1997 "Auto 4WD"

[abowie]

Just bought a 97 Explorer - manual recommends "Auto 4WD" for day to day use - and High 4WD or Low 4WD for more severe conditions...my question: is the "Auto 4WD" always in a continuous 4 wheel drive mode?..can't tell by the owner manual description....

 

[Robert]

Auto 4WD puts about 96% of the torque to the rear wheels. If the rear wheels start to slip, the computer starts diverting some of the torque to the front wheels in small increments until the front and rear speed sensors are sensing the same speed. If the computer has diverted all of the torque to the front but still thinks the rear is spinning faster than the front, it will go into a 2WD fault mode figuring that something is wrong. So what you have is a 2WD until it slips, then you have 4WD. A few words of caution DO NOT USE HIGH OR LOW ON PAVEMENT! Your manual won't put in quite so blunt terms although it does say that it should be used in snow and sand. Sharp turns on pavement while in high or low can cause severe binding, causing expensive parts to break.