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Hey all, first post time :)

I just bought myself my first Stagea after running around in a 1970 Valiant Regal for the last 2 years. Sure it was cool but too old too many problems that needed attention and even though it was only the small Hemi 245 it liked petrol way too much.

I am so not used to all the crazy gadgets and buttons... the Val had 5 tops heh. Absolutely loving it though, I just keep finding more cool stuff I had no idea was in the car!

Anyway I have a few simple questions that can hopefully be answered fairly easily. I have looked through the (from the looks of things home made) manual - perhaps part of compliance? Plus a quick search here but the terms are a bit generic and I couldn't find anything.

1) The snow/off/power button near the auto gear stick... what exactly does that do? To have a guess - power mode = more aggressive gear ratios for more speed/power? Snow = limted power to stop you sliding all over the shop into solid objects when on crazy icy roads in japan?

2) The OD button on the gear stick itself. I know that enables OD for nice highway cruising, also according to the manual provides better fuel ecconomy. For everyday non-spirited driving should this be left on? Or should I only be using this on the highway?

3) The S button with the 4 wheels to the left of the steering wheel, my guess may be 4 wheel steering perhaps? Turn it on for U turns etc? Or am I completely wrong on that?

4) The yellow fog lights on the front, similar to silvias. Are these legal to run in QLD? I seem to remember hearing something long ago that fogs in general are illegal to run. I know there will be arguments for and against them looking "cool" but I reckon they look pretty neat contrasting against the red paint on my car.

5) If I feel the desire to chew my fuel up faster and go out for a cruise with mates with more powerful cars. The best combo for the most aggressive power/accel would be with the power button ON and the OD button OFF?

Thanks in advance for any advice :P

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you got all of htem right

but hte S button is all time 4wd i read recently.

i had no clue what it was either

I drive wiht O/D on all the time, with it off it puts the tranny down another gear becuase you loose your overdrive gear. which is annoying at times with a loud exhaust.

and on 5

Yes just throw the power on and o/d off. if your in lower speed twisties

if your constanly going at a faster rate, you can leave it on becuase you will actually get to a higher speed ...i think. it makes sense

Heh I got no problem with loudness, its all stocko.

Also how do I change the RB20E up near the av, I can't see any option in the CP... I am blind though :)

Or is that some kind of noob ranking you move through as you post more etc.

Edited by rubba

3) Im pretty sure that button is to make it 50/50 4 wheel drive, so like 50% of the front wheels are driving and 50% of the rear wheels are driving! Where as if you dont have the button pressed in the attessa decides for itself so it could be like 30% front and 70% rear etc...

With the Rb20 thing under your av, it does change the more you post, but i think you can change it also like grant has done, but i am unsure as to how you do it

3) Im pretty sure that button is to make it 50/50 4 wheel drive, so like 50% of the front wheels are driving and 50% of the rear wheels are driving! Where as if you dont have the button pressed in the attessa decides for itself so it could be like 30% front and 70% rear etc...

With the Rb20 thing under your av, it does change the more you post, but i think you can change it also like grant has done, but i am unsure as to how you do it

Searching will help you find all the answers. The 4WD button ('S' as you're calling it) locks the transfer case to 50:50 split. Without it pressed in, the car runs at 80:20 rear:front until it detects slip in the rear wheels, which then diverts it back to 4WD. A good idea is to leave this button off while driving, but when on slippery/icey/muddy roads, that is when the 50:50 split should be used.

Further clarification on the 'S' (4wd) button left of the steering wheel.

Normally your AWD (ATTESA) system will default to 100% RWD until it requires traction towards the front, which it measures using a 16-bit computer and G-Force sensors. If it detects (or anticipates) traction loss on any wheel it will direct torque away from that wheel. It can vary the torque split anywhere between 100% rear and 50:50 front-rear.

When the 'S' button is turned ON, this operation kind of works in reverse. It will stay in 50:50 until it needs more traction at the rear - in which case it will transfer drive further to the rear - anywhere up to 100% rear.

So either you can set it to default to 100% rear (S button OFF) or 50:50 (S button ON). In either case it will still adjust the torque split as necessary to maintain traction.

Hopefully this makes sense. For more info, look up wikipedia on "ATTESA". >_<

Its a pretty cool and unique AWD system if you ask me...

