2006 4R and 4x4

[madeinhb]

I just got the 06 4R with 4x4 and have a few questions as I don't want to damage it.

1) it will snow tonight and it will be my first driving in it tomorrow, so if I put it in 4x4 tonight and leave it in the garage , it should stay in 4x4 when I turn the engine off and I'd be ready for my driveway and street tomorrow right?

2) would it cause any damage leaving it 4x4 when there is no snow on the ground, so riding on wet pavement. I don't want to switch to 2x4 and then turn down a street that hasn't been plowed and get stuck because I can't switch it into 4x4.

Any other recommendations would be appreciated. I don't have the manual and I only found a little on the Internet.

Thanks.

 

[r6dallas]

If you drive with the 4x4 engaged on a dry road you could damage something. I would wait till the morning and check the condition of the road and if its snow covered I would engage the 4x4 then. You'll only have to move a foot or so for the 4x4 to engage. You'll feel the steering very heavy if the road to too dry for 4x4 at that point disengage the 4x4. Do you a v6 or v8, the v8s are full time 4wd with a locking center diff. The v6s are part time 4wd?:lookout:

 

[GMZ]

06 has multi mode so you could leave it in 4HI permanently if you wanted with no ill effects.

 

[Jeff S.]

If you drive with the 4x4 engaged on a dry road you could damage something. I would wait till the morning and check the condition of the road and if its snow covered I would engage the 4x4 then. You'll only have to move a foot or so for the 4x4 to engage. You'll feel the steering very heavy if the road to too dry for 4x4 at that point disengage the 4x4. Do you a v6 or v8, the v8s are full time 4wd with a locking center diff. The v6s are part time 4wd?:lookout:

I'm sorry, but that's not correct at all.

madeinhb,

Your 2006 Toyota 4runner has a center (torsen) differential and can be kept in 4X4 year round. You can leave in 4hi with no ill effects, and, further, can drive it at any speed and make full turns without scrubbing the tires.

This is the great beauty of our drive system. Our four wheel drive system allows the inside tires to spin at a different speed compared to the outside tires during a turn. (You can make a very slow, sharp turn whilst engaged in 4hi without experiencing driveline binding).

To ease your worry, let's compare the fourth gens (4Runners made from 2003-2009) with V6's vs V8's:

They are essentially the same exact system, except the V8 is full time four wheel drive (always in 4hi), whereas the V6 has the option of being rear-wheel drive (when the V6 is in two-wheel drive mode, the front drive shaft is not engaged, but it is still spinning, hence why we V6 drivers only experience a very slight drop in MPG when we place our trucks in 4hi).

When the V6 is in 4hi, it is operating exactly like a V8. To repeat, no harm can come from leaving it in 4hi. I, for example, will leave my V6 in 4hi for the duration of winter. The V6 in 4hi and the V8 in standard driving mode are similar to an AWD system like Audi's.

Now, if you lock the center differential, or place the selector in 4lo, then you must be careful. In either of those cases, the truck will act like a more traditional 4X4 system, and you must be driving on a slippery surface.

 

[madeinhb]

So basically I can have it in 4hi but make sure the center differential is unlocked.

 

[Jeff S.]

So basically I can have it in 4hi but make sure the center differential is unlocked.

Indeed. When the selector is turned to 4hi, a green four-tire symbol on the dash will blink for a few seconds, and once it turns solid the 4hi is engaged. The center diff lock is an amber/orange four-tire symbol.

I, and a few other V6 owners, will just leave the truck in 4hi throughout the winter. It's great in mixed conditions. Also, if it rains in the summer or the roads are slick for whatever reason, just put it in 4hi. There will only be a slight drop in MPG. The owner's manual even recommends a certain amount of miles driven each month in four wheel drive in order to keep the system lubed, so you might as well engage it whenever a possibility of a need for traction arises.

After getting used to the center differential, it will be hard to view other 4X4 systems as equals. I love the look of the the 5th gen TE, but it doesn't have a center diff (but does have a rear locker). It will be better offloading, but it cannot be driven the same in 4hi as our 4th gens.

In other words, our 4hi is a leave-it-and-forget-it system.

 

[madeinhb]

So the center diff lock (amber color) will stay solid when it's on and will do what when off?

 

[madeinhb]

I just took it around the block. When the amber lights are off the steering is heavier so I'm assuming that mean center diff is on. Didn't go far with that. I pushed the button and the amber 4 wheel light turned on and the VSC off came on, I'm assuming that means the center diff is off as it was just as easy to drive then as the 2 wheel drive

 

[ghostridr]

In addition to what Jeff S. stated, v6 models can also engage 4hi mode while moving. Just make sure you are driving straight when turning the knob from 2WD to 4WD-HI mode, not going above 45MPH and look for your 4x4 dash indicator to stop flashing and go solid.

 

[Jeff S.]

In normal 2hi mode, there should be nothing lighted on the dash.

When the selector is turned to 4hi, a green blinking four-tire will blink, then turn solid when it's engaged.

If there is only the green four-tire symbol, then the center diff is unlocked. This is the mode that you can leave-and-forget.

If you push the center diff lock button to the left of the steering wheel, an amber/orange four-tire symbol with an "x" between the front and rear tires will appear as will a "VSC off" light. If you're seeing the amber/orange symbol and "VSC off," then the center diff is locked. It's ok to drive with the diff locked on slippery surfaces.

The change in steering-wheel response is just torque feedback. It's natural, and each combination of driving mode may have a unique feeling to you.

