Would this cause any issues with transfer case/front diff?

[Frankd1]

I noticed today that I was driving around on dry road conditions with the transfer case selector in A4WD....
This morning my daughter was messing around with the temperature control sliders and she must have also turned the transfer case selector without me noticing it....until I got home tonight. I'm normally pretty good about looking at the selector before I put the truck in gear but I missed it this time.

I know that in A4WD the front axle is engaged but there would have been no power going to it because the roads were dry and therefore no slip detected in the rear axle.

Just wondering if driving around for the day on dry roads in A4WD would cause any potential issues..

Thanks,

Frank

 

[The_Roadie]

The "resting" position for A4WD is to send 5% of the torque forward, to keep the clutches sort of engaged but not enough to feel it.

Short-term use, like hours, not days, isn't going to harm anything. Running around for MONTHS in A4WD like soccer moms love to do without knowing the system well, can kill a transfer case early.

As can running low on old fluid. Make sure you're up to date on the 50K miles fluid change interval and you can sleep well at night.

And keep your daughter's untrained hands off the controls until you're ready to give her the truck.

 

[IllogicTC]

For short-term use, it can be trusted exactly as Bill described, assuming you drove like a normal human being without trying to go all Formula 1 on the streets or something.

If your clutches were getting too grabby, you would have known by your first turn especially on dry pavement. If it were in 4HI it would have been another story.

 

[Frankd1]

Thanks guys, it was just some driving around the city and a few short trips on the highway getting from one end of the city to the other. Nothing crazy, no trying to spin the rear wheels or anything like that!

Fluid is up to date as well..

I will explain to my 4 year old the negative impact it can have on the transfer case next time she tries to touch anything, or, a simple "don't touch" will likely suffice.. lol! I have also instructed my wife to never select A4WD...

 

[IllogicTC]

A4WD isn't without it's uses, it's just that the scenarios are rather limited and most have overlap with 4HI anyway. Combined with the accelerated TC clutch wear rate, that's why we just stay away from it.

 

[Frankd1]

Makes sense, thanks!