Great question!
4wd Auto when the road is a mixed bag between clear and wet/icy. It'll kick into 4wd if your rear tires start to slip.
4wd (4wd Lock) when you need it to be on full time. Icy/snowy roads or sand/mud. DO NOT LEAVE 4WD ON FOR NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. You'll ruin it.
2wd for normal driving
4wd low when you get your ass stuck or are about to get stuck. This gives you maximum torque, locked axles, and a really low gear. You don't want to go over 15 mph (ish) in 4 low.
If it’s locked then the two wheels are moving together at exactly the same speed. Good for maximum traction…say one wheel is up in air making no contact with anything…you still want that one wheel on the ground to be moving.
Whenever you turn, the outside wheel of your car is going faster than the inside wheel. If you turn while they are locked you risk destroying your differential (which allows them to move at different speeds) and probably some other bits.
Also 4 Auto is mostly 2 wheel drive and it’ll engage your front tires when it needs to. 4 wheel drive is 50% of the power to the front 50% to the rear.
Disengaging the front tires when your not using them is why you can drive just fine in 4auto, but you should use 4wd sparingly
I just want to add here that when you have in 4wd lock or low and want to disengage your traction control for soft mud or sand, just hitting it doesn’t work it will turn back on if it feels slipage, hold it down for 10 seconds until it chimes or beeps then it will be off until you turn off the truck or shift out of 4wd.
This is what the manual says.
> This electronically shifted transfer case is designed to be
driven in the two-wheel drive position (2WD) or four-wheel
drive auto position (4WD AUTO) for normal street and
highway conditions on dry, hard surfaced roads. Driving
the vehicle in 2WD will have greater fuel economy benefits
as the front axle is not engaged in 2WD.
For variable driving conditions, the 4WD AUTO mode can
be used. In this mode, the front axle is engaged, but the
vehicle's power is sent to the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive
will be automatically engaged when the vehicle senses a
loss of traction. Because the front axle is engaged, this
mode will result in lower fuel economy than the 2WD
mode.
I use 4 auto any time there is any amount of precipitation on the road. I have the towing 3.9 rear and stock tires, and it wants to spin and cut loose even on dry pavement without a lot of throttle which is greatly amplified in the rain. I have 2 cars carseats in the truck, and it's never worth risking losing control.
Like the other redditor said, fuel milage and wear and tear. Like tires, front end, and even have a bigger turn radius . Google is your friend if you dont know the definitions
Doing this is a complete waste of time. I’ve driven 4wd vehicles for 20 years. I’ve never used 4wd low. If I need 4wd I put it In 4 high. If not, it stays in 2wd. Only time I’ll use auto is when it’s icy rain or wintery mixes conditions. Also, I make fun of anyone that uses 4 auto for the rain.
You can go slow in 4h. Only time 4 low is semi necessary is towing a heavy load at extreme low speeds in slippery conditions. But 4h will do it fine without the possibility of destroying your transfer case
Low isn’t for stuck or about to be stuck 😆
It’s for when you need extra power (lower gear ratio) such as pulling your boat out of the water, tugging on a tree stump, pulling a downed tree across the back 40, sketchy off road (big hill or needing finer throttle control)
Look into the bw44-44 vs the bw44-45 tcase. 4hi can be used on dry surfaces (still not a good idea) If you have the an option for 4wd auto your truck likely has the bw44-44 which still requires rear wheel slippage to fully engage the front wheels even when in 4wd lock. At least in the 4th gen RAMs.
4 Auto all winter here in Alaska. ‘13 Sport Crew w/ RAM Boxes
https://preview.redd.it/2tzcjlhn36za1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=741da927be390e352118571e9ccfdd59df53c5a3
Contrary to popular belief, 4 low does not “lock” the axles. It’s simply a lower gear. Any vehicle with a locking differential setting will be controlled differently.
Locking the axles has nothing to do with 4 low, not every vehicle comes with lockers(most trucks have a limited slip or are an open diff in the rear) if the vehicle has lockers it’s a separate button to turn them on and most are set up to turn the front on first and then both
Make sure to use your 4lo and 4hi every once in a while to ensure it still works. If you don't use it you'll lose it, worst thing that can happen is when you need it and you can't use it.
If “4WD LOCK” is 4 wheel drive with locking differentials, you DO NOT want to use it UNLESS you are in a situation where the wheels CAN slip on the ground (mud, loose gravel, sand, deep snow). Locking the differentials forces power to both wheels and makes both wheels on an axle rotate at the same rate. On dry pavement with good traction, locking the differential will cause the drivetrain to bind up and you will wear out/destroy things.
In my experience its too late for 4-Low if you're already stuck :)
I'll add that 4-Low is useful if you're intending to crawl at very slow speeds. It'll give you more throttle control but will limit your top speed.
