Thoughts on 4wd auto?

[HiHoeSilver]

So last night we got a bit of snow which we haven't had much of this year. Taking the kid to school and driving to work I thought I'd give the 4wd a little work so I threw it in auto. Usually I just pick 4 hi if I'm gonna use it , but I figured wth. Seemed great, I felt it to in and out a couple times on the trip, good and smooth.
Just wondering what everybody else does... 4 hi , auto? Any arguments why one is better than the other? Mechanical advantages/disadvantages, preferences?

 

[Cattivo]

A lot has to do with the type of tires you're running, dedicated winter tires and 4wd should get you through just about anything. I have very aggressive tires on my truck (mickey thompson mtz's) that allowed me to drive through a foot of snow in 2wd without any problems. We're expecting 2 - 2 1/2 feet of snow tomorrow, I'm sure 4wd auto will get me through the snow without any problems but if I were running any other type of tire I would opt for 4hi every time

 

[yates ™]

Used auto 4wd on my way to work this morning. Not a lot of snow and the ground was mainly wet but there was a few spots that had snow blown on or ice. Set my cruise and just drove through it all.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Yeah that's pretty much how I was. I guess I was always of the school of thought that it was better to just put it in 4 hi and keep it on instead of auto turning it on and off a bunch, but I have to say the auto worked great for a day like today.

 

[yates ™]

Yeah that's pretty much how I was. I guess I was always of the school of thought that it was better to just put it in 4 hi and keep it on instead of auto turning it on and off a bunch, but I have to say the auto worked great for a day like today.

This is what auto is made for. 4Hi would be to get out of a slightly stuck situation or something similar. Basically you can drive in auto but I wouldn't recommend doing the same with 4Hi on dry pavement.

 

[W8TVI]

From what I have read, 4-auto locks in the front axle (and I think that means the front drive shaft is also spinning), but the transfer case doesn't send any power to the front end (saves some gas), and 4-hi is the same as 4-auto, but it is just sending power to the front all the time.

 

[PG01]

Yeah, its like getting out and lockin' the hubs but not shifting it into 4hi.....

 

[06 Yukon XL]

Always use 4WD Auto. Engages when needed. Deep snow, icy roads, handles it all.

 

[Rocket Man]

I never have to think about it with my Denali. AWD all the time, and not even any traction control to turn on or off. Love the old mechanical NP3 transfer case.

 

[SnowDrifter]

I only use it when road conditions aren't consistent enough to allow for 4wd usage. Other than that I keep her in 2wd

I have 2 reasons for this: 1. Previous owner (or shops?) Neglected to ever check or service the front differential. Had almost no fluid in it and far too many metal bits for comfort. It's a little noisy but a rebuild isn't something within my means right now. So I try to use it sparingly.
And 2. I've noticed keeping it in 4wd auto is pretty rough on the fluid. I haven't seen a failure due to using it yet, but why put unnecessary strain on parts if I don't have to?