from what i am starting to learn also about mine is this, you can manually lock the hubs but have the switch inside the truck in 2wd then when you do need the 4wd there already locked and the 4wd will just engage, i think the word auto is a neutral setting so they spin free all the time, ie less binding and not having the front axle locked in all the time for better mpgs.... then when they are engaged there fully locked in 4wd