You get stuck in mud...

[dron]

is this a right order to try to get free?

H2>H4>TRAC Off>VSC Off+TRAC Off>L4>A-TRAC>Rear Diff. Lock>A-TRAC+Rear Diff. Lock. Any other options/combinations of them?

From a manual, it is very confusing to understand at which situations which option has to be used.

I have Ford Explorer, where the only 3 options to choose from: Auto>High4>Low4. Very simple.

 

[4Runner8]

well if your off roading and are about to go thru mud i would go ahead and bring out all your big guns. but idk. all that technology is crazy. what happened to lock hubs and go like my dads old f250? haha

 

[Jesse1983]

what happened to lock hubs and go like my dads old f250? haha

ha, my 95 Tacoma had them too. sucked when it was really cold and they were frozen and you couldn't turn them.

 

[4Runner8]

ha, my 95 Tacoma had them too. sucked when it was really cold and they were frozen and you couldn't turn them.

haha yea well my dad would always be watchin the weather and when it was supposed to drop real low he would turn them the night before if we planned on going hunting the next morning or if weather called for any sort of wintry mix.

 

[1000MPH]

If you've got a TE you have several more options: Crawl control and that other knob up on the headliner.

 

[dron]

If you've got a TE you have several more options: Crawl control and that other knob up on the headliner.

I don't know... I would consider them as options designed for lazy off-roaders, preferring a truck to control their driver's capabilities rather than vise versa.

I wish I will tell truck what to do and when.

 

[dron]

i may be at a wrong forum to ask those questions...

Probably, I schould refrase my question.

You are offroading (nice to imagine, isn't?)...

Now, if you face a thick mud (deep puddle, rocky terrain, steep hill etc.), then use this option/combination of options to go trough mud (deep puddle, rocky terrain, steep hill etc.).


Any expert thoughts?

 

[SeattleMike]

I'm not an expert. I drive a TE.

If traction was going to be an issue and I knew it before going in... I'd go into H4 and set the Multi-terrain Select knob to the appropriate setting so that the traction control expects the appropriate level of wheel spin. If I get stuck in H4, I have the option of going into L4 from there, which turns off the VSC and traction control. If that doesn't get me unstuck, I can turn on A-Trac. If that doesn't help, I can then lock my rear differential to try and get myself out. If all of the above fails, I climb out and look for a place to anchor the winch.

Crawl Control is a neat gizmo, but it's not needed. It's nice to have if you want consistent SLOW speed while you want to focus on where you are going, but I'm not the kind to mash down on the throttle in low traction areas anyway so I don't use it.

 

[dron]

If I get stuck in H4, I have the option of going into L4 from there, which turns off the VSC and traction control.

You have an option to turn off VSC and traction control, separately or both together, without switching to L4.

Thank you, Mike, for your input. It is my first 4Runner, and I really want to have some kind of tutorial on all these options before I go deep in a forest. As I said, my only experience with SUVs is limited to Ford Explorer, which does not have all of this fancy things.

 

[XJeepguy]

Is that for the space shuttle or what ? :biggrin2:

3rd Gen : 2H>4H>( maybe diff lock )> unstuck :thumb3:

H2>H4>TRAC Off>VSC Off+TRAC Off>L4>A-TRAC>Rear Diff. Lock>A-TRAC+Rear Diff. Lock.

 

[SeattleMike]

You have an option to turn off VSC and traction control, separately or both together, without switching to L4.

Thank you, Mike, for your input. It is my first 4Runner, and I really want to have some kind of tutorial on all these options before I go deep in a forest. As I said, my only experience with SUVs is limited to Ford Explorer, which does not have all of this fancy things.

Some choices get made for you as you change settings. The best advice is to not go alone, especially for your first time.

At one point in my life, I was an Animal Control Officer for a county located in the high desert. I was constantly getting stuck in the sandy dirt because the truck was 2WD and had street tires. After having the motor pool change the tires for AT's I had no more issues getting stuck in the sandy dirt. My point is that certain things make all the difference. The only way to discover what all the goodies do is to find a nice place to try them out... I used an idled sub-division because there were paved streets within a few yards of the dirt and rocks I was playing in so I could call AAA if I got stuck.

 

[4Runner8]

I'm not an expert. I drive a TE.

If traction was going to be an issue and I knew it before going in... I'd go into H4 and set the Multi-terrain Select knob to the appropriate setting so that the traction control expects the appropriate level of wheel spin. If I get stuck in H4, I have the option of going into L4 from there, which turns off the VSC and traction control. If that doesn't get me unstuck, I can turn on A-Trac. If that doesn't help, I can then lock my rear differential to try and get myself out. If all of the above fails, I climb out and look for a place to anchor the winch.

