Hi,
Just started towing , have an amara and pulling with a Peugeot 4007 , which is basically a rebadged outlander.
It has a switch that does... Two wheel drive... 4 wheel drive And four wheel drive lock , ie on all wheel drive all the time.
Tried towing to the site in 4 wheel locked, on return , on two wheel drive, and the mpg monitor on the dash told me I averaged 4 mpg better in all wheel drive, so obviously that's the way to go, but to me it doesn't make sense, thoughts ?
TIA
------------- Keep smiling, its later than you think !
If the wind was blowing in the same direction both to and from the campsite then this will have an effect on the fuel economy also the hills will be in opposite way on return. I did the same thing when I towed my Amara to Axminster in Devon so it was a good test travelling south then north on return on the M42 and M5 motorway. The run down to Devon I got 32 mpg. and on return I got 36 mpg. and my car is only a front wheel drive so I don't think that having a vehicle in four wheel drive contributes to the equation of fuel economy. That's my theory anyway.
My ASX has the same power train as the Peugeot. Basically 4wd uses more fuel, though not much. Almost certainly the difference will be the wind. Have observed this many times whilst towing and when not towing.
Do also remember that the dash mpg monitor is not very reliable.
Given that the prevailing wind direction in the UK is south west, then this would back Tango's observations.
Shogun has a different 4wd system, however it makes sense to tow in 4wd, whether auto or lock mode. In 2wd mode, the power of my ASX makes it very easy for the front wheels to start to spin on gravel or damp white lines when towing before the ASC kicks in.
Quote: Originally posted by Big Brian 56 on 14/6/2016
Hi,
Just started towing , have an amara and pulling with a Peugeot 4007 , which is basically a rebadged outlander.
It has a switch that does... Two wheel drive... 4 wheel drive And four wheel drive lock , ie on all wheel drive all the time.
Tried towing to the site in 4 wheel locked, on return , on two wheel drive, and the mpg monitor on the dash told me I averaged 4 mpg better in all wheel drive, so obviously that's the way to go, but to me it doesn't make sense, thoughts ?
TIA
Hi brian, My current car is permanent 4x4 buy my previous car an X Trail had 2 wheel drive 4x4 and 4x4 lock like yours however the 4x4 lock was intended for off roading and was only for using at lower speeds up to 30 mph as more than this could damage 4x4 system according to manual. I don't know if yours is the same but might be worth checking.
Well terry,
Had a look in the handbook and it doesn't mention anything about keeping the speed down, only don't engage 4x4 or lock if travelling at over 60mph is all I can see .
------------- Keep smiling, its later than you think !
Quote: Originally posted by Big Brian 56 on 15/6/2016
Well terry,
Had a look in the handbook and it doesn't mention anything about keeping the speed down, only don't engage 4x4 or lock if travelling at over 60mph is all I can see .
There are a number of ways of achieving a four wheel drive system.
Some are not suitable to have 4 WD used on hard surfaces, but then others with an open central diff or a viscous coupler are designed as permanent AWD
No one rule of thumb can be applied to different manufacturers or vehicles.
It's all going to depend upon what system your manufacturer has adopted.
Your Peugeot/Mitsubishi has a great 4wd system. Unlike systems in some other cars you can be in 4wd auto or 4wd lock at any speed. You can also engage/disengage at any speed. Many SUV 4wd vehicles will drop out of 4wd or 4wd lock as they go faster. Quote Mitsu on 4wd lock:
In this mode, the drivetrain feeds more torque to the rear wheels to boost all-terrain capabilities. This mode comes into its own over bad roads or when gets stuck in mud or snow and also offers powerful 4WD performance over the whole speed range on normal roads.
Quote: Originally posted by freeatlast on 15/6/2016
You may well jest, I actually towed a Disco that had become bogged down out of a muddy field a month ago!
More than likely because the driver did not know how to Use it lol.
There are to many folk out there that drive a 4x4 and have not got a clue on how to drive one off road.
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Topic: More mpg in all wheel drive?
