AWD VS 4WD

[intheburbs]

Are you still carrying on about this? Apparently, and shouldn't it be obvious, that I don't care about what your saying, your the one being "Thick"

Go troll elsewhere, I ain't the one...

People come on here, like the OP, looking for information. Then people like you give out bad information. I'm simply showing what you said as false. If that's what you call trolling, then call me Mr. Troll.

 

[about20ninj45]

You are entitled toyour own opinion as much as Iam, if I'd cared for your opinion, I'd ask and take it with a grain of salt. Until that day comes, keep trolling.

 

[MidwestMike]

I skipped the Denali because I was looking at the 2014's and they were AWD only,
I wanted to be able to select.

The thing I don't like about AWD is you have more stuff moving all the time. 60 mph on a dry day in June and I won't need the front tires to spin for 6 months, let me decide if I want two or four wheels driven. The losing 1 mpg number didn't bother me, but I was hearing a lot about additional wear in AWD.

And I figure I still have 4 Wheel Auto available to engage when I want, to mimic AWD.

 

[swathdiver]

This is Realville Damien, not Wonderland where every man's truth is valid. 1+1 always equals 2.

You posted information that was incorrect and it was corrected. Don't get all prideful about it and then equivocate. Bill knows his stuff and has corrected me too, which I appreciate. No good man wants to intentionally give another advice that could prove costly or injurious if it is wrong.

I skipped the Denali because I was looking at the 2014's and they were AWD only,
I wanted to be able to select.

My reasoning was similar as well. I figured less maintenance and better mpg. In hindsight I was probably wrong on both points. However, I am well pleased with my choice and like the flexibility of the 4X4 system over AWD.

 

[Chubbs]

Well, the AUTO feature of the 4WD system is to engage the front differential but most of the power is sent to the rear tires unless the, "software determines a need for more traction". Nice peace of mind for when my wife has the truck or for driving through blinding rain on a crowded highway at full speed. I just love that the truck never gets upset going through those highway puddles.

Maybe the Auto mode of my TC is compromised then. I engaged the auto4 when it was raining 1 day after I bought it & something didn't seem right. I searched on that for weeks and most responses in regard to threads on the subject were not to use it on the street. It's possible the PO overused/abused the auto4 and damaged something within the clutch assembly. I currently DD the truck and haven't been able to dig into the case yet.
But in conclusion, I found that techs who responded to these threads would sometimes say that there is a direct coorelation between the use of auto4 and the need for a rebuild in the components required for its operation. I will put mine through its paces 1 of these days.

 

[Chubbs]

I skipped the Denali because I was looking at the 2014's and they were AWD only,
I wanted to be able to select.

The thing I don't like about AWD is you have more stuff moving all the time. 60 mph on a dry day in June and I won't need the front tires to spin for 6 months, let me decide if I want two or four wheels driven. The losing 1 mpg number didn't bother me, but I was hearing a lot about additional wear in AWD.

And I figure I still have 4 Wheel Auto available to engage when I want, to mimic AWD.

All Land Rovers are AWD and I never had a single issue with my 2004. I absolutely love it and you don't even know it's there on the daily driven street, and at 120k miles nothing has needing replacing and none the worse for wear. For off road or more demanding situations there is a diff lock which allows the same capability as 4WD lock.

I don't have experience with 4WD and AWD across every manufacturer, but I can attest to the flawless nature of AWD components in LR. With that being said, I would choose AWD over 4WD until experience or consumer review proves otherwise. Either way, you can't go wrong with PT 4WD.

 

[swathdiver]

Maybe the Auto mode of my TC is compromised then. I engaged the auto4 when it was raining 1 day after I bought it & something didn't seem right.

Well Joe, can you describe for us what happened?

When I engage it, the rpms usually go up a couple hundred rpms if on the highway. I had it active on Monday during some heavy storms but do not think it ever applied more than the minimum power to the front axle. The truck has KO2s and has thus far handled foul weather superbly.

 

[intheburbs]

Maybe the Auto mode of my TC is compromised then. I engaged the auto4 when it was raining 1 day after I bought it & something didn't seem right. I searched on that for weeks and most responses in regard to threads on the subject were not to use it on the street. It's possible the PO overused/abused the auto4 and damaged something within the clutch assembly. I currently DD the truck and haven't been able to dig into the case yet.
But in conclusion, I found that techs who responded to these threads would sometimes say that there is a direct coorelation between the use of auto4 and the need for a rebuild in the components required for its operation. I will put mine through its paces 1 of these days.

This is a perfect example of bad information on the internet. Auto 4wd is designed specifically to be used on the street. It puts the system in "standby mode," ready to engage whenever the computer detects any loss of traction. No power is sent to the front wheels unless needed. To use an analogy, it's like locking the hubs of a manual 4wd system. The computer then engages the transfer case when extra traction is needed. My wife loved the Auto 4WD feature in my '01.

This is from the '01 owners manual, I'm sure it didn't change for 2003:

AUTO 4WD: This setting is ideal for use when road
conditions are variable. When driving your vehicle in
AUTO 4WD, the front axle is engaged, but the vehicle’s
power is sent only to the rear wheels. When the vehicle
senses a loss of traction, the system will automatically
engage four-wheel drive. Driving in this mode results in
slightly lower fuel economy than 2HI.

No warnings are given about where/when to use it. Completely safe to drive around 24/7 in Auto 4wd.

 

[swathdiver]

Exactly Bill, the 2009 owner's manual says essentially the same thing. The Magna Power brochures for our GMT900 transfer cases give more detail on how the AUTO setting works as well.

There is an admonition not to use 4WD on paved roads, such as the 4HI setting, plenty of posts about funny noises coming from their front differentials while turning in parking lots, did it myself out of ignorance while on test drives, then I sat down and read the manual!

 

[njracer]

FWIW, I love that my Z71 has the 4WD, Auto, 2WD and 4x4lo options!

Never used the low on the Suburban but it's nice to know it's there if needed. ;-)