Having four-wheel drive is quite helpful in traversing hazardous conditions such as snow or ice and is necessary in most off-road travel. Four-wheel-drive enthusiasts usually have added modifications on their vehicles, such as large mud tires, fording kits and raised suspensions. These are not necessary for basic four-wheel-drive applications. Knowing how to properly operate a four-wheel-drive vehicle in difficult terrain is essential for getting optimum use from the four-wheel drive capability.
Put your vehicle in park or neutral and locate the four-wheel-drive gearshift lever. This lever may be near the manual gearshift or it may be an electronically controlled mechanism with a button control.
Identify the shift diagram on the handle of the lever. This will show you which way to turn or slide your lever to place the vehicle in four-wheel drive. Place the shift control into the appropriate position.
Start the vehicle out with slow acceleration. If on an icy incline, use the lowest gear option of your vehicle. This will be "1st gear," "Low," "Low lock," or "T" (for "traction").
Move the steering wheel side to side gently while accelerating to improve tire grip while on an incline. If you are in deep snow, this action can provide more traction.
Attach chains to your vehicle tires if your state requires chained tires in snow. Attaching chains to tires also allows for optimum traction in all icy conditions.
