As I said before, the instruction manual would warn you if there would be an issue, read it. My take on anything is that less is best but when faced with a hazardous situation I worry more about staying on the road.

However, my max speed engaging was 70 in the twistymountain of Virginia during a suddenblinding rain. I did it several times over the past weeks with no issues. It must engage gradually because I cant feel it except for the increased control.

 

You can turn it on to 4x4 mode or any other modein speed of up to 100km/h.

Just an additional note, please refer to the image which is a reproduction of the Outlander brochure here in Austrlia

[IMG]local://upfiles/13235/E0CFB0FB777249E8827649D681F4AF54.jpg[/IMG]

 

I left mine in 4WD Auto for the first 2 months I had mine, until I took it to the dealer where the head tech told me to never ever use the 4wd auto or lock in anything other than snow/ice, for anything unless you want to destroy it, which I thought was a little harsh.

But anyway, here is what I understand about the 4WD system. The system will not switch modes while moving, you can switch it while moving, but nothing will actually happen until you get to a slow enough speed to prevent damage. I personally use 4wd auto mode whenever I feel like it, if I want more traction, if it's raining or I think it is slick at all, and although I haven't used it yet, I would only use the Lock mode when traveling at slower speeds, like under 30mph, and want really good traction in snow or pulling something. But, I hear people say all of the time that they leave it in lock mode permanently and haven't had any problems yet, so it's a personal choice.

 

He's talking about old school 4x4 not the electronic type we have fitted to our outlanders. I have been told 4wd auto the best setup


Puddy

 

I would never use 4WD Lock on dry pavement, in this mode the front and rear wheels, are assumed to turn at the same speed, if the tire diameter is not identical front to rear you can cause overheating of the transfer case and tire ware. Even if the tire are identical, in a sharp turn, the rear tire follow a tighter radius than the front one, this means that during the turn the rear wheels are turning slower than the front.

Personally I always prefer 4WD Auto, even in perfect condition, since it removes a lot of the torque steer that you get when accelerating in 2WD.

 

so youre saying that its always in 4x4? how is your gas mileage on it then?

 

If there is a difference, it's not big enough to notice. I tried to find out, by flipping between 2WD and 4WD on the highway for 10KM stints, and resetting the computer. It was impossible to know for sure, because any slight variation in wind and road inclination has a bigger impact than the drive mode. In city driving it’s also too close to call. Also the owners manual suggests that 4WD is the default mode.

 

Dealer told me at the time of purchase not to switch from 2wd to 4wd when going over 45 mph.

I also leave auto 4wd 24x7 and now I am consfused if it's safe or not

 

I used to as well, but I am also confused at to whether or not I should leave it. I think it handles better in 4wd auto mode, but the head tech was adamant about never using 4wd mode in anything other than snow, because when I brought it in, it was pouring rain, so naturally I had it in 4wd auto mode, and he told me not to, and that in 2wd mode, it would automatically switch to 4wd mode if needed, but that makes no sense, because then why is there a 4wd selection mode in the first place? I don't know, but I think I am going to stick to leaving it in 4wd automode, I see no difference in gas mileage either way, and I'd rather be sure I had it set in case I needed it, plus the handling is better anyway.

 

anyway, I don't see how 4x4 can be damaged (being Mitsubishi's highly advanced system, or so they claim)and I don't remember seeing anything in the manual about not leaving in 4x4 auto at all times.