Crawl Control is a neat gizmo, but it's not needed. It's nice to have if you want consistent SLOW speed while you want to focus on where you are going, but I'm not the kind to mash down on the throttle in low traction areas anyway so I don't use it.

if you are about to go into deep mud is it not smart to go ahead and put in L$4 and lock the rear. then use a trac? or does one thing have to be turned on for another thing to be on?

 

[SeattleMike]

if you are about to go into deep mud is it not smart to go ahead and put in L$4 and lock the rear. then use a trac? or does one thing have to be turned on for another thing to be on?

I wouldn't go into deep mud, period. It's a perfectly good way to get stuck, lose your shoes trying to walk out, and possibly seriously damage your vehicle. Some mud is fine, but deep mud? Only if the devil is on my ass.

I was just going through the progression of more traction and lower gearing and settings specific to the TE. According to the manual, certain settings enable/disable other, for example you can't lock the rear diff in 2H/4H with out altering the system. The TE has a passive "traction" control as part of the stability system (VSC), but both VSC and A-TRAC get shut down when switching to 4L, requiring you to turn A-Trac back on if you want it.

 

[4Runner8]

well i was referring to say your on an expedition camping trip and you are on your way to a destination and you encounter a water crossing, or some mud say 2ft deep maybe 3ft. but only 5-8 ft wide max.

 

[SeattleMike]

well i was referring to say your on an expedition camping trip and you are on your way to a destination and you encounter a water crossing, or some mud say 2ft deep maybe 3ft. but only 5-8 ft wide max.

I'm not going to put my truck into 3 feet of mud intentionally. Now, for clarification, the kind of mud I am talking about is wet, sticky, and dense... not a muddy stream.

But I'd still try it in H4 first...
YouTube - 2010 Toyota 4Runner vs. The Mud Pit

 

[03_4x4Runner]

This is something you will learn with experience. Give it a try and see what happens. Eventually you will just look at a obstacle and have a pretty good idea what works.

 

[Egstyle]

if you are about to go into deep mud is it not smart to go ahead and put in L$4 and lock the rear. then use a trac? or does one thing have to be turned on for another thing to be on?

Personally, I would keep in 4H with Multi-Terrain set to "mud" and keep the speed up as much as safe (use your judgment if there are trees, boulders, or ditches nearby). Do not stop unless you want to get stuck. But if you really don't want to get stuck, get KM2's :naughty: Do not mess with the mud in the stock tires. If you start digging in, then go straight to Lo with locked diff maybe with A-trac (haven't really seen a remarkable difference over the locker alone with this). You don't want to dig in more than necessary trying out different configs, go straight to what will have the best chance of working.

 

[1000MPH]

I don't know... I would consider them as options designed for lazy off-roaders, preferring a truck to control their driver's capabilities rather than vise versa.

I wish I will tell truck what to do and when.

Wow! I'm impressed that you can operate the throttle and brakes on all 4 wheels independently and still steer.
I guess most of ya'll haven't really used CC on the really steep, slippery stuff. The stuff where you need your seatbelt to keep from imprinting a toyota logo on your chest. It's impressive. Probably climb the side of a bldg with it.

 

[dron]

Wow! I'm impressed that you can operate the throttle and brakes on all 4 wheels independently and still steer.

:lmao: Thanks, you made me laugh! No, I really meant that I can always decide myself by choosing those options: H2 > H4 > TRAC Off > VSC Off+TRAC Off > L4> A-TRAC > Rear Diff. Lock > A-TRAC+Rear Diff. Lock

And once again, why on the earth to make it so complicated without giving a clear instructions WHAT to use in WHICH situations???

Some others advise to test all of these things being caught in a nasty situation is kind of crazy. I need to now what to do BEFORE shit happens!

Anyway, thanks for clarification. it is time to bug people from Off-roaders forum.

 

[SeattleMike]

:lmao: Thanks, you made me laugh! No, I really meant that I can always decide myself by choosing those options: H2 > H4 > TRAC Off > VSC Off+TRAC Off > L4> A-TRAC > Rear Diff. Lock > A-TRAC+Rear Diff. Lock

And once again, why on the earth to make it so complicated without giving a clear instructions WHAT to use in WHICH situations???

Some others advise to test all of these things being caught in a nasty situation is kind of crazy. I need to now what to do BEFORE shit happens!

Anyway, thanks for clarification. it is time to bug people from Off-roaders forum.

There is really no way to provide the information you want in an owner's manual because it's like trying to guess the weather 4 years down the road; they have no idea what people will try and do with their vehicles.

As I and others have pointed out, experiment with the controls in a relative safe area with people around to help you out of trouble and eventually you will get an idea of what or what NOT to do in a given situation based on your vehicle.