1st time to use 4WD

H

hlsess

New member
We are expecting BIG snow(3-6 inches) in Alabama on Monday- can someone explain how I use the 4WD? I am hoping that there won't be ice and we can go sledding. Do I just turn the know to 4WD and that's it- Help this newbie please!!
 
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hlsess said:
We are expecting BIG snow(3-6 inches) in Alabama on Monday- can someone explain how I use the 4WD? I am hoping that there won't be ice and we can go sledding. Do I just turn the know to 4WD and that's it- Help this newbie please!!
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Are you kidding? :rtfm:
 
I am serious. That's alot of snow for us possible ice also it'll shut us down for 2 days watch the news it's hilarious!!!
 
Just like you would in that red-clay, only easier to clean up when you are done.

Have fun, Be careful
 
Just rember 4wd may help you get going but it won't help you stop. Make sure you engage the 4wd before you need it. Once you get stuck it may be more difiicult to engage it.
 
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That's all there is to it... just rotate the knob!

Here's my best attempt at a guideline... just some things to keep in mind anyway:

H2 = 2-wheel drive, obviously (rear wheels)
H4 = all-wheel-drive (probably best for your upcoming snowy/icy roads)
H4 (with center diff locked) = traditional 4WD (best for low traction surfaces... dirt, mud, sand)
L4 = low-range all-wheel-drive (for when more power is needed... climbing, pulling stumps, etc.)
L4 (with center diff locked) = low-range 4WD (more power in low traction stuff... off-roading, etc.)

That's just kind of how I see the applications... I haven't had opportunities to try them all out in different situations, but H4 should take care of most bad weather situations. Remember that when you lock the center diff, your VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) will be disabled.

Also, you can switch from H2>H4 and back while moving (up to about 60mph), but I always switch between 5-15mph with little, if any throttle. Switching from H4>L4 and back requires that you are stopped and in Neutral.

Just a heads-up... you'll hear all kinds of clicking and beeping when VSC and ATRAC activate in the slippery stuff.

Be careful out there!
~Doozi
 
Ross said:
Just rember 4wd may help you get going but it won't help you get stoped. Make sure you engage the 4wd before you need it. Once you get stuck it may be more difiicult to engage it.
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Good point! You can just put it in H4 until your Alabama winter goes away!
 
You should be aware that according to your owners manual you should run the system in 4H once a month for 10 miles to keep it lubricated. You should also engage the 4L several times each year to keep the actuator working. If you don't you may find the system won't engage due to corrosion. The 4L actuator is quite expensive to repair.
 
hlsess said:
Thanks- just haven't had time to read the manual- it's not really being driven alot at the moment.
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Haha but you have time to mess around on the internet and ask questions. You dont have to be in the vehicle or driving it, in order to read the manual. :ybrick:
 
I recently moved from Chicago to SE Mississippi (don't ask). Anything less than 3-4" is a nuisance snow and I don't even put it in 4WD. I was in KY for a few years and they were calling for 3-5". I was out of dog food and went to the grocery store. It was packed. There was a Red Cross table set up and silly-me thought it was a blood drive. I about collapsed in hysterics when the guy said "NO! It's for the disaster! The BLIZZARD!!!" and he handed me a paper of things I HAD to buy like flashlight, batteries, candles, water, food in order to "survive". I went to work the next day besides the fact that EVERYTHING was closed but it didn't begin snowing until noon. When I left to go home there was MAYBE 3" and there were people sliding everywhere. I felt guilty for not engaging 4WD.
 
Nuke said:
I recently moved from Chicago to SE Mississippi (don't ask). Anything less than 3-4" is a nuisance snow and I don't even put it in 4WD. I was in KY for a few years and they were calling for 3-5". I was out of dog food and went to the grocery store. It was packed. There was a Red Cross table set up and silly-me thought it was a blood drive. I about collapsed in hysterics when the guy said "NO! It's for the disaster! The BLIZZARD!!!" and he handed me a paper of things I HAD to buy like flashlight, batteries, candles, water, food in order to "survive". I went to work the next day besides the fact that EVERYTHING was closed but it didn't begin snowing until noon. When I left to go home there was MAYBE 3" and there were people sliding everywhere. I felt guilty for not engaging 4WD.
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I know but we only get a ncie amt ofsnow about once every 10 years so everyone freaks and they close everything-some schools have already delayed school Monday - Hoping they can go so we don't have makeups but noone around here knows how to drive in it- it is scary- if it happens I just want to take the kids to sled....
 
All you should need is to put it in 4H, be very gentle on the accelerator and NO quick manuevers. Keep your speeds low and give yourself plenty of stopping distance. Watch what's going on around you and try to have an "out" in the event the other moron (and there WILL be plenty) is coming at you out-of-control.

In the event you need more traction, you can lock the center diff but in that mode you only want to do straight line if it's anything less than even a hint of good traction. If all else fails, RTFM!
 
Nuke said:
I recently moved from Chicago to SE Mississippi (don't ask). Anything less than 3-4" is a nuisance snow and I don't even put it in 4WD. I was in KY for a few years and they were calling for 3-5". I was out of dog food and went to the grocery store. It was packed. There was a Red Cross table set up and silly-me thought it was a blood drive. I about collapsed in hysterics when the guy said "NO! It's for the disaster! The BLIZZARD!!!" and he handed me a paper of things I HAD to buy like flashlight, batteries, candles, water, food in order to "survive". I went to work the next day besides the fact that EVERYTHING was closed but it didn't begin snowing until noon. When I left to go home there was MAYBE 3" and there were people sliding everywhere. I felt guilty for not engaging 4WD.
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Haha that's hilarious! My first car was my parents rebuilt 95 Volvo 850 that was extremely neglected. It had some pretty bad transmission issues(for one the PNP switch was really dirty so the car never really knew what gear it was in), I had a different tire on the front left wheel(hit a curb pretty hard when drifting in the snow one year :( ) , all 4 tires had only had ~2mm tread left and the suspension was completely shot. I went 3 full winters in Calgary, Alberta(think 8 month winters. An average snow level of about a foot and after a day of driving that snow would be compacted to a thick layer of ice) like that. Not a single crash, and I was speeding all over the place too. 99% of people simply suck at driving.

I was so mean to that car... although I fixed her up real nice before I sold her. I dont think it was ever in such good condition.

Needless to say, I baby my 4Runner :D
 
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