4 Wheel Drive has a range of benefits and is necessary to be employed in certain driving conditions like snow, rocks, ice, and anything else that makes driving difficult. Engaging both the set of wheels, i.e. all 4 wheels, provides increased power and improves the traction and control over driving.
Climbing a steep terrain road, over rocks or boulders, or even while off-roading, requires 4WD in action. But how to engage 4 wheel drive ford F250? Here’s a quick answer:
Shift the Ford F250 to the neutral mode and then, use the drive selector knob located towards the right of the steering wheel to choose from 2H, 4H, 4 A, or 4L (4 low) based on the conditions you are driving in.
Table of Contents
What is 4 Wheel Drive?
Four-wheel drive is a mode that allows all four wheels to get connected to the vehicle’s transmission. You can use this mode on driving conditions where grip does not exist or on off-roads.
Four-wheel drive has twice the traction of two. This wheel drive mode is paired with lock differentials. That’s because the locking differential helps to know that both the wheels are locked together and are on the same axle.
Depending on the situation and need, one can quickly turn off or on the 4 wheel drive. If you wonder whether 4WD is better or 2WD, there is no simple answer. Neither of them offers a one-size-fits-all solution. You can choose the wheel drive mode by considering the weather and the purpose of using the car.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Engaging 4 Wheel Drive Ford F250
Advantages
Four-wheel drive is a useful and effective system for making the Ford F250 reliable. Below are some of its advantages.
- Versatility: The first benefit of 4 wheel drive is that it helps you handle a diverse range of versatile driving conditions. When you engage four-wheel drive, your vehicle can take you anywhere.
- Adaptability: Ford F250 comes with different wheel drives, and switching to any of them is easy. You also get the power to choose any wheel drive to increase grip or power when required.
- Safety: Four-wheel drive comes in handy when facing road challenges. More traction comes with 4 wheel drive.
Disadvantages
While there are some perks of using the four-wheel drive, you can also encounter possible disadvantages. For instance, it can reduce fuel efficiency. That’s because, in the 4 wheel drive, the power from the engine goes towards the engaging four-wheel drive and not for powering the fan or heating.
When to Use 4 Wheel Drive?
Remember that you should not use 4 wheel drive on any kind of surface. Doing so can damage the vehicle’s internal parts.
- On Slippery Conditions: If your vehicle tires need extra grip in slippery conditions, you can use 4 wheel drive. When you engage your vehicle to this mode, you can drive safely when the drive gets slick.
- For Rough Terrain: Your Ford F250 is on rough terrain; you can engage it in 4 wheel drive. Surely the four-wheel tire does not guarantee that all the four tires will be on the ground, but it will make sure that the vehicle is moving.
- Over Unstable Surfaces: Engaging four-wheel drive can be helpful on unstable surfaces like sand and gravel. The thing is, if you drive the vehicle on an unstable surface by engaging 2WD, the vehicle might get stuck. But if you engage 4 wheel drive, you can keep going smoothly even over unstable surfaces.
- When Pulling Heavy Loads: When you are pulling heavy loads through your Ford F250 truck, engaging 4 wheel drive can help you increase torque driven. With four-wheel drive, you can quickly achieve the upper limits of your vehicle.
To Escape When Stuck: You can get in areas like standstill with ease, but getting out of it can become quite challenging. In this situation, switching from 2 wheel drive to four-wheel drive is helpful as it lets you drive torque to wheels. It can also increase the total number of wheels so that your truck can get out.
A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Engage 4 Wheel Drive Ford F250
Engaging the 4 wheel drive used to involve quite some work in earlier vehicle models. Nowadays, it is way too easy to switch to the 4wd. With the Ford F250, it becomes quite easy to switch into the 4 WD by rotating a selector switch. Given below is a step by step procedure of how to do so and what you need to take care of while doing so:
Step 1. Shift Into Neutral Mode
Keep in mind that while shifting from to and from these 4wd modes, you need to reduce the driving speed by 3 miles an hour or even lesser. Then, shift into the neutral mode and you’ll be shown the 4×4 Shift In Progress message illuminated on the screen.
