4A vs 4L driving modes

[nobrainer]

Check this out from the manual..specifically the “NOTE”:

Note: On vehicles with a rotary drive mode switch, 4A should remain on in Mud/Rut and Sand but with aggressive tuning which provides electronically locked four-wheel drive power to front and rear wheels, the same as traditional 4H.

Mine has the rotary nob, but it always defaults back to normal. I generally manually move it to eco even though I expect limited benefit in the less than 20mi round trip I drive each day to work and back.

 

[sjwhiteley]

I missed that note about mud/sand setting. It does sound placating for those who think it isn’t like a true 4H mode, but it probably does work just as well. Probably best to try it, before you actually need it

 

[Bow512]

Check this out from the manual..specifically the “NOTE”:


4A - 4X4 AUTO
Provides electronic controlled four-wheel drive with power delivered to the front and rear wheels, as required, for increased traction. When you select this mode, the information display shows 4A. The system continuously monitors road conditions, driver input as well as other vehicle sensors and optimizes the system's behavior based on drive mode selection.
Note: On vehicles with a rotary drive mode switch, 4A should remain on in Mud/Rut and Sand but with aggressive tuning which provides electronically locked four-wheel drive power to front and rear wheels, the same as traditional 4H.

It’s also interesting to note that when you shift a Navigator into the equivalent modes it actually says 4H on the screen unlike the Expy which still shows 4A.

 

[R Wilson]

Recently purchased a 2020 Expedition XLT. This vehicle does not have a separate 4H or 4L. The only way to achieve 4wd (4A) is buy utilizing the drive modes. I plan on taking this vehicle on the beach which will have loose, dry, fairly deep sand. Has anyone had experience using the sand drive mode on the beach? Can this truck be reliable on the beach?

 

[Fozzy]

Recently purchased a 2020 Expedition XLT. This vehicle does not have a separate 4H or 4L. The only way to achieve 4wd (4A) is buy utilizing the drive modes. I plan on taking this vehicle on the beach which will have loose, dry, fairly deep sand. Has anyone had experience using the sand drive mode on the beach? Can this truck be reliable on the beach?

You can get 4L with the HD tow package and FX4 package.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Squark]

Recently purchased a 2020 Expedition XLT. This vehicle does not have a separate 4H or 4L. The only way to achieve 4wd (4A) is buy utilizing the drive modes. I plan on taking this vehicle on the beach which will have loose, dry, fairly deep sand. Has anyone had experience using the sand drive mode on the beach? Can this truck be reliable on the beach?

I drove on the beach at the Outer Banks this summer. The biggest thing is tire pressure, which I learned the hard way. The owners manual says not to air down, but that got me stuck once I got into the soft sand. A nice local helped me dig out and had me air way down (15psi). After that I had no problems. Air down, engage 4WD, and don't stomp on the gas and you should be fine. I was running stock tires and sand mode. I used 4A and 4L and was fine both ways.

On a side note, you should be able to engage 4WD without changing the drive mode by using the buttons near the drive mode selector.

 

[shane_th_ee]

4L is mainly for deep sand and mud as well as *rock crawling* if anyone does that in these lol. 4L is also for pulling boats out at a ramp, it’s the recommended mode for yanking a boat in my owners manual.

4L is also really useful for steep, slippery descents as the torque multiplier increases engine braking. Hill descent control is supposed to help, but I don't trust it enough yet not to just use 4L. And if I need 4L to control a descent, I'm not likely to feel like I want to experiment with hill descent control just to see if it'll work or not.