Exactly. They taught us this in the Army and I've run my systems this way since my 1983 CJ7. I try to activate 4 high at least once per month so those parts and gears get used and lubed. Its the same with everything on the vehicle like windows and sunroofs. You have to use them regularly or they stop working.
I just bought a jeep, gonna follow your recommendation which makes sense, right, use the 4wd time to time during the month, I have a climb near to my house, I believe I will visit this place once a month.
I have only engaged 4x4 on my Taco one since I purchased it in 22. I keep telling myself to engage it but I keep forgetting. It only has 5 thousand miles on it but I still need to do it. 4 low is useful for backing up hills in the Taco because of it's weak ass gear ratio. I have to do this when backing up to my driveway because it is so steep. I just make sure it is straight so I don't bind anything. I will smoke the clutch if I don't use 4 low when I back up.
Makes no difference on 4h. Even if you switch it at a stand still as soon as you start rolling is when it will kick in. 4L has to be done in neutral. But 4h you can switch into and out of anytime upto about 50 mph. So say fast is OK but I don't switch faster that 50mph
I just bought a 2023 4x4 Tacoma and have not heard any mention of "use it once a month" or I could lose it? Seems pretty extreme and doesn't seem to make sense? Is this really true? Damn 😞 I guess that makes sense "to keep the gears lubed and functional", I guess it couldn't hurt :) Mine is too new and didn't really want to jump off in the swamp and get messy but as long as 4H isn't an issue while on pavement, so I'll start doing this, THANKS!
So you only exercise 4H and not 4L too? Been looking through the manual and online and there's no mention if this is necessary for 4L. Thanks for the video.
I do use 4 low as well. Not as often but make a point to use 4 low and the rear locker atleast 4 or 5 times a year. Only donit on loose dirt. I regularly encounter puddles that are pretty deep and muddy so I have to use 4 low and the licker quite often anyways.
I do not. Crawl control is a computer program that uses abs and algorithms ro use the mechanical parts you use all the time. I don't think it needs to be engaged like 4x4 does.
*Have a Question - today at the stoplight I had a long break / wait time. I put the 4wd Low in for the first time without turning and let it roll barely. My buddy thinks this could actually hurt the transmission. What are your thoughts? It’s on my 2023 trd Tacoma pro. Thanks
I would not go into 4 low on pavement. It's too torque with the low gearing yet has too much traction. 4 high is OK to do on pavement. 4 low I would be on gravel, dirt, grass etc. Something softer. You most likely didn't hurt anything. But in the future, I'd do 4 low on loose surfaces.
@@Jason-Samko okay great thank you. It drove fine after. Just never engaged it and was basically sitting. Not moving much in neautral. I’ll keep at 4wd high and 2 wd
@appleztooranges still important to engage 4 low every few months. Just find a dirt spot or gavel. Kick into neutral, engage 4 low, drive straight for a couple hundred yards, then flip to neutral and back to 2wd and go on with your day. It's worth doing and nothing to be afraid of doing. And it's good for the truck to have it doen every few months.
@@Jason-Samko I got a huge hill in my driveway. Would you just go up and down straight on that? It’s so steep I have to put e brake on or my vehicle will roll
Thanks very good detailed video . Question. Is that enough specially on Toyotas. Use it in 4hi. Every month in while to lubricate the oil but what about the crawling system, do we need to use it too. Thanks in advanced..
The crawl system is 100% computer and electronic controlled using your abs system that you are using daily. So no need to use the crawl system to keep it functional.
I love them. They do not move at all. They are locked down solid and fit very tight. No lint or anything like that either. They are not as nice as the standard seat but the covers work great and offer excellent protection. I need the protection from mud, water and chemicals when hunting and pressure washing
How about on the highway...snowy...then you hit a section with no snow for 2 miles..but then you hit a section with snow for 2 miles...then you hit a section without snow for 2 miles...ect...
It's fine to do that if you are staying under 60 mph or what ever the manual says top speed is in 4x4. I have always just used the 60 mph number for all my vehicles. And if I need 4x4 I should not be going faster than that anyway. But the manual will tell you max speed in 4 high. On a high way as you are describing leaving it in 4x4 high will not hurt anything. What you want to avoid is very hard turns on hard non loose ground like dry pavement.
Letting a vehicle sit for 6 months a year is not good for it. Seals, dry out etc. But I understand the situation like having a truck at a winter home or summer home only etc. My dad had a corvette that he bought new for his Florida home and did the same thing. After 4 years all the sealers were rotted out and cost him 3k to have them all replaced.
That's a very good thing. If on payments pick a stretch of road where you don't have to do any hard turns. 30mph for a few miles in a straight line is a good thing to do every month or so. Better if you have a dirt road to do it on. But pavement is fin if you don't do any hard turns
Not going to disagree but to engage it once a month or it could fail? Is that for FCA Dodge vehicles? Jk....but once a month seems excessive, especially for a newer Toyota
If I said every 3 months people would forget and then it would be 6 months not used and that is not good. once a month is a good way to make sure its always working and functional.
