Oh how I hate the 4th gen. 4wd selector. bought this 07 at 90 thousand miles on it, and I believe it has never been in 4wd. Had it out a few times just in 4hi but today really wanted to play in 4lo. Selected it got flashing light and beeping, put in in drive and grind it went. Put in neutral then took forever it seemed to finally go in. When disengaging did not want to come out. Those 5th gens look realy cool, 4wd lever and all. Anyone else hate the selector.
4wd selector
- Thread starter tchlong03
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philskeeter
New member
My dad has a 97' land cruiser and and I would love for toyota to go back to those 4wd levers next to the shifter. I haven't seen the 5th gens but I'm guessing they're similar.
If 4L is not used on a regular basis the actuator seized and will no longer work. It happens quite a bit as many if the original owners never used 4L. Over the past few years many people have attempted to solve the issue with tapping the case but the only sure fire fix is to replace the actuator. The job runs about $2500.
I use 4H on a regular basis. But I make sure to shift into 4L monthly and drive a little bit with 4L engaged. The more you use it the easier & smoother it engages.
Personally I don't mind the knob selector as long as it works. My LandRover had the regular shift lever and it gave you price of mind being a lever. But in reality the knob is fine, I just need to make sure I excersise the actuators to keep everything working.
I use 4H on a regular basis. But I make sure to shift into 4L monthly and drive a little bit with 4L engaged. The more you use it the easier & smoother it engages.
Personally I don't mind the knob selector as long as it works. My LandRover had the regular shift lever and it gave you price of mind being a lever. But in reality the knob is fine, I just need to make sure I excersise the actuators to keep everything working.
Desert Fox
New member
Here in Colorado during the winter there is often opportunity to engage the 4lo
Spring and Summer is a different situation
I have to force myself to hit a trail just to engage 4lo monthly :jump:
Isn't life a beach
Spring and Summer is a different situation
I have to force myself to hit a trail just to engage 4lo monthly :jump:
Isn't life a beach
DBrockwell20
New member
just bought an 07 with 80k as well 4wd wouldnt work. I went underneath with a rubber mallet and beat on the 4wd housing and it finally freed it up enough to work. Its worth a try
Nervo19
Member
YES! Hate it! What kind of market research did they do before they changed it? My 3rd gen has a nice shifter. If I fell asleep in my 4th gen and woke up I'd think I was still in my minivan.
But it looks good.
JB.
New member
Do you also hate the unique, 5-option transfer case with the Torsen T3 torque sensing center differential? That's what you give up to have the manual selector in the 5th gen which still, btw, has an electronic shifter to engage the front ADD. You can't get away from reliance on an electronic shifter to be in 4wd unless you leave it in 4wd -- which, ironically, the 4th gen allows you to do.
The shifters work fine when used regularly.
It does create a necessity for due diligence from used 4th gen shoppers, though. Be glad you got it working. Now keep using it regularly.
BlackWorksInc
New member
This is absolutely true, the 5th gens did away with the T3 Torsen for what ever reason (probably to save production costs while hiking the MSRP up), the Torsen T3 Center Differential in the 4th gens allow you to drive in 4Hi all day long without ever feeling any significant difference in performance from 2WD. Its what allows the 4Runner to be a "Full-Time 4WD" vehicle without any of the horrid turning radius issues, handling issues, and god awful noise older systems had.
The 5th gens still use an ADD to disconnect the front axle and those can go bad. I like having a lever for the positive "clunk" of shifting into 4WD, but as long as the actuators are working properly the system is fine for what it is.
