4WD Beginner Help, please

[jsindorf]

It's snowing, we have 8" on the ground, and more to come! WooHoo!

I have a 99 T4R Limited with locking rear diff, automatic trans.

I have read the archives at length this morning and I've read my owners manual and understand that with the 4wd shifter it works like this:

2wd (standard rear wheel drive)
push the button on the left of the shifter and you get 4wd high - with open center differential (kind of an AWD)

shifter down to 4WD high -L (4wd with center differential locked)

shifter to the right and up into 4WD Low

right so far???

Question: in the two positions used for 4 Hi Locked and 4 Low, does the button on the side of the shifter do anything? In other words, if I'm in 4 Hi Locked (shifter pulled back toward driver on left side) and I push that button in or release it, does it change anything?

Thanks in advance!

 

[s20004runner]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...rs-3rd-gens-transfer-case-awd-multi-mode.html

 

[jsindorf]

Thanks s2000
I read through all seven pages of that link... which is good stuff, but all it did was say that I was correct in my first section.
It didn't answer my question however, which is, does the 4wd button on the left side of the 4wd shifter have any impact on traction in 4 Hi Locked and 4 Low ?

 

[volkinator]

Thanks s2000
I read through all seven pages of that link... which is good stuff, but all it did was say that I was correct in my first section.
It didn't answer my question however, which is, does the 4wd button on the left side of the 4wd shifter have any impact on traction in 4 Hi Locked and 4 Low ?

Best way to find out is try it...

You'll find that when you pull the lever back (even without pushing the 4WD button) the CDL and 4WD lights will both turn on.... So no; the button on the side makes no difference when the lever is moved. only when the t-case lever is in the 2WD position... that's why the 'position' has H2-H4...

 

[jsindorf]

Thanks volkinator,
That's what I thought -- and yes, I did try it before my driveway (on a nice hill) was plowed. I didn't see that the button made any difference in those two shifter positions, so it could mean two things: 1) something is broken or 2) the button makes no impact

Thanks!

 

[s20004runner]

Thanks s2000
I read through all seven pages of that link... which is good stuff, but all it did was say that I was correct in my first section.
It didn't answer my question however, which is, does the 4wd button on the left side of the 4wd shifter have any impact on traction in 4 Hi Locked and 4 Low ?

actually i have never tried locking the center diff (moving the lever down) before pushing the button, so I will have to try it later.

I have always done it: 2wd > button 4h > lever 4h center locked then reverse the steps when I wanted to go back to 2wd.

 

[TheOGConCon]

I have found that the button doesn't make a difference when in 4H-L or 4L-L. However, I have found that it takes significantly longer for the transfer case to shift into 4H-L from regular 4H, as opposed to shifting into 4H-L from 2WD, which is almost instantaneous.

 

[drodandsrod]

On my 99 the AWD (?) button makes zero difference once either 4-HI lock or 4-LO is engaged.

 

[OldManKamps]

I have found that the button doesn't make a difference when in 4H-L or 4L-L. However, I have found that it takes significantly longer for the transfer case to shift into 4H-L from regular 4H, as opposed to shifting into 4H-L from 2WD, which is almost instantaneous.

I'm pretty sure this is something to do with the transfer case/center differential measuring the differences between the front and back before it locks it.

 

[TheOGConCon]

I'm pretty sure this is something to do with the transfer case/center differential measuring the differences between the front and back before it locks it.

Would that make that big of a difference when locking the transfer case from 2WD vs. 4WD? I didn't think that would make that much of a difference, but I'm no expert nor an engineer of any sort.
I just find it weird that I can go from 2WD to 4HL almost instantly, even when completely stopped, whereas going from 4WD to 4HL takes a considerable amount of time. You could be right though, by all means I'm not arguing with you, just explaining my confusion/lack of understanding. Then again, maybe I don't need to know why, I just need to know that that's how it works and that's that. Lol