2005 & up Xterra & Frontier Atlas Install

*Navigate Xterra Installtion by using the Xterra Installation navigation payne on the left.

In 2WD (rear axle in high, front in neutral) the truck will behave just like normal. Shifting into 4HI can be done at a stop or on the fly at normal road speeds as long as there is no tire spin condition occurring at the time. The dash icon will indicate 4WD.

Shifting into low range takes a little extra. The front axle must be in neutral for the rear axle to go into low range. You cannot shift one axle into low range if the other is in high range. Likewise you cannot shift one axle into high range if the other is in low range, the Atlas will not allow mixing of gear ratios.

Typically shifting into low range starts with putting the front axle into neutral. With the transmission in neutral shift the rear axle from high to low range. If the shifter stops in neutral, then turn off the engine and complete the shift, do not force the shifter. It is very difficult for the synchronizer to stop the transmission output shaft after it starts spinning, which it will do even in neutral due to the viscous drive of the transmission fluid between all the clutch packs, even when they are released in neutral. Once the rear axle reaches neutral or low range the 4LO indicator will come on. At this point you now have rear axle only low range. Front axle can be selected between neutral and low range at will. Try to always keep either or both axle in gear at any time, avoid shifting both into neutral. As long as at least one axle is in gear, the transmission output shaft will be stopped and the shifting will be relatively easy. A slow speed often helps shifting into and out of gear.

Shifting back into 2WD is just the opposite of shifting into 4LO. Again, remember that you cannot mix ratios. Front axle will not allow solo high range operation. So shift the front axle to neutral, shift the rear from Lo to Hi. Turn off the engine if the shifter stops in neutral.

At this point you will encounter the only known glitch so far. The transfer case computer will not be happy with the shift directly from 4Lo to 2Hi. It didn’t see the shift through 4Hi. This confuses the computer, the amber 4WD fail indicator on the dash will come on and the LCD display on the dash will be off. Throttle mapping may be stuck in the 4Lo setting and feel sluggish. To fix, just shift the front axle into high range for a moment. The computer will see the 4Hi that it normally expects, comes back to life and is happy again. This will trigger a hidden fault code, just ignore it. Nothing can be done about it. If you get hassled about the code during emissions testing, clear the code and do not use 4Lo before returning to the testing station. The code can only occur if Lo range is used.