AWD Lock Button

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by katz_n_jamer

Wow, this is way more complicated than I thought when I bought it. I actually thought the AWD lock would be a desirable feature. Now it just seems like a detriment.

That all depends on how you use it.

I use it when pulling the boat and Waverunner out of the water. Both the wet boat ramp and gravel parking lot are low-traction surfaces so I am not concerned with binding of the driveline. I want maximum initial traction on the slippery ramp.

I also use it when starting out in deep snow to preempt wheel slippage.

I don't even look at it when traveling on high-friction surfaces.

-njjoe

[JayS]

Originally Posted by njjoe

Not true. The "failsafe" is speed-related, not torque-related.

If you engage the AWD LOCK on dry ground and drive a continuous right (or left) turn at 5 MPH no "fail safe" will intervene and you risk damaging a drive line component.

-njjoe

Exactly.

Think of it this way. Unless you're on something very slippery the AWD lock button is basically a transfer case self destruct button. If you're on something very slippery it works great.

I used it when I needed to re-position the boat in the yard after the first snow last year. Lots of wheel spin, got the boat moved, transfer case is just fine a year later.

[Carguy75]

Originally Posted by njjoe

Not true. The "failsafe" is speed-related, not torque-related.

If you engage the AWD LOCK on dry ground and drive a continuous right (or left) turn at 5 MPH no "fail safe" will intervene and you risk damaging a drive line component.

-njjoe

Hello! The AWD lock has a failsafe or preventive measure for operator error. You have an opinion mixed with technical babble to say that the AWD system will destroy the transfer case, which may be true at high speeds, but not at 5 mph of "normal"driving. You mention continuous left or right turns, but how many rotations- one hundred, one million before the transfer case goes? The cut-off is a failsafe so an owner will not drive with AWD locked at high speeds which would damage the transfer case in no time. So before you bash another poster's answer, look up the term failsafe and see it applies to the AWD lock button auto shutoff feature. P.S. I never said that the AWD cut-off feature was perfect, all failsafes can be defeated-like when someone is driving around in 5mph circles-who would do that on a normal drive somewhere? Come on.

[njjoe]

Excuse me? Technical babble? You are kidding, right?

If you think I am full of BS, then I suggest you take your MO to an empty parking lot, engage the AWD LOCK and travel in three tight circles at 5 MPH, as if calibrating the compass, and let me know if you don't detect drive line binding. Any amount of binding is detrimental to the drive line components.

And no, I was not bashing you, I was simply correcting a misconception for the rest of the membership.

-njjoe

[Carguy75]

Originally Posted by njjoe

Excuse me? Technical babble? You are kidding, right?

If you think I am full of BS, then I suggest you take your MO to an empty parking lot, engage the AWD LOCK and travel in three tight circles at 5 MPH, as if calibrating the compass, and let me know if you don't detect drive line binding. Any amount of binding is detrimental to the drive line components.

And no, I was not bashing you, I was simply correcting a misconception for the rest of the membership.

-njjoe

Ok. Technical Babble may have been too harsh, because you are right about the drivetrain differences between AWD and a 4X4 with a diff and transfercase. However, my problem is about how you dismissed what I said about the Murano's AWD failsafe as wrong, when in fact that is what the AWD lock auto shutoff at 6mph feature is called. It prevents the operator from damaging the AWD if the operator forgets to turn off the AWD lock- hence failsafe. But like you mentioned when talking about the torque in the transfercase being created when turning at 5 mph-no failsafe is undefeatable. P.S. I calibrated my compass by driving around the neighborhood and back, why do someone has to drive in tight circles to calibrate the compass? Even if tight 5 mph circles with the AWD lock on cause problems, who really needs to do that? Unless, you want to test the AWD transfercase, which I won't.

[canWat]

Originally Posted by njjoe

Excuse me? Technical babble? You are kidding, right?

If you think I am full of BS, then I suggest you take your MO to an empty parking lot, engage the AWD LOCK and travel in three tight circles at 5 MPH, as if calibrating the compass, and let me know if you don't detect drive line binding. Any amount of binding is detrimental to the drive line components.

And no, I was not bashing you, I was simply correcting a misconception for the rest of the membership.

-njjoe

Hey njjoe, I found this in the manual

"The oil temperature of power train parts will
increase if the vehicle is continuously
operated under conditions where the difference
in rotation between the front and rear
wheels is large (wheel slip), such as when
driving the vehicle on rough roads through
sand, mud or freeing a stuck vehicle. In
these cases, the AWD warning light blinks
rapidly and the AWD mode changes to
2WD to protect the powertrain parts. If you
stop driving with the engine idling and wait
until the warning light stops blinking, the
AWD returns to the AUTO mode."

Would this failsafe not kick in when the murano is driven the way you mentioned? Just wondering...

[JayS]

Amazing how many of you have confidence in the "protections" of this system despite page after page of people with blown transfer cases.