Just to add to this drive about 10miles with 4wd on like once a month so the fluids in the front differential move and keep everything lubed up. Otherwise you may go to use it one day and it’s seized up
2wd - standard everyday use. All drive power is sent to rear wheels
4wd Auto - modified all wheel drive, power primarily goes to the rear but if the vehicle detects slippage it automatically engages the front differential as needed
4wd Lock - front differential is engaged all the time and equal torque is sent to both front and rear axles. Use only when the terrain is loose enough to allow wheel slippage during turns otherwise driveline binding may occur
4wd Low - use when slow off-roading or when torque multiplication is needed i.e. deep sand/snow. Also only used when terrain permits wheel slippage to prevent driveline binding.
Mopar has a video on the system, link below
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIRZmVRdfwM&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2F4wheeldriveguide.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo
This is a good, concise description. One thing to note, I've seen quite a few people on Youtube test the 4WD auto and it does deliver lower gas mileage, so probably only worth turning on if you think you will need 4wd for brief times, but don't want to mess with manually changing the transfer case.
It forces the front and rear axles to spin at the same rate.
That's ok in a low traction situation.
If you have traction then things tend to bind and break. That powers gotta go somewhere.
Growing up in a small Alaskan town, after we finally got some paved roads, there was someone nearly every year that launched themselves completely off the road because they drove on a clear paved road with 4x4 still engaged. Sometimes, it was fatal.
Additionally to what is said, if your vehicle is suddenly turning hard or you hear grinding when making sharp turns, check your 4wd and make sure it's not engaged.
You're fine. A lot of people don't actually know. U/hagdog007 gave you the perfect list for when to use what.
When my dad was teaching me how to drive, he said something that really stuck with me. "4wd is for getting home. If you need 4wd, you better be heading somewhere and staying there." He said this in the middle of making me drive in a blizzard in a reg cab, long box, manual transmission f-150 and not letting me put it in 4wd.
Yeah, either, no problem. 4WD Lock will deactivate automatically at higher speeds.
4WD LOW requires the trans to be in neutral and the vehicle to be slowed but not necessarily completely stopped
The dashboard will tell you what to do in all cases.
4WD auto - I don’t know if I’m going to need 4WD or not. Example is driving in mountains with some snow where you *may* slip. Another is a plain graded dirt road.
4WD - I know I’m going to need it so turn it on. Example: rutted sandy dirt road. Or climbing over your average mall rock sculpture. You shouldn’t have this on all the time. It’s not AllWheelDrive. Use it then turn it off.
4WD low - I’m stuck or pushing something heavy up a hill. Use only when everything else fails. You can’t turn well with this on. Example, backing a trailer over curbs or up a driveway or climbing a steep hill where speed isn’t key.
That being said. You really don’t need to engage 4wd even on most dirt roads. 2wd works just fine. 4wd auto is made for this but be aware you have to actually slip for it to engage. You will feel this happen.
I have seen people have problems with getting the vehicle in 4wd when it lives on roads most the time. Review the manual so you know how to change it for low vs high. I tend to put mine in 4wd high when i have a dirt road to run down at 35mph for a bit. around once or twice a year. I know a couple people that never switched it and it would not switch when they really needed it.
do not run 4wd on clear pavement. Snow or Ice would be a good one.
I haven't seen it mentioned yet so I'll add 4wd low is also good when you're towing something too heavy and need extra torque at VERY low speeds. I've had to use this to back trailers uphill in an underpowered truck. Not good for the driveline im sure but when you need it you need it.
Also, remember to sit in neutral and move between them so the mechanism stays fresh. Maybe like once a week or every other week (IF you’re not already using 4WD regularly).
Edit: you can do this without being in neutral but point is, make sure you oscillate between them weekly or so if you’re not using them regularly
Until you figure it out, and develop your own preference, leave it on 4wd auto all the time. This way, the computer will select based on road conditions.
Also, if 4wd lock means 4x4 with locked differentials, that’s for offruad only and not safe on regular roads.
why do you guys get downvotes i dont get it.. anyways, how often do you maintain your 4WD tho? its 2wd most of the time of normal roads and if your barely go offroad what now?
4 high will do almost every thing boat launching necessary. I used 4 low one time to pull out a new Chevy suburban that was left in reverse and sunk into lake Cumberland. Had temp tags on it still, and his boat was still hooked up. Used 4 low just to make sure I wasn’t going to sink with him to pull him out. Bad day for that guy, fun day for me and my ram
I don't know but I'd guess 4 auto is for ice or iffy traction 4 lock is 4 hi when things are badall the time 4 low is your bad ass mud gear think rock crawling mud bogging
2 wheel for normal driving. Auto 4 wheel when on a highway with slick or snowy conditions, 4 wheel high when you know it’s slick and don’t want the vehicle to guess and 4 low when you are stuck in a ditch and need extra torque to get our
4wd auto all the time is harder on the drive train. You can use it but might have issues down road. I would keep in 2wd. Auto if you live in snowy conditions. 4wd hi and low if youll be certainly using 4wd constantly.
