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Drive with Four Wheels

With available four-wheel drive (4WD), you may experience improved traction in dangerous driving conditions, such as snow, ice, rocks and other surfaces that can make handling difficult.

Types of Drive Modes:

  • Two-Wheel Drive High (2H): Best used for general on-road driving. Power is sent to the rear wheels only.
  • Four-wheel drive auto (4A) (if equipped): Electronically controlled 4WD with power delivered to the front and rear wheels. Provides increased traction on varied road conditions.
  • Four-wheel drive high (4H): Provides electronically or mechanically locked 4WD power to both the front and rear wheels. Best used in off-road or winter conditions, such as deep snow, sand or mud. Not intended for use on dry pavement.
  • Four-wheel drive low (4L): Provides electronically or mechanically locked 4WD power to both the front and rear wheels but does so with additional gearing for increased torque. Best used on low-traction surfaces, it’s intended only for off-road applications such as deep sand, steep grades or pulling heavy objects.

How to Use 4WD

The 4WD control is on the instrument panel. To select a 4WD mode:

  1. If selecting 4L, place the transmission in Neutral.
  2. Press the desired 4WD control button on the 4WD control switch.
  3. The cluster screen will display the selected mode and a message that a shift is in progress.
  4. While shifts are in progress, the lights on the 4WD control switch will flash and messages in the cluster display will indicate that a shift is in progress. You may hear some noise as the system shifts or engages. This is normal.

Note: Do not perform this operation if the rear wheels are slipping or while accelerating. If any of the shift conditions listed above are not present, the shift will not occur and the cluster screen will guide you through the proper shifting procedures.

How Does 4WD Work?

There are two different available drive systems options:

Electronic Shift on the Fly (ESOF)

This system utilizes a two-speed ESOF transfer case, also known as a part-time system. This system offers 2H, 4H and 4L. It distributes torque to the front wheels by mechanically interlocking the front and rear driveshafts. Shifting performance to ESOF can be affected by various external factors, including, but not limited to:

  • Acceleration
  • Dissimilar tire sizes
  • Steering input

If the system detects a mechanical shift block at speed after 2H has been selected, a message will appear that 4WD is unable to disengage. One or more of following actions can relieve the mechanical shift block:

  • Momentary acceleration
  • Momentary braking
  • Coming to a stop
  • Shifting the transmission to Neutral and back to Drive
  • Shifting the transmission to Reverse and back to Drive
  • Driving around a tight turn at slow speed

Two-Speed Automatic 4WD (4A)

This system utilizes an electronically controlled on-demand two-speed transfer case, using various sensory inputs to provide an increased level of performance. This system offers 2H, 4A, 4H and 4L.

Questions? Visit Owner.Ford.com