If you attempt a really sharp turn with the diff locked (amber/orange four-tire symbol and "VSC off" light are lighted on the dash), then you will feel the steering-wheel jitter and the tires scrub (meaning one tire is trying to go faster/slower than another tire, but they're "locked" together and therefore must travel at the same speed, so one tire will be skipping. This eats at the tires rubber on dry pavement and puts extra pressure on the driveline components, but honestly isn't the worst thing in the world if it happens every now and then, especially on slippery surfaces). Making a sharp turn and feeling tire skip (scrub) used to be a method to make sure the 4X4 was engaged back in the day with lockable hudcaps.

 

[Jeff S.]

And have fun experimenting with it. Take it out and drive it in different modes. Engaging and disengaging the diff lock and putting it in and out of 4lo is good for the actuators. So by playing with the systems and putting your truck in different drive modes will actually lube and loosen all the components, and is therefore good for your truck. Actuator failure can be a problem for 4th gens, and lack of system engagement is a significant contributor.

 

[madeinhb]

Oh ok oops I was driving with it locked then. Luckily I didn't go far haha. So make sure just the green 4 wheel light is on and I'm good.

 

[Jeff S.]

Oh ok oops I was driving with it locked then. Luckily I didn't go far haha. So make sure just the green 4 wheel light is on and I'm good.

Yes sir. And it's totally ok to drive with the center diff locked. Our trucks are tough, and it takes a lot to hurt them. I'll drive with the diff locked when I'm still slipping in 4hi.


Quick rundown...

It's best to go from 2hi to 4hi on the fly (with the vehicle moving). It can engage if you're at a standstill, but will take a whole lot longer and in many cases won't engage at all. As another poster indicated, you shouldn't be traveling faster than 45mph when you engage it, but once the green four-tire symbol is solid, you can go as fast as you want (you can do anything in 4hi that you would do on 2hi). You should also be traveling in a straight line while going from 2hi to 4hi.

To go into 4lo, the vehicle must be stopped and in natural. It will ONLY go into 4lo with the vehicle stopped and in neutral. You can theoretically go straight from 2hi to 4lo (some have done it), but it's easiest for the truck to engage 4lo if your are already in 4hi.

As for the center diff lock, it can be locked/unlocked in either 4hi or 4lo. You cannot lock the center diff in 2hi. It is actually easiest on your truck to lock/unlock the center diff on the fly. Same rules apply: traveling forward in a straight line. However, you can lock/unlock the center diff at a stop.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

If you drive with the 4x4 engaged on a dry road you could damage something. I would wait till the morning and check the condition of the road and if its snow covered I would engage the 4x4 then. You'll only have to move a foot or so for the 4x4 to engage. You'll feel the steering very heavy if the road to too dry for 4x4 at that point disengage the 4x4. Do you a v6 or v8, the v8s are full time 4wd with a locking center diff. The v6s are part time 4wd?:lookout:

This a characteristic normally found on older 4X4 systems and Domestic vehicles. Toyota utilizes a multi-mode system with a slightly "looser" front axle design that doesn't bind up as much as the domestic/older units did.

Normally it is recommended that you use the center differential lock feature in straight line driving in situations where you are not able to get enough traction out of 4Hi or 4Lo. That being said, as part of normal habits it is recommended that at least once a month you engage all 4WD modes and drive in a straight line for at least a few hundred yards to lubricate and exercise the actuators and gears to prevent binding, seizing of the actuator, and leaking of the seals.

It is perfectly safe to leave your vehicle in 4Hi for as long as you desire, you might see an almost negligible drop in gas mileage and perhaps a little stiffer steering as you mentioned.

Enjoy your 4Runner!

 

[wadle5]

When I switch from 2hi to 4hi both the green lights AND amber tire lights blink on/off. Upon being engaged they both quit blinking and the green stay lit? This is normal yes?

 

[Jeff S.]

When I switch from 2hi to 4hi both the green lights AND amber tire lights blink on/off. Upon being engaged they both quit blinking and the green stay lit? This is normal yes?

Sounds like an electronic ghost. Just the green blinks whilst I'm switching from 2H to 4H.

 

[madeinhb]

Both the green and amber blink on mine but once engaged, just the green stays lit

 

[Jeff S.]

Both the green and amber blink on mine but once engaged, just the green stays lit

Hmmm, maybe I'm the oddball out, as my amber center diff lock light only blinks when I'm locking/unlocking the center diff. Or maybe it's just a change in the years. Mine is an '04 SR5 V6.

Madeinhb,

I'm not sure if this link will work, as it's from mobile YouTube, but its the best explanation of how a differential works:

Around The Corner (1937) How Differential Steering Works - YouTube

The video may seem a little cheesy at first, but very informative.

We have front and rear differentials that allow the tires connected on the same axle to travel at different speeds. The center torsen tranfer case is a differential and works using the same principle as the front and rear differentials. The center differential works with the driveshafts by allowing the front and rear axle to spin at different speeds. So when you "lock" the center differential, you are basically bypassing the center differential causing the front and rear drive shafts to spin together.

This is pretty informative too: http://www.pocuk.com/faq/4x4explained.htm

It explains why we can drive all the time in 4H, but locking the center differential can help if you're still losing traction. When I find myself slipping on some really icy roads, locking the center diff really makes a difference in control.

 

[madeinhb]

Thanks for the info. This is my first 4x4 as I had front wheel before. I went out tonight and put it in 4x4 and drove around fine. I actually barely noticed a difference. Left it in 4x4 in case of the snow we are suppose to get tonight. I read the article and now feel better with the knowledge on what I can and can not do with it. Much appreciated.

 

[JB.]

Btw, most of the difference in gas mileage between the 2wd only 4Runner and the 4wd is simply due to the weight of the extra hardware. There's very little reason to go back to 2wd before you're ready. Some of the V6 guys in wintery states leave it in 4Hi all winter.