How do i know if my car is really in 4x4 i pull the lever and the light goes on i know my last xj a 92 i would feel it engage and hear it and rpms would slightly go up but now Im onto a newer 2001 and i just not sure

 

usually its harder to do a u-turn

 

trust the light !

 

i diddent try that a friend busted his 4x4 on his dakota by doing that

 

you say trust the light any reason behind this?

 

sensors in the transfer case tell the light to come on i'm pretty sure. but what do i know, i come from toyotas.

 

when you have the lever in 4wd.. accel hard and see if the rears spin.
And what does doing a u-turn have to do with breaking your 4wd?

 

Wheels need to spin a bit and hard dry pavement doesn't allow for that thus things break. That is why you are not advised to engage part time 4WD on pavement.

 

hense the " harder to do a u turn" comment. you will trash some stuff doing a full two lane u-turn in 4wd, DONT EVEN TRY IT

 

The thing is this is only my second 4x4 so i cant really tell i was driving in muddy sand today so i figured it was a good chance to use it but i wasent really even having truble staying un-stuck i engauged it just after i entered the sand/mud mix and disengauged just befor i exited it.