Bitter cold and 4H

[Bradley]

I didn't know where to post this, so I thought I'd take a shot here and see what happens...

The last couple of days, like many of you, we've been in bitter cold and mountains of snow. Took the Bronco to work this morning in 4H. Parked it. Left it in 4H. Parking brake set.

It sat out there in the -4F (wind to -22F) snow all day. Coming home, started it, took off the brake engaged the clutch, shifted into R, gave it a touch of gas and there was like a POP or BANG! Pretty loud. I let off the gas, waited a sec, gave it a little more gas and it backed out. (As always, the steering wheel was impossible to turn, it's that cold.)

So, what was that noise? Something in the 4WD? Should I not have parked it in 4H? Was it the cold that made something go pop. Gonna try it again tomorrow and will report back. I'm not very 4WD knowledgable so advice is welcome.

Thanks,

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[RagnarKon]

4-High should really only be used in off-road situations. If you are driving on pavement (or even well-maintained dirt roads), you could bind up the gearing driving in 4-High. If you were sitting in 4-High and was trying to turn in reverse when it made that banging noise... that was probably the drive train binding up and then making a loud pop as it released. But obviously not having heard the noise myself hard to tell... it could simply be something frozen that broke free.

If you are driving in wintry conditions and are concerned about randomly losing traction (ie. snow/ice on the roads)... 4-Auto is the mode you want. That mode will dynamically modify the amount of power it sends to the front wheels and will only send power if it detects wheel slip. But if the roads are plowed, you should really be in 2-High.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

It's your brakes freezing to the rotors while parked. Every vehicle I've ever owned has done it from time to time when parked for a while in the cold.

 

[SuperDave150]

What @AK SNO RIDER said.

 

[dgorsett]

It's your brakes freezing to the rotors while parked. Every vehicle I've ever owned has done it from time to time when parked for a while in the cold.

This...I don't set parking brake below freezing in wet or snowy conditions, use a low gear, 1 , R or C or Park with an auto

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

This...I don't set parking brake below freezing in wet or snowy conditions, use a low gear, 1 , R or C or Park with an auto

Seeing the number of posts we've had here about manual Broncos rolling down slopes while parked in gear, I'd probably go ahead and still use the parking brake.

In fact, I don't park any of my modern manuals in gear. Parking brake only.

Either way, this will happen on auto vehicles as well, it's not exclusive to having the parking brake set. My auto vehicles all do the same thing.

 

[Gassyjack]

Tires could have froze to the ground also.

 

[dgorsett]

Seeing the number of posts we've had here about manual Broncos rolling down slopes while parked in gear, I'd probably go ahead and still use the parking brake.

In fact, I don't park any of my modern manuals in gear. Parking brake only.

Either way, this will happen on auto vehicles as well, it's not exclusive to having the parking brake set. My auto vehicles all do the same thing.

Yeah I hesitated to post because of the roll aways. I did have it happen once when I parked a pickup on a hill second, but that's once in 50 years. I drive mostly autos now and never had an issue in park only use the parking brake on steep hills and never when wet and cold, just me.

 

[dejones64]

Tires could have froze to the ground also.

This is what I was thinking.

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

Seeing the number of posts we've had here about manual Broncos rolling down slopes while parked in gear, I'd probably go ahead and still use the parking brake.

I remember some of those posts, but the ones I remembered parked in 3rd or 4th gear. That high of a gear has no mechanical advantage to stop rolling in the little 2.3l as the engine will be barely turning. People can use C and be safe unless they're parked somewhere steep. It will really have to get the engine spinning to move.

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