[marzterra]

well it snowed today we got almost 8 inches duped with a buch of ice on top and the girl has never had a 4x4 in the past...I have tried to explain it to her and I am just not gettin through...any ideas on how to simplifiy this...there needs to be a youtube vid that I can just send the link to her for her to understand....shes very smart....but when it comes to cars and trucks shes lost....

Here is how you use your pt 4WD vehicle most efficiently:

• Drive in 2WD most of the time (that's where the name "part time" is coming from - you use 4WD only part of the time)
• shift only into 4WD when you encounter snow, ice, or a rain slick road
• shift back into 2WD as soon as you encounter dry surface
• you may even want to shift back to 2WD while still on snow - because some vehicles display a binding effect even on snow.
• if you encounter turns while in 4WD just know that the steering will not be as crisp as in 2WD (understeer will occur - the turn might be a little wider than planned)
• please be aware that ABS does not work properly with part time 4WD
• More weight = more traction

 

[S_e_X-Terra]

Sounds pretty simple to me! What doesnt she get about this? Well come to think of it I can see how she might not understand what a transfer case is... and what it does.... and how it could bind up. I know my fiancee wouldnt have the slightest clue either.

I guess thats why women (no offense to any competant women here) need 4x4 vehicles with the full time 4wd option... similar to what you find on a jeep grand cherokee. My sis has/had one and if she thought she needed 4wd she just used the full time option.

 

[vman]

Yes, get them a car with awd.

 

[marzterra]

she has a liberty and is confused about when to use it....... I am looking for some kind of animation...

 

[rckev]

Why doesn't she read the manual?

4wd should only be used on loose surfaces.
Which to me means a totally snow covered road.
Or dirt.

 

[stevet47]

Not to hi-jack, but this goes along with the tone of the thread.

Yesterday, I was leaving my girlfriend's house to go back to my apartment (a little over an hour away). It was flurrying out, but no snow was sticking to the road, the roads were just wet. When I go to leave, her mom says to me, "Do you want to take the Lexus (her car)?, it has a snow button."

lol, a snow button.
I think my 4x4 will do just fine thanks. (no, I didn't use 4x4, the roads were fine).



OP: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/four-wheel-drive.htm

 

[jerdog]

lol..I will show that to my wife ( 03 X ), she calls me when ever we have chance of bad weather and asks if it a 4 wd day. I think your outline nails it....

 

[Mark]

I laughed out loud dude "snow button?" Really? Is that like the "easy" button? And if the snow buttun is next to the BJ button, let me know, ill go right out and buy that car.

 

[vman]

Yeah, it is time to dumb down vehicles... Land Rover 3 has a knob with various types of terrain shown on it. You select whatever you are about to drive on and the system adjusts

 

[CapitalA23]

Found this video on YouTube. Its an older video done by Suzuki, but the info is good. Hopefully this helps.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDvZbTo4lOQ
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPHyJ_gncVc&feature=related

 

[marzterra]

I can tell her to read all she wants...but she will not understand the mechanical side of things ( ie binding, and torqe issues cause by dry pavement). she know that all 4 wheels turn and so on, it more of a question for her on how to make the judgment call to use it or not.

 

[silverflash]

snow button!!!! too funny..

also, remind them that just because it is 4x4 doesn't make it safer inherently. A 4x4 truck will usually drive WORSE in snow while in 2wd since it is rear wheel drive in 2wd. You must put it in 4x4 to make it "safer". Most people who buy 4x4's don't know this. (not the people here though). They assume because it says 4x4 on the side that it is safer and it just works. I guess the full time 4x4s are like that but not the part time systems. Anyhow, every year, we get a little ice and people still drive the speed limit and then you see tons of "4x4's" all over the place flipped over or crashed into the ditch. My point is, slow down! Use 4x4 when there is either alot of ice (going up hill) or snow. Using 4x4 going down the hill is worse than 2wd because of the additional slipping that the front tire will create, though i am not 100% on that. I just know i use 4x4 on straight/uphill ice covered roads, and stay in 2wd while going down hill, seems to work for me. I remember 4 years ago, we had a bad ice storm, had like 1/4" and the 440 was backed up for miles, took most people 8 hours to get home for 20 miles. Took me 3 hours total, 1.5 hours to go 1 mile on the 440 to the next exit where i got off and drove the other 40 miles over the same ice but less cars, and I was driving a 2003 dodge neon, stick shift.....

 

[CapitalA23]

I was reading that link to HowStuffWorks, I always enjoy reading that kind of stuff. Anyways, it got me wondering what kind of differential is in the X. I know the Off Road edition has a locking rear diff, but what kind do the other 4x4 models have? Is it a limited slip? or is it just a regular diff? In the example of A Basic System it showed vehicle basically getting stuck when the right side tires slipping. Should i expect the same type of result?

 

[JIMBO]

:clown: My thoughts and experience, in driving downhill "on ice/snow"--

--I've found that while driving a 4wd and going downhill, my best/safest experience has been--

--Keep in 4wd "low", for compression brake, gently apply HANDBRAKE, so front wheels stay FREE for manuevering and proceed with CAUTION--

-- The majority of wrecks on ice from 2wd/4wd, have been from application of brakes and ALL WHEEL LOCK -so there is no control, resulting in, SKID--

--I also use the (convenient) handbrake in my X, while off road in 4wd-LO, going down shale/gravel or REAL rocky ,steep, hills, maintaining front end control is -shall we say NECESSARY--

-- --JIMBO

 

[p.staff]

better than a snow button, a snow indicator . . . a "friend" several years ago received a fully loaded mercury cougar as a gift from his parents . . . really great guy but dumb as a rock . . . if any of you have been in these cars, there is an icon of a snowflake that illuminates once the temperature reaches a certain point 32 degrees or close to it to warn of POSSIBLE snow and ice conditions . . . anyway, he comes into work one day asking if i know how to fix his snow detector because it's "on" and it isn't snowing . . . i tried to explain, but i'm not sure he ever understood the concept . . .

 

[CapitalA23]

better than a snow button, a snow indicator . . . a "friend" several years ago received a fully loaded mercury cougar as a gift from his parents . . . really great guy but dumb as a rock . . . if any of you have been in these cars, there is an icon of a snowflake that illuminates once the temperature reaches a certain point 32 degrees or close to it to warn of POSSIBLE snow and ice conditions . . . anyway, he comes into work one day asking if i know how to fix his snow detector because it's "on" and it isn't snowing . . . i tried to explain, but i'm not sure he ever understood the concept . . .

Haha, I guess he is the type of person they had in mind when they created automatic on windshield wipers. Seriously, how many people were getting in accidents because they didnt realize it was raining and couldnt see because their wipers were off.

 

[p.staff]

back on topic, how about you go and test drive a 4WD vehicle and let her "feel" for herself on dry pavement vs. loose (dirt, gravel, etc.) what to expect . . .

 

[juntao]

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/four-wheel-drive.htm
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