4x4 function

[Hobbit]

When the 4x4 I pressed can u use any of the goat modes?The rock/crawl and mud/ruts r automatically kicked Into 4X4. Winter is coming and it get icy were I am.

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[RushMan]

When the 4x4 I pressed can u use any of the goat modes?The rock/crawl and mud/ruts r automatically kicked Into 4X4. Winter is coming and it get icy were I am.

Sure. The G.O.A.T. modes provide additional adjustments of the drivetrain in addition to what is changed by manually selecting 4WD, Rear lockers, or turning off Traction control. Specifically, the G.O.A.T. modes adjust throttle response, steering and braking control, and shift points differently for each mode.
See here:
https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/threads/goat-modes-terrain-management-system-explained.1373/

 

[Mark S.]

Aside from using certain modes on dry pavement, there really isn't anything you can do with the buttonology in the car to damage anything. Your best source of information regarding system use is in your owner's manual.

See the following:

USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

HOW DOES G.O.A.T. MODE CONTROL WORK

MUD/RUTS

ROCK CRAWL

SLIPPERY

In my opinion, the system is smart enough that you don't really need to select any of these modes for typical winter driving. Leave your G.O.A.T. system set to NORMAL and let it do its thing. The main reason for my recommendation is you don't need to switch out of whatever mode you're using every time road conditions change.

For example, say you are driving on side roads to get to a main thoroughfare during a winter storm. The plows haven't gotten to the side roads yet, and they are snow/ice covered, so you select SLIPPERY mode. Once you get to the plowed and largely dry main thoroughfare you have to switch back to NORMAL mode or risk undue wear to system components (mainly the clutches in the power transfer unit and rear diff). If you simply leave the system in NORMAL, the computer automatically and transparently activates whatever 4WD system components are required to maintain traction, then switches them off once you are on dry pavement. I doubt very much the average driver will notice any difference in traction between SLIPPERY and NORMAL modes under typical on-road use.

 

[RSH]

The Bronco Sport is always in 4WD.
Depending on which model you have, some have added capability, the Badlands for example has additional GOAT modes, locking rear differential and 4WD lock.
I typically drive in normal mode until I start loosing forward motion and then select the appropriate GOAT mode for the situation and continue my journey.

 

[AmazingSieve]

Its an AWD drive car, it'll kick power to the back if it feels slipping in the front wheels. The center and rear locks keep power going to all four. The rear locker is electronically engaged and will disengage speeds automatically at a certain speed, somewhere around 15-20mph best I can tell, might even be lower. The center locker can be engaged to a reasonably high point as far as I can tell from my experience.

You can use the GOAT modes and selecting different transfer case options wont change the GOAT mode programming. I was messing around with slippery mode during the last snow and I was skeptical of it but it does help. The car shifts a lower rpms and throttle response as a consequence is a bit more dull as well which helps.

 

[Big Ben]

When the 4x4 I pressed can u use any of the goat modes?The rock/crawl and mud/ruts r automatically kicked Into 4X4. Winter is coming and it get icy were I am.

Where do you see an option to engage 4x4 on a B Sport? They are AWD, There is no 4x4 button on my Big Bend.

 

[Bluejaye]

Where do you see an option to engage 4x4 on a B Sport? They are AWD, There is no 4x4 button on my Big Bend.

https://gofatherhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-ford-bronco-sport-10.jpg

Might be a Badlands only thing.

 

[Hobbit]

Where do you see an option to engage 4x4 on a B Sport? They are AWD, There is no 4x4 button on my Big Bend.

I don’t know if the badlands is different. It’s right where the goat modes r

 

[davidg4781]

Aside from using certain modes on dry pavement, there really isn't anything you can do with the buttonology in the car to damage anything. Your best source of information regarding system use is in your owner's manual.

