to press or not to press ??

[thechaddyboy]

confused about the forthcoming bad weather forecasts - with the possibilty of snow on the roads and not having been off-road yet (OK I KNOW - I'M A VIRGIN) when & how do i engage basic 4 wheel drive whilst driving on the main roads for example at say 20 / 30 mph ? do i just press the button & will it be ok doing so on a tarmac surface, got a p-reg 3rd gen & have heard many surfers say yes it's ok but some say no it's not.

[Tallyman]

If you've got a 3rd gen then yes, it's OK to use 4WD on tarmac as yours has a central diff. It's only 1st & 2nd gen that can't be used on tarmac. As to gear selection, I believe you can select 4H on the move up to 60mph just by pushing the button on the small lever.

You can only select 4L with the small lever with the drive in park or neutral. You can select 4WD on the 1st & 2nd gen the same way and you can use them on tarmac provided it's covered with ice & snow or mud, as then one of the front wheels can slip to keep the drive train in sync.

[kitesurf_phil]

If you've got a 3rd gen then yes, it's OK to use 4WD on tarmac as yours has a central diff. It's only 1st & 2nd gen that can't be used on tarmac. As to gear selection, I believe you can select 4H on the move up to 60mph just by pushing the button on the small lever.

You can only select 4L with the small lever with the drive in park or neutral. You can select 4WD on the 1st & 2nd gen the same way and you can use them on tarmac provided it's covered with ice & snow or mud, as then one of the front wheels can slip to keep the drive train in sync.

i think "shift on the fly" is up to 50mph. i really enjoyed last years snow! bring it on again.

[Slugsie]

The thread title reminded me of the time when I first got my Surf. Me, my g/f, and kids were off on a camping weekend. On the way up they were all asking what the various buttons/levers/switches etc did. When I pointed out the button that engaged 4wd it was met with a half hour of 'Press the button, go on, press it, you know you want too', it's even worse than 'Are we nearly there yet', especially as I really wanted to press it

Luckily I had already read that I shouldn't press it unless we were on loose surface.

Anyway, here's hoping for lots of snow, some of which may fall round here (very rare).

[Rob]

confused about the forthcoming bad weather forecasts - with the possibilty of snow on the roads and not having been off-road yet (OK I KNOW - I'M A VIRGIN) when & how do i engage basic 4 wheel drive whilst driving on the main roads for example at say 20 / 30 mph ? do i just press the button & will it be ok doing so on a tarmac surface, got a p-reg 3rd gen & have heard many surfers say yes it's ok but some say no it's not.

Yep just press the button at any speed up to 100km/h (62mph). This engages 4wd with the centre diff unlocked and is good for road use. Pulling the lever back into 4HL locks the centre diff and is not good for road use. This can also be done at the same speed as above.