I just traded my 2000 X in on an 06 Xterra S (both 4x4). My 2k would go just about anywhere. I loved it!

I took the 06 up to Steamboat for the holiday. While exploring the town, I decided to turn around on a narrow road. I didn't realize how deep the snow was on the side and got stuck.

I put it in 4x4 and tried to get out. No good. I put it in 4x4lo and tried to get out. No good. The tires on the road just spun while the tires in the snow did little to nothing. The ABLS kicked in a couple of times - made that same annoying sound as when the ABS kicks in during a slide - kinda sorta made the truck rock a tad - and then stopped kicking in altogether.

Personally, I think this ABLS stuff is totally useless.

Here's me stuck:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1479718385301948847

Note - the ABLS did not kick in during this video - you would have heard it. It's loud (is it supposed to be???).

I ended up getting pulled out by a Chevy.

I wish I had the lockers... still, I expected more. I honestly think my 2000 would have been able to get out just fine.

If this is the direction the xterra is going, I've just bought my last one.

It seems that people have problems with the ABLS and snow. I don't know why. I have not had the chance to experiance it's capability in snow yet as for the past two winters we have had none!

One of the things about the abls is that it likes it when you take it easy on the gas. If you are spinning wild, then the brakes can not grab the free tire. Some people also think that it's the VDC causing the problems as when it detects too much spin it will cut power.

I'll keep that in mind in the future. I played with everything, including the VDC, in a parking lot here. The VDC actually works pretty darn well. It really prevents you from sliding. I can post a video of the difference later if anyone is interested.

However, I still feel pretty strongly that the ABSL is crap compared to real LSD. One of the things I noticed when playing around was that the ABSL didn't want to dis-engage until the vehicle came to a complete stop - even after both tires were full spinning.

A couple of observations:
1. You have stock tires, they suck in the snow.
2. It looks like your passenger side is really stuck deep.

I best most 4x4's with no lockers off the lot would have been stuck. Most 4x4's are only 2x4's. I don't even know if the locker would have helped that much.

Its a bummer, but don't let that one instance jade you forever!

Those are BFG ATs.

Yeap, it was about knee deep. However, if I had some significant torque on that side of the vehicle I think I could have climbed out. I had actually used the snowboard to shovel out a lot of the snow on the passenger side. I had good contact with solid packed snow/ground on the passenger side and wasn't leaning against the snow bank very hard at all. I was deep, yes, but I had good traction on that side.

Most 4x4s are only 2x4s? What do you mean??? 0_o

-edit to avoid double post-

Here's the depth of the hole I was in:


And here's a video where I was starting to dig out while the girl was pick'n on me =D

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1774011591749814165

The snow is between at the middle of the back rim and top of the front rim and just starting up the bumper in the front... Still looks to me like I should have been able to back out the way I went in.

"run it off a cliff" is another story entirely...

BTW - I do feel pretty dumb for getting stuck to begin with. I should know better than to go driving off into snow when I know nothing about what's under it. I just assumed it was like everywhere else I'd been that day... but apparently it was a deep drainage ditch along the road. :-/

I just doesn't look like you have enough weight on the drivers side to get traction... it's just one of those situations where you are screwed.

Most 4 wheel drive vehicles only drive 2 wheels in 4 wheel drive. Otherwise going around turns your tires would skip and chatter. In my 05 X when I have the rear locked and go around turns one of the tires skips. If your rear is locked both tires spin at the same speed, which makes it hard to go around a turn.

It looks like the edge of the road where your drivers side tires were is ice. I think the only thing that would have helped is a locker.

Hard to say without being there in person.

Good observations. We were saying - afterwards - that we might coulda gotten out if one of us stood on the back left corner and kinda bounced.

I have good experience with ABLS since the Disco I had for 5 years uses essentially the same system. It was very difficult for it to get stuck in snow/ice, but I'm sure it would have been stuck as well in that situation. Heck, even with a locker you may not have gotten out and just dug further since the weight was shifted too much on the passenger side. Lockers tend to "walk" sideways and can get you stuck in a bad way if you aren't careful.

Another question, were you high centered? Also LSD will get messed up at weird angles and perform just as poorly. I have found the ABLS unbelievable off-road, nearly performing as well as lockers in some situations.

