4wd 24/7?

diabolus

diabolus

New member
Hi! I've been lurking in the forum for about a week now, and finally decided to register today.

My boyfriend and I just bought a 2004 SR5 4WD V6... the first 4WD vehicle either of us has owned... and I was wondering something about driving in 4WD.

Well, first off, the manual says:

"H4 - center differential unlocked: Use this for normal driving on all types of roads, from dry to wet, icy, or snow-covered. This position gives greater economy, quietest ride, least wear, and better vehicle control".

So, going off of that, why not just keep it in that mode all of the time? I read on here how people will put it in 4WD once a month to keep it lubricated or whatever, but is there anything wrong with keeping H4 engaged 24/7?

Sorry if that was an extremely long and dumb question. Thanks for any replies though!

-Bella
 
Register to hide this ad
for the v6 4wd model, you can indeed keep it in 4H 24x7. Do keep in mind that when in 4wd, you'll consume more gas :(

Just make sure you don't have the center diff locked as that is used only for soft terrain.

Good luck!
 
Ahh, thanks! Interesting.

So 4WD will consume more gas, even though the manual says "gives greater economy"? Jeez.

Is the difference in gas usage substantial?

Also, heh, I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but since I'm here - it is OK to keep it in 4WD at speeds over 50-60MPH?

Thanks again ;):
 
4h is fine at all speeds. it just take abit more because power needs to now get distributed to all 4 wheels.

expect about 1mpg loss I think (maybe less?) dunno as I have the full time v8 version ;)
 
diabolus said:
So 4WD will consume more gas, even though the manual says "gives greater economy"? Jeez.

Is the difference in gas usage substantial?
Click to expand...

they mean that it's better economy than locked 4wd.

Also, heh, I'm sorry for asking so many questions, but since I'm here - it is OK to keep it in 4WD at speeds over 50-60MPH?
Click to expand...

my general rule is if you need to be in 4wd, you shouldn't be going 50-60mph.
 
I agree with Goodtimes on all points. Driving in 4WD HI is less gas efficient that driving in 2wd HI. It's perfectly fine to keep it in 4WD though if you feel safer with it on.

I drive through some congestions points on I95 through the Washington DC Metro area, so saving some gas in 2WD when I'm in the urban jungle is well worth it.
 
just my 1 cent...

I know that on my old FJ-40, you wouldn't dream of going over 50/55mph in 4wd high.. but, i think on the newer cars, espically , coming from japan for the last three years, they design their cars to be driven in 4wd for icy conditions mainly...

with that said, driving around in 2wd is going to be more efficient on the engine, less engine power to turn the front and rear drive shafts and so forth.. i also own the all wheel drive sport v8 and it drives like a dream, you can tell the front end is engaged on some stuff .. i like it, but it is designed for it, the V6 models' well, i just don't think they made it to be all time all wheel drive, however, it is capable of driving in 4wd high for a substantial period of time, however, i would be cautious to take it over speeds over 55mph... perhaps , that's just the old timer in me speaking... ya know...

the center differential was a new one on me also... i am used to driving either in 2wd high, 4wd high or 4wd low... thus, when engaged in 4wd, the front and rear drive shaft get equal power... with this new 4runner, somehow, the VSC shifts power where it needs it, but ends up being power to any wheel at any time sort of driving... uh, okay... at this point i just press the "i believe" button...

congrats on owning one of the best REAL SUV's on the planet...

Have you driven a porche SUV on the trails today? why would you? haha

:bugeye:
 
Let me take this question a bit further....keep in mind that I've never been off-road and my last car was a Ford Escape that had a simple 4x4 lock switch on the dash.


When would we need to lock the center differential? If I were driving through deep snow, would there be any advantage to using the differential lock with 4wd high?

What about traction control? Wouldn't that help me in snow? Does traction control function with the center diff locked?

As you can see, I still have a lot to learn about the "real" 4x4 system of the 4Runner.....
 
as stated in a previous post, the lock on the center diff is for soft stuff, typically loose gravel, sand, mud, deep snow, etc . . ., so yes, it would help in the deep snow.

when you have activated the lock on the center diff, you de-activate the vehilce stability control (VSC), which can prevent you from sliding of the road if you happen to loose control, the traction control system on 4wd models stays permanently engaged.

if you are driving down a road with compact snow, there would be no need for the center diff to be locked, you would be giving up your VSC while making it dangerous to drive around corners at any speed exceeding 15 mph.

a good rule of thumb is, if you think that you might possibly get stuck, activate the locking diff, once you are no longer in danger of getting stuck, de-activate it.
 
Thai said:
Here's some more info:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=12
Click to expand...

Good info in that thread... but I have another quesiton:

Is there any mode that the traction control system is NOT on? Or is there any way to manually turn off the traction control in 2wd or when in 4wd?

