I am looking at a 1995 C4 and would like to get some input about the good and the bad of the all-wheel drive. I don't live where the weather would require it but it is an extremely nice, low mileage car in the color I want. I know there is probably some added weight but am more concerned with reliability issues with the added complexity of the drive system. What problems can I expect?
Thanks.

 

The all-wheel drive is maintenance free and a relatively simple system; the only thing that can go wrong is a viscous coupler failure and/or snapped driveshaft, in which case the car acts like a rear-wheel drive Carrera 2 (you might not even notice). The couplers/driveshafts seem to fail from either spinning the car or drag-race starts (i.e., revs way up and dropping the clutch), otherwise they are fairly bulletproof.

The car feels a little bit different from a Carrera 2, but it is great in the rain, as well as the snow (with snow tires, of course). Having owned both, I like it a little better personally.

Vic

 

My C4 is very good in snow and rain (with proper tires), and I have had no maintenance issues with the AWD. The only trouble in snow is that even the snow tires are wide (although one step less than my summer tires), and that the car can become high centered easily if the plows haven't been through. However, I have a Vanagon Syncro camper for those days. The Syncro Vanagon rides higher than a Hummer; one sits elevated on a par with truck and bus drivers! Syncro campers are the 911 GT3s of the Vanagon world, as another Rennlist member once said...they are quite rare.

The viscous coupler can certainly be broken through abuse, as some past posts have indicated. Speaking of abuse, be _certain_ your emissions testing shop takes the AWD into account. Both my Vanagon and my 993 have viscous couplers and "stealth" AWD in the sense that 90-95% of similar cars (probably 99%+ for the Vanagon) are RWD. Emissions shop employees don't know this. I watch them carefully to make sure they give me the "two (rpm) speed stationary" test rather than put half the drive wheels up on the rollers, thereby leaving the other two stationary, a maneuver which _will_ burn up the viscous couplers. I would never drop my car off for emissions testing, and leave, unless it was at a Volkswagen or Porsche dealer. Otherwise, I watch the test, in person, even after reminding the shop guy twice.

Mike Lincoln

 

I've had no additional maintenance issues with my 4wd it seems relatively bulletproof if not abused. I covered 200 miles in a driving rainstorm at high speeds yesterday, my biggest issue by far was visibility not vehicle dynamics or handling.

 

I've been street driving and rallying AWD systems for years and have busted all manner of transmission, suspenstion and body work. I've yet to bust any AWD specific piece. The 993 system is very similar to those in the rally cars I've built and I can't see them failing wihtout serious abuse - but I could be corrected by 993 owners with direct experience. I wouldn't hesitate for a seoncd to get an AWD 993 over a C2 (in fact I'm agressively shopping for a 993 C4 right now).

There's also the notion that AWD spreads the driving force out amongst FOUR wheels - so the total force and load on the driving components is reduced from the C2 which only has 2 wheels to cope with the power.

RK

 

You can't spin a C4...

 

And frankly - to me at least - that's a good thing (by "spin" I assume you mean spin the rear tires) - since I find drving my open rear dif S2 quite unpleasant in anything but perfect weather as the rear tires like to let loose powering out of corners. Yes, it can be huge amounts of fun and if you prefer that "hang the *** out" style, a C2 is PERFECT - but it's slower.

If by "spin" yoiu mean swap ends - then I'll have to disagree - I can swap ends in an AWD car no problem.

RK

 

Seems to eat tires faster...but well worth it !

 

The C4 feels a little more planted and not so loose in the middle compared to a C2. On the other hand the turning circle is crap! I've had a few mini roundabouts where I have had to stop and back up because the car cannot make it round!

Either way you'll be onto a winner.

Cheers,

David

 

If you don't track the car or if you do and know how to handle bad spins or you don't do heavy launches...then get a C4, if not stick to a C2. I like the handling of the C4 better in the rain or snow and we get lots of it here, rain that is.....

 

I disagree. A 944S2 is a different animal to a c2. Lots rear weight bias in the latter. Most C2 drivers will admit to never achieving traction loss. For the racers, they have a LSD. A C2 will be faster than a C4 except on snow and ice... it weighs less to start with

Good thought, wrong premise.

 

I'll gladly stand corrected - great points. Totally forgot about the weight bias - having near perfect 50/50 in the S2 - I never think about it! : ) (And I HATE not having an LSD!)

As for the C2 being quicker - I've always seen stats suggesting that in the short burst - the C4 has the edge up to about 50mph (more launch traction). Any truth to that? On a given lap of any track, is is the C2 always faster?

And yes AWD RULES in the slippery stuff!

RK

 

Given equal drivers, I would think the C2 should prevail.

There is perhaps some truth about your "short burst" comment. IIRC, the c4 has lower gearing than the C2. What the c2 needs is the gsame gb as installed in mine: the G50/31 close ratio. Lower gears are too long for traffic snarls..