2016 Nissan Rouge AWD Lock Switch

[Knight55]

Hi. I have a question about the use of the AWD Lock Switch in the 2016 Nissan Rogue. During the winter months I have noticed that the SUV sometime fishtails in deeper snow or slush. After experiencing this fishtailing a few times, I started using the AWD Lock Switch whenever I saw that the road conditions in front of me warranted extra traction. When this switch is engaged under those conditions, the SUV does have better traction. When I engage the AWD Lock, I usually leave it engaged until it disengages itself when reaching the specific speed. Is it okay to leave it engaged until it disengages itself? Another example of use of this system is when I pull out of a gas station (for example). There is slushy snow at the entrace to the gas station that would normally cause the SUV to fishtail but some distance later the road condition is better (the asphalt is mostly clear). I engage the AWD Lock before driving over the slushy snow and let the system disengage itself when it reaches the specific speed. This means that the AWD lock is sometimes engaged in good (not perfect) road conditions for a short period of time. Is it okay to do this? Can you cause any damage to the transfer case or the transmission by doing this? What is the best and safe use of this AWD Lock Switch in this SUV? Thanks in advance for any responses.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I THINK that is all outlined in the owners manual, but I've always thought the awd (or 4wd) lock was for slippery conditions only, and should be disengaged when you get on grippy dry pavement and such. That knowledge is mostly based on the older "locked" 4WD systems though... I'm not exactly sure how the one in the rogue functions.

[Knight55]

I have checked the manual and it is not clear and slightly confusing in regard to this aspect. In one sentence it states to disengage AWD Lock when the vehicle is driving straight and in another it mentions that the lock can be used in rough road conditions. What if I am going straight in rough road conditions? How rough does the road have to be? I used to drive a Montero Sport many years ago and that is where my 4WD knowledge comes from. I realize that this SUV has a different 4WD setup. I am curious how resilient it is to driving for a short time on not slippery surfaces in a straight direction with AWD lock engaged.

[Rogue One]

The 2nd gen AWD system functions exactly the same way it does in the 1st gen models. I wouldn't overthink this as you'll probably never use the switch. It's there to help in a very limited capacity should you feel you need it. Be advised that it will not work at speeds above 25mph (IIRC).

AWD LOCK question
Question about 2013 Rogue AWD

[colonelcasey]

Is the Nissan Rogue one of the last ones in its class to have this kind of feature? It feels like every other car in the class (aside from the Subaru Forester) only let you stay in the auto setting where the computer decides when to engage AWD.