Hi - New to Site - After some advice please!

[JoM]

Hi All

Please forgive my 'newness' when it comes to 4x4 - I am a novice - putting it politely.

I have a 2.7 Diesel TerranoII SWB 2001 - I use it to pull my horse trailer - and in the 2 years i have had it - have never yet had to use the dreaded 4x4 stick!

The recent weather has now opened my eyes to how appauling it is to drive in rear wheel drive only in the snow, and after a quick read of the sunvisor for some tips i plucked up the courage and put it in 4H.

I have now got braver, as the weather has been decidedly more aggressive and used the scary stick a few more times - but i have questions - and the manual doesnt put it in an easy to absorb female language - so i thought maybe you guys could!

So (and i know you will all be rolling your eyes and laughing at me when i have finished - but i can take it LOL)

* is there a top speed i can go in 4h - is it just normal driving speed - so 60mph is acceptable in 4h?

* To disengage the 4 and put back to 2 wheel, i usually stop, move the stick and then have to reverse to make the light go out on the dash - the manual says you can move from 4h to 2h whilst moving - how is this so when i have to reverse to drop it back to 2h? And if i dont reverse, it sometimes refuses to go forwards. If i can move it when driving - which is fab if i can, and much more convenient - what speed do i need to be doing before i change back, and how do i do it?

* I was reversing this morning to park in 4h (had driven to work in 4h due to the weather, so not just engaged it) and the car decided that it was not going to move backwards - it felt as if i had the handbrake on - what have i broke!!!!???? I had to move it into 2h, move it forwards and then try to reverse again to make it move.

* If i am driving over slippy patches, and then non slippy patches, can i leave it in 4x4 mode? Will it damage anything if i leave it in 4x4 mode if it isnt required - I have heard the term windup? What is this?

So - as you can see - i am a complete novice - i am also slightly worried i have broken something when it refused to reverse!

Any help greatly appreciated!!!

Many thanks

Jo

[rustic]

Hi Jo, welcome to the site, I have been driving my Maverick (Terrano II in disguise) for 14 years, so I understand your concern. There are lots of threads on this subject, but to put it in a nutshell, Earlier terranos have automatic free wheel hubs, that when you engage 4x4 on the small lever the front propshaft rotates and thus locks the front hubs. If you do this on dry tarmac, and the tread wear on the front and the back is different you will get "Transmission wind-up" ie 1 rev of the rear wheel does not cover the same distance as the front wheels, so they have a braking effect, as tyres tries to slip. This is worse if you are turning.

You can first select 4x4 while moving at up to 25 mph and continue to normal road speeds as conditions will allow.

However if driving on slippery road with 4x4 H engaged, when you come to tarmac, push the 4x4 lever forward ( no need for use of clutch) to disengage drive to the front axle.

At this stage the front hubs are still engaged, and front prop shaft rotating via front wheels. So you can now slip the lever back into 4x4 at speeds greater than 25 mph however if you have reversed without 4x4 engaged the front hubs should dis-engage, so selecting 4x4 now will mean that you must do less than 25 mph to be able to re-engage them again.

This last week I select 4x4 and then drive and move the 4x4 lever back and forth to select best traction. ie 4x4 on slippery junctions to help stop and pull away.

If you notice a braking effect while driving then take it out of 4x4.
Check compatibility of the tyres all round different tyres with different tread depth will make " wind up" worse on any thing but slippery surfaces.

Your Terrano also has a 4x4 Low selection. To engage this you have to STOP then PUSH the 4x4 lever down then back, this has the effect of halving all the gear ratios. Max road speed 30 mph... But this is another story.
This is useful for descending slippery hills, when in 4x4 Low, 1st gear with no throttle the Terrano will go at a snails pace with Maximum Torque.

I hope this helps. best regards Richard (Rustic)

[jims-terrano]

Hiya and don't worry everyone has to learn about these trucks. There's loads of threads at this time of year on similar subjects. The main problem is 4wd doesn't get used and then all of a sudden people want 4wd and it don't work. If you have horses you'll have access to a field or rough track, best every month or so to slip it in to 4wd and drive forwards and backwards a short distance to keep it all loose and running free.

