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How often do you use 4wd?

I use auto when the snow is light enough to handle in an all wheel drive setup, and four when she gets real snowy or icy. I usaully will forget I have it in auto, but Ill click through everything once every couple months to make sure it all works.
 
I use it when needed, which is somewhat often.  If I need to drive anywhere on my property and the ground is soft, I'll use it so I don't tear up the yard too much. 
 
I use mine every time I go up my driveway.  It's a long steep pull and one tight curve that my rear likes to dig holes in...4wd helps reduce driveway damage.  I just spent $3k re-working it, so I need to keep it in good shape as long as the rain allows (and so far the rain has been cooperating...NONE since the driveway repair).
 
I shoulda used it last night. It rained all day yesterday and I was making a left turn. There's a center divider so I couldn't go through the other lane. I cut it too early so I had to let go and then kinda whip it around the divider. Doing that whilst still accelerating, had me end up facing the center divider. Eh, oh well, it was one of those "I meant to do that" and I let off the gas turned the wheels and kept going down the road. The people at the red light probably thought I was gonna spin out or crash or something.
 
2007 LTZ.  I occassionaly do the same with checking everything to make sure it all works.  The manual clearly states that you can cycle between 2HI, AUTO, and 4HI at any speed.  Every once in a while, I will cycle it to AUTO, and then to 4HI on the interstate.  I have never had a problem until a few days ago.  I cycled it into 4HI and gave it some throttle and the DIC popped up with "SERVICE 4WD SYSTEM" and it locked itself in 2HI.  There was definitely some gear whine right before it crapped out.  I parked it for about 2 hrs and when I hopped back in the truck, it was fine - all gear ranges work fine as always.  Ideally, running it in 4HI shouldn't hurt anything as long as there are no tight turns.

I've noticed when it is in 4HI or 4LO, seems the FR hub is awefully noisy - it works fine, though.  When it is raining, every month or so I have been running it about 1/2 mi or so around the neighborhood in 4LO just to lubricate everything.  That transfer case is definitely really noisy in 4LO.  Normal, I'm sure.

Late,
Trav
 
I had to use 4WD quite a bit this summer. We had a major drought and I like to fish. Lakes were way down and I had to back in pretty far to get the boat to float off the trailer. That made my rear wheels spin in lake sludge and my front were on dry concrete ramp.

Only problem is one ramp I go to you have to turn hard right when pulling the boat OUT of the water. Since the front was on dry pavement in made it buckjump in the front, so I only made that mistake once. Only use auto 4WD coming out there.
 
Used 4Wauto coming home from work last night, been using mine alot lately. I could hve used 4WHI since it was icy and I didn't encounter any no snow covered pavement.

Mine stuck in 4WHI or 4Wauto once but the indicator light read neutral, it would light 2WD 4WH then go out and light neutral. No reading on the DIC. Just shut it off, waited a few minutes and it reset. Only happened once in 4 years, 7 years if I count my first Avalanche.
 
Only couple times backing into my driveway/yard.  I leave the trailblazer in the carport, the civic on the side pavement, which leaves the av in the yard.  Yard is full of leaves, dirt, and acorns.  5 feet from the road is a steep drop off.  2 wheel is no match if I pull too close to the road.  I did it one, thought I was gonna take out the mailbox.  I never really truly used it other than that.  I put it in auto4 twice during winterstorms here (onlr freexing rain ice here).  It never activated (was not necessary)
 
Used it last night.  Had a trailer full of firewood.  Had to do a three point turn WITH the trailer in my garden.  Garden sits on a slight grade.  Cheap way to till the soil. :)
 