Step 2. Use The Drive Selector Knob To Engage 4×4 wheel drive
There are four driving modes you can shift to are 2H, 4H, 4A, and 4L. You can go to any of these modes at a standstill or even at any speed by rotating the drive selector knob turntable meant to do so. When you do shift to a 4wd mode, you’ll see a 4×4 shift in progress in your message center.
If you are attempting to shift into 4H, you will get the 4×4 High message illuminated in the cluster. On the other hand, shifting into 4A will show a 4×4 Auto Illuminated message, and shifting to 4L mode will illuminate a 4×4 Low message.
When To Use Which Driving Mode:
- 4WD High: This one is to be used when you are on the highway and is also required while driving in the snow or dirt.
- 4WD Low: Meant to be used at low speeds (not for picking up highway speeds). It provides more torque to your wheels to help your car get out of problematic situations.
- 4WD Auto: This driving mode will improve your vehicle’s traction on wet roads or slippery snow-clad winter roads. It provides you with added stability and control of the Ford F250 and you can use it on any type of road surface.
Note: If you are not driving the vehicle, exit it and manually turn the vehicle’s hubs from auto to lock to shift into 4×4 mode. Some drivers also reported that the 4 wheel drive on your F250 can be engaged by first turning the wheels clockwise and then to the counter-clockwise direction to unlock them.
How to Disengage 4 Wheel Drive Mode?
You might encounter a situation where you are driving in 4Hi on a slippery road, and the surface is changing. In such a situation, you must remove the vehicle from 4H mode. But how will you do this?
It can be done by completely stopping the vehicle and placing the 4×4 short ration gear back to 2H. If you drive any modern 4WD vehicle, you will notice the 4A option on the 4×4 Dial selector. This option allows the vehicle to be driven in 4A, the 2H or 4H mode, without any hassle.
In addition, the Auto 4H or 4A mode lets the driver leave the section in 4A mode irrespective of the surface where you are driving.
When 4Lo is engaged, you must first bring the vehicle to a complete stop. After that, you can change the driving to 2H or 4H, depending on the requirement. Engaging 4Lo only when you can’t overcome an obstacle using 4H is recommended.
Things To Keep In Mind While Engaging The 4 Wheel Drive Ford F250
- If you see the Shift Delayed-Pull Forward message at any time while shifting to and from the driving modes, it indicates a blockage in the 4×4 system. In such a situation, you need to shift to a forward gear if the rear wheels of your vehicle are slippery. Then, move the vehicle forward by a couple of feet to get rid of the block and then place your vehicle in neutral mode.
- You may also hear noises while shifting into one of these 4×4 modes. However, keep in mind that these do not mean that your vehicle has had damage. It is also possible to get a smoother shift in between the modes if you ease off your vehicle’s gas pedal while the Shift In Progress message is displayed on the instrument cluster screen.
- Your vehicle could also have an electronic locking rear differential. As the name suggests, it works by locking the electronic locking rear differential and forces both the rear wheels to spin at the exact same speed. This, in turn, enhances the traction of the vehicle. It is used in off-road conditions like heavy snowfall, rock, etc.
- If you want to use the electronic locking rear differential select the mode you wish to be in and then, pull the electronic locking rear differential knob out. You could also try rotating it and pulling it out. An icon will come up letting you know that your vehicle’s rear differential is locked.
- The speed of the vehicle should be around 25 miles per hour (except for the 4 lo mode) to engage the electronic locking differential automatically. After you cross the 25 miles per hour speed, the electronic locking rear differential system will disengage automatically. You can also disengage the system yourself.
Note: You are not supposed to use the electronic locking rear differential on any dry pavement.
4 Wheel Drive vs. AWD
Each vehicle wheel gets 25% of available engine torque in the four-wheel-drive model. Similarly, in the 2 wheel drive, the vehicle’s system delivers all engine torque to the rear differential.