Your Sunvisor or manual will give you max speeds and when you can and can not engage 4wd so with a bit of help from here those should be easier to understand.

First of all if you stop and engage 4wd set off slowly to reduce stress on the all important front hubs, it's the innards of the hubs that tend to cause problems.

Only use 4wd on slippery surfaces, if you then drive onto a hard surface don't panic just move the little lever forward firmly and you'll be back in 2wd. you only need to stop if the green light doesn't go out, sometimes foot off the pedal will let the green light go out once back in 2wd.

Manoevering in 4wd, yes it'll feel different because the front wheels want to go straight. Mines feels horrible whilst backing into my drive but as long as there's something slippy under the tyres it shouldn't cause damage.

4L - You can only engage this whilst not moving, I use handbrake and put main gear stick into neutral and then pull the little lever all the way back and push down to move into 4L. Same only other way round to get out of 4L. 4L in 1st gear will crawl, ideal to manouver your horse box perhaps? but again on slipper or loose surface. Yes you can use other gears besides 1st.

Yes when finished with 4wd drive in the opposite direction for a few feet to disengage the hubs but this has to be done in 2wd. Doesn't have to be done straight away but as soon as it's safe to do so. Remember the car behind wont expect you to reverse up a few feet!!

Next thing, pay the membership and get loads more info and banter

Jim T

PS your right to be cautious

[zippy656]

Originally Posted by jims-terrano

Next thing, pay the membership and get loads more info and banter

Jim T

PS your right to be cautious

Yep be very cautious, there are a few odd people here ( funny ), the banter and fun is well worth the £10 alone

Zippy

[lacroupade]

I wouldn't worry too much, they are pretty robust trucks and you are unlikely to have done any damage. But as you say, lack of use is never good, so use it whenever its appropriate.

And Jims advice about rate of setoff is good - too many people think 4wd is a panacea when in fact the advice should be to select it, then drive in the conditions as if you only had 2wd....its an added safety margin if you like. Its still very easy, with all the torque the engine has, to slide the thing by giving it too much wellie when driving off - we know, thats what we do for larfs, but then we are just men aren't we!

When you have more confidence, you should try 4wd low as well - as has been said, it will drive you out of (or up!) pretty much anything and the lower revs its doing at the wheel (remember low drive halves the ratios so while the engine note still sounds the same, the wheels are rotating at half their normal speed) means less chance of wheelspin....

[jims-terrano]

Originally Posted by zippy656

Yep be very cautious, there are a few odd people here ( funny ), the banter and fun is well worth the £10 alone

Zippy

No Zippy you misunderstood, I wasn't meaning anything about you

Just be cautious about 4wd untill you know what your doing

Jim T

[lacroupade]

Originally Posted by jims-terrano

No Zippy you misunderstood, I wasn't meaning anything about you

but then again....

[lacroupade]

Originally Posted by JoM

Hi All

Please forgive my 'newness' when it comes to 4x4 - I am a novice - putting it politely.

I have a 2.7 Diesel TerranoII SWB 2001 - I use it to pull my horse trailer - and in the 2 years i have had it - have never yet had to use the dreaded 4x4 stick!

The recent weather has now opened my eyes to how appauling it is to drive in rear wheel drive only in the snow, and after a quick read of the sunvisor for some tips i plucked up the courage and put it in 4H.

I have now got braver, as the weather has been decidedly more aggressive and used the scary stick a few more times - but i have questions - and the manual doesnt put it in an easy to absorb female language - so i thought maybe you guys could!

So (and i know you will all be rolling your eyes and laughing at me when i have finished - but i can take it LOL)

* is there a top speed i can go in 4h - is it just normal driving speed - so 60mph is acceptable in 4h?

* To disengage the 4 and put back to 2 wheel, i usually stop, move the stick and then have to reverse to make the light go out on the dash - the manual says you can move from 4h to 2h whilst moving - how is this so when i have to reverse to drop it back to 2h? And if i dont reverse, it sometimes refuses to go forwards. If i can move it when driving - which is fab if i can, and much more convenient - what speed do i need to be doing before i change back, and how do i do it?

