4 Wheel Drive settings almost killed me

[amospro]

OK, almost killed me is a stretch but hopefully it got someone's attention.

I was driving in a snow storm in South Lake Tahoe yesterday and it was the first time I had to put my Explorer in 4WD. All my vehicles for the last 18 years have all been 4WD, and this has never happened to me. I pulled over to get some gas before I jumped on to Hwy 50 to head back to the Sacramento area. Please tell me why in the hell would Ford think it's OK to automatically reset your traction control to NORMAL DRIVING MODE when you quickly turn your car off and back on??? WTF?!?!?!?! I have NEVER had that with any of past 4WD vehicles. Isn't this a bit risky Ford??? It took a scary moment to realize I was not in 4WD anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Explorer but WTF Ford? Be careful out there!

 

[WiEx]

Normal mode is still 4WD (or AWD, depending on how you define the terms). I also have forgotten to switch back to snow mode after a stop. I solved the problem by showing the mode in the left display, where it is much more visible than the terrain management dial. This also lets you see how the power is split between the front and rear.

 

[blwnsmoke]

I agree that Ford should have it programmed to leave it in the last mode by default. However, your vehicle is always in 4wd.. actually, it is all wheel drive, not 4wd. The wheel only changes the % of drive applied to each wheel and also changes your throttle response.

 

[amospro]

OK, well it scared the crap out of me. Still should be left as programmed.

 

[Joeymustang]

same happened to me last week, but I quickly realized because throttle response was a lot better (considering from a stop in normal driving you are in 1st gear versus 2nd gear in snow mode) so I switched it. Now I'm used to it and just switch it automatically

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

Amospro, as already stated by others, your Explorer is ALWAYS in the AWD setting. The "snow....." setting in the terrain management dial does not really do a ton. The biggest difference it makes is in the throttle response (I think it also forces the Ex to start out in 2nd gear) to limit/minimize wheel spin.

I suspect you got back in the truck after getting gas, and got aggressive with the far right pedal. This will get your attention pretty quickly.

 

[13Sport]

The "snow....." setting in the terrain management dial does not really do a ton. The biggest difference it makes is in the throttle response

It does a TON.. it changes the throttle response, the amount of revs before upshifts and downshifts, the conditions for upshifts and downshifts, the amount of bias toward the front/rear of the vehicle, the algorithm for electronic braking, the aggressiveness of the traction control system, etc. It may not feel like it does a lot, but it does adjust a plethora of vehicle control settings.

Also, to the OP, I assume the fear is that people would forget to change the setting back to normal from sand mode and mud/rut modes. Leaving it in these modes on solid ground can wear down components and/or cause damage to the 4wd system. I think maybe that for the snow mode it should stay there (since the snow mode technically isn't listed in the "offroad only" use category), and for the other two modes it should switch back to normal.

 

[LeFurg]

I think maybe that for the snow mode it should stay there (since the snow mode technically isn't listed in the "offroad only" use category), and for the other two modes it should switch back to normal.

I agree. However, the point of "sand mode" is to keep the vehicle on top of the sand by powering through everything - the vehicle should stay in THAT mode indefinitely, if put there.

On the other two secondary modes (mud/rut and snow/ice), when going above, say 50mph, the vehicle should chime and ask the driver, "Do you want to stay in this mode?" On snow/ice mode, it should very difficult to get the vehicle above 50mph - it should be governed at 50 in that mode...That'll get the driver to switch the 4wd back to "normal mode".

If a vehicle is locked into a certain setting and is shut off for a fuel fill up, that locked setting should be the default upon startup until the driver puts it back into the normal setting, hence the sole reason for the name (or in this case, picture) "normal", "sand", "snow/ice", "mud/rut" - there's no point in having these other settings if the car is going to just reset to "normal" every time. I mean does Ford think that as the driver pulls into a grocery store parking lot while it's snowing outside it's going to be all sunny with roads clear (no snow or ice anywhere) when the driver comes back out? Fat chance!!

If the 4 wheel resets because the clutch for the 4 wheel will burn out quicker, then put better cooling systems on the clutch (the ones for the Law Enforcement Explorers would probably do), though I don't think this is what it is.

...but 13sport, I do agree with you.

