We are taking a road trip thru Tn and West Virginia this winter ( Christmas to mid Jan )
The trip will included Cabins on mountain , possible snow and ice , a snowstorm may be a possibility

So question is what are the best 4x4 settings in each case ( snow,ice,hills and the comb of all )
Is there any thing to do with the truck before hit the low temperatures
I got all winter supply and emergency kits , Winter tires antifreeze coolant ,
all fluid is synthetic and fresh

LAst time in winter there was a strong smell like burning rubber , I guess it was from the salt but not sure , I never got it before however it last a few days after back in Fl



I think I asked this same questions before but cant find the Thread with the info posted ... Sorry if double posted

 

When we go south to TN or WV from up here in MI winter, we wear loafers without socks, almost like being on the beach.

Make sure you have winter wiper washer fluid in the tank, the kind with antifreeze, might want to just take that jug along with you, or buy one along the way. Rain X makes some good stuff, one kind is a De-Icer, but the all season would do fine.

 

Doc I saw someone once in Wy with flip flops no socks . My eyes pop out

My first plan was drive to Michigan (munising) but cant this year
The problem with Tn is mountains the snow and ice ,Snow isn't common on late Dec but still can get lucky and a snowstorm could hit

Good point about the wipers fluid . Hopefully will found it in my local autoshop

In the worst case what are the recommended 4x4 settings for snow and ice
Could any damage be done to the transmission if use the low gears to going down

Crossing my finger for a snowstorm ...
Funny lot of people would rather to be on miami beach with 80° but Im driving 1000 miles looking for snow

 

You should be fine in normal A4WD for light snow and ice.

Lock it into 4WD if you run into heavy snow say 6+" of it.

Don't use 4WD Low unless you get stuck, and are in deep deep snow like 14+"

 

Last winter was my first ever not living on the Gulf coast. This truck impressed me so much that I wouldn't trust something else up here in the mountains. Most of the time I could in 4-HI, occasionally 4-HI Lock and once in awhile 4-LO. With the Nitto Terra Grappler G2s it just slugged through up to a foot of snow. No slipping on icy spots, even on hills. Very impressed.

Agree about the washer fluid with antifreeze. You might want to get a long ice scraper to reach over the hood, I have some that are 18" long. If you don't already have all-weather floor mats you may want to grab a set of those. Ruined a new set of factory mats with snow and mud last winter. I also found a small collapsible shovel at my local Air Force Base that's ideal for small piles of snow and ice. Hey Doc MI, what's the correct terminology here for "piles of snow"?

Only issue I had with the cold weather was my transfer case motor on the '04 didn't like anything below 40º. Wouldn't shift and gave me the warning in the DIC. After getting thoroughly warmed up I could shut the truck off for a couple minutes (usually while going into the post office to get mail) and when I started back up the system was ops normal. Changed the motor and that was fixed, but something to watch for. Have a fun trip.