4wd won't disengage?

[Bftfan]

'15 4Runner with 30k miles on it, roads were snowy last night so it was in H4 still this morning. I've got a short 5 min commute to work so on the way I put the selector to H2 and watched the green 4WD light blink... And blink and blink. I could tell by making turns its still in 4WD. Went out at lunch and tried backing up while turning it from H4 to H2, doing some slow turns on the snow covered parking lot to see if I can get it to release any torque or binding that's built up and possibly causing it not to release and nothing. The green 4wd indicator continues to blink and I can't even feel the hum of the actuator trying to move. What else can I try?

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[MTN4RNR]

SR5 or Trail/TRD? Guessing SR5, but just checking.

 

[samwhich]

'15 4Runner with 30k miles on it, roads were snowy last night so it was in H4 still this morning. I've got a short 5 min commute to work so on the way I put the selector to H2 and watched the green 4WD light blink... And blink and blink. I could tell by making turns its still in 4WD. Went out at lunch and tried backing up while turning it from H4 to H2, doing some slow turns on the snow covered parking lot to see if I can get it to release any torque or binding that's built up and possibly causing it not to release and nothing. The green 4wd indicator continues to blink and I can't even feel the hum of the actuator trying to move. What else can I try?

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Can you engage cruise control?

It's possible you had some water intrusion in the actuator and the cold water has frozen it in place. Try getting the truck inside somewhere warm for a while then see if you can put it back in 2H, that would help confirm an actuator issue. May not hurt to schedule an apt at the dealership.

 

[hasoon2000]

My limited was doing that last night. What I need to do, is drive or turn to a different street. Then, it will disengage and go back to Full-Time 4WD. Make sure your wheels are also straight.

 

[Bumbo]

My limited was doing that last night. What I need to do, is drive or turn to a different street. Then, it will disengage and go back to Full-Time 4WD. Make sure your wheels are also straight.

Isn’t the Limited always in AWD/4WD? With the only 4H options being between locked or unlocked center diff? It’s pretty rare to have issues there, plus, no real reason to even run it with a locked TC for most scenarios.

 

[Orc]

My 2007 Tacoma wouldn't engage or disengage very well. You had to coast for a long time for it to work, it got me stuck. Try stopping and turning the wheel a bit or going super slow and doing so.

 

[Bftfan]

Sorry it's the SR5 I've always driven it and made sure to put it in 4hi and 4lo at least once a month and leave it in 4hi for a couple miles because of the actuator problems I had on my 4th gen. It always moved pretty quickly, within 50 feet or so until this morning. Try it again after work on the snow, going forward and backwards turning the wheels thinking it might stop blinking green but no. Dealership said they'll take me at 8 a.m. tomorrow so hopefully this works out well. At least if it's the actuator it will be covered by the powertrain warranty.

 

[jmeds]

Try shifting into 2wd then put in reverse and drive in reverse 20 ft or so, I had an old 4wd vehicle that would “like” reverse to fully disengage 4wd

 

[Bftfan]

Try shifting into 2wd then put in reverse and drive in reverse 20 ft or so, I had an old 4wd vehicle that would “like” reverse to fully disengage 4wd

Thanks, I thought of that too... Ild school style from my first Taco with manual hubs but that didn't work either. Its not that cold here either so I can't imagine that it would have frozen up. Grrrr...

 

[Orc]

Let us know if it's the actuator or the ADD unit.

 

[Slubgub]

Do 4runners fall victim to 4WD binding with uneven tread depths on tires? My Nissan Frontier had a hard time with this when I attempted to save a few bucks and only replace 2 of my 4 tires.

 

[Bftfan]

Well this morning it moved fine in and out of 4H and 4L. It's still about 20 degrees here yesterday and today so I don't think physical temperatures are a factor oh, maybe it was just bound up from the torque? I will keep you all posted if it happens again and I end up going to the dealer.

 

[jhguth]

how often have you been using 4WD prior to this?

 

[Bftfan]

how often have you been using 4WD prior to this?

At least once a month without any problems, (4H and 4L).

 

[Bumbo]

Do 4runners fall victim to 4WD binding with uneven tread depths on tires? My Nissan Frontier had a hard time with this when I attempted to save a few bucks and only replace 2 of my 4 tires.

There is a tolerance of a few percent but it is possible.