I haven't taken my wrangler off road yet so im not sure exactly what its like. The only time ive used 4wd where i needed it was when i had to drive through mud in a field and it pulled through nicely even when steering, but when i first got the jeep i wanted to see what driving in 4wd would be like and i notice the steering jerked around allot but i know that's just because the front wheels are turning, but then i thought when your off roading and you turn, wouldn't do the same thing? also do u drive in 2wd on the trail until you feel its necessary to put the jeep in 4wd? The manual says never put the car in 4wd on wet pavement, does that also apply if driving through flooded pavement? Also if there is snow on the road should i drive in 4 hi or stick with 2wd unless i get stuck or run into deep snow? I know that's allot but i figured i should get all my questions answered at once. Thank You.

 

Never use 4wd on dry pavement

You can use 4wd if there is snow or ice. In that case, disable the ESP

Off-Road: use 4 LO all the time

Don't wheel alone.

 

 

You can't drive in snow with ESP.
ESP will block your wheels because the computer thinks that the Jeep is loosing control. You have to press the ESP button when there is snow on the road.

 

Yes you can drive in snow with the ESP, and no you don't have to turn it off.

Some people PREFER to leave it off, and that's their perogative.

The ESP will apply brakes to wheels that is senses are turning faster than they should be based on what the other wheels are doing, and the inputs that you are providing from the steering wheel.

In essence, it reduces wheelspin. If you have poor traction under one wheel and want to spin it in order to get going, then go ahead and turn off your ESP.

I've spent almost a decade driving non-traction control equipped 4WD vehicles on the worst roads in Canada, much of this during the winter. Everything from the Alaska highway to goat trails in the mountains of BC to "roads" that are simply a frozen river or lake...and everything in between. All of this has happened while dodging trucks bigger than anything seen in Eastern Canada (I know because I grew up there), and frequently pulling trailers heavier than the tow vehicle.

In that time I've learned "a few" things about driving in the winter. The ESP is a minor annoyance to me because I've already trained my reflexes to respond to skids and wheelspin. I still leave it on because there are situation where it starts to respond before I do.

For people that don't have the experience to know how to react to wheelspin or a skid, ESP can be a very good thing. It can prevent a small skid from turning into an accident.

For a relatively new Jeep guy from the US that probably doesn't have a pile of 4WD or snow driving experience, leaving ESP on is probably a good idea.

 

I find the ESP quite annoying. I think it's like training wheels for people that can't drive.
I hate the fact I can't disable it until I would want it on again....I know I can shut it off .But if you restart your Jeep it turns itself on again.

 

Your wrong

Read the manual

Running in snow with ESP is not recommended, even dangerous

I'm talking about pressing the ESP button (=partial off)

Try to start in 3" deep snow with the ESP: it sucks

 

Dangerous? You're talking out of your backside, Chachi.

3 inches is not deep snow...unless you're running street tires.

3 inches of fresh snow is a regular occurence where I live. I also regularly wheel my JK in places where the depth of snow on the trail is measured in feet, not inches. I carry 2 sets of chains...and have used them often. I think I understand how to drive in the snow.

I have read the manual - and I actually took a peek at the ESP section just because you were talking about it. The manual very specifically indicates that the ESP partial off mode is designed to be used for deep snow, sand, or gravel where some wheelspin is DESIRED. A very limited set of circumstances. Inferring that this means you should run with your ESP off in the snow at all times (which is what you said, even if it wasn't what you meant) is well on the way to "dumbest thing I've heard this week".

For most drivers that don't have a bunch of experience driving in winter conditions (especially a 4WD vehicle) ESP is a very good thing. For them, taken on the whole, wheelspin is BAD. Wheelspin = your connection to the ground is not as solid as it was while not spinning = you may lose directional control as well as hampering your ability to accelerate or brake. Why do you think that ABS is now standard on most vehicles?

How's your background in physics? Can you tell me how the coefficient of kinetic friction between two given surfaces compares to the coefficient of static friction between those same two surfaces? Here's a hint...if you can answer that question, you'll have a chance at figuring out why wheelspin is bad.

Oh...and shortbuss is right. No matter what you're driving or what electronic doohickey protects you, drive to the conditions. I've witnessed the results of doing otherwise

 

Good luck with your Jeep man

 

Toad's right. We've all gotten distracted by one little facet here and we've failed to answer the OP's question.

Suggestions for you:

#1. Don't use 4WD on dry pavement. It will not handle all that well, and is hard on your tires and your drivetrain. your Jeep has "old-school" 4WD which means that your front and rear driveshafts will be turning at exactly the same speed when your transfer case is in 4WD. Not a good thing on pavement.

#2. You probably don't want to engage 4WD when traction is good. Nice even gravel, wet pavement, etc. Even though this isn't dry pavement, you are probably still getting good traction and there's no need for 4WD.

#3. Snow and/or Ice on pavement. 4WD will help you to accelerate, and may or may not help with your ability to turn (depends on the situation). It can be useful at times, especially just after a snowfall if one area of the road is particularly bad. My (personal) general guideline is 50 MPH. What that means is that if I feel conditions are good enough to be travelling faster than 50 MPH, then they are good enough that I don't need 4WD. If I feel that I need 4WD, I shouldn't be going any faster than 50 MPH. Turn the ESP off if you find that it is keeping you from getting going from a stop, but I would turn it back on again after that. When it comes to snow and ice, the most important mod that you can make to your Jeep is appropriate tires. A 2WD vehicle on snow tires will perform better than a 4WD vehicle on street tires.

#4. On the trail - I frequently drop into 4 low as soon as I air down at the trailhead. I may end up using 5th gear because we're moving along an easy stretch of trail, but it just makes life easier. Don't feel that you have to do this.

Flooded pavement: Be very, very careful with this. I know that driving a Jeep gives you a lot of capabilities that are above and beyond the average vehicle out there, and it's tempting to think that you can just roll through obstacles that would stop lesser vehicles...but understand that Jeeps have limits too.

Driving through a flooded area is risky. You can't see the road in front of you, and if you happen to drop your right front tire into the ditch, you're likely to hydrolock your engine. There are also a LOT of other things to watch out for, and some mods that you will probably want to make prior to trying to ford deep water. Until you've spent some time off-roading with experienced people, I wouldn't recommend fording anything that comes up past the hubs of your wheels.

I hope that helps.