How to use 4wd four wheel drive and traction control

I've seen at least one thread in which someone attempted to demystify all of the 4wd, rear locker, Atrac, traction control functions by breaking them down by popular usage scenarios. I remember that in the same post, many people disagreed on the op's descriptions.

Is there a succinct guide that I can print out and keep handy in the truck to remind me and my gf which buttons to use and when? I have the owner's manual and of course, intend to read it, but I'm hoping for the cliff notes for this weekend's excursion on Skyline Drive.

 

do yourself a favor, if you are on trails that you are under 35 mph, just stick it in 4lo, being a manual trans it will be MUUUUCH easier on your clutch. If you get to a point where its tricky, click the locker in.

 

I'm with ya OP. The breakdown is pretty complicated and I never seem to get it right. I was going up a primitive road, snow drifts and snow melt littering the road and I'm in 4HI, traction control off and the stupid stability control or traction assist, whatever it was, kept kicking in. People say, "it's suppose to, it'll cut power to wheels without grip and send it to those that can grip" but in reality, it just kept killing my momentum and ultimately lead me to backing out and going somewhere else. Frustrating.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...rols-trac-auto-lsd-a-trac-rear-locker.212057/

 

This is great advice. As soon as I hit dirt I go to 4LO. I'm usually starting in 3rd and rowing between 3rd and 4th depending on grade, going to 2nd for slower stuff and 1st when things start to get technical. If you're in 2HI or 4HI you'll be constantly wishing you had a gear between 1st and 2nd.

 

Yup, i even just stick it in 4lo if im under 35mph in my auto, much easier on things and much more control with everything.

 

Is your *AUTO-LSD* light on?

 

So you just go into 4LO for a couple minutes then back to HI? Shit I spend whole weekends in 4LO.

 

Do you shift you auto down into 2 or 3 or just leave it in D ? Why is is "easier on things and more control" ?

 

Traction control is useful on wet pavement and light snow. Turn it off when off road. If one rear wheel starts to spin it applies the brakes to that wheel and forces the wheel on the other side to get the power. But if in really slick stuff you literally feel like you're dragging an anchor behind you as the rear brakes keep applying on their own. Better to let the wheels spin.

NEVER SHIFT TO 4X4 IF TRACTION IS GOOD, THIS APPLIES TO WET PAVEMENT. If off road in loose sand, dirt, grass, mud etc 4X4 can be used. Or on pavement with deep snow. Simply move the selector to 4X4, it will take 2-3 seconds and will engage easier if the truck is moving. If you wait until you're stuck it can be hard to engage since the front wheels may need to rotate a partial turn for the hubs to lock. While it won't hurt to engage in 4X4 at faster speeds, if conditions are safe enough to drive over 25-30 mph, you don't need 4X4. If you need 4X4 it won't be safe to drive over 25-30 mph.

When I had a manual I did use low range a lot more often. But with an automatic you can do a lot more in hi range. A lot of folks seem to think it will help if they are stuck and in hi range. Probably not and in fact in mud you'd be better off in hi range most of the time. Lo range is for creeping slowly along rough sections of trail, especially down hill. Or when pulling heavy loads, helping get another vehicle out that is stuck etc. When stuck in mud wheel speed slings mud out of the tread. That won't happen if they are turning slowly in lo range.

You can choose whatever gear you need with a manual or automatic. When going down hills I almost always use the lowest gear to help braking. Going up hill is less important with an automatic. The automatic will probably be in 1st anyway unless you're moving pretty fast.

There is an art to getting in and out of lo range. 1st shift to 4hi while the truck is moving. Then stop, shift to N or P with an auto, or simply depress the clutch on a manual. Shift to lo range and wait for the indicator light to come on. Sometimes the truck may need to roll slightly, less than 1 rotation of the tires. Shift into gear and drive.

When getting out of 4lo stop. Go to P, N, or depress the clutch and shift to 4hi. Don't try to go straight to 2hi. Sometimes the truck doesn't want to come out of low range. If the indicator light does not come on after a few seconds shift to reverse and back up 10-15' then try again. I've had to repeat this 2-3 times moving the truck back and forth 10-15' at a time before it finally goes to 4hi. Once in 4h start driving then shift to 2hi while moving.

 

That's @David K's "old" thread on the topic. While good, I prefer his "new" one.