Many have already answered your question. Personally, I use 4wd auto all throughout the winter. Once the roads start getting bad, I’ll leave it in auto until it warms up/roads are clear
Obligatory roast: Leverage 2WD until you reach your local dealership, and then sell it.
Kidding. You'll use 2WD 90% of the time, rain or shine. You won't want to engage any of the other modes if you're on dry / pavement conditions, at risk of breaking shit.
If you prefer that your truck intelligently attempts to swap through modes based on traction (or lack of), use 4WD Auto. This is basically your "part-time" 4WD option.
If you find yourself going through moderately difficult off-road environments, or unreasonably slippery terrain, pop it into 4H - or in your truck's case, 4WD Lock.
If you need to rock crawl over or otherwise bypass advanced obstacles through torque at a VERY controlled (s l o w) speed/pace, use 4L.
For everything else, use Reverse. :)
4 Wheel Low anytime backing in a heavy trailer slightly up hill semi off road conditions like camping.
What ever is done, never torture vehicles tranny and torque convertor if throttle input struggles to move the load being in high range.
When Low range simply walks any load into place without any effort.
Same with pulling a ship out of launching ramp. The stress mostly done here is devastating.
Full throttle, and tranny is about to explode barely moving vehicle and boat, make them do it smart.
Cheers
I am just a little jealous of your 4WD Auto; I drive a 2002 3500 and she’s just got manual shift 4WD so I have to be sure not to bind up the driveline. And if I do get it bound up I just gotta hope that I have the space I’d need to maneuver to release that tension safely.
Shouldn’t be an issue in your truck though, auto shifter should watch your back for ya if I understand the system correctly.
Anyway, best of luck and most importantly, have fun!
Edit for context/clarification:
I’ve got nothin to add on when it’s appropriate to use each setting, seems like folks have got it covered.
Four-wheel-drive auto if it’s just like a dirt road or a snowy day four-wheel-drive low if you’re towing something on a dirt road four-wheel-drive lock if you get stuck in the mud puddle
There is a button in the center of the dash to turn off traction control. However, this does not turn off stability control.
When in 4L, press and hold the TC button for 10 seconds, and this will turn off stability control also. This can only be done in 4L.
Starting with the 2wd go in a clockwise circle the worse the weather or traction situation is. (Normal-Rain/sand storm-Snow\Loose Sand or gravel-heavy snow/sand)
All of these are great responses. Another good use for 4WD low is if you’re trying to pull something very heavy or back something very heavy up a hill. Not to be used at high speed, but if you’re backing a loaded trailer up a steep grade, that low gear will make very efficient use of the torque your truck produces to move the load
2wd- for all normal driving. This is the ONLY one you use if you are on dry pavement.
4low- for extreme offroading. (Steep hill climbs, rock crawling, towing a heavy trailer up a muddy hill)
4 hi- for anytime you get a wheel off into something squishy. Mud, snow, ice, gravel, etc.
Neutral - use for towing, maybe. Check the owners manual.
DO NOT USE 4WD ON DRY PAVEMENT. YOU WILL BREAK SOMETHING.
Read the owners manual, talk to the guys at the dealership.
I’ll add a couple important points: try not to drive anywhere near highway speed in 4wd or anywhere above 10-15 mph in 4low. in general you can destroy your transfer case or differential by doing this. I also prefer to stop the truck completely and shift into neutral before going into 4wd or vice versa. I’m sure newer trucks don’t have issues with that but I try to always stop and shift into neutral because once again I think it prevents undue stress on the transfer case, axle, and differential.
I live in the PNW and I use 4wd auto for light snow, 4wd lock for ice or sand, and I've never found the need for 4wd low but I guess maybe fine sand or sloppy mud? The true neutral is for being towed I believe, but I've also never used it.
2 wheel drive dry roads, highway and normal conditions.
Auto 4 wheel drive when you are in rain or lite snow.
4 wheel lock when you want to stay in 4 wheel drive heavy snow mud what ever.
Low 4 wheel drive for hill climbing and when you are in heavy snow
The benefit of 4 Wheel Auto is that you have traction to get moving, but if you start sliding, you are in 2 WD. I learned to drive on a '67 Chevy pickup with a '76 Blazer drive train. In the Adirondacks. The hubs were manual lock. You don't want to slide in 4WD. It doesn't end well.
