Best way to use 4wd?

Hello,
Purchased my first Toyota a couple weeks ago. I came from Silverados with part time 4 wheel drive. It would be handy this time of year as the snow flies and some roads are dry and others not plowed. What is the guidance for 4 x 4 for Toyota? Do I have to turn it on / off multiple times a commute in the snow? Is it safe to use on wet roads in Winter?

 

What does the owners manual say?

 

"4H” (high speed position, four-wheel drive)
Use this for driving only on tracks that permit the tires slide, like off-road, icy or snow-covered roads. This position provides greater traction than two-wheel drive"

However I was more interested in the collective intelligence and experience of those who use 4H in similar conditions...

 

Been driving my 2nd gen for 12 years in 4wd on pavement in snow conditions. I leave it in 4wd as long as the road is slippery. I just avoid hard turns when possible and cycle to 2wd when road is completely without snow.

 

I use mine once a month … 4h u can do it on the street as long as it’s in a straight line . For 4low and lock diff I find a dirt rode near my home and go through the sequence. Good practice to do this monthly if u don’t use it to keep things working .

 

Or opt for the full time 4WD, which has the extra parts and intelligence to handle it all. Used Toyota's full time 4WD systems for over 20 years now and has never failed me in any condition of having the vehicle handle well as traction conditions shift.

 

I failed to do my homework on my 2024 TRD Sport, Toyota dealer's website show AWD. Well it's not, you need to have one hand on the 4x4 knob and manually shift it in and out. What a pain. I had Chevy pickups for 30 years and it was nice to just put it in auto mode and go about your business. That and the lack of an LSD diff on the rear end it going to make for some slippery conditions. Just don't shift between 4lo and hi above 65 mph.

 

No! Don't shift from 4h to 4l when not stopped and in neutral! Those conditions are for 2wd/4wd shifting.

 

Yes, meant to say 4wd and 2wd, but great point. I don't believe it will even go 4hi to 4lo unless your in neutral

 

Why are you constantly shifting in and out of 4wd?

 

My main use of 4wd is on the roads through the Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Mountains in the winter time. The roads can go from snowy, to wet, to icy, to dry pavement in a few miles. I'm not an off-roader, but I do navigate a few gravel roads. On dirt or gravel, sure put in 4hi and leave there. But on the slippery interstates I'll switch it on and off depending on the road conditions. That's why I miss having auto 4wd.

 

This is my use case as well. Depending on wind, snow and plowing the road conditions can shift drastically by the mile. Slightly annoying not having AWD option like the Chevy. However in every other attribute I will take the Toyota all day, every day. I will deal with it.

 

I believe the Limited Tacoma is available with it.

 

wet roads use 2wd, ice and snow just use 4wd

 

Only with the hybrid.

 

The exact reasons it was a requirement for me and it became an exclusive decision of securing the LTD trim with it

 

I drive a lot of the same conditions. As soon as it feels sketchy I switch to 4HI on the fly and just leave it in 4HI until things clear up - can be hours in my case. I like the 4WD for slowing down on turns and hills without hitting the brakes - the manual downshift is good as well. Also the wheel spin is very well controlled - I think the best I have driven - its hard to spin unless you really thump the gas. I have tried MTS = Auto and Deep Snow but not enough to comment if they are any better - the normal 4HI seems very good to me. I do keep the four gauges on the screen all the time which I really like - including transmission temp gauge to make sure nothing is heating up - so far the transmission temp does not seem to go up in 4HI much if at all.

 

>> I have tried MTS = Auto and Deep Snow but not enough to comment if they are any better

Just FYI for future posters, have now tried both 4HI with MTS = Auto and MTS = Deep Snow in a couple more messy snow events and wheel spin is very well controlled. It's quite impressive and will save a lot of tread! The short box / wheelbase off road is one of top trucks I have driven for getting through the snow - keeps moving.

 

2wd only and always. I like to live dangerously.