If you personally want to believe it's going to keep your transfer case safe and sound, great.... It's your money when you're paying for a new one. Just please don't suggest it to other people.

[njjoe]

cW-

Good point. Unfortunately there are no temperature sensors in either the AWD clutch-pack nor the transfer case. So low-speed misuse can be dangerous to the components. It would be great if the weak link was a relatively inexpensive universal joint instead of the $2000 transfer case.

Please don't get me wrong, the MO's AWD system is more than adequate when used as it is designed - in automatic mode. It is when people unfamiliar with the MO play with the AWD LOCK button that problems can occur.

-njjoe

[canWat]

Originally Posted by njjoe

cW-

Good point. Unfortunately there are no temperature sensors in either the AWD clutch-pack nor the transfer case. So low-speed misuse can be dangerous to the components. It would be great if the weak link was a relatively inexpensive universal joint instead of the $2000 transfer case.

Please don't get me wrong, the MO's AWD system is more than adequate when used as it is designed - in automatic mode. It is when people unfamiliar with the MO play with the AWD LOCK button that problems can occur.

-njjoe

Thanks for the info... Personally, I do not use the button at all or haven't had the need to use it yet.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by njjoe

Please don't get me wrong, the MO's AWD system is more than adequate when used as it is designed - in automatic mode. It is when people unfamiliar with the MO play with the AWD LOCK button that problems can occur.

-njjoe

That's really all that needs to be said. When people think the Murano is a Jeep and try to do things a 4WD vehicle is required to do, they break things.

That's pretty simple.

There's no techno-babble involved. If you don't use the system as designed (tight turns in a paved parking lot with the AWD lock engaged comes to mind), you may break it. If you do the same thing with a Jeep or 4WD, you will not break it - you'll just scrub the tires.

The transfer case in the Murano has design and load limits. Exceed them at the risk of your checkbook.

[Carguy75]

OK people. The original question was about the AWD button functioning or not. The AWD lock is useful when it is needed, and all seems to agree that it should not be used when additional traction is not required. If an owner uses the AWD lock as intended, all is well. And if someone forgets to manually unlock the AWD system it will unlock itself after 6 mph. So to lay this issue to rest, the AWD lock works and is safe to use as long as you do not drive the Murano with the AWD lock on while repeatedly making tight left or right circles under 6mph, because you could damage the transfercase.

[Carguy75]

Originally Posted by jim_jim

Hi All
I recently bought a 2007 Nissan Murano S AWD and time and only realized it now with snow approaching that it is not a full time AWD car.

After researching online i figured out that the lock button should be used only in snow conditions as there might be a dramatic diffrence in mpg?


I dont know whether the lock button in my Murano is functional or not?As i dont see any light on the button going on or off when i click on the switch and there is nothing displayed on the center panel indicating the AWD is on.


Is there any way to tell whether it is working as it should?

Thanks

You may have a bad switch or the switch is unplugged. Pull the center console that holds the switch up and look at the underside to see if the switch is unplugged. Since your Murano was used when you bought it, maybe the previous owner unplugged it to prevent someone from accidentally locking the AWD.

[HVT]

I still, seeing as the 2nd gen Murano always starts from a stop in 50/50 AWD anyhow, why the lock button is even needed anymore. Maybe people just feel more secure having the switch? lol...who knows.

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by jim_jim

Hi All
I recently bought a 2007 Nissan Murano S AWD and time and only realized it now with snow approaching that it is not a full time AWD car.

After researching online i figured out that the lock button should be used only in snow conditions as there might be a dramatic diffrence in mpg?


I dont know whether the lock button in my Murano is functional or not?As i dont see any light on the button going on or off when i click on the switch and there is nothing displayed on the center panel indicating the AWD is on.


Is there any way to tell whether it is working as it should?

Thanks

Wow, I guess we really did get off-topic.

Your 2007 MO has a warning light on the dash. It will illuminate whenever the AWD LOCK is manually engaged. If you do not see the light when you push the AWD LOCK button then I suggest you check that the light is functioning. According to your Owners Manual the AWD LOCK button will illuminate for one second when the ignition switch is turned to ON. Check it out and get back to us.

-njjoe

[katz_n_jamer]

I just read a review of the 2013 Rav4 and this is how their AWD system works:

Of note, AWD models get three drive modes: Auto, Lock and Sport. In auto mode power is sent to the front wheels, with the rears being given torque when slip is detected. Lock mode can be engaged at speeds below 25 mph and engages a full-time AWD system, with up to 50 percent of the power headed to the rear wheels. Above 25 mph the system reverts to Auto mode. And finally, there’s a Sport mode where up to 50 percent of the power can be sent to the rear wheels, while other car characteristics are heightened, including faster shifts as well as more immediate throttle and steering response. Front drive models also get a sport mode with similar, steering, transmission and throttle changes. In addition, sport mode will even “blip” the throttle on down shifts.

Sounds like an interesting system that may be a little more robust than the MO.