Hi All,
For many years, I’ve had the joy of driving Subaru’s around. They’re small, lightweight and that symmetrical AWD system works really well. There have been times where those Subaru’s have outperformed bigger SUV’s. Unfortunately, they’re also small and lightweight:
• Small – yeah… that forward angled rear pillar makes it impossible to get the kid in and out of the car. Then try fitting her cousins in the back, all their gear and the dog too.
• Lightweight – Having a wife and 2-year-old daughter who are prone to car sickness does not go down well. In fact, it comes up… a lot.
So out with the smaller family wagon and in with the new. Couldn’t afford one of the later model Subaru Foresters with extended leg room, so had to look at alternative vehicles. Que the 1996 Isuzu Wizard.
I knew a little bit about the Wizards since my brother had previously owned a 1999 model with all the problems associated with that engine. Knew the 4JG2 was a good motor and figured at 280,000kms it had a reasonable amount of life still left in it. Also figured there were key maintenance items about due (such as the alternator) which have proven true so far. The thing that I wasn’t expecting was the 4wd performance, or lack thereof.
We have 12.5 acres of land with a creek that runs through the middle of it. On the far side of this creek is a bank that I have driven up many times in the Outback and also in Foresters in many weather conditions. It’s approx. 30% incline with a clay base. Short story is, I could not get the Wizard up that slope. It crabbed sideways on me every time the front wheels reached over the top and the rear could no longer find traction in the clay and I’ve lost confidence in the vehicle. Since then I’ve been spending a bit of time on Google trying to understand how the 4wd system works on my Wizard and how to can adapt my driving accordingly. The conclusion being that Subaru’s ‘point-and-drive’ system must have made me a lazy ‘off roader’. I’m finding myself in a whole new world and the biggest issue is there’s too much information not specific to my vehicle. Apparently, LSD’s on the front and rear were optional factory extras and I have yet to learn whether my vehicle has them or not. I’m also finding myself prejudiced by my knowledge of Subaru AWD systems.
Google’s abundant knowledge suggests that when I engage 4L on the lever, that it locks the drivetrain front-to-back. What happens after this on my Wizard and what would I need to do to my vehicle to make it up a simple embankment that my old Outback (on road tires) went up no problem?