4 Wheel Drive System

[GAMark]

Does our 4-wheel drive system need to be exercised? If it is not used a lot?

[swathdiver]

Absolutely!  These forums are legion with posts of people complaining that their truck wouldn't go into 4WD when they needed it to.  Most of them hadn't used it ever or in years.

 

I try to run mine through the paces every month or so and drive it a few miles on a dirt trail near the house a couple times a year if not already off-roading.

[Another JR]

It is always a good idea to exercise it at least every few months to make sure the actuators don’t get stuck. It is also a good idea to actually drive it for at least a few hundred feet when you do that so seals experience motion and oil movement.  Off pavement or snow/ice is best for this, but driving wet pavement in a straight line for a  short distance will work if you don’t have other options. I have  forgotten and gone as long as six months between exercising it on my 2021 and it has always shifted promptly.  I usually just use my straight 300 foot gravel driveway.  

[davester]

It may or may not help with keeping things working, but even if it doesn't help, testing that it does work when you don't need it, makes it more likely it will work when you do need it, and/or you can fix the problem so it works when needed.

[Chuck FB]

Definitely its a habit to get into, every so often go through the motions of both high range and low range and allow it to rotate over for some distance to coat all the surfaces with oil that otherwise may not receive any otherwise and like was said to coat and work the seals etc. I too am doing it on a non busy gravel road during the summer or come winter again the snow covered gravel road simply because its not busy and can mess around putting it into four low. Of course I am using four wheel high range quite often for portions of each drive all winter which would be different then one who lives in an area where unless going off roading the four wheel drive almost never gets used. 

[Pryme]

I do on occasion. Not super often but maybe once every 3-4mo I’ll just put it in high on a straight section of road for a few miles. 

[rjgvt]

I live in Vermont, 4WD gets used quite frequently during the year. 

[Chuck FB]

1 hour ago, rjgvt said:

I live in Vermont, 4WD gets used quite frequently during the year. 

 

I doubt two wheel drive pickups are a hot seller off the new vehicle lot in your area !, I highly doubt any of the dealers around here have brought in one two wheel drive pickup for many years as that four wheel drive system isn't along for the ride here or I can well imagine in Vermont during the winter. Of course some of our more poorly maintained gravel roads are so bad that during the summer if it rains a person could get stuck right in the middle of a gravel road in two wheel drive LOL. 

[Z45]

I have owned many GM 4wd vehicles dating back to the 1980's and driven all the big 3 brands at work (GPS Survey team).  Granted I live in upper Michigan where its winter (300+ inches of snowfall this past winter) from Nov-April (+-) but other than having it in AUTO 4wd then, I never excise it when I don't need it.  Never an 4wd issue ever.  Btw, according to a fiend who is GM tech, 99% of 4wd issues he encounters are attributed to oversize tires.

 

Now if you are one who has a 4wd just for a status symbol (many do) and really never use it then it might be a good idea to do that occasionally just to make sure you know how to use it. LOL. 

Edited June 11 by Z45

[GAMark]

14 hours ago, Pryme said:

I do on occasion. Not super often but maybe once every 3-4mo I’ll just put it in high on a straight section of road for a few miles. 

Same no dirt roads, so I put it in 4hi on a straight stretch of road, set the cruise to 45, and go.

[CPhelps]

On 6/10/2026 at 9:54 PM, rjgvt said:

I live in Vermont, 4WD gets used quite frequently during the year. 

Cool to see another Vermonter!