What Does “4D” Mean On A Car?

Published May 14, 2024
in Ownership

While researching which next car to buy, you’ll come across numerous terms, jargon, and acronyms being thrown around. It’s a common source of confusion, especially if you’re a first-time buyer or new to the automotive world.

One particular question that many of our readers and customers have is, “What does 4D mean on a car?”

For today’s post, we’ll shed light and give some answers to the question: what does 4D mean on a car? To be comprehensive, we’ll cover all known meanings of the 4D designation, as well as the terms that are often used interchangeably by people (i.e., 4x4, FWD).

What Does 4D Mean?

Perhaps the most common usage of 4D is a reference to “four doors,” while 2D means two doors. In addition, if the car has four doors (4D) and a trunk, it’s referred to as a sedan. Meanwhile, a car with only two doors (2D) and a trunk is classified as a coupe.

The term originated from the 17th century; a sedan (aka saloon) is a passenger vehicle with three separate compartments for the engine, passengers, and trunk or cargo. On the other hand, the coupe refers to a sportier car with two doors and a sloping roofline.

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What Does 4D Mean in an Automatic Transmission?

Another aspect where you’ll encounter the question, “What does 4D mean on a car” is with a vehicle’s transmission. Basically, 4D is one of the gear positions you shift into and is generally found in automatic transmissions. When you’re moving between gears, 4D is one of the positions that you should be familiar with.

D generally means “drive” and is also one of the shifting positions in an automatic transmission. When you shift your gear to the letter “D,” it means that your car is in normal driving mode, and the kit will automatically choose a speed for driving.

Moreover, you should know that most automatic transmission systems have one reverse gear and four forward gears - the first gear (low), second gear, third gear, and fourth gear (overdrive).

Therefore, when you see 4D in your vehicle’s dashboard, it means that you’re driving (D) and in fourth gear (4D). Basically, when your gear shift is in the 4D position, it means that the vehicle will drive on its fourth gear in equilibrium after reaching the correct speeds.

What Does 4D Mean on a Gear Shift?

Also referred to as a gear stick or gear lever, the gear shift is the metal level that connects to the vehicle’s transmission. In manual transmission systems, the gear shift is generally referred to as the gear lever, while in an automatic transmission, it’s the gear selector.

The gear selector typically features four forward gears and one reverse gear, as pointed out earlier. However, some automatic vehicles have positions that have both numbers and letters, including 1, 2, D, L, & S.

In the automotive world, this automatic transmission system is called the “Prindle,” derived from the pronunciation of the PRNDL gear selector for Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low. For cars with “1, 2, D, L, S,” it essentially means First gear, Second gear, Drive, Low, and Sport.

In this setup, the D or Drive covers all the forward gears, and the transmission selects the gears automatically depending on several factors like speed, throttle position, etc. Most people use the Drive position to advance their vehicles.

Moreover, you’ll also find vehicles with the following indicators: P, R, N, 4-D, 3, and 2-L. In this case, this means that your gear selector has Park, Reverse, Neutral, 4th gear normal driving, 3rd gear normal driving, and 2nd gear low-speed driving.

Ultimately, the 4-D or 4D on an automatic transmission combines two indicators: normal driving in 4th gear.

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Is 4D the Same as 4WD?

This is where the actual confusion starts since people tend to use these terms interchangeably – however, they’re not the same thing.

4WD is yet another acronym from the automotive world, which means Four Wheel Drive. For most folks, the four-wheel drive comes to mind when talking about drivetrains that send power to all four wheels of the vehicle. It’s a traditional concept that can be traced back to the conception of motorized transportation.

While it’s traditionally used for larger vehicles and SUVs with serious off-road chops, you can now find AWD systems on luxurious, upper-class models. The 4WD configuration works by sending torque to all four wheels to operate with maximum traction.

Is 4D the Same as 4x4?

In addition, we’ve seen many of our readers being confused by these terms and use them interchangeably. Essentially, 4D refers to a gear position in an automatic transmission, while 4x4 is similar to a 4WD with a few differences.

Technically, 4x4 indicates that the vehicle has four wheels, all of which are powered. Compare it to a 4x2 pickup truck where only two wheels are powered.

In contrast, the 4WD in vehicles indicates that it has four powered wheels, but not the number of wheels the car has. Technically, it could be a 4WD vehicle with six, eight, or any number of wheels - but only four of those will receive power. However, standard passenger vehicles have four wheels; it’s now generally assumed that FWD powers all wheels.

Some people might also wonder if the term “4D” connects to 4-cylinder engines, but this is not the case. The “4” in 4-cylinder refers to the number of cylinders in the engine, while the “D” in 4D refers to the drive gear in an automatic transmission. A 4-cylinder engine can be found in vehicles with various transmission types, including manual, automatic, and continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). The number of cylinders in an engine does not directly correlate to the number of gears or the specific gear positions in a vehicle’s transmission.

Understanding Other Transmission Gear Positions

In addition to 4D, automatic transmissions often have other gear positions that drivers should be familiar with. These may include:

P (Park): Used when the vehicle is stationary and prevents the wheels from turning.
R (Reverse): Allows the vehicle to move backward.
N (Neutral): Disengages the engine from the wheels, allowing the vehicle to roll freely.
D (Drive): The primary position for everyday driving, automatically allowing the transmission to shift through all available forward gears.
L (Low) or 1, 2, 3: Used for driving in lower gears, which can provide more engine braking and control when driving downhill or in slippery conditions.
S (Sport) or M (Manual): This option enables a semi-manual mode, allowing the driver to control gear changes using paddle shifters or the gear selector.

Understanding these gear positions and functions can help drivers optimize their vehicle’s performance and drive more safely in various conditions.

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Is 4D the Same as AWD?

For some reason, people also confuse 4D with AWD. However, it’s more likely that the confusion lies between 4WD and AWD. AWD or all-wheel drive logically indicates that all vehicle wheels are powered. The main difference between 4WD and AWD is driver intervention.

Most 4WD systems are part-time four-wheelers because the driver must manually activate the drivetrain to power all the wheels. Then, turn it off again when decent traction is restored.

AWD systems have the advantage of requiring no intervention from the driver. This means that the system does all the work while the driver focuses on the road. Old AWD systems have no controls at all, and it’s engaged at all times. However, most modern AWD systems feature a lock button that divides the torque between the front and rear axles.

Hopefully, we’ve answered everything you need to know about the question: “What does 4D mean on a car?”

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