The transfer case on your all-wheel drive vehicle is designed to constantly send your engine's driving power to all four wheels for extra traction. To get the most out of all-wheel drive, you must be familiar with its operation.

Notice: Driving on pavement in Four-Wheel High Lock or Four Wheel Low Lock for extended periods may cause premature wear on the vehicle powertrain and tires. Do not drive in Four-Wheel High Lock or Four-Wheel Low Lock on pavement for extended periods.

Transfer Case Buttons

The transfer case buttons are located to the right of the instrument panel cluster. Use these switches to shift into and out of the different all-wheel drive modes.

The transfer case is a part of the AWD system and allows the following four different modes of operation:

4 (Four-Wheel High): This setting is used for driving in most street and highway situations. You can also use this setting for light or variable off-road conditions.

4 (Four-Wheel-High Lock): Use this mode when you need extra traction in most off-road situations such as sand, mud, snow, or level, rocky trails.

4 (Four-Wheel-Low-Lock): This mode delivers extra torque to all four wheels and is used for extreme off-road conditions. You might choose Four-Wheel-Low Lock if you are driving off-road in deep sand, mud, or snow and climbing or descending steep hills. When in this mode you can also choose to lock the rear axle for additional traction in extreme off-road situations. See Locking Rear Axle .

Notice: Operating the vehicle in Four-Wheel-Low Lock above 50 mph (80 km/h) for any extended period of time could cause damage to the transfer case. Do not operate the vehicle in Four-Wheel-Low Lock above 50 mph (80 km/h) for extended periods.

Caution: Shifting the transfer case to N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle to roll even if the transmission is in P (Park). You or someone else could be seriously injured. Be sure to set the parking brake before placing the transfer case in N (Neutral). See Parking Brake .

N (NEUTRAL): Shift the vehicle's transfer case to NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle. See Recreational Vehicle Towing or Towing Your Vehicle for more information.

Indicator lights in the buttons show which mode you are in. The indicator lights will come on briefly when you turn on the ignition and one will stay on. If the lights do not come on, you should take your vehicle to your dealer for service. An indicator light will flash while shifting the transfer case. It will remain on when the shift is complete. If for some reason the transfer case cannot make a requested shift, it will return to the last chosen setting.

If the SERVICE 4WD message stays on, you should take your vehicle to your dealer for service. See "Service 4WD message" under Driver Information Center (DIC) .

Shifting between Four-Wheel High and Four-Wheel-High Lock

With the vehicle traveling less than 40 mph (64 km/h), press and release the Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-Low Lock button. The indicator light will flash while shifting. It will remain on when the shift is complete.

It may be necessary to drive backwards for a short distance of 25 feet (7.5 m) to get the lock feature to disengage.

Shifting into Four-Wheel-Low Lock

To shift into Four-Wheel-Low Lock, the ignition must be in RUN and the vehicle must be stopped or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the transmission in NEUTRAL (N). The preferred method for shifting into Four-Wheel Low is to have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and release the Four-Wheel-Low Lock button. You must wait for the Four-Wheel-Low Lock indicator light to stop flashing and remain lit before shifting your transmission in gear.

Notice: Shifting the transmission into gear before the indicator light stops flashing could cause damage to the transfer case. Always wait until the indicator light stops flashing before putting the transmission back in gear.

It is normal for your vehicle to have engagement noise and bump when shifting between Four-Wheel Low and Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock ranges or from NEUTRAL with the engine running.

If the Four-Wheel-Low Lock button is pressed when your vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the Four-Wheel Low Lock indicator light will flash for 15 seconds and not complete the shift unless your vehicle is moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) and the transmission is in NEUTRAL (N). After 15 seconds the transfer case will return to the setting last chosen.

Shifting Out of Four-Wheel Low Lock

To shift from Four-Wheel-Low Lock to Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock, your vehicle must be stopped or moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the transmission in NEUTRAL (N) and the ignition in RUN. The preferred method for shifting out of Four-Wheel-Low Lock is to have your vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h). Press and release the Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock button. You must wait for the Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock indicator light to stop flashing and remain lit before shifting your transmission into gear.

It is normal for your vehicle to have engagement noise and bump when shifting between Four-Wheel Low and Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock ranges or from NEUTRAL with the engine running.

If the Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock button is pressed when your vehicle is in gear and/or moving, the Four-Wheel High or Four-Wheel-High Lock indicator light will flash for 30 seconds but will not complete the shift unless your vehicle is moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) and the transmission is in NEUTRAL (N).

Notice: Shifting the transmission into gear before the indicator light stops flashing could cause damage to the transfer case. Always wait until the indicator light stops flashing before putting the transmission back in gear.

Shifting into NEUTRAL

To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL, do the following:

1. Make sure the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll.
2. Set the parking brake.
3. Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to RUN.
4. Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
5. Shift the transfer case to Four-Wheel High.
6. Simultaneously press and hold the Four-Wheel High and Four-Wheel Low buttons for 10 seconds. The NEUTRAL light will come on when the transfer case shift to NEUTRAL is complete.
7. If the engine is running, verify that the transfer case is in NEUTRAL by shifting the transmission to REVERSE (R), then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D) and then back to NEUTRAL (N).
8. Turn the ignition to ACCESSORY, which will turn the engine off.
9. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P).
10. Turn the ignition to LOCK.

Shifting Out of NEUTRAL

To shift the transfer case out of NEUTRAL, do the following:

1. Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the ignition to RUN with the engine off.
3. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift position (Four-Wheel High, Four-Wheel-High Lock, or Four-Wheel-Low Lock).
4. After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL the red light will go out.
5. You may start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired position.

Notice: Shifting the transmission into gear before the indicator light stops flashing could cause damage to the transfer case. Always wait until the indicator light stops flashing before putting the transmission back in gear.