An AWD vehicle can deliver all engine torque to the four wheels all the time. There are also chances that an AWD system can deliver all engine torque to the front differential till a wheel slip is detected. After that, the different degrees of engine torque is transferred to the rear wheels.
Other AWD splits the engine between the rear and front differential in a 50/50 ratio.
Can You Use 4 Wheel Drive on Highway?
You can engage 4 wheel drive and use the vehicle on the highway. But doing so is not encouraged as it can damage the drivetrain. That’s because engaging 4 wheel drive increases the power supply to all four tires and driveshaft torque. In short, there comes additional force to the drivetrain components.
So, you must only use 4 Wheel Drive on the highway during extreme weather like snow or ice. If you want to drive on pavement, use the Four-High setting. Also, you must avoid using the Four-Low setting for driving above 30MPH.
How Fast Can You Go With 4 Wheel Drive?
The interesting thing about 4 wheel drive is that you can drive fast by engaging your vehicle in this mode. But you must know the maximum speed you should drive to keep yourself safe.
If you do not want to make yourself fall into dangerous situations, avoid taking your vehicle over 55MPH. As far as 4 wheel drive-Lo, it’s advised not to exceed 30MPH. In fact, you should keep the speed closer to or more than 10MPH.
When you engage the vehicle in 4 wheel drive-Hi, make sure you are on a low traction surface. This way, you can stay safe and have enough time to slow the vehicle.
How is Braking Affected When Driving Fast in 4H?
If you are driving on slippery surfaces by engaging in 4H, the vehicle’s braking distance increases drastically. That’s why it’s essential to adjust the driving style so that you can manage extended stopping time.
Compared to normal braking, the stopping distance on a low traction surface increases by 2x: three elements, i.e., reaction time, stopping time, and traction, influence the braking distance.
How Driving Fast in 4H Effects cornering?
When you are cornering on low traction, you are advised to know the vehicle’s dynamic. Also, you must consider the changes it undergoes in such a condition. Remember that braking, cornering, and acceleration can have a negative impact.
If you are cornering a 4 wheel drive on a slippery surface, you must not press the sudden brake. Doing so can make the vehicle lose traction off the road.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to engage 4 wheel drive on a Ford F250?
If you want to engage 4 wheel drive on a Ford F250 correctly, you must be in a flat position. Or you should be where it’s safe for our vehicle to switch into this mode. Thus, you must avoid slopes or acceleration when switching modes.
Also, you need to know about the system because different systems have different methods of engaging in four-wheel drive.
How to shift from 2WD to 4WD?
The best thing about switching modes on Ford F250 is that you can easily engage four wheels if you know where the control is. Along with this, you should also have an idea about whether your vehicle has an automatic start button or not and how long you would have to use the control switch.
Is it okay to leave a vehicle in 4 wheel drive overnight?
Honestly, leaving your vehicle in the 4 wheel drive mode overnight would not harm you. In fact, if the surface grip is limited, i.e., when the vehicle is on ice, sand, or snow, you must leave on 4 wheel drive overnight. That’s because the 4WD mode will help the vehicle not lose grip.
Can you drive 4 wheel drive on dry pavement?
Driving 4 wheel drive on dry pavement is highly discouraged as doing so can breakfront axles. Besides this, it could also break apart the differential case and shear the differential gears.
So, if you have to drive on dry pavement, you must be ready to switch the mode back to 2 wheel drive.
Check our article on How to make Ford F250 ride more smoother.
Final Thoughts
Before you go, keep in mind that 4 Wheel Drive will only work best if you regularly use and maintain them. Not using the 4WD system for prolonged durations can dry out the seals. So, activate it at least once every couple of months and lubricate the 4WD system. However, you shouldn’t always use 4WD because it will only lower your fuel economy. Moreover, driving in 4WD when it is not needed like in mild and dry environments can damage the front axles, gears, and other parts. With that being said, we hope the above article helped you engage your Ford F250 to 4 Wheel Drive.