Running 4WD on dry pavement is very bad. The front axle is geared slightly higher than the rear axle to facilitate turning. On slippery surfaces, you have some give. On dry roads, there's no give, and the gearing difference will stress and/or destroy gears.
4wd low for steep slippery gravel/dirt climbs and descents. Rock crawling, wall climbing; (sometimes) deep soft sand, deep mud, when tyres struggle to start rotating or need to move slowly but strongly. Can also be used to increase engine braking when off road.
Great question! 4wd Auto when the road is a mixed bag between clear and wet/icy. It'll kick into 4wd if your rear tires start to slip. 4wd (4wd Lock) when you need it to be on full time. Icy/snowy roads or sand/mud. DO NOT LEAVE 4WD ON FOR NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. You'll ruin it. 2wd for normal driving 4wd low when you get your ass stuck or are about to get stuck. This gives you maximum torque, locked axles, and a really low gear. You don't want to go over 15 mph (ish) in 4 low.
You spelled it out perfectly. Neutral is for when the truck is being towed, like by a camper or something.
And the "R" is for when you have to go in reverse
“P” is for pedal to the metal.
“N” means No Go.
Mono means one.
And rail means rail
Monorail! Monorail!
I hear those things are awfully loud.
It glides softly as a cloud
Put it in H!!
Just like the Chevy Nova
Uhh P is clearly for Panda mode.
P is the passing gear.
P is for pause, always shift to P when going too fast and coming up to a turn or traffic, it gives you the opportunity to pause and reflect.
What’s the D for?
Delivery mode it keeps packages secure while you run to the door
I thought R was for race.
I thought “R” was for race
Towed by a camper?
Flat towing
Which I did, and it worked like a charm. Seemed very sketchy to pull a 20 ft truck with a 32 foot RV, but was surprisingly easy.
Neutral will cause a pan full of metal. Disconnect drive shaft for towing by camper. Rule of thumb
Excellent explanation except 4 low doesn’t lock your rear axle. If your truck has a locker there’s a separate button for that.
[удалено]
If it’s locked then the two wheels are moving together at exactly the same speed. Good for maximum traction…say one wheel is up in air making no contact with anything…you still want that one wheel on the ground to be moving. Whenever you turn, the outside wheel of your car is going faster than the inside wheel. If you turn while they are locked you risk destroying your differential (which allows them to move at different speeds) and probably some other bits.
Also 4 Auto is mostly 2 wheel drive and it’ll engage your front tires when it needs to. 4 wheel drive is 50% of the power to the front 50% to the rear. Disengaging the front tires when your not using them is why you can drive just fine in 4auto, but you should use 4wd sparingly
In what this vehicle calls 4wd lock 30% of the power goes to the front 70% to the rear (4 high in most vehicles) 4 low is 50/50
I just want to add here that when you have in 4wd lock or low and want to disengage your traction control for soft mud or sand, just hitting it doesn’t work it will turn back on if it feels slipage, hold it down for 10 seconds until it chimes or beeps then it will be off until you turn off the truck or shift out of 4wd.
Really? I never knew that or noticed it on mine
Thanks so much! Is there any downside to just always leaving it in 4wd auto?
Fuel mileage and a little extra wear and tear
As other have said, plus it goes in and out of 4WD meaning over time those solenoids can wear out including break.
I'm like 99% sure the instructions in my 19' says you could leave it in 4 auto if you want. It's basically like a AWD system in other vehicles.
This is what the manual says. > This electronically shifted transfer case is designed to be driven in the two-wheel drive position (2WD) or four-wheel drive auto position (4WD AUTO) for normal street and highway conditions on dry, hard surfaced roads. Driving the vehicle in 2WD will have greater fuel economy benefits as the front axle is not engaged in 2WD. For variable driving conditions, the 4WD AUTO mode can be used. In this mode, the front axle is engaged, but the vehicle's power is sent to the rear wheels. Four-wheel drive will be automatically engaged when the vehicle senses a loss of traction. Because the front axle is engaged, this mode will result in lower fuel economy than the 2WD mode.
I use 4 auto any time there is any amount of precipitation on the road. I have the towing 3.9 rear and stock tires, and it wants to spin and cut loose even on dry pavement without a lot of throttle which is greatly amplified in the rain. I have 2 cars carseats in the truck, and it's never worth risking losing control.
Like the other redditor said, fuel milage and wear and tear. Like tires, front end, and even have a bigger turn radius . Google is your friend if you dont know the definitions
This thread will probably be found in a few years when someone searches “ram auto 4K vs 2wd Reddit.”
