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4 Auto / Slippery Mode... not great?

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Your observations in regards to 4x4 and its operation in snow are spot on, I would add, however, that 4x4 (or a good AWD system like a Subi) helps on the highway when changing lanes. If there is a little bit of snow build up between clear lanes, it can cause 2 wheel drive vehicles to tail slide or lose control momentarily which at 50+ mph can be problematic.
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hozer

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The 'Slippery' mode may have more to do with the throttle response. I don't have my Bronco yet, but in my Explorer ST, when I go to 'Slippery' mode, the throttle response is much more muted. I have no choice in this vehicle between 2 & 4wd mode...it is always AWD, so I cannot compare to that.
Canuck here. Can confirm the slippery does mute throttle response quite noticeably. 4a does work fine but the pedal feel does take an adjustment for sure
 

pakrat

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I replied on a similar thread the same observation. Our Denali seems to engage more quickly in "Auto" 4 HI mode. While I notice it, it is hardly an issue and totally acceptable in terms of performance. It seems to handle the mixed conditions very capably they we have here all winter long. If it is that bad you may have an issue. It could also be your tires. I have the Sasquatch tires and they are excellent snow tires so that might be helping.
Also, I do not ever use slippery mode. I simply select 4A. In fact, I actually turn off traction control when I remember to do so. I'm a life long driver in heavy snow and ice conditions and I like the predictable way a vehicle handles without computer input. The traction control seems to negate intuitive responding to loss of traction and you are better off simply letting the vehicle do it's thing with traction control rather than taking corrective action. It is a miracle for inexperienced drivers but frustrating for others like me.
 

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I am absolutely thrilled with how my badlands Sasquatch performs in the snow. I’ve been using slippery mode and can’t get the thing to slide. Amazing.
 

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So I tested this thoroughly, slippery mode is a huge improvement on paved wet roads that are covered in ultra slick maple leaves. I took a 60 mile trip on paved forest service roads that were covered in wet moss on the sides and wet slippery big leaf maple leaves. This road is literally used for rally races, and has hundreds of tight hairpin corners, and steep hills.

I tried several modes like eco, slippery, sport, normal. I noticed right away the slippery mode makes the advance-trac stability control more sensitive! Hard turn-ins to tight corners, purposely tried to get the ass end to come loose and the system works overtime on brakes ,throttle, steering and is nearly un-stickable...and even when I was able to finally get a tire or 2 to let loose, the system made a very controlled slip or slide. There was absolutely no loss of control. In fact, you can give it a lot of throttle, turn into a HARD corner and the system will let off the throttle and apply just enough brakes to let the vehicle follow the steering inputs. AMAZING system that is very adjustable with your dial.

99% of folks will never push their bronco to rally level speeds, and that's OK. But for me the system works as well or better than my porsche cayenne did and also as well our Macan. Porsche has had the most advanced system available for many years, and is a great platform to compare others to.

The best part about the Bronco compared to others systems, is there are multiple combinations of setups we can choose to run for different environments and conditions.
 

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So I tested this thoroughly, slippery mode is a huge improvement on paved wet roads that are covered in ultra slick maple leaves. I took a 60 mile trip on paved forest service roads that were covered in wet moss on the sides and wet slippery big leaf maple leaves. This road is literally used for rally races, and has hundreds of tight hairpin corners, and steep hills.

I tried several modes like eco, slippery, sport, normal. I noticed right away the slippery mode makes the advance-trac stability control more sensitive! Hard turn-ins to tight corners, purposely tried to get the ass end to come loose and the system works overtime on brakes ,throttle, steering and is nearly un-stickable...and even when I was able to finally get a tire or 2 to let loose, the system made a very controlled slip or slide. There was absolutely no loss of control. In fact, you can give it a lot of throttle, turn into a HARD corner and the system will let off the throttle and apply just enough brakes to let the vehicle follow the steering inputs. AMAZING system that is very adjustable with your dial.

99% of folks will never push their bronco to rally level speeds, and that's OK. But for me the system works as well or better than my porsche cayenne did and also as well our Macan. Porsche has had the most advanced system available for many years, and is a great platform to compare others to.

The best part about the Bronco compared to others systems, is there are multiple combinations of setups we can choose to run for different environments and conditions.
Damn - yall are making me feel crazy here.
I will have to test again... I still do feel there is a lag with when 4A truly kicks in, at least during turns in snow.

will double check my work tonight.

I autocross and track my sports cars so I have a good idea on how to drive, have lived in Michigan my whole life so I have snow down too... making me start to think that my system specifically has an issue
 

SCADABronx

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I have read that you could wear out the center clutch sooner by leaving it in 4A all of the time vs. 2H, based on similar systems in other vehicles. The Broncos equipped with 4A have both a fluid clutch AND locking capability in the same transfer case. 2H will fully disengage the clutch, potentially extending it's life. 2H also potentially saves a bit of fuel, without the drag of a partially engaged front driveline.

You captured my thoughts perfectly here - should have used that as a reference to help explain my point. Simply not as quick as AWD-only systems I've used in other vehicles.

