4wd Lever Style Transfer Case

S

Surffishjimmy

New member
This is going to be a multi part question. I have a 2017 TRD Off-Road Premium with the Lever Style Transfer Case. Should the transfer case alway be in some gear or can I run it in Neutral with the truck is in drive? Or should I always have it in gear like H2 or H4? I am getting mixed answers from dealers and Toyota customer service. Dealer said to run in "N" unless one of the other gears is needed? If I do that is the Truck in 2 wheel drive or something else? I live in the North East and since we just got snow some of the roads are clear and some are not. I have been driving in H2 and then when I see snow on the road I put into H4. But doing this my gas mileage has dropped from about 19 to 13-14MPG. The first 3 months of owning the 4runner transfer the case has been in "N" all the time, that is what the dealer told me to do.

What is the proper way to use it?
 
Register to hide this ad
It needs to be in gear to be used. If you desire to operate in 2WD / RWD then it would be in H2. If you desire high range 4WD then H4. If you desire low range 4WD then L4.

I've never actually sought out to place the transfer case into neutral, except as changing gears and going past it, but I suppose it may have some useful application.

Running it in H2 and then switching to H4 as needed for road conditions is technically the correct way to use the system - although I personally don't think I have ever actually used H4 for "on road" conditions, I use it for off road and even then only infrequently as needed, and L4 gets used almost never even offroad - but to each their own.
 
if it was in N your vehicle wouldn't move (well i guess it would roll)

there is no reason to not be sure about what to do, they explain it in the manual and there is a card in your drivers side sunvisor that also tells you what to do

here are the relevent parts from your owner's manual:
H2 (high speed position, two-wheel drive)
Use this for normal driving on dry hard-surfaced roads. This position gives
greater economy, quietest ride and least wear.
H4 (high speed position, four-wheel drive)
Use this for driving only on tracks that permit the tires slide, like off-road,
icy or snow-covered roads. This position provides greater traction than
two-wheel drive.
N (neutral position)
No power is delivered to the wheels. The vehicle must be stopped
L4 (low speed position, four-wheel drive)
Use this for maximum power and traction. Use “L4” for climbing or
descending steep hills, off-road driving, and hard pulling in sand, mud or
deep snow.
Click to expand...
■ Shifting from H2 to H4
 Type A
Reduce vehicle speed to less than 50 mph (80 km/h).
Shift the front-wheel drive control lever to H4.
[...]
■ Shifting from H4 to H2
 Type A
Shift the front-wheel drive control lever to H2.
Click to expand...
■ Shifting from H4 to L4
Stop the vehicle completely and continue to depress the brake
pedal.
Shift the shift lever to N.
 Type A
Shift the front-wheel drive control lever to L4.
[...]
■ Shifting from L4 to H4
Stop the vehicle completely and continue to depress the brake
pedal.
Shift the shift lever to N.
 Type A
Shift the front-wheel drive control lever to H4.
Click to expand...

tl;dr
:rtfm:
 
Last edited:
MeefZah said:
Explain?
Click to expand...

nothing is moving in your transmission, for our vehicles it could only be short distance in an emergency though because flat towing (dinghy towing) is not allowed for the 4runner (i assume related to output shaft lubrication?). For a lot of other vehicles you can flat tow if you put the transfer case in N
 
Last edited:
Surffishjimmy said:
...Or should I always have it in gear like H2 or H4? I am getting mixed answers from dealers and Toyota customer service. Dealer said to run in "N" unless one of the other gears is needed?
Click to expand...

Not ragging on you, but holy shit that dealer must be dumbest m'fer alive. That be like a suit salesman telling you the proper way to wear a suit is with the jacket opening in the back. I get that nobody knows shit about cars anymore, but the dealer should at least know about basic operating procedures.
 
AsAkite said:
You're being towed, so transmission and transfer case are in neutral....
(You're not doing the towing.)
Click to expand...

Oh, duh, I feel stupid now. Yes, obviously. I guess I assumed he /you meant that the 4Runner was the towing vehicle. Carry on.
 
Thanks for the clarification. I assumed it was in Neutral but was in 2wd. Dealer had me thinking since they said neutral that the computer would take over kind of like an awd car. Got it now!
 
MeefZah said:
I've never actually sought out to place the transfer case into neutral, except as changing gears and going past it, but I suppose it may have some useful application.
Click to expand...

Back in the old days, neutral was often used in conjunction with the PTO (power take off) to run various implements (winches, farm implements, hydraulic equipment, wood splitters, etcetera) that did not have their own power. They were especially popular with rural land owners, who used their trucks as tractors and farm equipment; or loggers, Forest Service, and the like. Trucks PTO equipped are pretty much out of the mainstream if even available on new vehicles today.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 366 (members: 3, guests: 363)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,309
Messages
3,554,075
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top