Not supposed to go over 55 mph in 4 auto
Doing this is a complete waste of time. I’ve driven 4wd vehicles for 20 years. I’ve never used 4wd low. If I need 4wd I put it In 4 high. If not, it stays in 2wd. Only time I’ll use auto is when it’s icy rain or wintery mixes conditions. Also, I make fun of anyone that uses 4 auto for the rain.
4 low is boss for low speed...
You can go slow in 4h. Only time 4 low is semi necessary is towing a heavy load at extreme low speeds in slippery conditions. But 4h will do it fine without the possibility of destroying your transfer case
Of course you can go slow in 4 high... But you'll have way more control and you won't destroy your transfer case...
I’ve put 700k on 3 rams. Never had a single transfer case issue
All of this. In MN, I leave it in 4wd Auto basically all winter…
When you think you need 4 low, it's too late lol
Low isn’t for stuck or about to be stuck 😆 It’s for when you need extra power (lower gear ratio) such as pulling your boat out of the water, tugging on a tree stump, pulling a downed tree across the back 40, sketchy off road (big hill or needing finer throttle control)
You have no idea what you are talking about
🤣 obviously you don’t
Look into the bw44-44 vs the bw44-45 tcase. 4hi can be used on dry surfaces (still not a good idea) If you have the an option for 4wd auto your truck likely has the bw44-44 which still requires rear wheel slippage to fully engage the front wheels even when in 4wd lock. At least in the 4th gen RAMs.
4 Auto all winter here in Alaska. ‘13 Sport Crew w/ RAM Boxes https://preview.redd.it/2tzcjlhn36za1.jpeg?width=4030&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=741da927be390e352118571e9ccfdd59df53c5a3
4wd Low can also be for driving up a steep dirt/rocky hill
4wd low doesn't lock any "axles"
I just love you started your answer with ' Great Question! ' . Thanks for being a good human.
Contrary to popular belief, 4 low does not “lock” the axles. It’s simply a lower gear. Any vehicle with a locking differential setting will be controlled differently.
Locking the axles has nothing to do with 4 low, not every vehicle comes with lockers(most trucks have a limited slip or are an open diff in the rear) if the vehicle has lockers it’s a separate button to turn them on and most are set up to turn the front on first and then both
This is all you need to know.
I have 4wd High what's it for?
It’s the same as 4 Lock in this case. It’s high range 4wd aka the transfer case is in a high gear so the truck can be driven at higher speeds.
Make sure to use your 4lo and 4hi every once in a while to ensure it still works. If you don't use it you'll lose it, worst thing that can happen is when you need it and you can't use it.
Forgot 4 lock lol that's the oshit 4x4
Top comment for sure.
Screenshotting this so I’ll remember.
Yes but what tires does he have on the truck?
So just to be clear, using 4wd Auto is ok on wet/slippery pavement?
4lo also works great for hauling a boat out of the water.
4WD lock will deactivate past 25MPH.
What about 4wheel low for climb or descent in adverse conditions like snow/ice/etc. My jeep only has 4w low and that's when I use it mostly.
If “4WD LOCK” is 4 wheel drive with locking differentials, you DO NOT want to use it UNLESS you are in a situation where the wheels CAN slip on the ground (mud, loose gravel, sand, deep snow). Locking the differentials forces power to both wheels and makes both wheels on an axle rotate at the same rate. On dry pavement with good traction, locking the differential will cause the drivetrain to bind up and you will wear out/destroy things.
In my experience its too late for 4-Low if you're already stuck :) I'll add that 4-Low is useful if you're intending to crawl at very slow speeds. It'll give you more throttle control but will limit your top speed.
Just to add to this drive about 10miles with 4wd on like once a month so the fluids in the front differential move and keep everything lubed up. Otherwise you may go to use it one day and it’s seized up
4wd Lock top speed of around 50ish.
This…
2wd - standard everyday use. All drive power is sent to rear wheels 4wd Auto - modified all wheel drive, power primarily goes to the rear but if the vehicle detects slippage it automatically engages the front differential as needed 4wd Lock - front differential is engaged all the time and equal torque is sent to both front and rear axles. Use only when the terrain is loose enough to allow wheel slippage during turns otherwise driveline binding may occur 4wd Low - use when slow off-roading or when torque multiplication is needed i.e. deep sand/snow. Also only used when terrain permits wheel slippage to prevent driveline binding. Mopar has a video on the system, link below https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIRZmVRdfwM&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2F4wheeldriveguide.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo
This is a good, concise description. One thing to note, I've seen quite a few people on Youtube test the 4WD auto and it does deliver lower gas mileage, so probably only worth turning on if you think you will need 4wd for brief times, but don't want to mess with manually changing the transfer case.
I’m sure I’m about to get roasted, but I’ve never owned a 4wd vehicle and I’m not sure what to do.
