4wd won't engage... here's the cure

[Caffeine Power]

Of course it happened as soon as we get cr@ppy weather but at least we were next door to the dealer.

Apparently there's a 4wd Shift Selector Sensor... and it gets dirty. It took then a few minutes, for which they charged an hours labor ($60) but it works.

They told my wife we should engage the 4wd at least once a month to allow the sensor to be kept clean.

I think I've found it in the Haynes manual (Ch7 part3) for my own reference... anyone else had this gremlin?

Oh, it's a 2000 SR5 w/manual tranny and 65,000 miles.

 

[sicklysweet]

Anyone else have any input on this? I just got a '97 SR5 and the 4wd wasn't working at first, then was working fine, now it's not working again. When I shift into 4H, the indicator light doesn't go on, but it almost seems like the gas usage is demonstrative of driving in 4H. It definitely isn't engaged (or at least fully engaged) in 4H though as there are some hills I can make it up when it's engaged, and now I can't.

 

[alaskanboi]

I think I remember reading in the manual that you should drive in 4wd for at least 10 miles a month or something along those lines.

 

[sicklysweet]

Well I'm going to get this checked out at the dealer. After talking to someone though, it seems like this wouldn't be the problem. I have just the manual 4wd shifter, not with the button or anything. So if there's nothing electronic about it, probably wouldn't have to do with the sensor. He suggeted that maybe the shifter-rod is bent or misaligned.

 

[RockyMtRunner]

Problem might be bad switch

I bought my 2000 V6 SR5 5spd manual from the original owner who passed on to me all his maintenance records. All work was done at a Toyota dealorship. When I read through the folder, I noticed one work order at 73,388 miles that said, "4WD won't engage." The tech's notation was, "Tested 4WD circuit, replaced bad position switch." The labor was $130 and the part was $71. The part number was 84222-35110.

Then 22 months later another work order at 95,994 miles stated the same problem: "4X4 won't engage." The tech's notation said, "Tested 4WD electrical system, found bad transfer engagement switch, replaced switch." The switch cost $73 and the labor was $150. Interestingly enough, the part number was a little different: 84222-35080. Same switch or improved version? I don't know.

Are the above work order "switches" what other posters are calling a "sensor," that needs to be kept clean, or something different? Whatever they are, they appear prone to go "bad"!

FYI: I have owned my Runner for almost four months now, and I love it. I haven't done any mods yet, but it's amazing where all you can take a stock 4Runner if you have good tires and you don't have to worry about babying it too much, because it's not your daily vehicle. I have put 3500 miles on mine, nearly half of it on jeep trails and rough forrest roads near my home, including snow and ice already this winter. I use the 4WD two or three times a week, and the rear locker gets used at least once each trip to get over trouble I saw in advance or out of trouble I didn't see. I have had no problems engaging 4WD, so the newer switch must still work well, but one time I had trouble getting OUT of 4WD. The problem wasn't the switch. The solution was mentioned above by another poster--when I stopped, backed up, and then went forward, there was a clunk and I was out of 4WD. Lesson: don't try to engage or disengage the 4WD while you are accelerating. I was going down a hill, still accelerating even with my foot totally off the throttle when I tried to disengage 4WD. The manual says that's a no-no.

 

[Shurick]

I had a similar issue and a non-toyota mechanic found a problem with my vaccum line for the 4wd.. replaced that and it worked perfectly.

The toyota machanic was saying that the switch or the actuator may the problem.