4wd Wont Engage

[A_HuL]

I got stuck the other day and i couldnt get my 4hi to engage. Whenever i pushed the knob over the lights just blinked and blinked and would never engage. So i tried 4lo it did same thing except made beeping noises. After being pulled out i thought it was because i may need to be rolling for it to engage. It still didnt engage. I went over to my parents house and drove all the way out of the neighborhood going around 15-30mph and it never engaged. Any ideas on where to start to try to figure out what the deal is. I saw people saying it may be the actuator but i am curious if anyone else has had this problem and if there are other things i can check first. I have an 05 V6 btw
Thanks

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Have you had someone knock on the transfer case and/or lightly tap on the transfercase actuator while trying to engage? Do you hear ANYTHING trying to shift into gear? Also do the lights stay on or off? i.e. when you fail to get it into 4Hi and put it back into 2WD do the lights go off or stay on?

 

[WXman]

Where you in neutral, with foot on the brake BEFORE selecting 4-low?

 

[A_HuL]

Have you had someone knock on the transfer case and/or lightly tap on the transfercase actuator while trying to engage? Do you hear ANYTHING trying to shift into gear? Also do the lights stay on or off? i.e. when you fail to get it into 4Hi and put it back into 2WD do the lights go off or stay on?

When switching into 4HI my lights blink but it never engages so it just keeps blinking, When i switch into 4LO it doesnt beep or have any lights showing like it should, I disconnected my battery and let it sit for about 30 minutes and still no luck, have tried being in neutral, then going to drive then reverse, tried driving around for a little bit to see if it would engage but nothing works. Havent had anyone knock on the transfer case yet, and lights go off when i switch knob back to 2wd.

 

[jbmccul]

Truck is totaled. Might as well set it on fire

 

[singleshot]

Mine did the same thing. It's a known problem with these trucks. Here's what I did to get it working:

Start it up. If you have a helper, have them sit in the truck and engage the emergency brake and keep their foot on the brake (think safety). If no helper, then chock the wheels and engage the emergency brake. Put it in Neutral.

Put the truck in 4HI. If the lights don't go solid on the dash for you, then take a hammer and start tapping on the actuator. It's a square metal box that sits next to the transfer case on the driver's side. It took about 10 minutes of tapping, but I heard the 'clunk' of the 4x4 engaging. I tapped all around the thing....bottom, sides, etc. Just don't beat it hard enough to damage it.

Turn the switch back to 2HI, put it in park, then back in neutral and then switch back to 4HI. If the lights on the dash go solid, you're good to go. If not, keep repeating the tapping method.

Hope this helps.

 

[A_HuL]

Truck is totaled. Might as well set it on fire

should have thought of that before, you always know what to do Bowen

 

[A_HuL]

Mine did the same thing. It's a known problem with these trucks. Here's what I did to get it working:

Start it up. If you have a helper, have them sit in the truck and engage the emergency brake and keep their foot on the brake (think safety). If no helper, then chock the wheels and engage the emergency brake. Put it in Neutral.

Put the truck in 4HI. If the lights don't go solid on the dash for you, then take a hammer and start tapping on the actuator. It's a square metal box that sits next to the transfer case on the driver's side. It took about 10 minutes of tapping, but I heard the 'clunk' of the 4x4 engaging. I tapped all around the thing....bottom, sides, etc. Just don't beat it hard enough to damage it.

Turn the switch back to 2HI, put it in park, then back in neutral and then switch back to 4HI. If the lights on the dash go solid, you're good to go. If not, keep repeating the tapping method.

Hope this helps.

Thanks ill give this a try, any idea why my 4LO wont even blink or beep now? Maybe if i can get it to go into 4HI thatll change.

 

[jbmccul]

Not sure if the 4Runners are the same but a buddy of mine's Tacoma wouldn't go into 4x4 and it was because some tube had been pulled loose under the truck. You take it to the dealer yet?

 

[nvestor88]

Can actuator be taken off and greased? Is it hard to do?

 

[Stuck CAPS]

Drive train is ruined, send to me and get a new one.

 

[ebg18t]

Can actuator be taken off and greased? Is it hard to do?

Not easily. The actuator on the transfer case is a $2500 repair job to replace it.

 

[scw1991]

it's my understanding that the front differential actuator (ADD) must be working properly to engage 2HI to 4HI. If the system cannot complete this sequence first, then it's impossible to engage 4HI to 4LO.

I had my ADD replaced a few months ago at the Toyota dealership. I brought the old ADD back home and tore into it. Clean as a whistle. But, the motor shaft itself was near impossible to turn with a small pair of pliers and one of the motor leads had come unsoldered from the post.

Not sure what causes the motor to seize up like that. I guess the tiny bronze sleeve bearings dry up??

 

[gaterose]

[MENTION=72620]A_HuL[/MENTION] got it fixed a month or so ago, can't remember what he said the problem was. Maybe he'll chime back in since I mentioned.

 

[nvestor88]

Scw1991 how much did it cost to replace the front ADD.?

 

[c_mack9]

Scw1991 how much did it cost to replace the front ADD.?

I just had mine replaced, but that didn't fix it so I'm waiting for the transfer case actuator to be replaced before I pay for it all. The ADD is the cheaper of the 2 so do it first to see if that fixes it or not. There's only 4 hours of labor on the books for the ADD vs. 12 for the transfer case. Full price at a dealership will be around $3500 from what I've been told. If you're mechanical enough to do it, do it yourself. I am not so I'll happily pay someone to fix what I would screw up if I attempted it myself. I think mine is going under the knife today, it's probaby a 2 day job so I'll report back.

 

[scw1991]

Toyota charged $400 for front differential actuator (ADD) and $300 for labor. You can purchase the OEM Toyota ADD through other sources for around $300.

My next step is to eventually free up the ADD motor shaft, re-solder the terminals and store it away for a rainy day. Sounds like this may be a good spare part to keep on hand It's possible to buy a replacement motor as well.

There is a video on YouTube of a gentleman replacing his ADD on an FJ. He had to drop the front diff down a bit to get to the ADD. Not sure if you have to do this with the TR4. You also have to drain the front differential and re-fill.

 

[A_HuL]

Sorry guys, yeah I got it fixed my mechanic said it got seized up so it took it apart and greased everything, works like a top now

 

[c_mack9]

When everything is working properly, what are the lights on the dash supposed to be doing? Which ones stay lit and which ones are supposed to blink?

 

[c_mack9]

When it's in 4hi with the center diff unlocked, should the center diff light blink and the VSC light be on? Everything is mechanically working, we just don't know what these lights are doing?