[dicor]

Dear Team-BHPians,

I recently had my Jimny AT serviced at Mahalaxmi Auto, Pune (3rd service, ODO count 2800 KMs). Upon receiving the car, I noticed the 4H light blinking and the lever engaged in 4H.

The owner's manual strictly warns against using 4H on paved roads. Since the service station is 6km away on paved roads with some sharp turns, I'm concerned this might have damaged the transmission.

The service centre offered a check-up, which is scheduled for Saturday morning. To best utilize their time, could you advise what specific checks I should request regarding potential 4WD system damage caused by driving in 4H on the pavement?

Any urgent advice would be greatly appreciated!

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by dicor

could you advise what specific checks I should request regarding potential 4WD system damage caused by driving in 4H on the pavement?

I don't think so driving in 4H will harm your differential at moderate speeds, once engaged, it splits engine torque 50/50 between the front and rear axles. In this mode there generally isn’t any cross-axle locking unless it is manually activated. In this mode traction control also works to help modulate torque across the axles, but in some situations it won’t be enough to move a stuck vehicle. I don't have an idea about how Jimny's 4H works.

During rains, I drive in 4H mode to get more traction out of the surface and for better stability. The engine operates more efficiently in 4H mode since it doesn't need to work as hard to maintain speed. It's suitable for driving on surfaces where additional traction is needed without excessively loading on the engine.

Or am I missing something ?

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by dicor

The service centre offered a check-up, which is scheduled for Saturday morning. To best utilize their time, could you advise what specific checks I should request regarding potential 4WD system damage caused by driving in 4H on the pavement?

Any urgent advice would be greatly appreciated!

On Saturday morning drive straight to the nearest vacation spot, hill station \ beach etc and spend time with your friends \ family.

Nothing will happen to the car if driven on the road like that for sometime or even if your car has done a Bangalore to Mysore through the expressway with 4H on.

As we speak plenty of folks with Scorpio N would have kicked the vehicle into 4WD without knowing it and will be driving around like that till they sense something odd with the way gear shifts are happening

------------------------------

NOTE: The above statements from the BHPian are a response to accidental engagement of 4x4 - TeamBHP does not recommend driving with 4H on Tarmac, it can lead to damaged drive train components.

[Dippy]

I dont know why Maruti has mentioned that specifically in the manual for the Jimny but as far as my humble knowledge goes, there will be no harm done to the 4x4 if you drive in 4H on the road. Yes driving in 4L on the road is a complete no no.


I dont think you have anything to worry about. That said, do the inspection as you have planned.

[Arjun.hb]

Hi Dicor,
I’ve had a similar experience at the Nexa service with my Jimny AT. It is an absolute no no to drive a vehicle without a centre differential on a hard surface with 4x4 engaged. Transmission wind-up is the reason. Look it up, better explanation online than I can offer. Basically difference in rotation between front and rear axles are managed by a centre differential which the Jimny lacks.
Usually transmission wind up is released by slippage. Small distance must have not caused much harm. But do make sure you register your complaint with the service manager. Whatever little awareness that can be created at the service centre helps.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by Dippy

I dont know why Maruti has mentioned that specifically in the manual for the Jimny but as far as my humble knowledge goes, there will be no harm done to the 4x4 if you drive in 4H on the road. Yes driving in 4L on the road is a complete no no.

.

The Jimny, Thar etc don’t have a central differential. So it is ideally not recommended to drive on paved roads (grippy surfaces) with 4H engaged.

However, driving for a few kms will not have a long lasting impact on the driveline.

[Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by dicor

To best utilize their time, could you advise what specific checks I should request regarding potential 4WD system damage caused by driving in 4H on the pavement?
Any urgent advice would be greatly appreciated!

I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but the Jimny is not a full time 4wd vehicle (unlike a Fortuner, for example). It does not have a center diff, just one per axle. I think you should escalate this to the Maruti TSM immediately.

From what I have seen with my own eyes, and from the accounts of other Jimny owners on this forum, most service centres have next to no idea about the car. Your case is especially egregious though, considering the four wheel drive lever has be engaged quite deliberately, with some force. I think your best bet would to get this in writing , that the screwup happened due to their lack of training and cavalier attitude, and that they are liable to fix any potential transmission issue that emerges in the next six months.

Do not allow the service centre guys to do any ‘checkup’ on their own, I think you are within your rights to ask for an engineer from Maruti to be present.

[Earthroamer]

Originally Posted by dicor

The owner's manual strictly warns against using 4H on paved roads. Since the service station is 6km away on paved roads with some sharp turns, I'm concerned this might have damaged the transmission.

The service centre offered a check-up, which is scheduled for Saturday morning. To best utilize their time, could you advise what specific checks I should request regarding potential 4WD system damage caused by driving in 4H on the pavement?

Any urgent advice would be greatly appreciated!

So, when you engage 4H, it locks both the axles and engages transfer case (additional gear ratio) and increases load on the vehicle. Essentially, your engine rpm is traded away for more torque. On pavement, because we tend to drive at higher rpm (especially true for gasoline) it will put more strain on the drive train and transmission.

If the driver had done low speeds (low rpms, due to traffic), in a straight line, the vehicle should be fine. But if he had exceeded the speeds of 50-60 km, you should check rear drive shaft and the front drive shaft. Also the gears in transmission, if any of the teeth of sun gear, planet gears and ring gear are damaged.(since your's is AT). It's complex process (when it comes to transmission), unless the SC guys are completely comfortable, I suggest you not to force them. You are better of taking some sort of guarantee from the SC guys for your transmission if it fails in the near future.

