bazoomkee

I have a 1995 XJ that has rarely been in 4 WD.The owners manual says you can select 4WD High ratio at any time at any normal speed on any road surface.However, I have read many comments from armchair expects on the WWW who say is is not recommended to drive in 4WD on sealed or paved roads. Appreciate any comments.!

lawsoncl

The answer depends on which transfer case you have. If it has fulltime 4wd, then you can drive on pavement in 4wd and you're just affecting your mileage and tire wear. If you have the part-time 4wd (most do), then you should not use it when you have good traction.

bazoomkee

Thank you for your quick reply. My question relates to conditions here in OZ where we have little rain but when it does combined with a layer of oil and rubber accumulating on paved roads I have found the jeep somewhat unpredictable with loss of traction and tendency to swop ends on cornering.(Mostly caused by off-road tyres.). What has confused me is the statement in the Owners handbook and I quote " 4x4 FULL Position. This is the primary 4-wheel position which offers better traction when roads are wet, snow covered or icy..Use Selec-Trac 4x4 FULL TIME on all road surfaces if you wish".I would only want to use 4wd in wet conditions to overcome sudden loss of control a nd not continuously when on dry sealed or paved road conditions.Any further comments would be appreciated .

awg

If your vehicle is an Oz vehicle it should have an NP242, which allows full time and part time 4wd

full time 4wd alights the green light on the dash with all 4wheels illuminated, part time is orange light

full time 4wd can be engaged at any speed, under any conditions (if the selector rod is correctly adjusted)

I use it quite often if the road is very wet, or I am slightly off road in slush, gravel, sand or mud

It is not as effective traction wise as part-time 4wd, which should only be engaged in a situation where wheels may slip, the transfer case has an internal mechanism that locks up

Its worth obtaining the A5 sized "Owners handbook", available on ebay

Roler

Yep
Lawsoncl and awg are on the money.

The 4x4 Full Time can be engaged on any driving surface if you want, thats why its useful on the go. Although I tend not to engage it whilst going anything over 40 km/hr, but thats me.
If you feel safer with it, go for it. You have a 4x4 to do something with it. No use keeping a tiger on the driveway while you actually just like cats. Especially here in Oz

awg

I see you have the handbook

sliding on corners is a fact of life with most vehicles like an XJ, light at the rear end

leaf springs and drums do not assist in this respect imo

I have had some powerful vehicles with LSD, it can cause some handling anomalies if one wheel loses traction, due to oil, rubber and moisture on the road

I have engaged full time 4wd under these conditions, either that or keep right off the throttle

cruiser54

It's a great system. Use it.
But, pay attention to the following with the 242 transfer case:

Shifting the NP/NV242J Selec-Trac Transfer Case

2WD Position
This position is for driving on hard-surfaced roads under normal driving conditions when 4-wheel drive is not desired.

4x4 PART TIME Position
This position is designed for temporary use of 4-wheel drive when on-or off-road conditions such as deep snow or heavy ice require increased traction. When engaged, both the front and the rear axles are mechanically locked together and turn at the same speed. Do not use 4x4 PART TIME on dry, paved roads.

To engage, shift transfer case from 2WD to 4x4 PART TIME while the vehicle is moving at any legal speed.

An amber PART TIME lamp will illuminate on the instrument cluster when 4x4 PART TIME is selected.

4x4 FULL TIME Position
This is the primary 4-wheel drive position, which offers better traction when roads are wet, snow covered or icy. When engaged, the front and rear wheels axles are permitted to turn at different speeds to enhance maneuverability. Use 4x4 FULL TIME year-round on all road surfaces if you wish.

To engage, shift transfer case from 2WD to 4x4 FULL TIME while the vehicle is moving at any legal speed. When shifting, do it in a swift and firm movement.

When shifting from 2WD through 4x4 PART TIME to 4x4 FULL TIME, two momentary releases of the accelerator may be required after shifting.

A green FULL TIME lamp will illuminate on the instrument cluster when 4x4 FULL TIME is selected.

4 LO Position
This position is designed for temporary use of 4-wheel drive when off-road conditions require added low speed pulling power. Do not use 4 LO on dry, paved roads.

To engage, slow the vehicle to 2-3 mph (3-5 km/h), shift the transmission into Neutral (N), then shift the transfer case lever to Neutral, then to the right and pull firmly rearward to 4 LO.

Never attempt to engage Low Range when the vehicle is moving faster than 2-3 mph (3-5 km/h). Transfer case damage may result.

An amber PART TIME lamp will illuminate on the instrument cluster when 4 LO is selected.

Roler

It keeps amazing me what you can write down just from memory,P!
Me I'm already happy when I can recall where I saved information I already knew lol


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cruiser54

I gain brain power from eating Vegemite!!

bazoomkee

A big thank you to everybody who replied to my question and also a big thank you for the clear and concise information provided.I now can go forward into winter here with confidence in the Jeeps performance on wet and slippery road surfaces. I will mostly drive in 2WD but where conditions are wet ( as we don't have much snow or icy conditions but rarely) I will select 4WDH.for better road holding and traction.

lawsoncl

Just keep in mind that 4WD really doesn't help you stop or corner any better. Around here, after first snow of the season you see a lot of yahoos using 4wd to get back out of the ditch after overestimating the conditions and their driving skills.