It's funny you asked that question because 2 days ago my buddy, who drives a FORD...sigh..., was stuck in the snow/mud.  Now, keep in mind we live in north Texas, and this (snow) is not a normal thing, especially 8+ in inches in March.  But nevertheless, we get out there...I pull my truck about 10' in front of his and jump in his to get it out.  Well I realize that I'm gonna need some more space so that I can "gun it" so I tell him to pull my truck up about 20 more feet.  The next thing I know I see my truck sliding into the same ditch he's in and I start honking and flashing lights...but it was too late.  So now we've got two trucks that are stuck...wrong.  I jump in my AV and put in 4-LO and get to work.  A couple of mud-ruts later and some wasted 87 Octane and I was free...that 4-Wheel Drive worked BEAUTIFULLY!!!  I don't have any cool upgrades or anything else, just factory size tires and factory suspension on an 2002 Z-71 with 130K miles...but that thing drove outta that mud/snow like it was made specifically for that purpose...I must say I, and my friend, were MORE than impressed.  I FREAKIN LOVE MY TRUCK!!!!!

P.S. His truck stayed there until the snow cleared!!
 
Cool story! Nice way to make your first post.  :welcome:  (y)



seanmikel said:
It's funny you asked that question because 2 days ago my buddy, who drives a FORD...sigh..., was stuck in the snow/mud.  Now, keep in mind we live in north Texas, and this (snow) is not a normal thing, especially 8+ in inches in March.  But nevertheless, we get out there...I pull my truck about 10' in front of his and jump in his to get it out.  Well I realize that I'm gonna need some more space so that I can "gun it" so I tell him to pull my truck up about 20 more feet.  The next thing I know I see my truck sliding into the same ditch he's in and I start honking and flashing lights...but it was too late.  So now we've got two trucks that are stuck...wrong.  I jump in my AV and put in 4-LO and get to work.  A couple of mud-ruts later and some wasted 87 Octane and I was free...that 4-Wheel Drive worked BEAUTIFULLY!!!  I don't have any cool upgrades or anything else, just factory size tires and factory suspension on an 2002 Z-71 with 130K miles...but that thing drove outta that mud/snow like it was made specifically for that purpose...I must say I, and my friend, were MORE than impressed.  I FREAKIN LOVE MY TRUCK!!!!!

P.S. His truck stayed there until the snow cleared!!
 
I've never used Auto.  I use 4HI ocassionally in the winter and during the spring mud season.  I'm no mechanic, but I don't like the idea of it engaging on its own because it senses slip.  If I know I might be getting in some soup, I toss it in 4HI.  :B:
 
every time 2wd won't get me through a mudhole or when pulling someone out. put it in 4lo to pull out a uhaul the other day. haha
 
Just about every day in the winter. At the end of my back alley there is a huge sheet of ice so I put her in 4 hi so I can zip across the street (y)
 
Right now, never. The 4wd actuator is broken.

When it did work, I think it has been engaged maybe 6 times in 5 years.

Brian
 
mahmahmonkey said:
I've never used Auto.  I use 4HI ocassionally in the winter and during the spring mud season.  I'm no mechanic, but I don't like the idea of it engaging on its own because it senses slip.  If I know I might be getting in some soup, I toss it in 4HI.  :B:

I like 4-Auto, we get packed snow/ice at intersections, loose sand and wet leaves when the roads are otherwise dry. Helps you get started from a stop and kicks back off so I'm in less of a hurry to switch back to 2WD than if I was in 4HI on dry pavement.
 
like every 2 weeks.  I get the urge to go wheeling and go.  That was the last ride, so I see this will be no different

 
I'm like these guys, If things get a little slippery like really heavy rain, or snow/ice I use Auto.  If it's like blizzard conditions I use 4-Hi.  On the beach on vacation I run 4-Hi.

Every once in a while I put it in 4-Lo on a little wooded side road on my way home, I never go more than 20mph on it anyway.  I just do that to make sure the linkage switches the transfer case okay.  My friends have a place at a lake that has really narrow steep gravel roads, so if we are putting around there I use 4-Lo too.  High range 1st gear is tough on the tranny with the grades there.

Also I use 4-Lo when I'm going to be jacking up the truck, to help keep it from rolling when the back wheels are jacked up.
 
6" of snow on the ground today. The Av drove thru it easily in 4auto. The new BFG AT KO2s certainly made it even easier.
Snow in the winter or pulling the 5k lb boat thru deep sand in the summer or regular tasks for the Av.
 
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