4H, 4L, and CDL flashing

[drunknmyme]

So I purchased a used 05 4runner after my 3rd gen died.

I was really clueless about what to look out for, but when I test drove, I tried out the 4H and I heard a clunk, so I thought, fair enough. I didn't try 4L so I was in a city.

We get snow in NJ today and I try 4H to back out of my parking spot. 4H and CDL light are flashing. Just to clarify. I'm in neutral and select 4H. CDL and 4H flashing.

I push CDL button, no change. Still flashing. I try to engage 4L. It beeps and flashes and never stops.

I put back in neutral and try to engage 4H again. Still flashing with CDL. I roll forward a bit. Same. I roll back a bit. Same. I roll forward and back 30 times. Same.

I do hear some type of actuator sound under my feet and sort of feel it through the brake pedal. Nothing actually clunks. I know it's not engaged because my back end is sliding all over my parking lot.

So, my question is, can the CDL, 4H, and 4L all be acting up at the same time? Does this seem more electrical? I've tried reading through posts about figuring this out, and my next step is to find that black box under glove compartment, but most everyone seems to have EITHER 4H, or 4L, or CDL. Not all of them at the same time.

I just bought it a month ago and atleast according to the carfax, it was maintained well and by a toyota dealership. It's not certified so this is all on me now.

 

[Dunngeon]

That doesn't seen good, have you tried engaging it while driving: 2H -> 4H? I find that sometimes it doesn't want to engage unless I'm moving.

There was also a thread on here where it worked after the guy tried it about 30 times and then it worked.

As Ian points out below, you could just leave it in 4H and go for a drive and see if that fixes the problem.

The CDL button does nothing while the transmission is shifting, it always lights up while shifting between 2H 4H 4lo

The 4lo shift will always beep unless you do it in neutral, because it won't shift until it is in neutral.

It's most likely a bad actuator, which is a 700$ repair

 

[nevada]

sound like another bad actuator.

there are quite a few threads on this, some of them recent.

 

[hearno]

sound like another bad actuator.

there are quite a few threads on this, some of them recent.

Yeah, not sure if it's the cold weather bogging down the actuators or these owners not having engaged 4wd in a while and now that it's starting to snow the issue is coming to light when they first try to use it.

 

[ian1982]

This just happened to me too. I wanted to test the 4HI and 4LO before snow starts here in NY so I did so last week - same issues with blinks into 4HI and beeps at 4LO even in neutral.

I bought my SR5 2008 this year, 53K on it, clean carfax, tested 4WD settings at dealer and things seemed fine.

After trying nearly every trick in the book and on this forum, 4HI finally clicked into place as I went with some speed into a turn and went over a speed bump. Now knock on wood everything is worked.

Separately, the next day, my CEL and dashboard lit up like apollo 13 and i had an evap leak, but that's a separate (and common) issue.

 

[Dunngeon]

Yeah, not sure if it's the cold weather bogging down the actuators or these owners not having engaged 4wd in a while and now that it's starting to snow the issue is coming to light when they first try to use it.

I would guess not engaging it. My dad had the 4runner I drive now for 6 years and never engaged the 4wd once. I got lucky the system still worked great when I got it, because it's an expensive repair.

I honestly think that if you are going to require owners to cycle the 4wd it should just be a lever. Or the dealerships need to make a much bigger deal about it. Toyota can't expect every owner to read the manual

 

[nevada]

Yeah, not sure if it's the cold weather bogging down the actuators or these owners not having engaged 4wd in a while and now that it's starting to snow the issue is coming to light when they first try to use it.

yep, coming into the winter driving season, and lack of use during the year.

I would guess not engaging it. My dad had the 4runner I drive now for 6 years and never engaged the 4wd once. I got lucky the system still worked great when I got it, because it's an expensive repair.

I honestly think that if you are going to require owners to cycle the 4wd it should just be a lever. Or the dealerships need to make a much bigger deal about it. Toyota can't expect every owner to read the manual

MOST people that own these wouldn't ever even think to shift into 4LO. they have no reason to, city driving and all. so for the v8 rigs, the actuator could be NEW/NEVER used and go bad. which I believe was the case with mine.

also, being new and having auto-everything, why would they think to do it? they buy these things to think FOR them...

I agree, it should have had a lever from the start.

 

[Dunngeon]

yep, coming into the winter driving season, and lack of use during the year.



MOST people that own these wouldn't ever even think to shift into 4LO. they have no reason to, city driving and all. so for the v8 rigs, the actuator could be NEW/NEVER used and go bad. which I believe was the case with mine.

also, being new and having auto-everything, why would they think to do it? they buy these things to think FOR them...

I agree, it should have had a lever from the start.

I thought as long as you shift into 4wd the actuator will be fine. Have people had just 4lo go out?

 

[nevada]

I thought as long as you shift into 4wd the actuator will be fine. Have people had just 4lo go out?

the v8 is always in 4wd. the only option is 4LOW.
I doubt many soccer moms will be using that option...

 

[Dunngeon]

the v8 is always in 4wd. the only option is 4LOW.
I doubt many soccer moms will be using that option...

I didn't know the 4lo actuator failed, thought it was only a problem in the v6 . But again, what does it matter? Soccer moms only gonna brag about having 4wd.

 

[nevada]

Yeah, I know the v8 is AWD. I haven't seen anyone losing the 4lo actuators on them. But again, what does it matter? Soccer moms only gonna brag about having 4wd.

there are lots.
I would guess better than 80% of the v8's have had issues. for the reasons stated above. lack of use.

 

[drunknmyme]

I'm sure the guy that had it before me rarely, if ever, used more than just the rwd on it. The dealership it was serviced at was in NYC area.

I live on the PA/NJ border and have only had it 500 miles, maybe a month, total.

I didn't think the CDL would also be shot. I mean, it doesn't even give me the option of selecting just the CDL. As if the button is there for show.

And the beeping does happen when in Neutral for 4Lo. After another few trips into town, the 4Lo effort (in neutral) yields on the same blinking lights (CDL and 4) as attempting to put in 4H. So it stopped beeping and just does flashing. Doesn't even light up the 4Lo. I don't know if things are getting better or worse.

I thought about maybe taking a speed bump with some speed. No luck. Was fun though. Reminds me I need to lift this thing but 4wd comes first.

I'll see about banging on the actuator to see if that may help. I have a feeling it's gone all of its life without that 4wd switch ever being turned. Still has the stock tires on.

 

[drunknmyme]

Now when I attempt to put into 4H, I hear a high pitched whine when I open my door. It stops when i switch out of "4H" and back on when attempting 4H. Still flashing.

I miss my 3rd gen right now. So simple.