First, thanks to anyone who is helping me out here, I realize I am new and I am already asking for help.

I have a 2006 Volvo XC90 (wifes car as well as the car we travel with everywhere.)

This weekend we were in Vermont and we got a few fresh inches of snow. Keep in mind, this is my first AWD vehicle, but I am fairly experienced with driving 4x4's (my main vehicle is a Toyota 4Runner).

I had trouble backing out of our driveway onto the main road. I had to give it three trys to even get out. And we are talking a plowed road, in fact it had plenty of sand on it. I got onto the road and the thing was dead in the water. In fact at one point I was even moving backwards. The spin control was working and the engine would cut out, so I tried turning the DSTC off, no luck.

We just bought the car a few months ago and it has 55,000 miles on it.

There was a light flashing while the wheels were spinning (I'm guessing this was telling me the AWD was "working".)

So I thought maybe this road was just icy, and Im well aware that AWD or 4WD does almost no good on ice.

So I hopped in my parents 4wd Suburban expecting to have the same issue, except it had no issue. It glided up the road with no issue whatsoever almost as if there was nothing on the road.

So my question is this: Is there something wrong with the AWD or is the AWD just not as capable as the 4wd. I do quite a bit of travelling in the snow and I need to have something that will get me by.

Thanks in advance for the help

 

Are you sure that your rear wheels were turning as well?