Checking Four Wheel On Rav4j

[denprash]

Hi all,

I have a question related to 4 wheel drive in RAV4J 1998/1999 models.as i know rav4 is coming with both 4 wheel & two wheel version.One guy told me that Rav4 has an automatic sense which activates the 4 wheel drive option.it doesn't have a separate gear for that.is there any indicating light on the dash board for four wheel?? What is the exact way of checking the four wheel working status on Rav4J 1998/1999 model & how to identify whether it has 4 wheel drive option??

[miniace]

Yes,Rav4 has a viscous coupling center differential system available on full-time 4WD system to distribute power to front and rear sets of wheels on demand.During front wheels slipping, additional power gets transferred to rear wheels and opposite wen rear wheels are slipping.That is only available with Fulltime AWD models.No special select I guess.came with Post 05 model if im not mistaken.

MINIACE

[HardHat]

Yes,Rav4 has a viscous coupling center differential system available on full-time 4WD system to distribute power to front and rear sets of wheels on demand.During front wheels slipping, additional power gets transferred to rear wheels

MINIACE

yep. that's how it works. Under normal driving conditions only front wheels are driven. If front wheels start to spin faster than the rear (i.e. front wheels slipping) power gets transferred to rear wheels as well.

don't know about RAV4 but had a Honda CRV sometime back with similar set up and it s*cked bigtime offroad - used to dig into sand more often than not when taken to a beach

for verifying whether one is 2WD or AWD, I guess only AWD version would have a propeller shaft going to the rear and a rear diff, thus a peek undernethe would do?

Suzuki Jimny and Kia Sportage are small SUV in same class with RAV4 and Nissan Xtrail but with proper dual range 4WD setup

Edited May 27, 2009 by HardHat

[miniace]

for verifying whether one is 2WD or AWD, I guess only AWD version would have a propeller shaft going to the rear and a rear diff, thus a peek undernethe would do?

Are you talking about RAV4 AWD or 4WD version here?

Obviously there is a prop-shaft there on 4WD or AWDs but only AWDs employs a center differential additionally.

MINIACE

[HardHat]

Are you talking about RAV4 AWD or 4WD version here?

Obviously there is a prop-shaft there on 4WD or AWDs but only AWDs employs a center differential additionally.

MINIACE

I was collectively referring to both AWD and 4WD as "AWD" but you are right - that's not the correct technical term.

I'm not familiar with the RAV4, but the other Toyota SUVs (say post M/Y 2000 - 2001) LandCruiser, Prado and Fortuner are AWDs with locable center diff, and the option of Low Range of course.

I'm not sure whether there is a pure 2WD version of RAV4, but if there is, and to answer denprash's Q - you will not see a rear prop shaft under a 2WD RAV4