4x4 Smell last night...

We don't get much snow here but the past few weeks we've seen quite a bit of snow and ice. I normally drop it into 4x4 hi every 6 months and tool around the neighborhood at 20mph just to keep it lubed up and so I know it's there if I need it.

Drove all the way home last night at about 45-50 in 4x4 hi and when I got in the driveway it stunk, I smell I've never smelled so it wasn't just snow and road crap under there. Any ideas? Is this normal the first time you use 4 wheel drive hi for an extended period? Thanks in advance for any helpful comments.

 

I don't have a 4x4 but I think you were supposed to be in 4 HI for that kind of speed. 4 LO(15 or 20 mph tops) locks the tires in together and you are never supposed to be on pavement in that selection

i could be wrong

edit: ignore this haha

 

I have noticed a distinct odor as well after using 4x4 for an extended period (30 minutes straight, varying speeds) on my 2015 SR5. Don't think it's a big issue, probably just one of those strange things?

 

the smell of warmed up gear lube vapors coming from the front diff and t case breathers after actually working the lube in them?

 

I've never used 4x4LO in this truck.

 

jeez for some reason i read LO. sorry for lack of reading skill. just woke up

 

You're actually supposed to every month for about 10 miles according to Toyota.

For me, this is not a challenge in the winter since I use it very often then. In the summer I just put it in 4 HI whenever I'm on a dirt road.

 

I've read that, I just don't do it, excluding a few times in winter, it's never needed and I haven't been off-road with this one so it's just not on my mind to do it that often.

 

It's normal.

 

Could be grease from the front driveshaft ujoints splattering onto hot surfaces. I grease the rear ujoints every oil change and it usually stinks for quite a while afterward.

 

Now that's what I want to hear!

I got out and thought, uh-oh I better not have fuked this up before
I trade it in on a 2016! It was the 1st time it's ever been on at 45/50 mph and
for about 30 min.

 

Is there a time frame for using 4x4HI? I would think 50/55 should be top speed but
like I said, I just don't use it enough to determine what's best for it.

I've seen some say they use it all the time and go over 65mph.

 

There is no top speed, you just have to engage it below ~62 MPH. If you try to engage it at a higher speed, it will beep at you and you need to slow down and try again.

 

I have driven in snow storms for 8 hours @ 55-60 mph in 4x4 high ....no issues but I do regular oil changes to the diffs , transmission and transfer case .
Same as mentioned above , I grease all the universal joints at every oil change .

 

cool. I'll just assume it was a "1st use longer than 5 minutes" stink.

 

It's normal. What you're likely smelling is your brakes. Your ALSD was functioning as designed. When one wheel on a drive axle (front or rear) spins, the abs is applied just enough on that side to activate ALSD and provide some power to the other wheel on that axle. In 2WD the same happens but is accompanied by a reduction in engine power unless you tap the ALSD/ VSC button. Hold the button down for a few seconds while completely stopped if you don't want the brakes (ALSD) involved.

 

thx, I'll try that.

 

Just be aware that you will have 2 wheels spinning instead of 4

 

the only time you need to worry about 4x4 high and fast highway driving is if you don't rotate your tires every 5000 miles and you may have different diameter tires.

pt4x4 works best with perfectly even and perfectly worn tires. if the rears are beat down and fronts are fresh it will make a lot of strain on the system as the transfer case will force the tires to scrub constantly due to one set wanting to rotate at a different rate. anytime you are in pt4x4 the tires are scrubbing but it scrubs the least with nice even set of tires