dumbass question

[cheezygrinon]

OK, heres the thing,

I am new to the whole 4 wheel drive thing and have yet to take my luverly motor off the tarmac. When i do, what do I do with the little selector lever thingy? My concern at present is that it is in the H position and not in nuetral, however the 4wd button is not depressed. Am I correct in assuming that this means I am currently in 2wd untill the button is depressed when it will select 4wd and when I want low ratio I move the lever forward through neutral. Should I be doing this whilst the auto box is in neutral or park or can it be in gear. Also when I put the 4wd lever into neutral whilst the 'box is in P, I get a red dash warning AT/P appear, but not at any other time. What does this mean? (All Terrain in Park perhaps) Also when the 4wd selector is in neutral I have no drive at all. I am guessing that this is correct but someone will have to tell me why this function is there.

Ta muchly in advance for any help.

Steve

[Guest]

OK, heres the thing,

I am new to the whole 4 wheel drive thing and have yet to take my luverly motor off the tarmac. When i do, what do I do with the little selector lever thingy? My concern at present is that it is in the H position and not in nuetral, however the 4wd button is not depressed. Am I correct in assuming that this means I am currently in 2wd untill the button is depressed when it will select 4wd and when I want low ratio I move the lever forward through neutral. Should I be doing this whilst the auto box is in neutral or park or can it be in gear. Also when I put the 4wd lever into neutral whilst the 'box is in P, I get a red dash warning AT/P appear, but not at any other time. What does this mean? (All Terrain in Park perhaps) Also when the 4wd selector is in neutral I have no drive at all. I am guessing that this is correct but someone will have to tell me why this function is there.

Ta muchly in advance for any help.

Steve

Steve.

Yep you are in 2WD high ratio until you press the button then you are in 4WD High. Don't use this on tarmac as you will get axle windup and damage the drive train.

For serious off road where you need the added control and crawling ability you move through Neutral into low ratio. Doesn't matter whether the button is depressed or not as 4WD is automatically engaged.

You can change from 2WD High to 4WD high at up to 60kph but you need to be at rest to move into low ratio.

Cheers

[cheezygrinon]

Thanks Lucky, its what I thought but with no manual or experience I had to make sure. Devils Pit here I come.

Steve

[da SLUG man]

Steve.

Yep you are in 2WD high ratio until you press the button then you are in 4WD High. Don't use this on tarmac as you will get axle windup and damage the drive train.

For serious off road where you need the added control and crawling ability you move through Neutral into low ratio. Doesn't matter whether the button is depressed or not as 4WD is automatically engaged.

You can change from 2WD High to 4WD high at up to 60kph but you need to be at rest to move into low ratio.

Cheers

on mine the button puts it in 4wd without the transfer diff locked... pulling back the lever then locks the diff... move to the right for neutral... then up for low ratio.... i thought you could drive in 4wd with just the button pressed as it's running through all diffs??


i believe the at/p is for if you have a power take off like on the old land rovers and tractors (just another drive for running machinery)

[cheezygrinon]

on mine the button puts it in 4wd without the transfer diff locked... pulling back the lever then locks the diff... move to the right for neutral... then up for low ratio.... i thought you could drive in 4wd with just the button pressed as it's running through all diffs??


i believe the at/p is for if you have a power take off like on the old land rovers and tractors (just another drive for running machinery)

You have a newer model bigman, I guess it could be different but all I have read or been told about them (my model/age at least) suggests that if it is used in 4wd mode on the tarmac it will trash the drive like Lucky says.

Steve

[TonyN]

on mine the button puts it in 4wd without the transfer diff locked... pulling back the lever then locks the diff... move to the right for neutral... then up for low ratio.... i thought you could drive in 4wd with just the button pressed as it's running through all diffs??


i believe the at/p is for if you have a power take off like on the old land rovers and tractors (just another drive for running machinery)

You've got perminant 4wd option with a center diff, 2nd Gens don't have a center diff, so can't use 4wd on the road.

You 4wd center diff locked is the same as our normal 4wd.

[kiwi-jim]

i think you will find that AT/P stands for auto transmission park. its telling you the park position will not work with the transfer case in neutral. you would have to use the hand brake with the x-fer case in neutral when stopped.

[cheezygrinon]

i think you will find that AT/P stands for auto transmission park. its telling you the park position will not work with the transfer case in neutral. you would have to use the hand brake with the x-fer case in neutral when stopped.

Thanks jim,

That makes sense as I did not feel the park gear engage when the 'AT/P' was showing on the dash.

What a usefull bunch of chaps you all are. I would have spent forever trying to find all this out without this site. I probably wouldn't even have bought one without this site.

cheers chaps and the Linda bird.

steve

[da SLUG man]

You've got perminant 4wd option with a center diff, 2nd Gens don't have a center diff, so can't use 4wd on the road.

You 4wd center diff locked is the same as our normal 4wd.

ah ha!... so i can use 4wd on tarmac?? ooh, how confusing!!

[cheezygrinon]

ah ha!... so i can use 4wd on tarmac?? ooh, how confusing!!

I WANT TO USE 4WD ON THE ROAD NOT FAIR NOT FAIR NOT FAIR

[TonyN]

I WANT TO USE 4WD ON THE ROAD NOT FAIR NOT FAIR NOT FAIR

You want to wear the front drive-train out for no reason, all those extra rotating parts dragging down you MPG?

Nah, save 4WD for the mud.

[TonyN]

ah ha!... so i can use 4wd on tarmac?? ooh, how confusing!!

You have a 3rd gen right? Then yes, if you really want,, but only with the transfer (center) diff UNLOCKED. see above post for my opinion......

[cheezygrinon]

You want to wear the front drive-train out for no reason, all those extra rotating parts dragging down you MPG?

Nah, save 4WD for the mud.

having just worked out my MPG with 2wd... no I don't Tony you are quite correct. Thanks

[AlanM6]

SOooo i get up in the morning and there,s 3ins of snow and stuff on the roads, you mean i cant just press my little button and go. looks like its back to my Berlingo or wellies then

[Guest]

SOooo i get up in the morning and there,s 3ins of snow and stuff on the roads, you mean i cant just press my little button and go. looks like its back to my Berlingo or wellies then

3 inches of snow says stick it in 4wd and have some fun. Yes you can use 4wd on a 2nd gen on the road if it is in snow, you basically need bad traction to stop the transmission wind up. This is caused because on turns the front and rear wheels turn at different rates to take into account the turn (as well as a side to side difference) however on a part time 4wd like the surf, there is no centre diff to allow this to happen so you either drag the tyres at different rates (and on tarmac this won't happen) or over stress the transmission until the tyres slip to unwind the stress.

On the 3rd gens they have a centre diff and as long as this is not "locked" then it is OK to run 4wd on the road, just a little pointless. With the centre diff locked then there is no difference to what happens on a part time 4wd.

Cheers