After locking the axles (4H), turning radius increases due to the binding. You say there were sharp turns. Owing to traffic, if the driver used normal turning radius, the front axle (probably front suspension too) would have come under lots of stress. Since Jimny has live axle at the front and there wasn't any axle locker involved, it should be fine. It all depends on how the person had driven the vehicle with 4H engaged. So ask the driver on how he had driven, in front of the specialist when you go the SC.

Since it's just 6 km, the vehicle should be alright.

Originally Posted by Lone Ranger

but the Jimny is not a full time 4wd vehicle (unlike a Fortuner, for example).

The current model Fortuner doesn't have any center differential, unlike the older models. So, on pavement it should be driven in 2WD only, just like Jimny or Thar.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by dicor

The service centre offered a check-up, which is scheduled for Saturday morning. To best utilize their time, could you advise what specific checks I should request regarding potential 4WD system damage caused by driving in 4H on the pavement?:

The unfortunate answer is there are no checks one way or the other? In theory the only way to check this is to take the diff part and the gearbox and all the driveshaft and somehow determine how much more wear occurred due to this mishap. Its impossible!

Unless your car is suffering from immediate problems and or strange noises there is absolutely nothing that can be measured, one way or the other.

So the proposed checks are just a red herring. Tell them you will hold them accou table for any problems in the drive train, suspension and tires in the future. That is, my opinion, all you can do.

The real damage, or lack thereof, is impossible to measure and or assess. Anybody claiming otherwise should be locked up. If anybody claims they can ask for measurements. What would the wear be normally, what additional wear has occurred to this mishap. Nobody can answer that, unfortunately.

Its impossible to tell what the additional wear is. But you should be adament that they run the car in 4x4 which they should have not. So they are liable for any and all additional wear I the near and not so nar future.

Good luck

Jeroen

[iron.head]

Can the owner in such cases request a transmission/differential fluid flush? The drained fluid may show signs of excessive wear.

[wooka]

My scorpio N did 300 kms on the road at speeds up to 125 kmph for reasons.. Well.

4H, and on draining the oils, we didn't see much.
Hope it works out well for us both.

We ran the drained oil through a paper filter to check for metal content. Had the TC and front diff oils changed.

[Freespirit27]

Originally Posted by iron.head

Can the owner in such cases request a transmission/differential fluid flush? The drained fluid may show signs of excessive wear.

That is the most sensible and doable suggestion yet
I guess, as @ArunHB says, if the manual says so there would be a reason to it, so do get that done at the least. And at their cost!
On another note, it also says a lot for, primarily urban drivers buying 4WDs when the off-road usage is far and few. A hobby vehicle or a terrain/usage specific should not be used a daily city driver unless the switch of roles is too frequent. Just my view.

[dicor]

Thank you all for your great advice. Tomorrow, I'll be meeting with representatives from Maruti and Mahalaxmi Automobiles. I’ll keep you posted.

Originally Posted by iron.head

Can the owner in such cases request a transmission/differential fluid flush? The drained fluid may show signs of excessive wear.

I'm interested in the possibility, but I'm a bit hesitant to trust them with my Jimny. I don't want it to be used for inexperienced work.

Originally Posted by Arjun.hb

Hi Dicor,
I’ve had a similar experience at the Nexa service with my Jimny AT. But do make sure you register your complaint with the service manager. Whatever little awareness that can be created at the service centre helps.

It seems there's a lot of interest in Jimny at service centres. Perhaps because they're not as common as other vehicles, their unique features might spark curiosity among technicians.

I requested an extended warranty, but unfortunately, the transmission and drivetrain weren't covered. To address this, I'm pursuing a separate one-year warranty specifically for the transmission, axle UJ crosses, and propeller shaft.

I'm expecting that after going through these activities, they'll be more careful with all Jimnys.

[motorguy]

When I bring my Jimny to Nexa for service, I tell the SA right at the beginning that I dont want their mechanics touching or experimenting with the 4WD lever.

I also ensure the SA tells the mechanic and driver (who drives the Jimny into the service bay) in front of me not to touch the 4WD lever. Since I know the Nexa service manager and being part of the Simply Jimny group in Bangalore which has a very good relationship with Nexa Yelahanka, I am allowed to watch the service. The mechanics are not trained properly on Jimny (as per my info in the beginning they only went through a 3 day online course without actual experience).

To give credit to our group Simply Jimny our founder has done his bit by informally training some of these mechanics. In fact we have Simply Jimny service camps at Nexa Yelahanka occasionally where he personally supervises the work done on our group's Jimny by these mechanics.

[Andyzoom]

Below exerpt from the Jimny Manual:

Your vehicle is equipped with the “ALLGRIP PRO” system that consists of a transfer case with a synchronizer (between 2WD-high and 4WD-high positions) and the air locking hubs. With this feature, you can shift the drive mode between 2-wheel drive high range and 4-wheel drive high range by shifting the “2H” or “4H” position. Stop the vehicle or reduce the speed to less than 100 km/h with the front wheels in the straight ahead position. Do not shift the transfer lever without depressing the accelerator pedal. Do not activate the cruise control system when shifting the transfer lever.