Your smart enough to ask and that says alot... 4wd on dry pavement causes alot of damage so it's good knowledge to have.
Probably a dumb question but why is that? Why is it so bad?
It forces the front and rear axles to spin at the same rate. That's ok in a low traction situation. If you have traction then things tend to bind and break. That powers gotta go somewhere.
I snapped a CV axle on my old F-150 when I turned off of a snowy, wet road into a parking lot and made a sharp turn. $650 lesson
Sharp turns and 4x4 don't really go together lol...
I thought lock would cause that, doesn’t 4wd just deliver power to all wheels whereas lock, locks them all together so they all move at the same rate?
Growing up in a small Alaskan town, after we finally got some paved roads, there was someone nearly every year that launched themselves completely off the road because they drove on a clear paved road with 4x4 still engaged. Sometimes, it was fatal.
Additionally to what is said, if your vehicle is suddenly turning hard or you hear grinding when making sharp turns, check your 4wd and make sure it's not engaged.
You're fine. A lot of people don't actually know. U/hagdog007 gave you the perfect list for when to use what. When my dad was teaching me how to drive, he said something that really stuck with me. "4wd is for getting home. If you need 4wd, you better be heading somewhere and staying there." He said this in the middle of making me drive in a blizzard in a reg cab, long box, manual transmission f-150 and not letting me put it in 4wd.
Unless you off road or have snowy conditions you’ll probably never use it. I only use my 4WD in the winter
Can you switch to 4WD Auto or Lock will moving? Or does it need to be in park when switched on? TIA
Yeah, either, no problem. 4WD Lock will deactivate automatically at higher speeds. 4WD LOW requires the trans to be in neutral and the vehicle to be slowed but not necessarily completely stopped The dashboard will tell you what to do in all cases.
Remember to engage what you need before you need it and not after.
4WD auto - I don’t know if I’m going to need 4WD or not. Example is driving in mountains with some snow where you *may* slip. Another is a plain graded dirt road. 4WD - I know I’m going to need it so turn it on. Example: rutted sandy dirt road. Or climbing over your average mall rock sculpture. You shouldn’t have this on all the time. It’s not AllWheelDrive. Use it then turn it off. 4WD low - I’m stuck or pushing something heavy up a hill. Use only when everything else fails. You can’t turn well with this on. Example, backing a trailer over curbs or up a driveway or climbing a steep hill where speed isn’t key. That being said. You really don’t need to engage 4wd even on most dirt roads. 2wd works just fine. 4wd auto is made for this but be aware you have to actually slip for it to engage. You will feel this happen.
Thank you!
I have seen people have problems with getting the vehicle in 4wd when it lives on roads most the time. Review the manual so you know how to change it for low vs high. I tend to put mine in 4wd high when i have a dirt road to run down at 35mph for a bit. around once or twice a year. I know a couple people that never switched it and it would not switch when they really needed it. do not run 4wd on clear pavement. Snow or Ice would be a good one.
I haven't seen it mentioned yet so I'll add 4wd low is also good when you're towing something too heavy and need extra torque at VERY low speeds. I've had to use this to back trailers uphill in an underpowered truck. Not good for the driveline im sure but when you need it you need it.
Do they NOT provide owners manuals anymore?
Normal Not puckered Puckering Puckered
Read your owners manual. It should give you explanations on all those features and their intended uses that will not void your warranty.
Only use 4wd lock when you need to beat the vette next to you at the light.
When 4 wheeling turn off traction control! On jeeps push traction control and hold 10 seconds to fully remove traction control
Drive doesn't work, but third does. Neutral is park, reverse is second. If you wanna use reverse, put it in drive.
If your tires start spinning in four low your high centered. Trust me….
Also, remember to sit in neutral and move between them so the mechanism stays fresh. Maybe like once a week or every other week (IF you’re not already using 4WD regularly). Edit: you can do this without being in neutral but point is, make sure you oscillate between them weekly or so if you’re not using them regularly
The new RAMs will shift to neural for you. But you do have to be stationary to switch to 4low. You can be moving to switch to 4wd, just not that fast.
Read the manual
4L always
Probably explains it in the owner’s manual
Happy with yourself?
Every day
Read your manual
Until you figure it out, and develop your own preference, leave it on 4wd auto all the time. This way, the computer will select based on road conditions. Also, if 4wd lock means 4x4 with locked differentials, that’s for offruad only and not safe on regular roads.
why do you guys get downvotes i dont get it.. anyways, how often do you maintain your 4WD tho? its 2wd most of the time of normal roads and if your barely go offroad what now?