Depends on environmental conditions High humidity or a wide range of temperature change can cause excessive condensation Inside the front gear set !!!! Especially going from a warm day to a cool evening . thirty one days in a month ! ..... That can create twelve ounces of water Inside of your front axle housing ...... Under certain climate Conditions it can create. Eighteen ounces of water !!! .....in just a Month !!! So it really comes down to where you live? If using the 4 wheel drive and boiling this moisture out Once a month is. excessive or not ! .......
Solid video, a lot of people don't realize this, that the health of their 4wd depends on them.
Thats a great way to look at and explain it!
Your explanations are excellent. Im never satisfied with the "just do this" statements. I like to know why I'm doing it. Appreciate you.
Appreciate that! Glad you enjoyed it
Great advice. I use 4x4 in my 95 XJ just for this reason. Rarely do I need it but it “self maintains” essentially when it’s lightly used.
Yep 1 of the most important things you can do to keep 4x4 working is use it!
Whenever I'm out in my 2016 Taco on a rainy day I'll put it in 4wd hi for a couple of miles around town.
Great idea.
Just avoid hard turns on pavement in 4hi. 4 hi needs wheel slip on corners.
Exactly. They taught us this in the Army and I've run my systems this way since my 1983 CJ7. I try to activate 4 high at least once per month so those parts and gears get used and lubed. Its the same with everything on the vehicle like windows and sunroofs. You have to use them regularly or they stop working.
@@bryanjohnson5803 agree 100%
i bought one of those custimaizable warning stickers off amazon to put in the cab to remind me to at least activate it once a month.
Great idea
I just bought a jeep, gonna follow your recommendation which makes sense, right, use the 4wd time to time during the month, I have a climb near to my house, I believe I will visit this place once a month.
I have only engaged 4x4 on my Taco one since I purchased it in 22. I keep telling myself to engage it but I keep forgetting. It only has 5 thousand miles on it but I still need to do it. 4 low is useful for backing up hills in the Taco because of it's weak ass gear ratio. I have to do this when backing up to my driveway because it is so steep. I just make sure it is straight so I don't bind anything. I will smoke the clutch if I don't use 4 low when I back up.
Yep its good to do it once a month or so. That sounds like a crazy steep driveway! But smart to use 4 low to save the clutch
For backing up a trailer, I installed the 2wd low mod and it's amazing to have low range and saving the clutch
Great advice as usual - Thanks Jason
Glad you enjoyed it
Good tip!
Hope your season is going well
Thanks. You as well
Most truck manufacturers say switch to 4 Hi on the move, not at a standstill. Stop and put the truck in neutral when shifting to 4 low.
Makes no difference on 4h. Even if you switch it at a stand still as soon as you start rolling is when it will kick in. 4L has to be done in neutral. But 4h you can switch into and out of anytime upto about 50 mph. So say fast is OK but I don't switch faster that 50mph
good info and most don't realize this. may not need it but it helps not only lubing it all up but also less wear on the terrain.
Great point as well. Less trenches in the roads when you use 4x4
Great timing! Just had our first slush and I got a few miles of 4x4 in on my Taco. Thanks for posting
Glad you enjoyed it.
I just bought a 2023 4x4 Tacoma and have not heard any mention of "use it once a month" or I could lose it? Seems pretty extreme and doesn't seem to make sense? Is this really true? Damn 😞 I guess that makes sense "to keep the gears lubed and functional", I guess it couldn't hurt :) Mine is too new and didn't really want to jump off in the swamp and get messy but as long as 4H isn't an issue while on pavement, so I'll start doing this, THANKS!
Yep it is important to do. Once an month or 2 months for 5 mins is all you need.
Excellent video!
@@user-up4zi1do6p thank you
Good advice I didn’t know that either and I have a 2017 Tacoma off-road!!!!
Glad you enjoyed the video
Another Great Video, Thank You!!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it
So you only exercise 4H and not 4L too? Been looking through the manual and online and there's no mention if this is necessary for 4L. Thanks for the video.
I do use 4 low as well. Not as often but make a point to use 4 low and the rear locker atleast 4 or 5 times a year. Only donit on loose dirt. I regularly encounter puddles that are pretty deep and muddy so I have to use 4 low and the licker quite often anyways.
My manual mentions it, engage it once month
Thanks for the video. Just wondering which kind of convex mirrors those are on you’re side mirrors? Thx!
The side mirrors are stick on accessory mirrors. I have a link to them in the video description of my tacoma review videos
Thank you great simple video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Do you think the Crawl control is the same? Use it or lose it?
I do not. Crawl control is a computer program that uses abs and algorithms ro use the mechanical parts you use all the time. I don't think it needs to be engaged like 4x4 does.
