Just taken ownership of a 60 plate Scout and this weekend's snow gave me the perfect opportunity to get to know the 4x4 performance.  However, I'm confused.  Dropping the clutch quickly on my slippery drive caused the front wheels to spin, but nothing from the rear; no spin or traction.  Is this normal?  Tried with TCS on and off.  I suspect the answer might be to find a VCDS to check whether the haldex is working, but would appreciate some ideas from any knowledgeable person.

Sounds like haldex no worky to me. In my scout getting wheels to spin even in snow takes some doing and it will generally squirm around in snow as it moves power between all 4 wheels looking for grip.

Have you tried setting off in 2nd year and easing off the clutch? 

Also, what state are your tyres; condition, tread depth? 

 

I was really disappointed how my Scout handled in the snow, but the fault was with me. Haldex isn't a miracle system, it still needs traction/grip from the tyres. Once I had Swapped from the OE all weather  Dunlops to smaller Cold Weather Nokians, the vehicle has been fantastic. 

 

Still have scary butt clenching moments, though! 

 

 

You should have a logged fault code if the haldex is unresponsive. Its hard to get the front wheels to spin on my scout with a haldex. The haldex had a fault on mine, it was the pump, apparently these do fail. I didn't investigate the pump I just had it swapped at the dealer cost is in the region of £250. Also I've read, occasionally the wiring to the haldex corrodes at the cable connector.