Engaging 4wd regularly... I have never done this

I just realized my owner's manual says I have to be engaging my 4wd for 10 miles every month to keep things lubricated.

I have never done this. 2018 Tundra, I've used 4wd on and off during the winter months (Dec, Jan, Feb), so the last time I turned on 4wd this year was 8 months ago.

What kind of impact does failing to exercise the 4wd have on my truck?

 

Mechanism can get stuck in engage position or it may not engage at all.

 

Probably prevents the shift solenoid/shift motor from locking up. Had this happen to my previous truck when I moved to CA and stopped using 4wd. It dropped into 4wd but wouldn’t come back out

 

At lease you use it in winter, I never see snow. I try to use it and I forgot about it in the parking lot. can't turn with the 4wd engage.
hope I didn't mass things up.

 

So if I can get into 4WD and back out again, does that mean I haven't damaged anything due to lack of use of 4WD?

 

Why not? Are you not concerned about the mechanism locking up from lack of use?

 

Ten miles? I’ll go run a few circles and figure eights in a gravel parking lot if/when I find one, but running for 10 miles is nuts. Once a month is nuts too.

 

I haven’t been in 4wd since last winter. Same with other trucks I’ve had. Never had an issue.

 

I'm probably the exception to the rule. I do it monthly, although I don't always hit the mileage. The last 5 miles or so of my daily ride home is a straight, 35mph road so it's easy to put it in 4hi and cruise. Shifts in and out like butter.

 

I definitely don’t do 10 miles a month, but I do try to do it every so often for a few miles on the street piece of road on my way to work. I think they suggest 10 miles so that you heat up the fluid enough to get it properly lubricated, maybe even so that you burn off any moisture that may have built up inside. But I am guessing LOL

 

We live on a straight stretch of country road about 3 miles long. Couple times a month I will kick it into 4WD on the way to work and then on the way home on that section.
Helps keep that transfer case lubricated without putting any stress on it by going straight.

 

Your avatar always creeps me the F out!

 

Since I moved to this house, I have a 2 mile stretch (40 mph) of straight road on my daily commute. I engage it every Friday on the way to work for that section.

I did so on my 2nd gen for the last 5 years of owning it. And I’ve done so for the first 6 months of owning my 3rd gen.

It’s just nice to hear everything clicking and popping and clanking into place and then again out of place. Simple piece of mind. Plus I’d rather have my 4wd fixed in July, then in February when I actually need it.

 

I drive a 3 mile straight paved road every day to work and I engage 4wd HI 3 to 4 times a month. I might do 4wd LO every 6 months or so for less than 100 feet just to make sure it still works.

 

Lol. I hope he’s only used it during Halloween month.

 

I'm on the dirt typically 2 weekends a month so I don't worry about it anymore. BUT, before I decided to start regularly froadin' I would put it in 4wd during my commute on a stretch of straight road.

 

I need a better commute. If I’m not turning right or left, I’m stuck at at stoplight waiting to turn right or left. Only time I’m going straight is on the highway and then it’s a game of Jack-Wagon Driver Dodgeball.

Hmm...sounds like I need to plan a monthly road trip...

 

Just wondering if folks are engaging 4wd on pavement?

 

I find enough reasons to engage 4WD now and then for an actual purpose between winters. But yeah, it's usually only briefly.

Ten miles per month always seemed crazy to me.

 

I wouldn't if you don't have to, even if you think you're driving straight.

 

I do. I think several others here do as well. But... we're all on straight roads, no sharp turns and lower speeds. I stay under 40mph when doing it.

 

Yes, but just on straight runs. At stop lights, I’ll engage the 4LO every so often (just engage but not drive) so the actuator gets the exercise to keep the cob webs off.

 

Engaging on dirt can be just as bad as using it on pavement. Your not getting slippage on packed dirt.

 

Agreed.

 

It’s perfectly fine to engage 4WD on pavement when driving in a straight line. It’s turning that might cause premature wear.

 

I have a fairly traffic-ridden stretch of I 205 on my daily commute. I set the cruise at 55 and don’t change lanes. Usually keep it engaged 3 or 4 miles and turn it off before I exit for work and hit the surface streets.

 

What? Sure you are and it’s not going to hurt anything so long as your not turning the tires lock to lock and mashing the gas pedal.

 

Does the auto LSD when engaged have any benefit to 4WD being exercised monthly and worrying about pavement or not?

 

No, it’s not a real LSD. Just activated by the brakes squeezing the spinning wheel.