4wd is broke and dealer can't figure it out.

[Muzzle of Bees]

Complete lack of troubleshooting skills by the dealer/tech. Should have been tested right away. Very unlikely that both actuators were bad. They most likely just threw parts at it and did not diagnose. Should have been a 1 day repair if parts were available (and they usually are for the ADD actuator).

I often wonder if the dealer gets paid for all the dumb work they perform before getting it right.

I had an 1995 850 model Volvo that went to the dealer because the throttle would go in and out and bucked the car around.
First, the dealer replaced the transmission under warranty. When it was returned to me it did OK on the drive home that evening. However, it had the same symptom the next morning. Then they replaced the throttle positioning sensor and that fixed the problem. Sensor part at that time was about $160.00. Labor was 1 hour. I don't recall what the exact cost to replace the transmission was, but that was not cheap.

 

[samwhich]

UPDATE....4runner is fixed. It ended up being the front actuator. No water or anything in it. They put an ohm meter on it and it was showing 22 it is supposed to be a max of 6. 11 days and 4200 bucks later the 4wd is back.

Yikes, the dealer may have a hard time recouping all of their time with Toyota warranty on that one. Glad you are taken care of and don't have to flip the bill.

 

[young]

I have the similar issue. The speed sensor connector is damaged and the new one is in backorder. I hope it would arrive soon.

 

[DeepSea]

These posts and comments from guys with similar problems are making me lose my faith in these modern Yotas with 4x4 systems that are completely computer dependent. Just dropped off my 15' TE at the dealer this morning after the dash was looking partial Christmas tree'd. Can't wait to hear the results :smash:

 

[Bevo87]

This is why i bought an extended warranty. too many electronics in vehicles now. totally worth the peace of mind.

 

[wfo9]

These posts and comments from guys with similar problems are making me lose my faith in these modern Yotas with 4x4 systems that are completely computer dependent. Just dropped off my 15' TE at the dealer this morning after the dash was looking partial Christmas tree'd. Can't wait to hear the results :smash:

This is why I'm amazed that people don't make sure they have TIS handy at all times. If any single issue happens (something as small as your gas cap being loose) no 4wd with the "Toyota" design. Can make an over-landing trip a bit of a bust.

Unfortunately there is no manual way to engage 4wd even when you have a the manual T-case.

And what this post really brings up is even with the dealer. Many don't know how to fix or troubleshoot the common problems.. So when out of warranty.. expect thousands of dollars in repair bills unless you can fix it yourself or know of a specialized honest shop. Pile on KDSS, NAV, and any other complex systems coming in the future and the cost to repair just stops making sense once out of warranty.

 

[zerowkul98]

This is why i bought an extended warranty. too many electronics in vehicles now. totally worth the peace of mind.

When i bought my cert used 2016 Trail, i wasnt offered an extended warrantee. Hoping that as i get closer to 36k, they'll makes a sales push at me to sell me one.

 

[catrains]

UPDATE....4runner is fixed. It ended up being the front actuator. No water or anything in it. They put an ohm meter on it and it was showing 22 it is supposed to be a max of 6. 11 days and 4200 bucks later the 4wd is back.

I am not a toyota expert but I do know much about GM trucks.

having a 2016 T4R I am very concerned that a failure code did not indicate the front diff 4WD actuator had high resistance / open circuit..

ON GM trucks this would throw code so less guessing and $$$ ... also loss of vehicle .

anyone know if the toyota will throw codes if a 4wd component electrical has failure ??

 

[(none)]

This is why I'm amazed that people don't make sure they have TIS handy at all times. If any single issue happens (something as small as your gas cap being loose) no 4wd with the "Toyota" design. Can make an over-landing trip a bit of a bust.

Unfortunately there is no manual way to engage 4wd even when you have a the manual T-case.

And what this post really brings up is even with the dealer. Many don't know how to fix or troubleshoot the common problems.. So when out of warranty.. expect thousands of dollars in repair bills unless you can fix it yourself or know of a specialized honest shop. Pile on KDSS, NAV, and any other complex systems coming in the future and the cost to repair just stops making sense once out of warranty.

There are options... THe FJ guys have been looking into this for quite some time.

Front Differential Actuator Repair / Replacement - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum


Also, a good thing to remember is limited models do not have an ADD... How much is an add unit? Toyota sells the limited shaft and housing for around $300-350 with bearings. Just need to figure out if you can trick the ecu when you shift into 4WD...

 

[DeepSea]

This is why I'm amazed that people don't make sure they have TIS handy at all times. If any single issue happens (something as small as your gas cap being loose) no 4wd with the "Toyota" design. Can make an over-landing trip a bit of a bust.

