For general on-road driving, this mode provides optimal smoothness and fuel economy. Sends power to the rear wheels only.

Provides mechanically locked four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels for use in off-road or winter conditions such as deep snow, sand or mud. This mode is not for use on dry pavement.

Provides mechanically locked four-wheel drive power to both the front and rear wheels with additional gearing for increased torque multiplication. Intended only for off-road applications such as deep sand, steep slopes, or pulling heavy objects.

You can move the control between 2H to 4H at a stop or when driving up to 68 mph (110 km/h). The information display may display a message indicating a 4X4 shift and the LED for the selected mode flashes. Once the shift is complete, the LED light for the selected mode remains illuminated.

The information display displays a message indicating a 4X4 shift is in progress followed by the system mode selected. If any of the above shift conditions are not present, the shift does not occur and the information display shows information guiding you through the proper shifting procedures.

Truck and utility vehicles can differ from some other vehicles. Your vehicle may be higher to allow it to travel over rough terrain without getting hung up or damaging underbody components.

The differences that make your vehicle so versatile also make it handle differently than an ordinary passenger car.

Maintain steering wheel control at all times, especially in rough terrain. Since sudden changes in terrain can result in abrupt steering wheel motion, make sure you grip the steering wheel from the outside. Do not grip the spokes of the steering wheel.

Drive cautiously to avoid vehicle damage from concealed objects such as rocks and stumps.

Either know the terrain or examine maps of the area before driving. Map out your route before driving in the area. To maintain steering and braking control of your vehicle, have all four wheels on the ground and they need to be rolling, not sliding or spinning.

We design four-wheel drive vehicles for driving on sand, snow, mud and rough terrain and they have operating characteristics that are somewhat different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the road.

The transfer case supplies power to all four wheels. On four-wheel drive vehicles, the transfer case allows you to select different 4WD modes when necessary. Become thoroughly familiar with this information before you operate your vehicle.

Four-wheel drive uses all four wheels to power your vehicle. This increases traction, enabling you to drive over terrain and road conditions that a conventional two-wheel drive vehicle cannot.

If your vehicle leaves the road, reduce your vehicle speed and avoid severe braking. When your vehicle speed decreases, ease your vehicle back onto the road. Do not sharply turn the steering wheel when returning your vehicle to the road.

It may be safer to stay on the shoulder of the road and gradually slow down before returning to the road. You may lose control if you do not slow down or if you too sharply or abruptly turn the steering wheel.

It may be less risky to strike small objects, such as freeway reflectors, with minor damage to your vehicle rather than attempt a sudden return to the road which could cause your vehicle to slide sideways out of control or roll over. Remember, your safety and the safety of others should be your primary concern.

In an unavoidable emergency situation where you must make a sudden sharp turn, remember to avoid over-driving your vehicle and turn the steering wheel only as rapidly and as far as required to avoid the emergency. Excessive steering can result in loss of vehicle control. Apply smooth pressure to the accelerator pedal or brake pedal when you require changes in vehicle speed. Avoid abrupt steering, acceleration and braking. This could result in an increased risk of vehicle roll over, loss of vehicle control and personal injury. Use the available road surface to bring your vehicle to a safe direction of travel.

In the event of an emergency stop, avoid skidding the tires and do not attempt any sharp steering wheel movements.

If your vehicle goes from one type of surface to another, such as concrete to gravel, there can be a change in the way your vehicle responds to a maneuver using steering, acceleration or braking.

On four-wheel drive vehicles, the size of the spare tire can affect the four-wheel drive system. If there is a significant difference between the size of the spare tire and the remaining tires, you could have limited four-wheel drive functionality, added noise, discomfort and driveline damage. Due to normal tire wear, your spare tire is not necessarily the same size as your on-road tires, which makes your spare tire a dissimilar size. Use the spare tire on a limited basis only. When driving with a dissimilar wheel and tire assembly do not:

Driving with the full-size dissimilar spare wheel and tire assembly can limit four-wheel drive functionality, especially when driving in a mechanically locked four-wheel drive mode. You can experience the following:

On vehicles with an electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case, the transfer case distributes torque to the front wheels by mechanically interlocking the front and rear driveshafts together. Various external factors can affect shifting performance of this type of system including, but not limited to:

For vehicles with an electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case, when shifting into two-wheel drive high on dry, hard surfaced roads, we recommend that the following procedure is followed to reduce the likelihood of a mechanical shift block:

If the system is mechanically blocked, one or more of the following actions can relieve the mechanical shift block:

Four-wheel drive vehicles are suitable for driving on sand, snow, mud and rough roads and have operating characteristics that are somewhat different from conventional vehicles, both on and off the freeway.

