All Wheel Drive (AWD) can be a great asset, especially if you live here in Colorado where the weather can literally change in 5 minutes. But just because we're (almost) past the winter months, doesn't mean that you can forget about taking care of your AWD. See our tips below on preventing damage to your AWD vehicle.
One of the most important things to be aware of with an AWD vehicle is the condition of the tires. The tires need to be of equal size and approximately even wear. If you hit a pothole and damage a tire and the other tires have less than 50% of the tread left, you should replace all the tires. Unless the axles turn at the same speed, damage will be done to the drive train.
Recently we did a repair on a Mercury Mountaineer with all wheel drive. In addition to the repairs we performed, we highly recommended new tires because the ones on the vehicle were completely worn out. The owner intended to schedule the repair but for whatever reason didn't. Two months later the vehicle was towed in. One of their tires had gone flat and someone installed one new tire. The difference in the diameter of the tires (new vs. worn out) caused the rear differential to overheat and lock up. The cost for that repair is around $2000.00 and the vehicle still needs a set of tires.
If an AWD vehicle is in an accident and a tire is damaged, the insurance company is only obligated to replace one tire, but if the tread wear is significantly different on the remaining tires, they should all be replaced. For this reason it is also important to rotate the tires on a regular basis.
Here's what a few manufacturers are recommending. Audi recommends replacing all tires if the tread depth is more than 4/32" difference between them. Subaru recommends replacement if the difference id 2/32" or more. All wheel drive is great, especially in Colorado, but don't let uneven tire wear put your rear end in a "bind".
As always, if you're not sure or you have questions, you can always contact us. We've been serving the Denver area for more than 30 years.
