Well, if you don't know, I'm pretty new to Audis, my family owned a couple when I was very young and if it wasn't an Audi, it was another European car. Anyway, someone was just telling me that the quattro system works by only using FWD, until one of the front wheels slips, then the back wheels kick in. Is this true? I was under the impression that all four wheels constantly had power.

Doesn't make a differance, other than I want to know as much as possible about the car I'm looking to buy, thanks.

 

During normal condition, Quattro puts power evently on all 4 tires which means each tire only handles 25% from the engine. When it senses slips or road condition change, Quattro will re-distrubute power front and rear, left and right based on the need.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

I thought it was a 60/40 power split between front and rear. I might be thinking the brake balance though. Can't remember.

Josh

 

quattro is full time 50/50front/rear power split to all wheels at all times.

when the system detects a wheel slipping. a maximum of 80% of the power from that wheel is re-distributed to the others.
all wheels will have at least 20% power at all times.

 

So then how do you burn out in a quattro i'v seen it done but how?
(sry for kinda changing the subject)

 

you have to turn the 'ESP' or electronic stability program off.
wheelspin won't cause the ABS to engage and stop the wheels.

you'd have to have alot of power to make all 4 wheels burn out on dry ground in a quattro car though.
i've never been able to make any spin on dry ground, but my car is bone stock tho.

i'm thinking you'd needat LEAST 300hp to the wheels on a B5, even more on B6's and B7's due to their weight.

 

ok how do you turn it off?? well the one i saw didnt have all 4 wheels spinning.. well when he started they did for about .7 sec but then it would switch to only the right side then toboth back and thats about when he stopped.. buthe was in the same spot the whole time well maybe moved a couple inches but thats it

 

The standard Torsen diff is 2:1 rear/front torque. It understeers bad enough, so any more power to the front wheels would be pretty much like having a FWD car with worse gas mileage. You don't 'turn it off' the center diff binds up at different rates based on available torque and slippage between the front and rear wheels.

 

Well, if you've never seen it, now you have.....

 

I think teh 60/40 split is on the newer cars to give more of that rear-wheel drive feel.