[smokey01]

Tonight I was traveling down some back roads to check out an acreage I'm thinking of buying and came across some horrible gravel roads. I turned on the 4X4 and decided to go for it. Everything was going quite well until I decided to stop to fill up my windshield wiper fluid as mud and water were constantly going up over my windshield and roof. I filled up the washer fluid and discovered that the jeep had sunk 4 inches into clay. I tried to get out and soon discovered I wasn't going too far. I had ignored the cardinal rules of 4X4ing; 1. Never stop unless you're on solid ground, and 2. Always go with someone else or let someone know where you're going (these also apply to bad weather driving).
Having no cell coverage I decided there was only way it was getting out was if I did it myself. So ESP completely off and 4X4 engaged I rocked the jeep until it started moving. I continued to the next primary grid and back to the highway.
I'm impressed with the way the jeep handled the mud and water and don't have any fears taking it out in any reasonable conditions that I might encounter. All this on stock street tires. Can't wait to get the more aggressive tires I've been looking at. I snapped a couple of pics of what it looked like after I got back in case anyone was wondering, I'll try to get a few more tomorrow. I've got a lot of cleaning ahead of me now.

 

[lochinprc]

Great story Smokey1! The stock tires arent that bad after all huh?

Quick question: Would you have tried rocking the Jeep in an automatic model? I have rocked manual's out of ruts but I dont think I would want to be in your situation with my transmission... Is it even possible to rock an automatic? I guess if you were almost completely stopped when you switched from D to R and vice versa then maybe, but that would be a kind of delayed rocking wouldnt it? Might not be able to get that momentum going...

 

[smokey01]

The stock tires aren't bad but if I had something a little more aggressive it would have made life a lot easier.

I know my boss had tried rocking his daughters fusion with the cvt transmission and he said it wouldn't work. I'm sure there would be some way to do it. Once you get a rut long enough and you can start moving it might be possible to get out. I'd be more concerned about the belts on the transmission possibly slipping. I don't know enough about the cvt to know exactly how it would handle the stress.

 

[tripplec]

I saw from the last pic that its a manual also Husky front matts. You need them it appears.

I have rocked many times with a regular automatic and with the CVT one would also have use the brakes to get the desired action.

ESP OFF of course.
Rev as required in either direction. Say reverse in this example and when you think you're going to switch to forward. Apply the brake, while lettting off the gas. This will hold it on the high spot in the rear direction. Now in drive give it some gas all the while on the brake then let go of the brake as second or two after the revs have come up. That should get you a forward rock, apply brakes again backing the gas. Then reverse again letting off the brake after you have given it power again continuing as required.

I doubt you can do the quick shift back and forth which is hard on the transmission anyway on a CVT.

 

[COMPASSDL]

What are those switches for on the left side of the lower dash? I don't have them. Is that a Canada thing?

 

[tripplec]

Well I don't have them on mine. He may have some optional electrical stuff installed.

 

[smokey01]

The one on the left is for my offroad lights and the one on the right is for a cigarette lighter in the rear hatch. They were an extreme pain to install, there's not much room back there.

 

[Feel for life]

CompassDL said :

Is that a Canada thing?

You bet baby...................huh?

 

[tripplec]

Yep, my grand cherokee did not come with them. I put on a light bar and big round yellow driving lights. Urrrr...eh eh.. canadian yep, cuts through the snow and fog or whatever. Them yahoos coming the other way can see you before we hit them. Haha

 

[smokey01]

I got them for work in the dark, I can focus them wherever I need them and they're super bright. I got some pictures of all the mud on the compass but I haven't had time to post them yet, maybe later today.

 

[Cherokee]

Quite the story there! The Compass looks good with some mud splashed on it from time to time, but that much mud on the inside, yikes!!! Cool pics though, just glad you were able to get it out!

- Cherokee

 

[smokey01]

Sorry guys, had a family emergency and couldn't post sooner than this. But here's a few more pics of the mud I picked up that day.

 

[Gus]

This is kind of off topic for this thread but 4x4 related; I upgraded from a 93 grand cherokee to my 07 Compass, with the GC the 4x4 was absolutely necessary in the winter, it would bite down even with all season tires and plow over everything effortlessly; I had a landlord that didn't plow the driveway and even with the 2 feet of snow we got in London Ontario in the winter of 08-09, the driveway and snowbank melted away like butter; I could go anywhere without the sightest bit of slippage. This being one of the main reasons I was looking for nothing other than a Jeep when I was upgrading to something more fuel efficient... and I was sure to get a Compass that came with the 4x4 option knowing how much I had used it in the past. But with the compass; which was sold to me with snow tires already installed; I found the 4x4 very ineffective. The rear end of the car is to light to require 60% of the power designated to those tires, and I found myself fishtailing around corners in even the lightest skiff of snow, like a 2 wheel drive pick up truck. I had, by the winter of 09, moved to an apartment with underground parking so the driveway wasn't an issue, but I found for winter driving that leaving the 4x4 turned off and just allowing the ESP to handle any slippage in the snow was much more effective than having it turned on. That is something we don't have to worry about for another 6 months though
The consumer reports I read before buying the compass said that this "car" handled better off road than most 4x4's designed to do just that; it's still a jeep; and I look forward to this summer finding out if I can drive to a lake I camp at where usually only true SUV can get too, with an 8 inch ground clearance, and 1000 lbs less vehicle weight than the closest SUV going in, I bet I can float over the rocks and bumps like they aren't even there.
A few posts here speak to how well the compass handles the winter, by the end of this summer I intend to prove the true calling of the compass, to crawl through rock mud and forest, taking it's owners to the unique parts of this country that only a few will ever lay eye's on, the true Jeep country.

 

[smokey01]

I haven't had any issues in the winter. I've climbed our ramp at work (30 degrees) covered in ice with no issues. I've had to turn the esp off at times to make it handle more predictably but other than that I can't complain about how it handles. Ok, other than the massive ammount of mud in my rims causing major vibrations, but that's not the vehicle's fault! I also have the manual, not sure if it is helping or not but I like the speed control it gives me.

 

[tripplec]

Weight and weight distribution certainly helps in many situations. Gearing also a factor so as not to spin the wheels.

However, when all is said and don't its all in the tires. There are snow tires and tires the OEM thinks are good in the snow. Worn snow tires are poor in anything more than a few inches of snow (city) since the groves depth is gone.

Does the tires have SNOWFLAKE symbol on the sidewall.

If you are driving in deep snow. The manual and design requires that ESP be off since its braking trying to stop the spin as well.!!!

 

[Gus]

I know little about the tires that were included with the car, except they were the wrong size 230/50 instead of 215/55, they did have a snowflake on the sidewall and they were new, still have very good tread. I'll have to try it next winter with the ESP off!

 

[lochinprc]

Cant wait to hear about the rocks and mud Gus! Take pics of your Compass in rough terrain (or being towed out of it, lol). Hope to do as much off-roading as poss in the summer too...

 

[Cherokee]

Yep, offroad Jeep pics are a must, lol! You still pondering that lift lochinprc?

- Cherokee

 

[lochinprc]

Yes definitely still pondering the lift... just pondering...

 

[smokey01]

I've been pondering the lift for over a year now. I'm pretty sure if I bought one and the gf found out I would be killed. Maybe it can be delivered to work.......