Find an empty parking lot or space, stick your head out the window and watch the front tire, then punch it. If your front wheel doesn't spin, your AWD is not working. To be doubly sure, try it in 4HI, If still no spin, check to see if someone took your front driveshaft!!

 

Thats Honestly not even a good way to check as the front is probably set up with an open differential. Just go to an open field somewhere and punch it with the steering wheel turned and see if you leave any bite marks from the front side.

 

HuskerNation, I have a 2004 with the same options as you and I can tell you an easy way to check is to wait until it rains and at a stop light get on the gas. If you spin your rear tires, your AWD is not engaged correctly. I had the same question and have found out that the AWD is actually a 48% front to 52% rear power split for the AWD system. It actually is hard to do doughnuts in the snow with my truck. You might be able to do one but to keep going is hard unless you have a ton of room. The AWD works well.

 

I don't have ANY experience with the AWD Rams, mainly because when guys come my way for help it's with suspension/lifts and you are extremely limited on doing so with the AWD Rams.

But if I'm not mistaken, you should have the NP 246 transfer case which is the same one used for years by GM in all of their AWD models. I have owned a Chevy Z71 with this transfer case and am very familiar with it. I have NO IDEA what your owner's manual says about your transfer case, but I'm going on the assumption that care/maintenance would be the same as if this were on a Chevy.

First of all this transfer case is VERY fluid dependent, meaning that you not only need to make sure you use the proper fluid, but having fresh fluid is equally important for proper transfer case operation. The transfer will NOT function properly if you use normal ATF that you would put in a manual transfer case. I used GM Auto-Trak II in my Z71. I'm going to assume that Mopar has a special fluid for this transfer case as well.
Also the 30k mile change interval is VERY important for the proper automatic operation of this transfer case.

My Jeep has not only an automatic transfer case but automatic lockers as well and is equally as fluid dependent. I can tell right away when my fluid needs to be replaced because the transfer case will start to have a longer "reaction time" in transferring power and the lockers will begin to ratchet on tight turns. New fluid ALWAYS has brought it back to 100% operation and I've needed new fluid in as little as 22k miles at times. Other times it's still performed perfectly when I changed it at 30k. I guess it depends on how often the system is engaged.

If you find that power is not being automatically transferred to your front wheels I would suspect improper maintenance would be the culprit, especially if you use a "quickie lube" type place as they are gonna have NO CLUE as to the special needs of the AWD transfer case, especially since it wasn't put in a very large number of Rams...