I feel the added load too--just as you describe. It is turning the entire front drivetrain in 4WD so it seems perfectly normal to me.

To speed up locking the center diff, you may want to turn the steering wheel left or right (do NOT go left AND right). The gears for the front and rear driveshaft inside your transfer case has to line up for you to lock it. So, if you turn one way, then one gear will go slightly faster than the other gear, thus lining them up quicker. If you turn left and right repeatedly, then this may actually slow down the locking speed.

Remember, you need room to do this...so, don't go and run into a tree or something!

This is ridiculous (not you -- thanks for the info; Toyota is ridiculous) -- Toyota made such an bad product that (if one follows this kind of procedure) really puts drivers in danger.

I've noticed that on my 04 SR5 a loud clunking sound sometimes occurs when switching from H2 to H4, but It's never not engaged....I've just always assumed that it's the gears in the differential lining up. I usually have to let my foot off the accelerator and slow down a bit, drive it a few feet and the light quits blinking and the system engages. Hope this is normal.....

I hava an 06 4 Runner, and the darned light stays on and the 4WD does not engage. I have tried just about everything to get it to engage. What does it cost to get the vacuum actuator replaced? My 4 Runner is off warranty!
It is my wifes vehicle and it goes all summer without getting the 4WD engaged! So it sounds like the actuator has failed. Is the actuator on an 06 an electric motor, or a vacuum device!

How many miles? The powertrain warranty lasts 60k. The actuator is electric. A few folks have had similar issues to yours.


Having said that I am confused, you say the light is on but the 4wd isn't working. Is the light on steady? How do you know it's not working?

I have the same issue. Did u ever figure out what was wrong?

In the User Manual it says to use the 4WD once a month consistently to keep it lubricated.

I'm seeing mostly 4th gens with this issue. Do the 3rd gens have this problem? Curious because I'm looking for a 3rd gen.

Guys,

My wife has a 2007 sr5 v6. I've tried a few times to engage 4hi, the green 4x4 indicator light flashes as well as an orange differential lock indicator. Both flash, and it doesn't feel like 4x4 is engaged. I've tried to do this from a rolling start, at a stop, from drive, from neutral, tried driving a few feet, tried reversing a few feet...nothing. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Yesterday the 4WD on my 2006 V6 4.0L started acting up and would not engage to 4H despite driving slow on a straight stretch of road for several miles. I then tried to turn it back to 2H while driving but the 4WD indicator light just kept blinking and wouldnt shut off.

...At this point I am fuming because just 2 years ago I had to have the actuator motor replaced for a small fee of $3000...the transmission shop told me the part that they replaced looked like it had been marked as if it had been replaced once before I bought it which would make it the 3rd actuator motor in the vehicle that has died.....GRRRRRRRR!!!!

After a 30 minute drive home, I tried shifting in reverse and only then did the 4WD indicator light stop blinking and finally shut off. It appears that my 4WD will now only engage and disengage if I stop and drive in reverse for a few feet. Just a few weeks ago I was able to shift it from 2H to 4H "on the fly" with no problems....any ideas why it wouldnt be able to do that now? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as the warranty from the previous repair has just barely expired.

The actuator motor that operates the transfer case may have gone bad and might need to be replaced...I speak from experience since the same thing happened to me a few years ago and cost me $3000 to fix. Most of the cost is in the labor since the whole thing will need to be disassembled and then reassembled.

I hope this isnt the case with you but figured it might be the cause. Recommend exploring every other possible causes as this can be one of the most expensive things to fix.

ENGAGing 4wd on the fly never works for me..the lights blink n blink..i simply put it in neutral ,the 4wd lights blinks..then i put it in drive and the blinking stops...and the 4wd sytem is engaged..all this takes les than 6secs

Took the wife's '07 to the dealer yesterday. It was the accuator. Waiting on the part to come in. Luckily I bought the extended warranty or I'd be out $1900 plus rental fees.

I have one for you guys... I own an 02' sport edition and I experience some of the same issues. I can only engage my 4x4 when my truck is in neutral. The center diff locking mechanism will also only engage when in beau trial but does take a little longer. However I don't think that the system is operating correctly when the I take the VSC off. When I press that button the vehicle acts as if the front and the rear are not working together. Feels as if the front diff is binding up and causes the vehicle to slow down. Any suggestions?