Unfortunately there is no manual way to engage 4wd even when you have a the manual T-case.

And what this post really brings up is even with the dealer. Many don't know how to fix or troubleshoot the common problems.. So when out of warranty.. expect thousands of dollars in repair bills unless you can fix it yourself or know of a specialized honest shop. Pile on KDSS, NAV, and any other complex systems coming in the future and the cost to repair just stops making sense once out of warranty.

When i bought my cert used 2016 Trail, i wasnt offered an extended warrantee. Hoping that as i get closer to 36k, they'll makes a sales push at me to sell me one.

I am not a toyota expert but I do know much about GM trucks.

having a 2016 T4R I am very concerned that a failure code did not indicate the front diff 4WD actuator had high resistance / open circuit..

ON GM trucks this would throw code so less guessing and $$$ ... also loss of vehicle .

anyone know if the toyota will throw codes if a 4wd component electrical has failure ??

There are options... THe FJ guys have been looking into this for quite some time.

Front Differential Actuator Repair / Replacement - Toyota FJ Cruiser Forum


Also, a good thing to remember is limited models do not have an ADD... How much is an add unit? Toyota sells the limited shaft and housing for around $300-350 with bearings. Just need to figure out if you can trick the ecu when you shift into 4WD...

Now I'm thinking of selling mine and finding another 1st gen (84-85' straight front axle) with the bulletproof 22RE, manual transfer case/hubs as my weekend warrior.

 

[DeepSea]

This is why i bought an extended warranty. too many electronics in vehicles now. totally worth the peace of mind.

#truth but still a bummer we have to, especially with a Toyota

 

[catrains]

UPDATE....4runner is fixed. It ended up being the front actuator. No water or anything in it. They put an ohm meter on it and it was showing 22 it is supposed to be a max of 6. 11 days and 4200 bucks later the 4wd is back.

I looked up the actuator cost availability Out of stock .. looks like a defective component.

 

[wfo9]

I am not a toyota expert but I do know much about GM trucks.

having a 2016 T4R I am very concerned that a failure code did not indicate the front diff 4WD actuator had high resistance / open circuit..

ON GM trucks this would throw code so less guessing and $$$ ... also loss of vehicle .

anyone know if the toyota will throw codes if a 4wd component electrical has failure ??

Sometimes it will, but you have to have a Toyota specific diag tool like TIS and even then its a bit lame due to the lack of sophistication in the design. It's very bare bones. I've worked with GM also, and their electronics and diagnostics are far superior. They still have gaps.. but something like this would be spelled out every time. Just not a strength of Toyota, which is concerning as systems get more complex.

 

[Bevo87]

When i bought my cert used 2016 Trail, i wasnt offered an extended warrantee. Hoping that as i get closer to 36k, they'll makes a sales push at me to sell me one.

There is a thread on best place to buy extended warrant. Guy named Gamester5 has the connection.

 

[DeepSea]

Mine ended up being the air injection pump failing with only 15,750 on the odometer. Three lights lit up on dash: CE, TRAC and Crawl as well as 4R in limp mode. $1100 for parts/labor if not under warranty. Technician said failure caused from excess moisture build-up in it. I haven't been forging any rivers lately but we did have heavy rains the day before it died. Bad location design by Toyota.

 

[wfo9]

Mine ended being the air injection pump failing with only 15,750 on the odometer. Three lights lit up on dash: CE, TRAC and Crawl as well as 4R in limp mode. $1100 for parts/labor if not under warranty. Technician said failure caused from excess moisture build-up in it. I haven't been forging any rivers lately but we did have heavy rains the day before it died. Bad location design by Toyota.

Those have been a long running problem for Toyota trucks. Probably one of the most common failures overall. Many Tundra owners were stuck with 4k repair bills for them until Toyota finally had to cave and increase the warranty to 60k. It was a total junk part on the truck and a clear design flaw.

Lucky they did not have them for the first few years of the 5th gen, but brought them back in 2013. They seem to be much more trouble free now, but time will tell.

Either way, its BS the truck will hardly run with such a minor malfunction that should really have nothing to do with how the truck runs.

 

[DeepSea]

Those have been a long running problem for Toyota trucks. Probably one of the most common failures overall. Many Tundra owners were stuck with 4k repair bills for them until Toyota finally had to cave and increase the warranty to 60k. It was a total junk part on the truck and a clear design flaw.

Lucky they did not have them for the first few years of the 5th gen, but brought them back in 2013. They seem to be much more trouble free now, but time will tell.

Either way, its BS the truck will hardly run with such a minor malfunction that should really have nothing to do with how the truck runs.

Agreed 100%

 

[24poepoe]

3 months later and the same problem again. Back to the toyota dealership 4 me.