[Jake1z]

Just picked up an 08 xi auto. Car has a bunch of dash lights in related to the brakes, traction control, and transfer case. With the car on my lift and in drive only the passenger sides wheels rotate at idle. When you give it a little gas the other wheels will some times rotate and the stop. Is this normal?

[relative4]

Pull the codes.

[Jake1z]

Code don't tell me anything I don't already know.

[acmf]

That's your differentials working. Under ideal conditions, the wheels will spin in opposite directions, but on a 12-year old car, they will send all the power to the least dragging side. You may want to check if your brake calipers aren't stuck, check for wheel bearing wear, check if your hand brake isn't stuck, all that stuff.

[Soravia]

Originally Posted by acmf

That's your differentials working. Under ideal conditions, the wheels will spin in opposite directions, but on a 12-year old car, they will send all the power to the least dragging side. You may want to check if your brake calipers aren't stuck, check for wheel bearing wear, check if your hand brake isn't stuck, all that stuff.

LoL I was going to say that. They send MOST power to least resist side. That's why only one will turn. That's why they are open diff.
On clutch etc LSD, the wheels will turn together ONLY if you turn the drive shaft going to diff. Torsen LSD will still not turn both because one wheel has zero grip. Torsen LSD only works if there is at least some grip on both.