4x4 How often to engage it?

I'm new to 4x4 experience with my 2019 Tacoma SR Access Cab.

I've read that one should use the 4x4 once a month or every 60 days or so.

My question is should I be engaging the 4x4 Low as well in addition to 4 High?

Or, would just engaging the 4 High and driving it in 4 High for a few miles be enough to prevent the locking up or freezing up of gears in the transfer case?

 

I have a 2009 4x4...I engage it once or twice a month...

 

Does the owners manual have any recommendations?

If you didn't get one, a free PDF version can be had from the Toyota website.

 

Rarely, if ever, done, on any of my 4x4's. Still works fine, lasts for years. Just remember to change transfer case & front diff fluids per owner's manual.

 

I try to engage 4WD every month or two. I wait for a rainy day on a stretch of fairly straight road (gentle turns okay) and engage 4 HI. I haven’t engaged 4LO recently but it wouldn’t hurt to do it in the driveway just to make sure it goes in.

 

2014/2nd gen. I engage mine sitting in the driveway 2-3 times per month or whenever I think of it to exercise the actuators, transfer case and linkages: 4H and 4L. When I'm driving, if it's raining and the road is fairly straight, I engage 4H for a mile or two. Non-use is one of the main causes of problems with the 2nd gen system. The contacts in the actuators get balky and oxidized, and the linkages on the front axle get cranky.

It's asking for trouble if you let the components, and linkages (front axle diff and transfer case) take an extended vacation.

 

Manual said to engage 4wd monthly for about a few miles (I think 10 miles-too lazy to check) on slippery surface.

i use this excuse on wifey to go play in the dirt once every 2-3 months.

 

Same. I engage 4H going down a straight stretch of road/highway (under 60mph) for a mile or two when it's raining. The Car Care Nut has a good video on this topic. I follow his recommended way of doing it, just simply driving down a straight stretch of road, and flipping it to 4H for a while then going back into 2WD. In his video, it isn't raining and he doesn't state it needs to be, that's probably me just overthinking things and wanting to be extra sure hah.

 

Following this thread

 

About 10 miles/month used to be recommended. I know from experience that if you fail to use it for months at a time there is a good chance it won't work when needed.

I don't have a set routine but I'm on a gravel road most months for 3-4 miles. I always engage 4X4 when on that road, but I never go out of my way to do so. Occasionally I may skip a month but don't like to skip 2. Some months I may only get in 3-4 miles, other months (during hunting season) I may get in 300-400 miles in 4X4.

A word of caution about using 4X4 on pavement, or any surface with good traction. Even on slow gradual curves each wheel needs to turn at different speeds to get to the same place. In 4X4 the transfer case tries to make all 4 turn at the same speed. Something has to give. On a loose surface 1 or 2 wheels will spin slightly on the surface. If traction is too good for this slight slippage it puts internal parts in a strain. They rarely fail that day but do wear out prematurely.

The more you do this the sooner you'll be replacing U-Joints, CV axles and eventually the chain in the transfer case. Technically in a pretty straight line and wet pavement does help you should be OK. The problem is when you have a brain fart and forget you're in 4X4 and make a sharp turn onto another road or business.

IME the reward isn't worth the risk. Find a loose dirt or gravel road to do this.

 

2007 bought new. I only engage for offroading and snow/ice... that's it. After 18 years still works flawlessly. I'd never engage 4WD on pavement wet or dry.