Want to keep your AWD in top shape? Give it a workout

 If you want to reduce expensive repair bills, exercise your traction rights

Author of the article:

Brian Turner

Published Nov 05, 2014  •  Last updated Nov 13, 2020  •  3 minute read

With winter on its way (or having already made an early arrival in some parts) drivers of all-wheel and four-wheel-drive vehicles can be excused for being a little too smug. After all, what better way to conquer Canadian winter roads than in an all-wheel-drive truck, sport utility or crossover? But many drivers find out the hard way that the equipment on these types of vehicles can bring extra repair and maintenance costs. But there are a few things that can easily be done to reduce the risks of driveline failures and some expensive repair bills.

If you drive a truck or larger SUV with a controllable transfer case and solid front axle you need to use the four/all-wheel-drive system more often than once or twice a year to keep things operational. The driveshaft that connects the transfer case to the front axle and the front axle itself have universal joints that can seize from lack of use. On a regular basis (monthly) it’s a good idea to engage the four-wheel-drive for a 10- or 20-minute drive (on the way to or from work, etc.). This will flex those joints to help keep them moving freely. If the road conditions are dry, avoid sharp turns as this can cause drive-line binding on these solid-axle set-ups.

If you’re driving a true four-wheel drive, it most likely has a two-speed transfer case. Both the external linkage system and internal chain drive mechanism on these units can suffer from the case seldom being operated in low range. Again, on a regular basis, run the transfer case for a short distance in low range being sure to come to a complete stop before trying to engage or disengage the low range function of the system.

No matter what type of all-wheel-drive system your vehicle has, there are fluids that need to be changed from time to time. If you launch a boat with your all/four-wheel drivers and the axle(s) get submerged, you would be best advised to have the fluid changed on at least an annual basis (if not more often) using fully-synthetic gear oil. Transfer case fluid service intervals vary depending on make and model, so refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual.

The majority of new SUVs and CUVs (compact utility vehicles) as well as all-wheel-drive crossovers use a fully automatic traction system that requires no driver input. These systems either use a viscous coupler to engage the secondary drive-axle, or an electronic control that monitors vehicle or wheel speeds to determine when to add more power to the slipping axle. It’s a little more difficult to “exercise” these systems when the roads are dry and traction is good. A moderate throttle stab from a standing start on a sandy or gravel covered road will do, but this should be done cautiously as it can kick up stones that can damage paint. If you’ve never experienced the automatic all-wheel control on your vehicle, practising on a snowy and empty parking lot or back street with no traffic will give you some great feedback that will come in handy when you are in traffic on less-than-perfect road conditions this winter.

On any type of all/four-wheel-drive system, having matching tires is crucial to the function of these traction control systems. Tires should always be replaced in sets of four to avoid having any difference in overall circumference which can lead to drive-line vibrations or difficulty engaging and disengaging the transfer case. Using tires from different manufacturers can cause problems even if they are all new and the same size.