Actually I just watched the video, and the ABLS was performing as best as it could under those conditions. You can clearly see it transfering power back and forth as any LSD would. And when you turned the tires applying some upward force to the street tires, both hook up. Unfortunately they are hooking up on solid ice. I can tell you that if you had the locker, a flick of the switch and you would have EASILY driven out of that situation. Remember, not only does the locker have far superior traction, but the ABLS re-programs the front to a more agressive profile with the locker on. Lesson learned? Buy the off-road model.

Actually, I think it's "if you plan on driving into a snow filled ditch, buy the off-road model".

I have to agree with most everyone else... the ABLS wasn't your problem.

I have been severely impressed with the ABLS so far. I remember a couple months ago when some friends and I were at an OHV park and I was trying to crawl up a really muddy, uphill, rutted trail (and it was raining). At one point about 1/3 of the way up the hill the X came to a complete stop in a rut. I just kept a little bit of steady pressure on the gas and a few seconds later I could hear the ABLS kicking in. A few more seconds later the X just lurched out of the hole. My passenger (who doesn't do any off-roading) was pretty impressed. I've had a lot of moments like that. I'm glad that Nissan gave it to us for free and didn't make us pay for a push button "A-TRAC" like Toyota did to the FJ buyers.

Oh only if you had a locker... i was in the same situation and i was testing the 4wd. Was stuck in regular 4wd. Locked the rear dif (OR model) and i got right out. What a difference the locker makes so cool.

I wasn't high center. I had packed snow under me, but I wasn't on anything solid..

When the ABLS kicks in, it seems to make a sound. If that's not the case for other people, then I have serious issues as the system makes a VERY loud sound at times. I never heard that sound during the part of the video othat was filmed so I'm assuming the system never kicked in.

And I totally don't understand what you're saying by "appllying some upward force to the street tires".. ??? Why would the system apply force to the STREET tires when those are the ones spinning freely???

The road wasn't all that icey, really. Definitely NOT solid ice. There was some packed snow on the edge making it kinda slippery, but not solid ice by a very long margin.

Yeah, I wish I'd gotten the offroad model.

When my ABLS kicks in it is the same sound as when the ABS kicks in.
Not sure exactly how it works, but since the B in ABLS stands for braking I guess the ABS and ABLS use the same control thingie, but of course different sensors.
My ABLS works very well. I havent been in a situation like yours but I purposely put the 2 right tires on pure ice, and the left tires on pavement.
The pavement tires got the traction.
Same thing with snow covered icy roads.
I also have a pure winter tire on my X.

If that is indeed the case, then mine never kicked in for the full duration of the posted video.

Well I am sure this is what ABLS sounds like because my "slip" light also comes on with the sound.
Was the slip light coming on when you were stuck?

I'm surprised after 2 pages of replies that no one's mentioned feathering the brake to redistribute power to your the opposite tires of each axle...

Yeah, i'm looking at that first video and i'm sorry but that doesn't look like glare ice. both your front and back tire had traction at one point or another.. and it looks to me that it could have been driven out of there with someone bouncing on your back bumper.

I know ice.. if that was ice and you had a tire spinning on it, there would have been zero movement.. and a spinning tire will make pseudo-ice even worse.

You gave up too easily.. you could have coaxed her out of there with 4Hi and some conjoling =)

I just got done playing around in some serious snow for the last few days (over 24 inches in 48 hours!) and I'm very happy with the way the new X performed. Around town, the electronics kept the truck very safe- straight and controllable. I was able to deal with some pretty intense conditions. I had to turn the VDC off where the snow was very deep (as it wanted to slow me down too much)- but really the only complaint I have is crappy stock tires!

You could of been locked front and rear and the odd are you were not going to get out of that without some serious digging or a tug.

We just did some snow traveling of our own, I'm very happy with my truck's performance, but my own, well, mediocor.

I can see why he's stuck and 4 low with the locker probably would have helped, that or a half dozen friends.

First Gen (SoldierX) Stuck

I actually backed back down, got stuck, went back up, backed down again and then strapped her up the ice. At first I didn't think it was going to be able to do it, but I just kept feathering the throttle while the VDC/ABLS was going nuts. Too bad I don't have it in Video though.

Second Gen Locker helping DBAX on ice?

If there was ice under that snow it got MUCH worse with spinning tires like that.

Carry some kitty litter in the winter.. works great for traction on ice.

I need to get me one of those little shovels.. i've been down on all fours digging the snow out with my hands. It's a site to behold =)