heres a new one for me. used to be able to shift from 2 to 4*4 hi on the fly. now if i try it all it does is grind. come to a stop and shift it to
4*4 no problem. then tonight when i went to shift it back to 2 wh a loud clunking noise and grinding persisted. I immediately stopped and went back to 4*4 hi. drove all the way home in 4*4 mode. got in the yard ( safe at home) shifted back to 2 wh drive. no problem.... still cannot go 4*4 on the fly ( hi) any Ideas? Thanks Al
They will grind big time trying 4x4 on the fly if the auto hubs are not already locked from previously putting it into 4wd (and not going in reverse). All of my Nissans have.
It's best if you do go into reverse for 6-10 feet after engaging 4wd to be sure both sides are fully locked in. The same thing goes, as is mentioned both in the manual and on the factory sticker on the driver side visor, for disengaging - although sometimes you may have to back up beyond the 10 foot range to fully disengage both sides.
As for engaging, it's always easiest on the gears to come to a full stop, count a full 2 seconds minimum then engage into your selection of choice. Your transfer will thank you with years of service as will your wallet. Shift on the fly at low speed for this year is, obviously, possible but even when I worked at the dealership, we never recommended it unless it was an emergency situation (you suddenly found yourself slipping and it was too dangerous to fully stop, like if someone was right behind you).
Even at low speed, you have excessive wear taking place each time you shift in vs. coming to a full stop and taking an extra minute from your day. Also don't forget to have the transfer case fluid changed out (most likely with Nissanmatic-D ashless automatic transmission fluid) if it's been a while since you have done so. It will get what is now undoubtedly a fair amount of debris out of your case.
As Rob mentions below, you have to stop the FIRST time you engage 4 wheel drive. After that, assuming you've not backed up in 2 wheel drive (to disengage hubs) you can shift on the fly. At least that's how it works with my '90 Path. Works extemely smoothly on my truck, and is just plain fun feeling the handling difference on gravel roads thru the forest.
I bought a '94 new and put about 100k miles on it. It was always difficult to get 4h engaged when I was rolling. Even with the transmission in neutral (a 5sp), it would sometimes grind at the hubs. It was simpler (okay, it was a pain) to just stop so that I wouldn't ruin the hubs. If I recall correctly, the manual says you can engage 4h at up to 25mph, but I think that is a stretch.
I never had a problem disengaging 4h back to 2wd at any speed. However, the hubs will stay locked for a time, particularly if you're on a straight road. After a turn or two when the front wheels are free-wheeling faster than the rears, they will unlock. Or, if it isn't an inconvenience, you just stop and backup several feet; you can hear it when they unlock.
Another thing I learned is to make sure the hubs are locked before getting angry with the gas pedal. Otherwise, the hubs will engage with quite a bang if you're in a low-traction area.
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