Driving in desert

[Kane84 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kane84]

What is the best driving mode in desert on Prado?
4H with central difflock
4H without central difflock

Also, Will central difflock engaged for 3 ton 4 hours effect the transmission?

[RPP Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RPP]

2018 GXL 3.2t fully loaded on long off-road trips.

I've driven the Simpson and Googs Track with centre diff locked the entire time, mostly in Hi. The ATF temps will climb, so it pays to stay in S4.
Went up a couple of big dunes in Lo range. Rear diff locker for 5mins just to make it look easy.

Drove the Carson River Track (450Km) in the Kimberley, for the second time, last year on a 15 day trek with the centre diff locked the entire 15 days, and in S4.
In Lo range for first 9 days!, about 200Km. Flicked on the rear diff locker many times for a few minutes.

If you have an auto, you will find your ATF temp (at the torque converter) will skyrocket if you drive in Hi and D mode.
If its deep sand and/or lots of dunes, drive in S4 or lower with centre diff locked. Go to Lo on laborious/steep up hill runs, long deep sand runs or long muddy ditches.

The modern Auto Gearbox is peril sensitive and a replacement is $10K++ if you boil the ATF.

[Piggy Water pistol pilot. Find all posts View Profile Close Piggy]

Depends on the surface and texture/ softness.

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

Different experience. CSR, Googs each way, Simpson West to East and East to West, complete Simpson circumnavigation including Colsen, Madigan West to East and HAY RIVER. NEVER needed low range but always in Sport driving like a manual ie.high range 1st gear with centre diff locked and BOTH traction and stability control OFF when climbing dunes. Leave centre diff locked the entire time in the dune country. Be aware that when you turn the ignition off traction and stability control revert to normal so each time you restart the car you have to reset them. Once you hit the dunes max of 18psi and go lower to say 16 psi if it is soft like it may be in the afternoon. I use 1600-1800 rpm to climb the dunes (in high range 1st). Drive faster up the dunes and you will break things especially if there has been a lot of traffic using lots of rpm and high tyre pressures to scallop the approaches .Most dune faces will be like this! At 1600 is rpm you have plenty of torque to accelerate near the top if you need to. My Scanguage has not shown extreme transmission temps mainly because most dune faces aren't particularly long and as soon as you are over the top you can button off and just coast down the other side and take it slowly to the next dune. Repeat 900 times in the Simpson! Enjoy your trip.

[Kane84 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Kane84]

I will share my today's experience. Drove across sand dunes. I have Prado V6,2013.
tires were at 14psi.
I was driving at 4L. Central difflock was auto engaged on 4L.
The experience was amazing.
But I want to know if driving on 4L is good or bad for the engine/transmission?

[Daniel150 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Daniel150]

No , 4L is fine. All you are doing is changing gear ratios. Yes if you want to go faster than 30 -40kmh then high range is the go. With my v6 I hardly ever found low range necessary on sand.
For the v6 I found the following helpful as a GENERAL rule.
Sand h4
Mud h4
rock L4
heavy articulated or control needed L4
super soft sand L4 if unable to hit at speed
heavy bog holes L4

L4 is fine for your motor, even better in some cases.
You just get a feel for your vehicle, if it’s labouring or working really hard, go L4. If it’s reving stupidly in L4, pop it in H4

[Piggy Water pistol pilot. Find all posts View Profile Close Piggy]

I will share my today's experience. Drove across sand dunes. I have Prado V6,2013.
tires were at 14psi.
I was driving at 4L. Central difflock was auto engaged on 4L.
The experience was amazing.
But I want to know if driving on 4L is good or bad for the engine/transmission?

What speeds.. Unless really low speeds, L4 isnt much use in sand.