2H to 4H not working (kind of)

[ccvortex]

Not sure if this is normal or not but my truck will not switch to 4H from 2H unless the vehicle is moving in Drive. If I engage 4H while in Park the 2wd to 4wd lights on the dash just blink forever. If I set the 4wd dial to 4H before starting the truck it does the same thing; it won't engage.

Normal or not normal?

 

[RUN-4-LIFE]

Normal for me. When in neutral you could force it into 4h by going into 4l. Then going back into 4h. Had to do that when I got stuck.

 

[ccvortex]

So start truck, put in N, switch to 4L then after it engages switch to 4H?

 

[robaroni]

Mine doesn't switch to 4H until the vehicle is moving either. I think that is normal.

 

[Inv4drZm]

You have to be moving forward for the gears to mesh I'm just guessing. The light stays on on the dash because the sensor reads when the front driveshaft spins or something similiar. I'm not sure about any of this, just trying to explain it mechanically. When do you need 4wd when you're not moving anyway? If you get stuck, its most of the time easy enough to engage it before you get to that point.

 

[ccvortex]

You have to be moving forward for the gears to mesh I'm just guessing. The light stays on on the dash because the sensor reads when the front driveshaft spins or something similiar. I'm not sure about any of this, just trying to explain it mechanically. When do you need 4wd when you're not moving anyway? If you get stuck, its most of the time easy enough to engage it before you get to that point.

The problem is it still takes 5 to 10 seconds after the car is moving and after I turn the 4wd dial for the gears to mesh... I could easily get stuck in that 50 to 60 feet needed to engage the 4wd.

 

[wnelax04sr5]

when you flip it to 4x4 initially put it in neutral, then drive, then reverse, then back to drive, and id be willing to be it goes right in

 

[RonJR]

I can't solve your slow switching problem, but I will point out that, with a center differential, there is absolutely no reason to be driving around anywhere in 2wd where you might fairly quickly need 4wd. The center diff means you can travel on dry pavement with no issues, so if you're off-roading, or on intermittently slick roads, just switch to 4hi at the beginning of the trip and forget about it.

 

[ccvortex]

when you flip it to 4x4 initially put it in neutral, then drive, then reverse, then back to drive, and id be willing to be it goes right in

Where is that sequence do I switch it to 4H?

 

[Drunner97]

when you flip it to 4x4 initially put it in neutral, then drive, then reverse, then back to drive, and id be willing to be it goes right in

^ +1

Where is that sequence do I switch it to 4H?

You put it in 4H, then go through the sequence. Mine usually clicks in after about 10 or 15 feet of driving, but I've done the drive/neutral/rev thing while sitting still as well. You can also throw it in drive, go two feet, throw it in rev, go two feet, and that will probably do it too. It's a finicky beast sometimes.

 

[ccvortex]

Well, I went outside and it locked into 4H almost instantly even in Park, so I'll have to wait until it fails again to try this sequence, but thanks everyone, it makes me a feel a little better knowing this isn't a problem per se.

 

[RUN-4-LIFE]

https://vimeo.com/152734748

Going through all this trouble of switching transfer case. Posted a video, In 4h in 5 seconds. Driving in 10. No need to even flip through gears.

 

[ccvortex]

Thanks for that run-4life, seems that's the fastest way for sure.

 

[ccvortex]

OK, I went to pick up the wife yesterday and was waiting for her in the parking lot of her work when I decided to try out what you did in that video. I put in into N, switched the 4wd to 4L and it never went into Low. Lights just blinked and wouldn't engage.

I then tried to put it into 4H and it wouldn't do that either. I put the truck into Drive and tried to move forward but I could tell there was quite a bit of force needed to move forward. I could also hear some gear binding.

I shut the truck off, put it back into 2H and stared it up again, but the 4wd lights were still blinking. I put it into Drive again and moved forward for about 100 feet with it feeling like I was towing a huge trailer. It finally snapped into 4H, then I switched it back into 2H and it returned as normal.

Must be something wrong with it, right?

 

[fdbyrne]

Have you tried switching in and out of 4HI again since you successfully got it engaged? My experience is that after it finally engages, it will work fine from then on as long as you exercise the actuators regularly.

 

[ccvortex]

Nope, was too afraid too. Thought maybe I was one dial click away from transfer case replacement.

 

[CookieRoe]

Nope, was too afraid too. Thought maybe I was one dial click away from transfer case replacement.

It sounds as though you actuator IS working, but not completely. I'd keep at it! Before you do, try to drive the truck for about 20 minutes to get everything nice and hot. Continue to engage 4Hi via the "N" shift and 4Lo via shifting into "N" as well. Doing that, both of mine shift almost immediately. Realize I bought my truck in 2010 and NEVER engaged it until a few months ago. Exorcise her!! LOL.

 

[ccvortex]

It sounds as though you actuator IS working, but not completely. I'd keep at it! Before you do, try to drive the truck for about 20 minutes to get everything nice and hot. Continue to engage 4Hi via the "N" shift and 4Lo via shifting into "N" as well. Doing that, both of mine shift almost immediately. Realize I bought my truck in 2010 and NEVER engaged it until a few months ago. Exorcise her!! LOL.

Any idea how much it costs to replace the actuator?

 

[2003-4x4runner]

I shift from 2H to 4H on the fly and some times I noticed it wouldn't engage right away. So this is what I do now, right after I switch to 4H I slow down a bit (or you can speed up) and it engages right away. I exercise the 4WD religiously every 30 days and some times every two weeks. In your case I think you just need to exercise your 4WD.

 

[CookieRoe]

Any idea how much it costs to replace the actuator?

If memory serves, just the actuator costs $950. Add about $1000-2000 for labor and that is a ball park figure. So yeah, excercise that bad boy!

I shift from 2H to 4H on the fly and some times I noticed it wouldn't engage right away. So this is what I do now, right after I switch to 4H I slow down a bit (or you can speed up) and it engages right away. I exercise the 4WD religiously every 30 days and some times every two weeks. In your case I think you just need to exercise your 4WD.

This.