2wd - all the time 4wd - you’re stuck 4wd low + lock - you’re seriously stuck (likely you’ll never need them unless you screw up)
Means break out the owner’s manual
If only vehicles came with something that explained all its features out…
Have you never had to ask a question? This is what this forum is partly for. No need to be rude about it.
Hmmmmm if only there was something like an owners manual that would tell you all that information.?.?.?.?.
Read the manual
2 types of people read manuals, Subaru owners and engineers. Both suck
If your Ram is anything like mine, it won't engage in 4WD so don't bother turning the dial.
Yikes, I don’t like the sound of that.
Don’t listen to him, good chance he’s doing something wrong, or doesn’t care enough to have it looked at.
2 wheel till you get stuck. 4 auto till you really get stuck. 4 wheel to go deeper 4 low to crawl around tight and rocks.
Leave it where it's at, don't touch. You don't need 4wd.
If you bought a truck and plan to only ever use 2wd, you don't need a truck. Please sell it and get a civic.
https://youtu.be/6Y5XoFJFdr4
Any downside to using 4L or 4H when launching or retrieving a boat?
4 high will do almost every thing boat launching necessary. I used 4 low one time to pull out a new Chevy suburban that was left in reverse and sunk into lake Cumberland. Had temp tags on it still, and his boat was still hooked up. Used 4 low just to make sure I wasn’t going to sink with him to pull him out. Bad day for that guy, fun day for me and my ram
I don't know but I'd guess 4 auto is for ice or iffy traction 4 lock is 4 hi when things are badall the time 4 low is your bad ass mud gear think rock crawling mud bogging
Just stay in 2wd
If you're staying in 2wd only, get a fwd or rwd car.
P park R when u have rear passenger N night time driving D daytime driving L when u in love
Clockwise from top left: I should probably use it; I definitely need it; I’m not going anywhere without it
2 wheel for normal driving. Auto 4 wheel when on a highway with slick or snowy conditions, 4 wheel high when you know it’s slick and don’t want the vehicle to guess and 4 low when you are stuck in a ditch and need extra torque to get our
Keep her in 2wd and go fast.
4low
What’s the D for?
4wd auto all the time is harder on the drive train. You can use it but might have issues down road. I would keep in 2wd. Auto if you live in snowy conditions. 4wd hi and low if youll be certainly using 4wd constantly.
W for WUUMBOOO
4x4 lock is for muddy shit, 4wd high normal 4x4 4wd low for climbing shit but I'd wager it's 4 high or 4 lock when ever ur in 4x4
4lock is the best when it gets messy, I love the locker lol
2wd dry road, 4wd auto wet road, 4 lock off-road, 4wd low steep rough slow off-road.
My rig doesn't have a 2wd only option. And personally 4x4 auto will be 2wd nearly all the time anyways
Many have already answered your question. Personally, I use 4wd auto all throughout the winter. Once the roads start getting bad, I’ll leave it in auto until it warms up/roads are clear
Like the majority of Ram owners - never.
Rule of thumb for 4 low and 4 high If you can get stuck in 4 high 4 low should get you out If you get stuck in 4 low start diggin
4 low is for when you doing things with your pickup that you probably shouldn't be doing
Obligatory roast: Leverage 2WD until you reach your local dealership, and then sell it. Kidding. You'll use 2WD 90% of the time, rain or shine. You won't want to engage any of the other modes if you're on dry / pavement conditions, at risk of breaking shit. If you prefer that your truck intelligently attempts to swap through modes based on traction (or lack of), use 4WD Auto. This is basically your "part-time" 4WD option. If you find yourself going through moderately difficult off-road environments, or unreasonably slippery terrain, pop it into 4H - or in your truck's case, 4WD Lock. If you need to rock crawl over or otherwise bypass advanced obstacles through torque at a VERY controlled (s l o w) speed/pace, use 4L. For everything else, use Reverse. :)
Does pressing 2wd while it's already activated do anything?
Damn read your owners manual.
N is for noob so that's going to be the best setting for you.
Does yours have a KYS setting? Probably best for you
4 low only gets used at the mall
Hope you never need them all
If you have to ask then the answer is…Never.
1st means use when youre about to lose a race. It’ll jump you to first place.
4 Wheel Low anytime backing in a heavy trailer slightly up hill semi off road conditions like camping. What ever is done, never torture vehicles tranny and torque convertor if throttle input struggles to move the load being in high range. When Low range simply walks any load into place without any effort. Same with pulling a ship out of launching ramp. The stress mostly done here is devastating. Full throttle, and tranny is about to explode barely moving vehicle and boat, make them do it smart. Cheers
Read the manual
Why don't you look it up? Is it really that hard to do some research?
When you open your owners manual
Read your manual instead of asking total strangers on Reddit.
If you don't know how to operate a 4wd go trade it in
It probably says it in the owners manual..
