what could be the coz of ( 4WD! ) light in my Jeep patriot 2010, could be a bad rim or bad tire? ot this is some thing BIG?

I think we can rule out a bad rim or bad tire. If the 4WD warning light stays on constantly after you start the Jeep, you most likely will need to have the 4WD system itself at by a mechanic. Check the Owner's Manual to see what recommendations it gives for this warning light. It may be safe to drive, but the 4WD system is probably disabled...If it's a FULL TIME 4WD, it may NOT be safe to drive at ALL.

thank you for your answer, my jeep is not full time 4wd, its an option, and i will try to change the rim 1st then if not clear i will change the tire, just to clarify. thanx racer_x

Hello anaszeedia...Glad to be of help! How badly are the rim and tire damaged? The fact that the tire is damaged AT ALL is a safety issue and should be addressed ASAP. Your issue really might be independent of either the tire or the rim, but rather the Drive system itself. Again, I'd strongly suggest checking out the "Warning Lights" section of the Owner's Manual....I have a 2010 4WD SUV (Mitsu Outlander) myself and ran into an issue with the Stability Control Light staying on, when I switched it to 4WD mode....it was fixed under warranty. Yours may still be under warranty as well, so can't hurt to have a Jeep Dealer check it out for free! Keep me (us) posted....The other CarGurus are still asleep in their Sponge Bob PJ's....LOL!

silly bunny...been up since 3AM and 80 degree temps has me "goin' native" instead of jammies...thank you...and I yes some of us actually get your humor....none seem to get mine~

the dealer in the where i am is not that good, ( pasted on my several time experiances ), but after i answered you i went to check that, and i found some one is specialized in these jeeps, and after check by computer he said the main problem is in the new 2 tires sizes that i changed recently!!! and i have to change it to original size (17 60 215), the that i checked almost every where here with no hope to find it :( soon i will go to nearist main city and i will post the result. thank you Racer_X thank you judge_roy

hi again it works, i did changed back the tires to the original size and that light "4WD!" is "history" now (: hope every one read this to share it. (keep your tires original size, even its ugly).

anaszeedia...Glad to hear that it was just the tires and NOT the 4WD system itself causing the issue! Keeping the tires and rims at (or very close to) the OEM Specifications is REALLY the way to go!

Could you guys help me? My 4wd! Light is staying on also. It came on 2 days ago as I was pulling out of the parking lot from getting 2 new tires on the front and having them aligned. after reading all of this I think it may be the pproblem. I just looked and realized the new tires on the front are 15 50 17 and the old ones on the back are 15 60 17. Could that be enough of a difference for that to be the problem?

I have 2007 jeep patriot the 4wd! Light is on. I do have 225/65/17 on the frontAnd 215/65/17 on the rear. Would that make it go on. It is off when I turn off and start back up but as soon as I hit the gas or start moving the light comes back on

Anyone with a Jeep Patriot or Compass that has a 4WD, regardless if it's a 4x4, Full Time AWD or a 4WD system, needs to know that with any of the 4x4 type drivetrain, you have to have the same size tires on the vehicle. Some tire shops say that as long as they are only 1/4 inch different, it's okay. I would never let someone tell me that different size tires is okay with any 4WD system. They all need to rotate the same. I've taken off 2 different tires & checked them side by side, rolling them. If one tire is able to move ahead of the other, then think what it's doing when you're driving at 45 mph.... If even 1 tire is different, it could damage the 4WD system or the vehicle. On my 2010 Patriot, the previous owner had Michelin 225/65r17's installed. Those are actually great tires however I've also read that the way the ECM is programed, it can pick up on the different tire size & set off the 4WD! light. I'm still looking for anything else that could trip the system & cause the light to go on. I do know this, I had the hood opened looking to see if I could get to the front turn signal bulbs & looked at the grounding strap that goes from the engine, over to the body. It is green from being 10 years old. Although it's connected, I wiggled it & when I started the Jeep up that day, the light was off. With these vehicles, even electrical plugs sometimes need to be unplugged, then plugged back in. Our Honda's ABS system warning light would come on, causing the Check Engine Light to stay on. I unplugged the ABS system cable under the hood, then plugged it back in & the ABS light went off. So even small things like that can cause issue that trip the warning system light on. I am going to see what happens. If the light stays off, then I may replace the grounding strap, that green corrosion is the same as a corroded Negative battery cable & can cause all sorts of problems. Although you may need to take the vehicle in & get it checked out by a mechanic, sometimes we have to start looking at our own vehicle & become acquainted with everything. It's been warm this week, so I'm taking advantage of the warmer winter weather before I give up even a couple hundred dollars cause the dealers are not cheap. ***Perhaps I'll also look for a good 4x4 shop.*** They usually have experience with these Jeep's with the ''4WD! Light'' issue have been fixed... Hope I am able to help someone out....