@@Jason-Samko oh good call. Thank you!
*Have a Question - today at the stoplight I had a long break / wait time. I put the 4wd Low in for the first time without turning and let it roll barely. My buddy thinks this could actually hurt the transmission. What are your thoughts? It’s on my 2023 trd Tacoma pro. Thanks
I would not go into 4 low on pavement. It's too torque with the low gearing yet has too much traction. 4 high is OK to do on pavement. 4 low I would be on gravel, dirt, grass etc. Something softer. You most likely didn't hurt anything. But in the future, I'd do 4 low on loose surfaces.
@@Jason-Samko okay great thank you. It drove fine after. Just never engaged it and was basically sitting. Not moving much in neautral. I’ll keep at 4wd high and 2 wd
@appleztooranges still important to engage 4 low every few months. Just find a dirt spot or gavel. Kick into neutral, engage 4 low, drive straight for a couple hundred yards, then flip to neutral and back to 2wd and go on with your day. It's worth doing and nothing to be afraid of doing. And it's good for the truck to have it doen every few months.
@@Jason-Samko I got a huge hill in my driveway. Would you just go up and down straight on that? It’s so steep I have to put e brake on or my vehicle will roll
@appleztooranges you could in 4 high. For 4 low I would still try to find loose surface
Thanks very good detailed video . Question. Is that enough specially on Toyotas. Use it in 4hi. Every month in while to lubricate the oil but what about the crawling system, do we need to use it too. Thanks in advanced..
The crawl system is 100% computer and electronic controlled using your abs system that you are using daily. So no need to use the crawl system to keep it functional.
Thanks for the quick answer. Have a nice day.
@@anthonyub1111 very welcome
Great info. I agree
Glad you enjoyed it
My gen1 taco would not ever make it through that without 4wd
Those gen 1 tacomas were amazing. I bet it would very easily
Hows the seat covers ? Do they move around alot and do they get very linty?
I love them. They do not move at all. They are locked down solid and fit very tight. No lint or anything like that either. They are not as nice as the standard seat but the covers work great and offer excellent protection. I need the protection from mud, water and chemicals when hunting and pressure washing
@@Jason-Samko same the stock seats stain if you look at them wrong
How about on the highway...snowy...then you hit a section with no snow for 2 miles..but then you hit a section with snow for 2 miles...then you hit a section without snow for 2 miles...ect...
It's fine to do that if you are staying under 60 mph or what ever the manual says top speed is in 4x4. I have always just used the 60 mph number for all my vehicles. And if I need 4x4 I should not be going faster than that anyway. But the manual will tell you max speed in 4 high. On a high way as you are describing leaving it in 4x4 high will not hurt anything. What you want to avoid is very hard turns on hard non loose ground like dry pavement.
As far as "use it or lose it" is concerned, what if there's a period when I am totally not even using the vehicle? Like, 6 months.
Letting a vehicle sit for 6 months a year is not good for it. Seals, dry out etc. But I understand the situation like having a truck at a winter home or summer home only etc. My dad had a corvette that he bought new for his Florida home and did the same thing. After 4 years all the sealers were rotted out and cost him 3k to have them all replaced.
Hello, what happens if i use 4 wheel drive high on 30 mph for 10 minutes per 1 month on ford f-150 regular cab, will that live with me for years???
That's a very good thing. If on payments pick a stretch of road where you don't have to do any hard turns. 30mph for a few miles in a straight line is a good thing to do every month or so. Better if you have a dirt road to do it on. But pavement is fin if you don't do any hard turns
I put N first
You only need to go to neutral first when going to 4 low. You can switch between 2hi and 4 high without having to stop and go to neutral.
@@Jason-Samko thanks
Use it but remember you are using more fuel..
True.
1000%
Glad you enjoyed it
*"Lose It" not "Loose It"
Thats why im a content creator not a English professor
@@Jason-Samkoyou have dyslexia, don't worry
@@oscarbear7498 I ain't no worried about grammar
@@Jason-SamkoI always think to myself. “If you’re confused about which one to use, you “lose and O” for lose.
@@VitalArms great tip! Thanks
When you have a 2000 page essay, finish at 200 words and are trying to stretch it.
Not going to disagree but to engage it once a month or it could fail? Is that for FCA Dodge vehicles? Jk....but once a month seems excessive, especially for a newer Toyota
If I said every 3 months people would forget and then it would be 6 months not used and that is not good. once a month is a good way to make sure its always working and functional.
Depends on environmental conditions High humidity or a wide range of temperature change can cause excessive condensation Inside the front gear set !!!! Especially going from a warm day to a cool evening . thirty one days in a month ! ..... That can create twelve ounces of water Inside of your front axle housing ...... Under certain climate Conditions it can create.
Eighteen ounces of water !!! .....in just a Month !!! So it really comes down to where you live? If using the 4 wheel drive and boiling this moisture out Once a month is. excessive or not ! .......