 

depends on what the trail looks like whether i need engine braking etc. Its easier to control as 1. its easier for the motor to get you over obstacles. Your not sitting in 4hi having to give her tons of gas slipping the torque converter then cresting the object lurching forward, you can creepy crawl up it in a slow smooth controlled manner. and 2. Its also easier on the trans / trans temps / motor as there is MUCH less load.


Really the ONLY time i find myself in 4HI is either 1. snowy icy roads, 2. greater than 35mph off road where its nice to link the front and rear axles together, as the rear tends to like to lockup under braking before the front, 4hi eliminates that.

 

Same reasons as @nd4spdbh for me. Putting the auto transmission into 1/2 keeps it from upshifting on downhill sections and limiting the amount needed to brake. Having the truck in 4Lo generally makes it easier to control as I don't need to use the gas pedal nearly as much to climb over obstacles and limits lurching/launching over the top sometimes. It also seems to keep temps under the hood down which always helps. Being in 4Lo also lets me turn on DAC for steep slippery hills, A-TRAC and rear locker as needed.

 

Did about 60 miles of Skyline Dr. through the Manti La Sal National Forest this weekend. There were two other Tacomas (2015 and 2010) and a VW Syncro Westfalia with a Subaru motor in our group. If you're not familiar, it's an unimproved road, probably best suited to motorcycles, four wheelers and side-by-sides. And Tacomas. We had a blast until VW guy broke down. Go figure, right? The road was very muddy and rutted in places and I mainly drove in 4 Lo (thanks for the recommendations) with ATRAC and traction control on. I really didn't have any trouble with the exception of ground clearance. Definitely doing a 2" or so lift (Bilsteins most likely) and definitely getting mud flaps, seat covers and nice floor mats before I do something like that again.

 

Thank you!

 

Look, it is really not as complicated as Toyota makes it or as I have detailed it, the past 7 years!

4 LOW is for power and control CLIMBING and DESCENDING steep grades or going through deep stuff! ALWAYS have A-TRAC ON in L4!

4 HIGH is for all other low traction conditions and just rotate the dial to H4. Lowering tire air pressure is a great aid and comfort enhancement off road, to 20-25 psi. Deep sand may need down to 15 or even 10 psi, depending on the sand and type of tires.

The OP's Tacoma is a 2011, so it is the same system as mine. In 2012, they added TRAC-OFF as a choice in H4 (it is the standard mode in 2009-2011), and that stronger traction level requires the quick press of the VSC button (2012 + only).

Have more questions, I am happy to respond!

 

I have a 2015 trd OR. So when I am in H4 I have to press the vsc button in order to get that stronger traction ? Or were you saying that you have to do that only on pre 2012s ? Thanks

 

The button quick press does nothing in H4 on 2009-2011 Tacomas.

I know how confusing this is... Toyota gets full blame for the names they use and changing what a named function does.

2012 models have the addition of a TRAC OFF button-push-mode in H4 and made TRAC (standard mode) the same as it is in H2, in other words, with engine output regulation (aka "throttle cut").

The 2009-2011 Tacomas H4 'TRAC' has no throttle cut in H4... ie. stronger limited slip.
That is called "TRAC OFF" on 2012+ and is TRACtion Control with the engine regulation turned OFF.
So, 2012+ owners, if you get too much tire spin in H4, press the VSC button quickly to activate TRAC OFF. You will have braking of a spinning tire without cutting power.

 

Makes sense now, I appreciate it.

 

Happy to help! I have written so many different wordings of this because we all read or comprehend things differently. I would like to spend some time in a Third Gen Off Road 4x4 to compare TRAC and TRAC OFF in H4 and see if there is now some TRAC or TRAC OFF in L4...

I tested all the levels at the base of a loose sandy hill; on a level sand dune; and climbing hard, rutted grades. I compared each by how far I could drive in each mode. The throttle cut (engine output regulation) was the most annoying while off road and maybe why I found H4 so amazing as my 2010 has no throttle cut. The 2012+ require a quick button press to get that. I could climb better in H4 than L4 (without A-TRAC or locker). L4 has no traction control in the normal mode and traction control (limited slip) is so helpful off road where we need traction! Now with A-TRAC, L4 was a different animal... turns the truck into a Sherman Tank!