I'm also wondering if my V6 4Runner will have to go on the emissions dyno when my inspection is due here in New York. Currently, NYS does not allow any vehicle without a defeatable traction control system to be run on an emissions dyno. Instead, they use the old "tailpipe idle" test.
 
A little clarification about 4WD. It helps you get going when traction is bad but it does nothing to keep you on the road when travelling at speed. So, having 4WD does not mean you can drive at higher speeds in snow, mud, whatever. Once your tires break traction and start going sideways, 4WD is meaningless.

Travelling to and from ski country in Southern Ontario, I can't tell you how many times I have seen 4WD vehicles with their noses buried in a drift at the side of the road. In most cases, 4WD just helps you get stuck deeper.

The only exception is if you have the skill to drive your way out of a skid - that is, using the throttle to pull your way out. I don't profess to have that skill and I'm guessing 95% of us don't. I usually take my foot of the gas, keep it off the brake and try to steer out.
 
Cayenne

Hey navy, I would not dare diss the Cayenne. It is a very capable SUV. What else can seat 5, tow 7,600 lbs. and turn sub 8 minute laps at Nurburgring?

Porsche did extensive and successul testing in the Canadian Arctic before releasing the car. Really interesting read here:

http://www.izoom.com/cayenne_yukon.html

As for off-road capability? I refer you to this list of features. Enough to send any 4Runner away with its tail between its legs.

http://content3.us.porsche.com/prod/cayenne/cayenne.nsf/usaenglish/offroad_performance

Remember, Porsche won the Paris-Dakar race twice with its 959. Porsche knows off-road.

While our 4Runners are wonderful vehicles, I would trade it for a Cayenne in a heartbeat (if I could afford it).
 
Re: Cayenne

skategoat said:
Hey navy, I would not dare diss the Cayenne. It is a very capable SUV. What else can seat 5, tow 7,600 lbs. and turn sub 8 minute laps at Nurburgring?

Porsche did extensive and successul testing in the Canadian Arctic before releasing the car. Really interesting read here:

http://www.izoom.com/cayenne_yukon.html

As for off-road capability? I refer you to this list of features. Enough to send any 4Runner away with its tail between its legs.

http://content3.us.porsche.com/prod/cayenne/cayenne.nsf/usaenglish/offroad_performance

Remember, Porsche won the Paris-Dakar race twice with its 959. Porsche knows off-road.

While our 4Runners are wonderful vehicles, I would trade it for a Cayenne in a heartbeat (if I could afford it).
Click to expand...

Did you see the Cayenne road test in Car and Driver magazine? They had a small picture of the Cayenne stuck on a grass trail that was a little muddy. The picture showed them towing the Cayenne out with a pick-up truck. I'm sure it was due to the tires more than anything else, but it sure made the Cayenne look bad....
 
I guess the bottom line is, you won't see many Cayennes on the trail. Not because of capability but because you typically don't spend $120k on a vehicle and then go mudding with it.
 
skategoat:

i would agree with you that the loaded cayenne is much more capable off-road than a 4runner is. it is probably one of the best stock off-road vehicles ever made (although it looks like the rubicon still has it beat). the problem with porsche is the shoddy craftsmanship. with all the shared vw parts, it isn't surprising that they start to fall apart after 3 years. it is a shame that vw and porsche maintain such fantastic design with little regard for quality. the kicker is that the orginial price for the vehicles pales in comparison to their service costs (for porsche that is). too bad the cayenne isn't made by honda!
 
I wouldn't say most capable offroad as there are different types of offroading styles.

I'd put my $$ on the G-wagon as it's the only vehicle with 3 fully locking diffs!

If you're going for the dakar style offroading stuff then I'd say maybe some of the other AWD vehicles will fit into this stuff.
 
gonzo said:
skategoat:

i would agree with you that the loaded cayenne is much more capable off-road than a 4runner is. it is probably one of the best stock off-road vehicles ever made (although it looks like the rubicon still has it beat).
Click to expand...

You've got to be kidding me.

The cayenne wouldn't even be in the top 10. Land cruiser, lexus GX, Land rover, Range Rover, Mercedes G-wagen, 4runner, jeeps, xterra.
 
From my limited experience off-road, you simply cannot beat the small, nimble vehicles like Jeep YJs, original Land Cruisers and G-wagens. When you get big and heavy like a 4Runner or Cayenne or, egads, a Sequoia, you will run into serious limitations.

As far as build quality and shared VW/Porsche parts, I'd be nervous as a Cayenne owner. I owned an Audi and I would never buy an Audi/VW product again. Then again, I own a Porsche and it is as reliable as a hammer. So, is it VW using Porsche parts or Porsche using VW parts?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 368 (members: 4, guests: 364)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,309
Messages
3,554,067
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top