AWD ('95 FWD's are somewhat rare), so I would recommend selling the brand that you don't like and replacing them with the other. But! (Again!) If the set you intend to keep has high mileage (wear), you should probably replace all four.

The whole point is: with AWD, all the tires need to have like circumferences. With FWD, the fronts can be different from the rears (within reason). Kapish?

All of this relates to another important item. Rotate your tires (front to back) at regular intervals. I do, and have had no trouble with running gear (transmission, bearings, etc.) during the life of the car. As a bonus, I have almost 70K on my present set of tires with a lot of life left.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by mhl0125
Thank you all for the quick replies. My 95 SVX is polo green and has 84K. I am a car novice. so when I look at the rear..isn't there always a differential there. I guess if it was FWD, there would be no drive shaft Correct? Can you clarify and tell me exactly what to look for under there and what it should look like. Thanks everyone.

No, you would not see a rear differential if your car was front wheel drive.

I have attached an illustration of the SVX's engine and drivetrain. The highlighted area (which points out the drive shaft, rear differential and axles) shows the parts that would only be on an AWD SVX.

And here's a page that explains what differentials do and how they do it:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm

[svx_commuter]

Your going to need new tires.

As far as the rear goes? There will be axles bewteen the wheels and the rear dif. The axle has rubber boots on it.

There have been a few cars where the RWD was not working.

[Noir]

Hey SVX_Commuter, how can we test if the RWD is working?

Thx for info!