winter is coming. f150

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Nov 14, 2009
Messages
134
Location
oklahoma
Howdy, just a reminder for f150 4x4 owners, before the snow and ice arrive, be sure to engage the 4 wheel drive switch a few times in the off season.

I needed 4x4 last year with snow but had not switched it on for 2 years,,,,it stuck, no 4x4 and I had to walk and walk. Mech checked things out, he said nothing wrong but it just hangs from lack of use. At least in my case. 2008 f150 5.4, 75,000 miles
 
Do some figure 8s on a large, unoccupied parking lot. It's normal for the vehicle to buck a little bit. That way you know the system is working and vital parts are getting lubricated.
 
yep,, my little scion does better on snow and ice, than my pickup without 4x4.

Smile, I will do some figure 8s in about an hour,,,waiting for local cop to go to bed for the night:)
 
This year I need to remember to put the snow tires on the Forester. I never got around to it last winter. But the tires need replacement and even in a Forester, tires without a lot of tread do not go that well in the snow.
 
Originally Posted By: hyperscion
Howdy, just a reminder for f150 4x4 owners, before the snow and ice arrive, be sure to engage the 4 wheel drive switch a few times in the off season.

I needed 4x4 last year with snow but had not switched it on for 2 years,,,,it stuck, no 4x4 and I had to walk and walk. Mech checked things out, he said nothing wrong but it just hangs from lack of use. At least in my case. 2008 f150 5.4, 75,000 miles


Yep, the electronic solenoid does get stuck if not used. I knew a guy at a dealership got an Expedition as a trade...93000 miles and the 4wd didn't work. Previous owner said he never needed it. IIRC it was $2000 cost to get it working again.

FWIW I exercise my 4wd at least once a month.



Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Do some figure 8s on a large, unoccupied parking lot. It's normal for the vehicle to buck a little bit. That way you know the system is working and vital parts are getting lubricated broken.


NOT in a part time system you don't! Hopefully you were joking...and I fixed it for you.
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: hyperscion
Howdy, just a reminder for f150 4x4 owners, before the snow and ice arrive, be sure to engage the 4 wheel drive switch a few times in the off season.

I needed 4x4 last year with snow but had not switched it on for 2 years,,,,it stuck, no 4x4 and I had to walk and walk. Mech checked things out, he said nothing wrong but it just hangs from lack of use. At least in my case. 2008 f150 5.4, 75,000 miles


Yep, the electronic solenoid does get stuck if not used. I knew a guy at a dealership got an Expedition as a trade...93000 miles and the 4wd didn't work. Previous owner said he never needed it. IIRC it was $2000 cost to get it working again.

FWIW I exercise my 4wd at least once a month.



Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Do some figure 8s on a large, unoccupied parking lot. It's normal for the vehicle to buck a little bit. That way you know the system is working and vital parts are getting lubricated broken.


NOT in a part time system you don't! Hopefully you were joking...and I fixed it for you.


x2, quick way to break stuff.

I shift my vehicles into 4WD (high and low range) least once a month during the "dry" seasons (and for the LR3, low range since it's 4WD by default and for the newer Cherokee, some terrain mode to put it in 4WD)
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: hyperscion
Howdy, just a reminder for f150 4x4 owners, before the snow and ice arrive, be sure to engage the 4 wheel drive switch a few times in the off season.

I needed 4x4 last year with snow but had not switched it on for 2 years,,,,it stuck, no 4x4 and I had to walk and walk. Mech checked things out, he said nothing wrong but it just hangs from lack of use. At least in my case. 2008 f150 5.4, 75,000 miles


Yep, the electronic solenoid does get stuck if not used. I knew a guy at a dealership got an Expedition as a trade...93000 miles and the 4wd didn't work. Previous owner said he never needed it. IIRC it was $2000 cost to get it working again.

FWIW I exercise my 4wd at least once a month.



Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Do some figure 8s on a large, unoccupied parking lot. It's normal for the vehicle to buck a little bit. That way you know the system is working and vital parts are getting lubricated broken.


NOT in a part time system you don't! Hopefully you were joking...and I fixed it for you.


This ^
smile.gif


Maybe a dirt lot ... Never on pavement
frown.gif


It's easy enough to just switch it into 4x4 high range any time you are on dirt or gravel for a few minutes, then switch back out. It'll keep everything lubed and working
smile.gif
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 2strokeNorthstar
And make sure the vacuum control thing in the front diff doesn't get stuck. Had that too.


This has been my experience with those Fords as well. The vacuum motor shaft rusts and then gets stuck. The solenoids usually work fine.

That said, I usually pull the protective boot back and grease the shaft every year or so. Never gets stuck after that.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
This year I need to remember to put the snow tires on the Forester. I never got around to it last winter. But the tires need replacement and even in a Forester, tires without a lot of tread do not go that well in the snow.


It's amazing the difference snow tires make.

One of my friends bought a 2014 Subaru WRX and she thought since it was AWD it would be good in the snow. Well, it came with some low profile all-season tires on it. The first winter she had it she spun out going around a corner and bounced off a guard rail. After replacing the bumper she bought some snow tires, it was glued to the road after that, such a difference.

In college a friend of mine had an STi with studded snows, and that thing was unstoppable.
 
4Runner forum has a thread dedicated to remind owners to exercise the 4x4 actuator 1x a month or deal with the same mess lols.

I put it into 4HI every time I get gas and head home. The 4th Gen center diff allows for daily 4x4 on pavement if you really want to. Go into 4Low when I get onto the side street for a few blocks.
 
My F150 got stuck exactly in the same situation, probably the same winter storm the OP is talking about, got it fixed and from time to time, engage.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top