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A little while ago I took delivery of a new Grand Cherokee
Limited V8 with all the extras.
It didn't take long for the disappointment to set in.
The main problem with the vehicle (and there are many other problems too), as I
discovered within days of getting it, is that the QuadraDrive system doesn't
work as promised.
It's a very long story but the bottom line is this:
In numerous bits of info I've seen, including brochures, adverts, a video,
write-ups, reviews etc. it is clearly and unambiguously stated that the
QuadraDrive system will transfer up to one hundred percent of engine torque to any one
wheel, the wheel that has the most traction, so that even if three of the four
wheels are spinning the vehicle will keep going as long as at least one
wheel has traction. (Look here for some examples of
the kind of literature I've seen.)
This is a lie. Daimler-Chrysler has lied to the public through its advertising
and promotional material.
The QuadraDrive system falls far short of this promise. Especially the front
diff.
The system does indeed try to achieve the stated aim but it is severely
limited in terms of how much torque it is able to direct to a single wheel.
It is very easy, out in the real world in an offroad situation, to find the
system falling flat on its behind due to its inability to transfer enough torque
to the relevant wheel. It happens to me almost every time I venture out.
Trying to get Daimler-Chrysler to acknowledge their lie has proven a hopeless
exercise over the last year or so that I've been trying.
Within days of getting my new Jeep I took it to an open lot close to where I live to try it out in a tame environment.
I found a nice hill to climb and was surprised to find myself cross-axled and stuck. I realised that two wheels were spinning and two wheels remained motionless. This is not how it's meant to work.
If the QuadraDrive system had worked as advertised then torque would have been directed to the two wheels that had good grip and I would have sailed over the hill without a problem. Alas, all that happens in reality though is that my Jeep just sits there spinning two wheels.
Subsequent to this experience I was able to reproduce the situation on demand with the same results every time. I have also carried out other tests (read more here) in a controlled workshop environment.
The bottom line is that Daimler-Chrysler has lied to the buying public: QuadraDrive does not work as advertised.
Please go and try out your own QuadraDrive system and find its limitations. Also, if you have the facilities, try out the workshop test that I used and see what results you get.
I'd love to hear your opinion. Email me your comments.
Below are some pictures and words explaining my experience.
There is also some downloadable video footage of another Jeep owner having the same problem.
This innocent looking hill is where I first discovered
the problem with the QuadraDrive system just days
after getting my new Jeep.
A closer view of the top part of the
hill where the
problem manifests.
Stuck at the top of the hill - left
view.
Stuck at the top of the hill - right
view.
The left rear wheel has almost no
traction as it sits in
a hollow filled with gravel.
The right rear wheel, on the other
hand, has plenty of
traction and lots of weight on it, as you can see.
The left front wheel has loads of
traction as it is
reasonably weighted down on a nice rock surface.
The right front wheel has almost no
weight on it as it
sits in a sandy hollow.
A view of the whole of the left side.
A view of the whole of the right side.