4wd not engaging// can't drive unless 4wd shifter is engaged :-(

[infamousRNR]

so went to PISMO DUNES this weekend to have fun with the ultimate yoga group for their annual toyota jamboree......

and catastrophe struck!!!! and i literally got stuck in the sand twice. LOL


MY 4WD WONT ENGAGE. BLINKING 4wd LIGHTS (01-02)

and to make matters worse the car acts as if it's in NEUTRAL unless i have the 4wd shifter in 4-lo or 4hi.... but even with this, only the back tires are moving....


from my research I'm hoping/guessing its the FRONT DIFF ACTUATOR...

I'm hoping its not the center transfer case actuator......






ANY IDEAS are SUPER HELPFUL. thanks!






. . . .

 

[infamousRNR]

Bueller????

 

[MStudt]

Bueller????

Have you started with testing anything? Do you have voltage at the VSV, are your vacuum lines still connected? I would start there, and work your way down the line. Sounds like a bad actuator to me though.

 

[jgue467]

With the 4wd lites on dash blinking, did you try the infamous right hand turn? :cowboy:

 

[SpidermanGeek]

and to make matters worse the car acts as if it's in NEUTRAL unless i have the 4wd shifter in 4-lo or 4hi....

As far as I know.. it's supposed to do this. Neutral on the 4WD selector is in fact..Neutral.

 

[cashmoney]

Think what he means is that when he has the shifter in 2wd it's acting like it's in neutral and that shouldn't happen.

 

[SpidermanGeek]

Think what he means is that when he has the shifter in 2wd it's acting like it's in neutral and that shouldn't happen.

Gotcha. I forgot that some 4runners actually have the 2WD option on the t-case shifter.

 

[3bears]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/201194-no-4wd.html

try that link, I had problems too....TheDurk was a big help

plus it has a link to another site and a thread related to the issue

mine has been working fine since

 

[Jhelms]

There is not a 2wd option on the 01/02 years.

Your shifter should be in 4H or 4L. Neutral is neutral. Normally, in either 4H or 4L you simply depress the 4wd button and it will engage while driving for a short distance. If it does not, this would be something with the front actuator as you mentioned.

 

[Oprah]

There is not a 2wd option on the 01/02 years.

Your shifter should be in 4H or 4L. Neutral is neutral. Normally, in either 4H or 4L you simply depress the 4wd button and it will engage while driving for a short distance. If it does not, this would be something with the front actuator as you mentioned.

I agree. On '01-'02, N is Neutral. The question is whether or not it's going into Low Range when you shift it to 4L. If it is, then I'd guess that narrows your problem down to the front diff actuator.

 

[Bijan]

Kinda sounds like we did the same thing. I ended up just swapping out transfer cases after all sensors / actuators were tested good.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...en-searching-4wd-dash-lights-please-help.html

 

[papabeach]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/201194-no-4wd.html

try that link, I had problems too....TheDurk was a big help

plus it has a link to another site and a thread related to the issue

mine has been working fine since

Agreed TheDurk is all over this problem

 

[TheDurk]

Agreed TheDurk is all over this problem

Thanks, guys. I'm watching this, but the '01-'02's are a very different animal to the vacuum ADD system, and the symptom set is still not clear to me. I'll chime in if I have something useful to say.

 

[infamousRNR]

1/2 there...... 1/2 to go!!!

[MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION]
[MENTION=91393]papabeach[/MENTION]
[MENTION=120787]Bijan[/MENTION]
[MENTION=124615]3bears[/MENTION]
[MENTION=118836]SpidermanGeek[/MENTION]
[MENTION=98153]MStudt[/MENTION]


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
first of all thanks for all the responses and links to resources guys...

i have an update...

after i removed my heavy as HELL skid plates and took a look around i found:

THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL SENSOR COMPLETELY UNPLUGGED!!!!!


so naturally i plugged this back in and the 4wd (the front diff) now engages properly.... the center differential will engage... the 4 hi and 4 low works...


HOWEVER>>>>>>>>>>

i cannot get it out of 4wd....

it actually won't move at all when the 4wd shifter is in neutral....



IN OTHER WORDS: it will only move when shifter is in 4-HI or 4-LO....



this picture shows 4wd engaged successfully...






this picture shows the shifter area in general with 4wd shifter pulled into 4-HI...




this picture shows the 4wd shifter in neutral... but will NOT move when put in gear...
THIS IS THE MAIN THING IM CONCERNED ABOUT




side view of 4wd shifter put into 4-HI

 

[infamousRNR]

There is not a 2wd option on the 01/02 years.