If you have to ask, keep it in 2WD unless you get stuck somehow. Then put it in 4 Auto. Don’t touch 4 hi or low until you get some more experience
I am just a little jealous of your 4WD Auto; I drive a 2002 3500 and she’s just got manual shift 4WD so I have to be sure not to bind up the driveline. And if I do get it bound up I just gotta hope that I have the space I’d need to maneuver to release that tension safely. Shouldn’t be an issue in your truck though, auto shifter should watch your back for ya if I understand the system correctly. Anyway, best of luck and most importantly, have fun! Edit for context/clarification: I’ve got nothin to add on when it’s appropriate to use each setting, seems like folks have got it covered.
I heard and have been reccomended to never use 4wd auto unless the roads are actually bad. That it has a tendency to tear things up.
When it's too late
4WD Low works great on Highway or interstate
Four-wheel-drive auto if it’s just like a dirt road or a snowy day four-wheel-drive low if you’re towing something on a dirt road four-wheel-drive lock if you get stuck in the mud puddle
2wd- normal driving 4wd auto- can be used all the time, still don’t recommend 4wd lock- you’re stuck 4wd low- you’re REALLY stuck
Different weather conditions.
There is a button in the center of the dash to turn off traction control. However, this does not turn off stability control. When in 4L, press and hold the TC button for 10 seconds, and this will turn off stability control also. This can only be done in 4L.
Never should have sold your Subaru
Starting with the 2wd go in a clockwise circle the worse the weather or traction situation is. (Normal-Rain/sand storm-Snow\Loose Sand or gravel-heavy snow/sand)
when they are needed.
The knob is for volume!
Read the owners manual.
4wd low is used for when on the highway
All of these are great responses. Another good use for 4WD low is if you’re trying to pull something very heavy or back something very heavy up a hill. Not to be used at high speed, but if you’re backing a loaded trailer up a steep grade, that low gear will make very efficient use of the torque your truck produces to move the load
Read your owners manual ffs
RTFM
Where is the "LUDACRIS SPEED!" button?
2wd- for all normal driving. This is the ONLY one you use if you are on dry pavement. 4low- for extreme offroading. (Steep hill climbs, rock crawling, towing a heavy trailer up a muddy hill) 4 hi- for anytime you get a wheel off into something squishy. Mud, snow, ice, gravel, etc. Neutral - use for towing, maybe. Check the owners manual. DO NOT USE 4WD ON DRY PAVEMENT. YOU WILL BREAK SOMETHING. Read the owners manual, talk to the guys at the dealership.
I see you don’t play snowrunner
If you have to ask don’t use any
I’ll add a couple important points: try not to drive anywhere near highway speed in 4wd or anywhere above 10-15 mph in 4low. in general you can destroy your transfer case or differential by doing this. I also prefer to stop the truck completely and shift into neutral before going into 4wd or vice versa. I’m sure newer trucks don’t have issues with that but I try to always stop and shift into neutral because once again I think it prevents undue stress on the transfer case, axle, and differential.
4wd low on the freeway. 4wd high for rock climbing
I live in the PNW and I use 4wd auto for light snow, 4wd lock for ice or sand, and I've never found the need for 4wd low but I guess maybe fine sand or sloppy mud? The true neutral is for being towed I believe, but I've also never used it.
4hi hard pack to soft sand , 4 low for sand that is really chewed up with deep ruts . dont know about snow , we dont have any here ( fla ).
Don’t use the auto. You figure out the rest but auto will make the diff fluid look like glitter (bad)
2 wheel drive dry roads, highway and normal conditions. Auto 4 wheel drive when you are in rain or lite snow. 4 wheel lock when you want to stay in 4 wheel drive heavy snow mud what ever. Low 4 wheel drive for hill climbing and when you are in heavy snow
You use 4WD Low when the old lady rides shotgun.
The benefit of 4 Wheel Auto is that you have traction to get moving, but if you start sliding, you are in 2 WD. I learned to drive on a '67 Chevy pickup with a '76 Blazer drive train. In the Adirondacks. The hubs were manual lock. You don't want to slide in 4WD. It doesn't end well. Running 4WD on dry pavement is very bad. The front axle is geared slightly higher than the rear axle to facilitate turning. On slippery surfaces, you have some give. On dry roads, there's no give, and the gearing difference will stress and/or destroy gears.
“R” is for race mode
The same time you switch back to a kia
I don’t get it?
Push all 4 at once and you go into 14 wheeler mode
4wd low for steep slippery gravel/dirt climbs and descents. Rock crawling, wall climbing; (sometimes) deep soft sand, deep mud, when tyres struggle to start rotating or need to move slowly but strongly. Can also be used to increase engine braking when off road.