I may have mentioned this elsewhere, but the idea that the ATTESSA system is running RWD most the time is false. I had a front driveshft sh!t a uni and every time the front wheels were under power the driveshaft clicked so I can say that the front wheels are driven a lot more than anyone gives them credit for. It sounded like they were under power about 80% of the time. Even cruising at 100 kph, the driveshaft was being turned and the noise damn near drove me crazy on the highway! :(

If you look at the way the 4WD system actually operates you will see that is a lot more about the torque that is transferred to the front wheels, not about wether the power is put up there at all (hence why the system is controlled by clutch packs and not a viscous centre diff)

Suffice to say I agree with pixl8r that it is a very cool system and my wife still craps herself when I put my foot down halfway through a roundabout in the wet :/

Edited by newbie101
....

1) The snow/off/power button near the auto gear stick... what exactly does that do? To have a guess - power mode = more aggressive gear ratios for more speed/power? Snow = limted power to stop you sliding all over the shop into solid objects when on crazy icy roads in japan?...

The "snow" button starts the car off in second. It wont do anything other than that. I guess its for traction without the wheelspin in snow.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, most of my q's have been answered :P

I tried the 50:50 4wd coming up my street into the driveway and it sure didn't like turning in on a sharp angle, got all shuddery and felt all weird. Smooth again once the button was off.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, most of my q's have been answered ;)

I tried the 50:50 4wd coming up my street into the driveway and it sure didn't like turning in on a sharp angle, got all shuddery and felt all weird. Smooth again once the button was off.

Yeah I get this too, but mainly only when in reverse. you should only use this button when offroad or on slippery surfaces

Yeah when I put it on and try to turn corners the outside wheel always squeeks, I assumed it was because it was the same principal as having a locked diff, one wheel is trying to travel physically more then the other tyre.

I'm of the opinion that it is not good for the clutch pack to drive around on the road with 'S' selected. The Stagea does not have a centre diff.

When you go around a corner the front and rear wheels travel different distances and without a centre diff, this puts a lot of strain on the drivetrain.

When the wagon is on a slippery surface with 'S' selected, the strain is relieved by the outer wheel momentarily losing traction on the surface.

Basically, I would not recommend driving on the road with 'S' selected.

Hey all, first post time :D

I just bought myself my first Stagea after running around in a 1970 Valiant Regal for the last 2 years. Sure it was cool but too old too many problems that needed attention and even though it was only the small Hemi 245 it liked petrol way too much.

I am so not used to all the crazy gadgets and buttons... the Val had 5 tops heh. Absolutely loving it though, I just keep finding more cool stuff I had no idea was in the car!

Anyway I have a few simple questions that can hopefully be answered fairly easily. I have looked through the (from the looks of things home made) manual - perhaps part of compliance? Plus a quick search here but the terms are a bit generic and I couldn't find anything.

1) The snow/off/power button near the auto gear stick... what exactly does that do? To have a guess - power mode = more aggressive gear ratios for more speed/power? Snow = limted power to stop you sliding all over the shop into solid objects when on crazy icy roads in japan?

2) The OD button on the gear stick itself. I know that enables OD for nice highway cruising, also according to the manual provides better fuel ecconomy. For everyday non-spirited driving should this be left on? Or should I only be using this on the highway?

3) The S button with the 4 wheels to the left of the steering wheel, my guess may be 4 wheel steering perhaps? Turn it on for U turns etc? Or am I completely wrong on that?

4) The yellow fog lights on the front, similar to silvias. Are these legal to run in QLD? I seem to remember hearing something long ago that fogs in general are illegal to run. I know there will be arguments for and against them looking "cool" but I reckon they look pretty neat contrasting against the red paint on my car.

5) If I feel the desire to chew my fuel up faster and go out for a cruise with mates with more powerful cars. The best combo for the most aggressive power/accel would be with the power button ON and the OD button OFF?

Thanks in advance for any advice :D

and yer...pretty sure the foggies are illegal in QLD unless there is actually fog (which is never) - and don't try replacing the bulbs for them cause it is the reflector which is coloured, not the bulb - meaning a replacement reflector would have to be sourced (not going to happen stan) to replace it in order to get a white (and legal) beam

my 5c

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