Again 4Hi solves this, 4Hi is perfect at its job, but it would be nice to have 4A make the decisions for me.
What happens if you just leave it in 4A/ Normal?
 

markregel

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As we know, the idea behind 4 auto is that as soon as the Bronco detects slip, 4x4 kicks in and helps mitigate the issue.
If you have 4A its turned on when you set your GOAT mode to slippery.

In my head, slippery mode should be the best mode for snow. Could you use 4hi? Sure! but if your city is like mine, some streets are perfectly clear and others are snowy wrecks. Using 4hi on dry non-slip surfaces can be detrimental to the system - Thus Slippery mode/4A seems like the answer!

We've received some snow in south east Michigan (4-6"), so I spent some time driving around in Slippery mode... it kinda sucks?

I was testing the mode in an empty snow filled parking lot, with slippery mode engaged, I would go to make a turn at a reasonable speed (7/10mph) and would immediately feel the back end kicking out, 4A didn't seem to catch it or engage until the slide was realllllly going. Perform the same move again with 4hi engaged and the slide didn't exist.

anyone else experiencing this level of lag with 4A engaging? Doesn't seem very useful.
I'm from Minnesota and have driven only 2WD vehicles my entire life. I've driven on plenty icy and snowy freeways including last year when I was about the only one that didn't end up in the ditch. That is why I'm sticking with manual 4WD, less complicated more reliable. It is also shift on the fly, meaning you can shift to 4WD anytime without stopping. Good enough for me.
 

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After running mine in 4A for the past month, the 4wd is always engaged. I can feel it in the floor board and I can hear it. Plus, I have not seen any mileage hit wrt fuel economy. Mine gets the exact same in 2wd and 4A. I find that strange, but the lie-o-meter is always at 15.9-16.0 mpg. If I spend more time running 80mph = 15.9, 70mph = 16.0.
 

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4A senses slip between the front and rear and engages. If you are not applying power there may be no slip to sense although you may be out of control. In 4H the front and rear are locked together, so what one end does so does the other, wheels locked, spinning, pulling or decelerating: both ends will be doing the same thing. And folks always say 4x4 doesn't help you stop, and you should drive like that's true, but it can help deceleration using gears or judicious brake usage.

I think the best use for 4A is on highway at speed with intermittent slippery conditions. For snowpack 4H would be better. And 4H is OK to use even in intermittent slick, if traveling in a fairly straight line or even curvy if at least one wheel is in slick.
 

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I also live in Denver. If you hit the mountains at all during winter, 4A is your friend. It’s great going over something like Berthoud Pass through areas of snow, then pavement, back to snow, etc. also, you notice a big improvement when taking the switchback turns, the back end doesn’t kick out and front end keeps true through the turns.
 

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Good question and I’m not sure I’ve tried that combo yet. Will test this evening and report back
Really happy in just plain 4a here, wyoming slick roads and snow. 4a kills it in deep snow, and if ya gotta get serious, 4H and trun traction control off in the deep stuff.

Slippery mode slows everything way down, seems like its for a very slick interstate drive, keeping throttle response and things down.
 

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I was testing the mode in an empty snow filled parking lot, with slippery mode engaged, I would go to make a turn at a reasonable speed (7/10mph) and would immediately feel the back end kicking out, 4A didn't seem to catch it or engage until the slide was realllllly going. Perform the same move again with 4hi engaged and the slide didn't exist.

anyone else experiencing this level of lag with 4A engaging? Doesn't seem very useful.
This is the same experience I have with my F150 and its 4A transfer case. You mentioned you were making a turn - 4A specifically releases the clutch while turning to prevent binding. That's why you had no problems in 4H on a totally snow-packed surface, because it kept the clutch held solid.

I've watched the signals to the TC in realtime while doing all sorts of driving. 4A engages (gently) by default pulling away from a stop, but if you start turning the wheel, it backs off so that you don't skip tires over the ground.

Stomping on the gas from a standstill on a slick surface, 4H will outperform 4A because it engages more aggressively. Holding a nice drift around a roundabout is much easier in 4H, it's more responsive on/off the gas.

I have read that you could wear out the center clutch sooner by leaving it in 4A all of the time vs. 2H, based on similar systems in other vehicles.
Yes, and using your brakes will wear your brakes out faster than not using your brakes.

The Broncos equipped with 4A have both a fluid clutch AND locking capability in the same transfer case.
What's a "fluid clutch?" Did you mean viscous? Or that the physical clutch plates are actuated hydraulically?

I haven't seen any proof of the Bronco getting a case like this. The F-150 Raptor gets a very special transfer case that combines a dog gear lock like a traditional 2-speed TC but also has a multi-plate clutch like a Torque on Demand case.

I haven't seen any indication that the Bronco has this same style. The majority of ToD cases just have a multi-plate clutch that they squeeze really hard when you put it in 4H, that's it.
 

67BroncoG1

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Is the 4A similar to the center locking transfer case in my Range Rover? The Rover one is variable and fully lockable. It's party trick is that it can adjust instantly and works amazingly well.
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