subject: Owning And Maintaining A Four Wheel Drive Vehicle [print this page] There are a lot of reasons why a person might want a four wheel drive vehicle over that of one just powered by two wheels. The person or the family might enjoy going off road for a little adventure in the sand or in the hills or else they might pull something behind. Four wheel drive will pull a boat or a camper a little bit better, especially if the engine is bigger. But a four wheel drive vehicle will require a little bit different kind of operational system than if you were to just be driving around on two wheeled power. Taking that specialized system to a specialist is your best bet for having it maintained properly so that no problems exist in the future.
The Differences Between Four Wheel and Two Wheel Drive
People might hear about four wheel drives all the time, but do they really understand how they work? On the most basic level, having four wheel drive is exactly how it sounds. All four tires will turn and have force to move the vehicle forward. Standard cars only have two wheels to power through and therefore not enough power to get through a snowdrift, sand or even make it through slippery conditions as well. Four wheel drive also offers a bit more stability when you are pulling heavy objects in a trailer behind you. Since there are more components required to get four wheel drive operational, the gas the engine uses will also be higher. That is why some SUVS and four wheel drives are called gas guzzlers - because they burn through it rather quickly.
Maintenance on a Four Wheel Drive System
No matter how many wheels power the car or truck you drive, it needs to have regular maintenance to make sure it is working correctly. The suspension system, the brakes, the tires themselves all need to be thoroughly checked in order to make sure all of the parts are operational and in good working order. An ASE master technician or a person trained specifically to work on four wheel drive vehicles is your best bet for getting the maintenance checks you need done properly. Maintenance could include brake fluid, getting the air adjusted in the tires or even checking that the tires have enough air in them, like any two wheeled drive vehicle would need.
Fixing a Four Wheel Drive System
Since there are more parts to power four wheel drive, it is a little more delicate to fix something when it goes wrong. Instead of wondering if any regular technician can fix something in the drivetrain, ask. Only hire someone who knows specifically what to do with four wheel drive vehicles when there is a problem. Trying to fix a problem on your own or hiring just anybody to do it could cause even more problems and be more expensive down the road. A reputable service station will disclose how many and who the technicians are that are trained on not only the four wheel drive vehicles, but also the all wheel drive and diesel engine cars that might come through the shop.