When driving at slow speeds off road under high load conditions, use a low gear when possible. Low gear operation maximizes the engine and transmission cooling capability.

When driving your vehicle on surfaces made slippery by loose sand, water, gravel, snow or ice, proceed with care.

When driving over sand, try to keep all four wheels on the most solid area of the trail. Shift to a lower gear and drive steadily through the terrain. Apply the accelerator slowly and avoid excessive wheel slip.

 Do not drive your vehicle in deep sand for an extended period of time.This can cause the system to overheat.

To resume operation, switch the ignition off and allow the system to cool down for a minimum of 15 minutes.

When driving at slow speeds in deep sand under high outside temperatures, use a low gear when possible. Low gear operation maximizes the engine and transmission cooling capability.

Avoid driving at excessive speeds, this causes vehicle momentum to work against you and your vehicle could become stuck to the point that you could require assistance from another vehicle. Remember, you may be able to back out the way you came if you proceed with caution.

Be cautious of sudden changes in vehicle speed or direction when you are driving in mud. Even four-wheel drive vehicles can lose traction in slick mud. If your vehicle does slide, steer in the direction of the slide until you regain control of your vehicle.

After driving through mud, clean off residue stuck to rotating driveshafts and tires. Excess mud stuck on tires and rotating driveshafts can cause an imbalance that could damage drive components.

If you must drive through high water, drive slowly. Water may limit traction or brake capability.

When driving through water, determine the depth and avoid water higher than the bottom of the hubs. If the ignition system gets wet, your vehicle could stall.

Once through water, try the brakes. Wet brakes do not stop your vehicle as effectively as dry brakes. Drying improves by applying light pressure to the brake pedal when slowly moving.

“Tread Lightly” is an educational program designed to increase public awareness of land-use regulations and responsibilities in our nation's wilderness areas. We join the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in encouraging you to help preserve our national forest and other public and private lands by “treading lightly.”

Although natural obstacles may make it necessary to travel diagonally up or down a hill or steep incline, you should drive straight up or straight down.

When climbing a steep slope or hill, start in a lower gear rather than downshifting to a lower gear from a higher gear once the ascent has started. This reduces strain on the engine and the possibility of stalling.

If your vehicle stalls, do not try to turn around because this could cause vehicle roll over. It is better to reverse back to a safe location.

Apply just enough power to the wheels to climb the hill. Too much power could cause the tires to slip, spin or lose traction, resulting in loss of vehicle control.

Descend a hill in the same gear you would use to climb up the hill to avoid excessive brake application and brake overheating. Do not descend in neutral (N). Move the transmission selector lever to a lower gear. When descending a steep hill, avoid sudden hard braking as you could lose control. Make sure the front wheels are turning so you can steer your vehicle.

If your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, steadily apply the brakes. Do not pump the brakes.

Four-wheel drive vehicles have advantages over two-wheel drive vehicles in snow and ice but can skid like any other vehicle. Should you start to slide when driving on snowy or icy roads, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide until you regain control.

Avoid sudden applications of power and quick changes of direction on snow and ice. Apply the accelerator slowly and steadily when starting from a full stop.

Avoid sudden braking. Although a four-wheel drive vehicle may accelerate better than a two-wheel drive vehicle in snow and ice, it cannot stop any faster as braking occurs at all four wheels. Do not become overconfident of road conditions.

Make sure you allow sufficient distance between you and other vehicles for stopping. Drive slower than usual and consider using one of the lower gears. In emergency stopping situations, apply the brake steadily. Do not pump the brake pedal.   See   Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock Brakes. 

If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow, you may rock it out by shifting between forward and reverse gears, stopping between shifts in a steady pattern. Press lightly on the accelerator in each gear.

On four-wheel drive vehicles, when the transfer case is in the neutral (N) position, the engine and transmission disconnect from the rest of the driveline. Therefore, your vehicle is free to roll even if the automatic transmission is in park (P) or the manual transmission is in gear. Do not leave your vehicle unattended with the transfer case in the neutral (N) position. Fully set the parking brake and turn off the ignition when leaving your vehicle.

We designed and tested the suspension and steering systems on your vehicle to provide predictable performance whether loaded or empty. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you do not make modifications such as adding or removing parts that include lift kits or stabilizer bars, or by using replacement parts not equivalent to the original factory equipment.

We recommend that you use caution when your vehicle has either a high load or device such as ladders or luggage racks. Any modifications to your vehicle that raise the center of gravity could cause your vehicle to roll over when there is a loss of vehicle control.

Failure to maintain your vehicle correctly could void the warranty, increase your repair cost, reduce vehicle performance and operational capabilities, and adversely affect you and your passenger's safety. We recommend you frequently inspect your vehicle's chassis components when your vehicle is subject to off road usage.