See the following:

USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

HOW DOES G.O.A.T. MODE CONTROL WORK

MUD/RUTS

ROCK CRAWL

SLIPPERY

In my opinion, the system is smart enough that you don't really need to select any of these modes for typical winter driving. Leave your G.O.A.T. system set to NORMAL and let it do it's thing. The main reason for my recommendation is you don't need to switch out of whatever mode you're using every time road conditions change.

For example, say you are driving on side roads to get to a main thoroughfare during a winter storm. The plows haven't gotten to the side roads yet, and they are snow/ice covered, so you select SLIPPERY mode. Once you get to the plowed and largely dry main thoroughfare you have to switch back to NORMAL mode or risk undue wear to system components (mainly the clutches in the power transfer unit and rear diff). If you simply leave the system in NORMAL, the computer automatically and transparently activates whatever 4WD system components are required to maintain traction, then switches them off once you are on dry pavement. I doubt very much the average driver will notice any difference in traction between SLIPPERY and NORMAL modes under typical on-road use.

I agree with this thinking.

I drove on some very loose sand a few months ago and tried both Normal and Sand modes. Both did fine but I could tell a difference in shift points in Sand.

I think maybe Sand and Rock Crawl (or whatever that one's called) might be the only time a mode might be better, mainly to control throttle and shift responses but you'll be fine in Normal modes.

 

[sinbuster007]

i have badlands. i have all time 4x4 button at the GOAT dial...one of my options plus the rock crawl....which i dont think other models have....
if we get snow (which im hoping) i want to play with my bronco.... see what it can do/cannot do.

 

[Hobbit]

I agree with this thinking.

I drove on some very loose sand a few months ago and tried both Normal and Sand modes. Both did fine but I could tell a difference in shift points in Sand.

I think maybe Sand and Rock Crawl (or whatever that one's called) might be the only time a mode might be better, mainly to control throttle and shift responses but you'll be fine in Normal modes.

Aside from using certain modes on dry pavement, there really isn't anything you can do with the buttonology in the car to damage anything. Your best source of information regarding system use is in your owner's manual.

See the following:

USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

HOW DOES G.O.A.T. MODE CONTROL WORK

MUD/RUTS

ROCK CRAWL

SLIPPERY

In my opinion, the system is smart enough that you don't really need to select any of these modes for typical winter driving. Leave your G.O.A.T. system set to NORMAL and let it do it's thing. The main reason for my recommendation is you don't need to switch out of whatever mode you're using every time road conditions change.

For example, say you are driving on side roads to get to a main thoroughfare during a winter storm. The plows haven't gotten to the side roads yet, and they are snow/ice covered, so you select SLIPPERY mode. Once you get to the plowed and largely dry main thoroughfare you have to switch back to NORMAL mode or risk undue wear to system components (mainly the clutches in the power transfer unit and rear diff). If you simply leave the system in NORMAL, the computer automatically and transparently activates whatever 4WD system components are required to maintain traction, then switches them off once you are on dry pavement. I doubt very much the average driver will notice any difference in traction between SLIPPERY and NORMAL modes under typical on-road use.

thanks mark it’s so much more different then my old geo. I would put tires in 4x4 so my hands wouldn’t freeze when I really needed it and that’s it lol. Living in northern west bc is has lots of weather shifts

 

[Hobbit]

Thanks everyone this is so helpful. I will have to experiment and explore this car

 

[sajohnson]

Aside from using certain modes on dry pavement, there really isn't anything you can do with the buttonology in the car to damage anything. Your best source of information regarding system use is in your owner's manual.

See the following:

USING FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE

HOW DOES G.O.A.T. MODE CONTROL WORK

MUD/RUTS

ROCK CRAWL

SLIPPERY

In my opinion, the system is smart enough that you don't really need to select any of these modes for typical winter driving. Leave your G.O.A.T. system set to NORMAL and let it do its thing. The main reason for my recommendation is you don't need to switch out of whatever mode you're using every time road conditions change.

