Im a new xterra owner from the flat state of Ohio and havent had much experience with my 4 wheel drive yet...I have had automatic transmission most of my life and am pretty clueless on any type of manual or 4 wheel drive transmission....(so please dont laugh if this is a dumb question).

The shifter is labled with 4 positions....2H,4H,N,4L It seems to me that there should be three or four positions but it only feels as if there are 2 when shifting. The first usually in 2H and the second, Im guessing in 4L. It doesnt seem to lock into place in 4H, and I cant tell if its in 4H or 4L....It just seems like there are only 2 gears, 2WD or 4WD. Does the 4 wheel drive decipher H or L when its needed or am I retarded?......Its just sort of bothering me because Im afraid I might tear somehing up.....Can anyone give me a suggestion or explain to me how this works?

Check the sticky thread just above this one, there's even a video (or used to be). Welcome to XOC!

Edit - there are 3 drive positions - 2H, 4H, and 4L. Unlike other 4x4s I've been around, there is only one light on the dash that is on if you are in 4H or 4L.

pterodactyl, it sounds like you are feeling 2Hi and 4Hi. N is just in between them. 4Lo requires shifting to 4Hi, then pushing the lever toward the floor and pulling back.

To shift to 4hi all you do is pull the shifter back. To get to 4lo you have to be stopped and in neutral with the auto tranny. Then push down on the 4wd shifter and it will pull back through N and then to 4lo.

4LO multiplys the torque to the wheels mechanically, so you will know when you are in 4lo. Its difficult to get over 25mph cause the engine is revving so high. The amount of power will be more than doubled.

The Neutral setting in the transfer case is for flat towing when you want to disconnect the driveline from the tranny.

Better check your owners manual or other threards her on XOC before you go towing your X.....

Just another way to explain it.. :p

To shift from 2H into 4L

First Stop your Xterra and put the it in Neutral (using the Shifter on the Right). Next pull the Shifter on the Left Back( toward the back of the vehicle). It will now be in 4H. Then, Push In/Down on the shift knob (toward the floor), then pull it all the way back (toward the Back of the Vehicle). It will now be in 4L.

Happy WHEELIN

I understand what the owners manual says about towing your X, but I don't think any manufacturer recommends flat towing of any vehicle.

You can flat tow a MT vehicle with a gear driven case with both in neutral far as long as you want (even if the manufacturer doesn't recommend it). If it has an auto tranny you have to remove the rear driveshaft to flat tow it. This is because the oil pump on an AT runs off of the input side, not the output side. this is also why you can't pop start an auto equipped vehicle. No matter how much you roll it it'll never pump up enough oil to fill the converter and spin the motor.

Justin

Ok, I'll add to the silly questions, as this will be my first 4wd vehicle as well:

Is there some sort of lock out mechanism so if you're not in neutral, you can't accidentally shift into 4lo? In other words, will the shift lever allow you to move it into 4lo if the vehicle isn't in neutral?

Its really hard to "accidently" shift into 4X4 LO because you have to press the 4X4 lever down. I have never tried doing it when not in Neutral so I dont know if there is a lock out feature or not. I think you will just grind like crazy if you try it while in drive. My advice is to just practice shifting your 4X4 gears but DO NOT DRIVE ON PAVEMENT IN 4X4!! Its not good you can bind the front drivetrain so just shift in and out to see if you can do it properly.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful imput... In due time I will be a 4 wheel drive master and maybe someday when the warranty runs out I will super modify everything I can afford.

And move to a state with some mountains!

oops.....thats "input"....

Id be a collage gradewate...

FYI, this icon: lets you edit your posts...

Good to know.

Like I said....Id be a collage gradewate...

If anyone's interested, im selling an interior bike rack and cargo area cover on eBay at the following:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2469011509

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2469016203

There's a big debate about this last summer. Search for it in the 4wd section and it should be there.

Basically, other companies like GM design their transfer cases so N is used for flat towing. But the X is not; the N is useless on the X.

Where are you? I am in Cincy area and have had the same questions!

I was thinking seriously about trading in my 2WD for a 4WD, so that I could tow it behind my RV. Am I reading this correctly, that I cannot put the transfer case in nuetral and tow the X.????
Like a Jeep

Your owner's manual will cover that in detail...

Except his owner's manual is for a 2WD X. He does not yet own a 4WD. Is the manual the same whether you have a 2WD or 4WD?

THNX, XPLORx4,
That is my delima, I don't own a 4X4 yet, and won't if I can't slip into "N" and tow it.
Another concern that I had with my 05' 2WD, was last Sunday while tring to pull my 20' Chaparral out of the water, the rear wheel started to spin (damp grass) and I put the pedal to the floor and the engine just bogged down soooo bad, I had it to the floor and the tires would just barely turn,
Was it supposed to do that when I lost traction??? I mean it was like I had Nooooo power!!!

I don't plan to tow my X, actually the other way around. But I am curious with the N on the transfer case does if you can't be towed with the transfer case in Neutral. I understand that part about the oil not running in the automatic transmission because it the pump is connected to the input shaft. But if the transfer case in neutral, shouldn't that prevent the input shaft of the transfer case (IE the output shaft of the transmission) from moving? Leaving only the output shaft of the transfer case turning along with the rear end.

Doesn't affect me either way how it really works, just curious and want to understand.

There is no "2WD" or "4WD" owners manual, just like there's no manual or automatic, XE or SE, etc.

http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/nissan/deptog.asp?dept%5Fid=35

If you're talking 2nd Gen Xterras there is no neutral position for the transfer case.

Thanks gang,
Yes it is a Gen. 2 X, 2005. All of my questions have been answered.
It looks like I will be trading in my 05' X for a 06' 4WD Jeep Liberty w/V8, so that I can pull my boat out of the water AND be towed behind my motorcoach.
So, it looks like I will be leaving you guy's for another forum.