Your shifter should be in 4H or 4L. Neutral is neutral. Normally, in either 4H or 4L you simply depress the 4wd button and it will engage while driving for a short distance. If it does not, this would be something with the front actuator as you mentioned.

I've always had the 4wd shifter in neutral when driving normally in 2wd...

so when i went to shift into 4wd i put MAIN shifter into neutral......pushed the 4wd button and then pulled the 4wd shifter into 4-hi.....

 

[Oprah]

I've always had the 4wd shifter in neutral when driving normally in 2wd...

so when i went to shift into 4wd i put MAIN shifter into neutral......pushed the 4wd button and then pulled the 4wd shifter into 4-hi.....

You must be mistaken... I have an '01. '01-'02 have the same transfer case set up. Notice on your shifter how it says "4L" - "N" - "H". NOT "4HI".

To be in 2wd you must have the lever in "H" mode, which is 2wd, until you press the "4wd" button on the side of the shifter, then it goes into 4wd (no stopping necessary, can engage any speed below 62mph).

When the lever is in "N", it is in neutral. The truck will not move, because the gears in the transfer case are not engaged. If you move the lever to "H", it will engage the high gear (low numerically, for regular driving), and if you move it to "4L" it will engage the low gear (high numerically, for offroad driving, and some towing situations, etc.) as well as automatically engage 4wd. Edit: also note, when the lever is in "N", the transfer case is in neutral. When your transmission shift lever is in "N", that puts the transmission in neutral, they are two different units.

I.e. the truck is not supposed to move at all if the lever is in the "N" position, so don't worry about that. It will just rev the engine if you press the gas pedal.

Have you disconnected the battery since you plugged the actuator back in? Maybe cycling it will reset it and it will work again.

 

[infamousRNR]

You must be mistaken... I have an '01. '01-'02 have the same transfer case set up. Notice on your shifter how it says "4L" - "N" - "H". NOT "4HI".

To be in 2wd you must have the lever in "H" mode, which is 2wd, until you press the "4wd" button on the side of the shifter, then it goes into 4wd (no stopping necessary, can engage any speed below 62mph).

When the lever is in "N", it is in neutral. The truck will not move, because the gears in the transfer case are not engaged. If you move the lever to "H", it will engage the high gear (low numerically, for regular driving), and if you move it to "4L" it will engage the low gear (high numerically, for offroad driving, and some towing situations, etc.) as well as automatically engage 4wd. Edit: also note, when the lever is in "N", the transfer case is in neutral. When your transmission shift lever is in "N", that puts the transmission in neutral, they are two different units.

I.e. the truck is not supposed to move at all if the lever is in the "N" position, so don't worry about that. It will just rev the engine if you press the gas pedal.

Have you disconnected the battery since you plugged the actuator back in? Maybe cycling it will reset it and it will work again.

You know I was totally mistaken...


I just got everything to engage and disengage...


Everything now works and thanks to you and a buddy.... I now realize that neutral is indeed neutral....

I guess I just paniked and freaked out...



My ONLY ISSUE WAS THAT THE FRONT DIFF SENSOR PLUG WAS UNPLUGGED...

so relieved it was a simple fix...


Thanks guys

 

[MuddyButt]

Yea that confused me at first as well. I thought that the 4wd selector was supposed to be in Neutral when I first got my 4runner but this site quickly cleared that up. I think my xterra needed the 4wd selector to be in neutral. And also the 2000 4runner i test drove had a different 4wd shifter.

 

[SpidermanGeek]

It's all in the owner's manuals, fellas. First thing I did when I bought my rig (or any vehicle) is take the time to leaf through the manual. If the vehicle didn't come with one, they are typically easy to find online.

To the OP, glad you got it sorted out, bud.

 

[Dephcon]

It's all in the owner's manuals, fellas. First thing I did when I bought my rig (or any vehicle) is take the time to leaf through the manual. If the vehicle didn't come with one, they are typically easy to find online.

To the OP, glad you got it sorted out, bud.

Isn't it also on the driverside sun visor. I have a pocket with a card that details the use of the 4wd system. That might just be Canadian models cuz we need instructions for everything, in both English and French. The French instructions always seem longer, like they're getting more info.....