i thought the sport version of the 200is did have a limited slip diff and the se was a standard diff going off the spec sheet posted on these forums
Hi mate,
Well, in my opinion, the snow button seems to have the effect of retarding the timing, or cutting fuel supply or something like that, which reduces the amount of torque (or turning force) available to the driving wheels, thus making it less likely for them to exceed the available grip. When you use it, you should notice that the throttle response is very different to normal. It takes more throttle pressure to get going, and the car seems more sluggish. This is very handy in snow, as you are less likely to break traction and spin round. It's not impossible though, so go easy! ;-)
The trc, or Traction Control button is a very cheap way of trying to pretend the car has a limmited slip differential, but it isn't that good at it in my opinion. If you find a gravel or other slippery surface, line the car up and then pull away vigourously while steering sharply to the left or right to provoke wheelspin, you will notice that the car seems to die as you do so. Push the trc button in though, and you should be able to keep the spin going, and more importantly, the engine doesn't die in the same way, which means on the side that has some grip, the tyre can still propel you. It's useful for me about 2 or 3 times a year, if that, so don't worry if you never use it!