[harrysmith]

Instead of just accelerating in snow which is in gear no. 1 (low), try starting off in 2nd or 3rd gear. Select "L" and then push the "plus" button once or twice to get it into 2nd or 3rd gear to start off in snow. This should get you a smoother start with minimum, if any, spinning.

 

[Toddzilla67]

If I understand the operation of the transmission right, using "L" in the console and pushing the "+" tap-shift button a couple of times to get a "3" just to the right of the "L" will still have the vehicle starting out in "1" (first gear). "3" (3rd gear) would then be the highest gear the transmission would shift into.

 

[quantum]

Exactly...the "L" mode locks out gears starting from 6th gear down to 1st. It does not force the transmission to start in your selected gear, but rather prevents the transmission from shifting to any higher gear than is selected.

 

[GXPWeasel]

Exactly...the "L" mode locks out gears starting from 6th gear down to 1st. It does not force the transmission to start in your selected gear, but rather prevents the transmission from shifting to any higher gear than is selected.

Oh, contrare....

On GM vehicles, which has been this way since at least 2000, when you put a vehicle in low, then tap it into 2nd. gear, it is know as a "low torque" takeoff, used for snow/icy conditions, and the vehicle will start in 2nd. gear. Same thing goes for the column shift. I start my Silverado out in 2 all of the time when it's slick out. Starts in second, then will stay in 2nd gear yes, but I can upshift to D when moving.

From everything I've been told, the original poster is 100% correct in his statement. It is also correct that the transmissions will not shift to a gear higher than what you have selected, but it will start in that gear. ( 2nd. )

 

[AA/78U-Blue Gold]

Is this an AWD difference? Here is what I find on my FWD-from a stop and I shift to L and select 2; the trans starts in 1st and will shift to 2nd and then will not go any higher.

 

[jamesmyboy]

I'm going to try this on my FWD later this morning...
My last car (2003 CTS) had two dedicated buttons for transmission program changes. A "Sport Mode" button changed shiftpoints such that based on the amount of throttle applied, would shift at red line in each gear. I never pushed it quite that hard, but hard enough to see the difference between that mode and "Normal".
The second button had a snowflake on it, and would bypass 1st gear. I verified that it did start the car out in 2nd. I'm not sure how the newer transmissions do this without having quite as much driver control programmed in.
In an hour or two, I'll give it a shot however.

 

[GXPWeasel]

Is this an AWD difference? Here is what I find on my FWD-from a stop and I shift to L and select 2; the trans starts in 1st and will shift to 2nd and then will not go any higher.

to my knowledge, no, this is for ALL GM vehicles. I know that on our Traverse ( front wheel drive ) if I put it down to low, then manually shift it to 2nd before I start moving, it will start in second gear, but shift no higher than second gear. The Traverses' second gear feels like many cars' first gear though, maybe that's what you're feeling??? I know the display will never move back to 1, as long as I don't move, and stop again. The default of course will downshift to 1st. but then at a complete stop, I manually shift to 2nd, and it stays there.

 

[jamesmyboy]

Okay... I just tried this about 5 times...
Came up to a stop sign, came to a complete stop, put the shifter to "L" and the DIC indicated "1". I used the rocker switch to get it to show "2". Started to accelerate, and the transmission did start out in first, then shifted to second. I could not get it to start out in second gear.
Maybe this is a change in the 2011's?
I'll peruse my owners manual to see if they say anything about this, as I guess I could be missing something. Not sure what one would have to do in order to get it to start out in second other than putting it in "2".

 

[zman]

The manual of our 08 makes no mention of the vehicle actually starting in a higher gear, at least based on what I could find. It only mentions limiting the higher gears like others have mentioned. Here is a page out of the manual.

 

[Toddzilla67]

That reads just as the 2010 Traverse manual does. However the vehicle might actually operate in this mode, all descriptions in the manual point to the vehicle starting in 1st gear regardless of what number is shown in the DIC.

 

[quantum]

I have tried to start my Traverse in 2nd gear...unless there is some funky trick, mine ALWAYS starts in first gear. No matter what gear I have selected in "L" mode, it always starts in first. My Silverado on the other hand, with the column shifter, will start in 2nd gear if I select "2". So I know what I should be experiencing. Its a lot more sluggish starting out in 2nd gear.

Like I said, maybe there is a trick I don't know about, but its not obvious to me.

 

[bowtie]

Oh, contrare....

On GM vehicles, which has been this way since at least 2000, when you put a vehicle in low, then tap it into 2nd. gear, it is know as a "low torque" takeoff, used for snow/icy conditions, and the vehicle will start in 2nd. gear. Same thing goes for the column shift. I start my Silverado out in 2 all of the time when it's slick out. Starts in second, then will stay in 2nd gear yes, but I can upshift to D when moving.

From everything I've been told, the original poster is 100% correct in his statement. It is also correct that the transmissions will not shift to a gear higher than what you have selected, but it will start in that gear. ( 2nd. )

sorry you are wrong....

 

[harrysmith]

I believe, after reading the above and my own testing, that I was in error. It sounds like a good idea that will not work on the Traverse. My apologies for this error. Thanks, HankSmith

 

[GXPWeasel]

sorry you are wrong....

I'm just going by what I was told, and by what I have experienced on EVERY one of my GM vehicles, since High School.

Maybe this isn't the case on the Traverse then, but when I tried it, the Traverse again seemed sluggish, like my other vehicles that take off from 2nd. gear, and the display never showed that it first went down to 1st. gear, then up to 2nd. I also didn't see the traction control light display as happens when I spin the front tires. So if this is still taking off in first gear on mine, then I am mistaken in the feel, and it may have just been my imagination. I don't drive the Traverse every day, and therefore an not nearly as farmiliar with it as I am the other Grand Prix's and Silverado, S-10 that I have had.

Of course when we purchased the Traverse, I asked about the 2nd. gear start feature, and if it had it, as our Grand Prix's did, and I liked that feature for it not being an AWD. However, I've been told many wrong things by salespeople before. hno:

My apologies.

 

[Toddzilla67]

No apologies necessary Greg.

By the way, I knew more about the Traverse than our salesman did. It should be the other way around.

 

[Matno]

Re: Re: Re: AWD - Starting off in snow

By the way, I knew more about the Traverse than our salesman did. It should be the other way around.

If you do your homework on a forum like this, you will likely NEVER find a salesman who knows more than you do about a car. Sad but true. I don't buy anything unless I know all about it, and since the internet "started" I've never had a salesman know even close to what I know about a product. I still cling to the hope that I will learn something when I go to a store/dealer, but I'm continually disappointed. At least I don't have to feel guilty for buying discounted stuff on the internet since the local retailers don't actually provide me any useful "service."

 

[jwhjr]

I tried last night and can confirm that it still starts in 1st. I had to try it for myself of course ;D

 

[rbarrios]

I have a FWD- also verified it.
appears to start in 1st.

This must be one of the few post- were many of the posters 'run' out and try it.

 

[Toddzilla67]

Yes, this morning I tried it as well.

 

[AA/78U-Blue Gold]

While I didn't run out and try; I have also confirmed this in the past--I can see the tach change when it shifts from 1st to 2nd