How does the Suzuki AWD system work?
Suzuki AWD models use a transfer case with a viscous coupler to determine the power split between the front and rear wheels. The viscous coupler has two sets of plates inside a sealed housing that is filled with a thick fluid (high viscosity silicone). One set of plates is connected to the front wheels, the other to the rear wheels. Under normal conditions (good road traction), both sets of plates and the viscous fluid spin at the same speed. When the front set of wheels starts to spin at a faster rate, perhaps because of lost traction on the road, the set of plates corresponding to the front wheels spin at a faster rate than the plates corresponding to the rear wheels. The viscous fluid, stuck between the plates, heats up and expands, thereby dragging the slower plates along. This transfers more power to the slower moving wheels — the rear wheels that are not slipping — until they reach the maximum front and rear axle torque split of 50/50. The faster the plates are spinning relativ