* I was reversing this morning to park in 4h (had driven to work in 4h due to the weather, so not just engaged it) and the car decided that it was not going to move backwards - it felt as if i had the handbrake on - what have i broke!!!!???? I had to move it into 2h, move it forwards and then try to reverse again to make it move.

* If i am driving over slippy patches, and then non slippy patches, can i leave it in 4x4 mode? Will it damage anything if i leave it in 4x4 mode if it isnt required - I have heard the term windup? What is this?

So - as you can see - i am a complete novice - i am also slightly worried i have broken something when it refused to reverse!

Any help greatly appreciated!!!

Many thanks

Jo

JoM - the correct answer to your question depends a lot on what model truck you have got. So tell me, what does your front bumper look like - does it have two 'teardrop' cutouts at either side, and are the black plastics in the grille a bit like a spiders web pattern? If so then you have a MkIII which probably has auto hubs, so the advice you've been given so far is fine. Your manual and sun visor should also tell you not to engage 4wd (high) at no more than about 20mph.

Windup occurs when you try and execute tight turns on relatively dry surfaces with 4WD engaged - you will definitely feel it happening and its as if the transmission and steering is tightening up and the vehicle trying to skip - thats the tyres trying to absorb the transmission stresses. If it happens just select 2WD because as has been said, although it leaves the gubbins at the front wheels rotating (CV joint and driveshaft), they are then free of the differential and therefore have no drive to them. But you should still do the reversing bit at some stage as that then stops everything from rotating, saving a bit of fuel and wear.

Driving straight on mixed surfaces should be OK....its the tight turns that cause the problem, but ideally you ought to be on 4wd only when its very wet or slippery - or for short periods in the dry when trying to negotiate, say, a difficult slope.

But if your bumper/instructions are different, let us know as the procedure is different (and easier).

[JoM]

Hi

Thank you all so much for you quick and generous advise (and no ridicule LOL)!!

Miraculously, it doesnt sound like I am going anything too wrong!!!!

I think my reversing issue was down to the fact that i was in 4h and our carpark is not overgenerous on manouveing room, so i was in full lock - so probably wind up caused it to throw the anchor out as it wasnt over slippery in the carpark?! LOL

I think i had a bit of wind up this morning as it did a skip thing when i did a hard right at the traffic lights - however, now i can use that stick back to 2h without stopping, that should be a problem now in the past! Will I have damaged anything this morning or will it be ok? It seemed happy enough once it was back in 2H.

I havent used the 4x4 since i have had it, so was dubious it would even work after being dormant for 2 years! I will bounce it up the track once a month if it keeps it happy!

I think the advise so far is correct for my car - the bumper does have some cuttings out at the sides and the grill eats my sponge every time i wash it because of the spider web effect!

I am just nervous about moving the stick back to 2h whilst i am moving! I have a vision of grinding to a sudden halt!! I will have to build myself up to it i think! LOL

Jim T - Thanks for the 'setting off slow' advice once 4x4 is engaged - how did you know i set off like a bull in a china shop?!

I am going to print all this advise off and read it again - and again! In the hopes that it may sink in!

I am just scared to death of breaking the blasted thing!!!

Thanks for all your help - what a fab site!

[danielj]

[QUOTE=JoM;77817]Hi


I think the advise so far is correct for my car - the bumper does have some cuttings out at the sides and the grill eats my sponge every time i wash it because of the spider web effect!


Great, you also have the spiderman grill thingy. A Mark III model I believe if others on here are correct. Use mine now and then for towing or driving in fields and would usually knock it into 4wd if the ground is anyway soft. I don't know an awful lot about the mechanics of the 4wd either but every now and then I have a look at the instructions on the sun visor just to make sure I'm not going to grind anything to a pulp. Don't know if they are that easy to break though. They are fairly solid machines. They do have a good 4wd and you can really feel it pulling on the tarmac or solid ground and trying to skip if you are not going in a straight line --and hence you should know when to knock it back to 2wd. Its a pity to have the 4wd and not use it.