4H vs 4HLC - Driving in Sand

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

Dear Experts,

I have been hearing from few of my friends and many garage guys asking me to drive on 4HLC in sand rather than 4H. I started researching as well and ended up on habtoor site (for my Pajero’s) with some tips which says to drive on 4HLC for soft sand and steep climbs. 

But in carnity we are driving only on 4H. 

Probably if we drive on 4HLC we might not have transmission over heating problem? Wild guess, needs more testing!!!

I even tried driving on 4HLC on sand for few minutes (not desert) and there’s definitely noticeable difference in performance of the car which feels good.

Please go through the link and throw some light on this topic.

 http://www.habtoormotors.com/mitsubishi/service/driving-tips/

Looking forward for clarity on this.

[Niki]

@Lakshmi Narasimhan here is how Toyota guides on the use of Low Range (a bit more conservative than Mitsubishi) 

Off-Road Tips

Which Gear

Most desert driving over level ground and low dunes should be in High Range.

The constant use of Low range causes vehicles to over-heat and consume excessive fuel. Low Range should only be used in specific situations when negotiating an obstacle or for self-recovery exercises. When in Low Range the engine is reviving faster, at any given speed, when compared to being in High Range. But as the speed of the vehicle is slower, the wind flow through the radiator is reduced and the cooling process is diminished.

As low 1st has such a low ratio, it is rarely used in desert driving. In most situations is not a viable choice. For self-recovery from soft sand the first option is Low 2nd with a very light throttle pedal pressure. Excessive engine power only spins the wheels and you will go down - not forward or back!

Low Range has very useful characteristics especially for controlling your vehicle on steep descents by offering excellent engine braking. This means that when you remove your foot from the accelerator, the vehicle is slowed by the engine and you do not have to use your brakes. Retardation is applied evenly to all wheels through the transmission and the weight transfers associated with foot braking do not occur.

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

And this comes from mitsubishi itself.

https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/blog/super-select-ll-when-and-where.html

2 minutes ago, Lakshmi Narasimhan said:

And this comes from mitsubishi itself.

https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/blog/super-select-ll-when-and-where.html

4H - Providing the driver with increased traction on rough roads and when extra control is required on bitumen and in hazardous conditions

So at least the latest gen Pajero's should follow this I guess. 

[Niki]

🤦🏽‍♂️ That taught me  you are not enquiring about driving in low range… you looking for guidance on the locked diff option!  I should not have replied lol…. You did ask for experts (apologies Lakshmi)!  Though I have now learnt Pajero Offroad gear options!! 

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

3 minutes ago, Niki said:

🤦🏽‍♂️ That taught me  you are not enquiring about driving in low range… you looking for guidance on the locked diff option!  I should not have replied lol…. You did ask for experts (apologies Lakshmi)!  Though I have now learnt Pajero Offroad gear options!! 

Nothing wrong in sharing. Without discussing there wont be any clarity, I learnt Toyota options now!!! 

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

I believe that same concept applies for Toyota as well!!!

[Frederic]

I wrote a topic on this matter:

To make a long story short, 4H uses the viscous coupling inside the transfer case to regulate the ratio power going to front and back wheels. This will be around 30% to the front and 70% to the back wheels on most cases. But this ratio can change anytime based on the terrain and torque needed. Its a pretty smart system and works well.

4HLC will lock the center differential, so the car splits the power on a 50/50 ratio permanently. Which can give an improvement on difficult terrains, but not necessarily. Up to you if you want to experiment with both options in the sand, but i do not believe this is related to overheating..

 

 

 

Toyota FJ Cruiser has Torsen differential which works also on torque-sensing technology. I am not sure how different it is from the 4WD select Mitusbishi technology.

Xterra does not have this, their 4H locks the front and rear on a 50/50 basis just like 4HLC.

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

3 minutes ago, Frederic said:

4H uses the viscous coupling inside the transfer case to regulate the ratio power

This is what I suspect could be cause for overheating

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

3 minutes ago, Lakshmi Narasimhan said:

This is what I suspect could be cause for overheating

Definitely old gen this problem is not there as few marshals are driving without any problem. Only the new gen Pajero has this problem and as it is suggested by mitsubishi its worth giving it a try on new Pajero as they might have changed something like smaller transmission cooler or the path of oil flow etc...

[Srikumar]

3 hours ago, Lakshmi Narasimhan said:

This is what I suspect could be cause for overheating

What Fred is referring to is the transfer case. You are referring to the transmission overheating. Two different things