Greetings again everyone!!!
I've done a ton of searching and have found a lot of great info on the part-time 4WD systems on the AT FJ vs full time 4WD MT...Also a huge thanks to everyone who responded to my first thread here in this section regarding when to use 4H and 4L and when to stay in 2WD...You guys and gals all freaking rock here I love this forum!!!
Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I decided to hit a couple of beginners dirt roads littered with small bumps, shallow crevices, loose gravel and small rocks...The FJ handled it all beautifully, and shifting from 2H to 4H was a breeze both ways...I read up in the owners manual before we went out and memorized the recommended procedure to do so (gotta love an easy to read instructions booklet)...I remembered to go as slow as possible, yet as fast as needed and read the awesome articles by Bill Burke before heading out...I engaged 4H once we were off of the pavement and I found my line...I left the auto stick in "D" the entire time, and it seemed to get us through the terrain no problem...In fact, I barely had to gas it to keep us moving...Only once when we were at a slight slant did I go into 4L to get better traction and keep us moving straight ahead, and went right back to 4H ASAP...
Here's a couple of questions that keep nagging at me now that I could really use some advice on...
When shifting between the 4WD gears I put the auto stick in "N"...The entire time we traversed the terrain the auto stick was in "D"...I know I didn't harm anything on my rig as again it was a basic beginners back road at best...However, I would like to know if and when I should move the auto stick into 4, 3, 2 and L??? I know that when climbing and descending steep hills I should always use 4L with the auto stick in L to get maximum traction and take advantage of engine compression...When climbing moderate to slight hills without rough terrains I can sort of gas it to get momentum and leave it in 4H...When does it become necessary to move the auto stick into a locked lower gear???
BTW every time I get out off of the pavement in my rig I get more and more confident in what it can do...I'm becoming convinced these things truly are built like tanks!!! Having a knowledgeable community here has been a huge help too
DAN
