07 Sr5 4WD 4.0L A/T. I came to this vehicle from a 95 Tacoma V6, M/T, manual T/C & I know the electronic version is slower but really........Whenever I select 4Hi, it seems to take a very long time for the actuator to actually engage. Like minutes as opposed to seconds. (I haven't actually timed it but I can if it will help with the question) To the extent that I frequently no longer need 4WD by the time it engages. As in I have already slipped & slid my way through the snowy stretch. Any thoughts on what if anything can be done to make it work more quickly?

Should not take that long. Mine usually shifts in 3-7 seconds. Occasionally I've had it not switch, and the indicator light on the dash keeps blinking. When it does, I'll stop, go in reverse, then stop, shift into Neutral, then flip the switch knob again.

Pages 167 - 175 for 4WD operation

4Runner Owners Manual - 2008

https://assets.sia.toyota.com/public...f/OM35897U.pdf

If the 4LO" (low speed four−wheel drive) indicator light continues to blink and the buzzer sounds when you operate the four−wheel drive control switch knob to the H4" or L4" position, drive forward or backward in a short distance, then stop the vehicle completely, shift the automatic transmission selector lever securely into N" and operate the switch knob again.

If the indicator continues to blink even if doing so, contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. There may be a trouble in the four−wheel drive system

In my experience after basically never using 4WD for ten years it took a long time to engage. Last year or two I've been using it somewhat often and the engagement has gotten much faster and consistent. I am using it daily the past few weeks and it works as expected, 3-4 seconds usually.

It seems like the way it works is it checks parameters are nominal and then makes an attempt, and then if that doesn't work, backs off and tries again, maybe with some sort of "cooldown" multiplier. You can hear the relays clicking when it kicks off an attempt so there is some audible indicator of this.

I have the same problem (07 4runner) but it sometimes takes up to 5 minutes to engage 4WD even while driving.

My 07 takes a while and sometimes I have to “double tap” or switch it back to 2hi then to 4hi and it’ll engage quickly. I’m just used to it being slow and quirky