 

[colintrax]

I think this is a pretty normal thing. The o/d off will reset on my 97 when the truck is turned off. Dad's old Ram and his new Nissan do the same thing with the tow/haul mode

 

[peterk9]

OK, almost killed me is a stretch but hopefully it got someone's attention.

I was driving in a snow storm in South Lake Tahoe yesterday and it was the first time I had to put my Explorer in 4WD. All my vehicles for the last 18 years have all been 4WD, and this has never happened to me. I pulled over to get some gas before I jumped on to Hwy 50 to head back to the Sacramento area. Please tell me why in the hell would Ford think it's OK to automatically reset your traction control to NORMAL DRIVING MODE when you quickly turn your car off and back on??? WTF?!?!?!?! I have NEVER had that with any of past 4WD vehicles. Isn't this a bit risky Ford??? It took a scary moment to realize I was not in 4WD anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Explorer but WTF Ford? Be careful out there!

As some respondants have already posted, your Explorer is always in the AWD mode. It is basically a FWD vehicle that automatically senses when AWD is required and will change to that form when required. The TMS just enhances and/or changes various drive components to meet the conditions that the TMS setting has been programmed for. Having TMS reset itself upon shutdown of the vehicle will help protect the system should it no longer be required upon startup. I have no problem with this at all. It basically comes down to the driver having to be familiar with how his/her vehicle operates. Having gone through one full Winter with mine I only used the 'Snow' mode once and that was just to test it out. The Explorer worked just fine for me in 'Normal' mode all Winter. I must also point out that I use dedicated Winter tires.

Peter

 

[2TimingTom]

Remember when you actually had to drive the cars you owned? Instead of letting a dozen computers and sensors take care of every thing for you?

 

[peterk9]

Remember when you actually had to drive the cars you owned? Instead of letting a dozen computers and sensors take care of every thing for you?

 

[hunterdan]

Agreed. Whatever happened to learning how to control your vehicle in the conditions you want to drive it in? I wish we didn't have all this new traction control, stability control, drive by wire etc. Put the responsibility back into the driver, not the manufacturer. That said I like these new explorers, but people rely too heavily on all the mandated safety features. The only feature I like about drive by wire is how it can change the throttle control in 4 lo. I've noticed a lot of nitpicking with these new explorers, im sure if you read the manual, everything you need to know is in it. Along with all the disclaimers the lawyers wanted.
[End rant]

Op, I would just deal with it. I have to turn all the nanny features off every time I start my silverado. Just be more careful next time. I also forgot to close my fuel door the other day, but I made it home safely even with the difference in aerodynamics....

Dan

 

[FordService]

Hey gang,

If you have a great idea for how to improve a Ford vehicle, you should post it on the Ideas tab of http://social.Ford.com. Once your idea has been submitted, come back here and post a link so we can all vote on it!

Thanks to those of you who have offered up great ideas and suggestions - it's one of the many reasons this community is so awesome.

Crystal

 

[LeFurg]

Hey gang,

If you have a great idea for how to improve a Ford vehicle, you should post it on the Ideas tab of http://social.Ford.com. Once your idea has been submitted, come back here and post a link so we can all vote on it!

Thanks to those of you who have offered up great ideas and suggestions - it's one of the many reasons this community is so awesome.

Crystal

I just did it. Had a few ideas. Hopefully one is good.

 

[QwikEVO]

remember when you actually had to drive the cars you owned? Instead of letting a dozen computers and sensors take care of every thing for you?

a-men!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tjswanson]

So, I take it that there is still not a way to bypass this feature? The auto resetting of the TMS and the Tow mode have to be my biggest design annoyances with the Explorer now.

 

[peterk9]

So, I take it that there is still not a way to bypass this feature? The auto resetting of the TMS and the Tow mode have to be my biggest design annoyances with the Explorer now.

Do you mean that your '96 XLT has the same 'issue'? Personally I don't see it as a problem at all and don't understand why anyone would.

Peter

 

[Mlarv5]

I was also surprised by the TMS not staying where I left it. I tried it twice and figured it was by design not really sure if I like it or not, but I understand what is going on now. As for the tow mode every truck I have ever had with it reset to off when the truck was shut off then back on.

 

[Mbrooks420]

If the only thing keeping you on the road is the snow mode, you need to learn to drive a little better, or get some more suitable tires.