For example, say you are driving on side roads to get to a main thoroughfare during a winter storm. The plows haven't gotten to the side roads yet, and they are snow/ice covered, so you select SLIPPERY mode. Once you get to the plowed and largely dry main thoroughfare you have to switch back to NORMAL mode or risk undue wear to system components (mainly the clutches in the power transfer unit and rear diff). If you simply leave the system in NORMAL, the computer automatically and transparently activates whatever 4WD system components are required to maintain traction, then switches them off once you are on dry pavement. I doubt very much the average driver will notice any difference in traction between SLIPPERY and NORMAL modes under typical on-road use.

Excellent post!

I'll add that I do recall seeing videos in which they demonstrated how sometimes (rarely for most of us) it can be beneficial to manually select the appropriate mode, rather than allow the computer to do it -- because the computer must see a certain amount of tire spin before switching out of normal and engaging another mode.

Typically, as Mark said, under most ordinary conditions that doesn't matter and won't be noticed, but in difficult off-road conditions it can be helpful to switch manually, ahead of time.

For our driving, we do what Mark recommends and just leave it in normal -- for the reasons he stated.

My wife's previous vehicle, a '97 RAV4, has a Torsen rear diff, and manually locking center. Locking the center did help with traction in severe conditions, but we would unlock it as soon as possible because with the center locked it would "crab" -- the rear tires would follow a different track than the front. I wonder if that's an issue with the BS and/or BS BL? If so, that may be another reason to leave it in normal.

 

[SBGrad]

I will have to experiment and explore this car

Great idea. The car will tell you if you accidentally make a mistake.

At Off Roadeo I was in Rock Crawl mode, which automatically selected '4WD' and the rear diff. At one point I hit the 4WD button to take it out of 4WD mode. The car put up a diagnostic screen telling me that I can't deselect 4WD while Rock Crawl is engaged. I changed the GOAT dial from Rock Crawl to Normal, and then you can turn 4WD and the diff on and off manually.

A couple weeks ago I said in another thread that I couldn't recommend Off Roadeo enough. On the way out, our trail guide suggested modes and told us how they work. After the turnaround he told us to experiment and pick whatever modes we wanted-- and he would be on the radio if we had questions or wanted suggestions for matching modes with terrain.

The first thought that entered my head, ' not my car, let's play around!' Yeah, I made through ignorance, a mistake, but as I outlined above, the car will tell you if you attempt to mess up the GOAT/4WD/diff settings.

Off Roadeo is fantastic for building up your confidence.

 

[Mark S.]

A couple weeks ago I said in another thread that I couldn't recommend Off Roadeo enough. On the way out, our trail guide suggested modes and told us how they work. After the turnaround he told us to experiment and pick whatever modes we wanted-- and he would be on the radio if we had questions or wanted suggestions for matching modes with terrain.

Ditto on the Off Roadeo, although I took a different tack. The only time I actually followed directions about mode selection was when she asked us to use Trail Control, the system that sets and holds a speed for you. I wanted to see how it worked. Other than that, I left the G.O.A.T. mode in NORMAL the entire time. Why? Me old Gaffer told me once that 4WD, chains, etc. are emergency gear, not to be used until needed. I decided to follow that guidance at the Off Roadeo just see what'd happen. I thought if I got stuck in NORMAL mode I would consider that an emergency and select whatever mode our guide had recommended to get me out. I never got stuck. I never even got close to getting stuck. I determined that NORMAL mode likely knows a helluva lot more about the appropriate modes/components to employ for any give situation than the overwhelming majority of drivers out there. I'm certain it's a lot smarter than me.

Don't get me wrong: the modes are fun to play with. I've tried different modes in different situations, and other than using SPORT in the snow I didn't really notice significantly different behavior. There are minor differences in the throttle response and shift points, and that's about it. I think if you need to get somewhere you should just leave it in NORMAL and the car will probably make better choices about modes than you will.

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