4x4 and center diff light blinking final outcome

[having fun]

Ok, my next problem, guess this age of ride.

Sometimes when i start her up, the 4x4 and center diff light blink. I'm not engaging it and in 2hi. I try to engage and disengage to get it to stop blinking. Only way i can get it to stop it is to turn the engine off and restart, sometimes takes more than once. I dont hear anything from the 4x4 box in the passenger kick board area when it's doing this.

When lights are off, have no problem turning the switch and it engages in seconds. I do hear clicking like it should from the 4x4 box by the kick pane

No other lights associated with this issue either.

Any help from you gurus? Got too much invested with this ride and it's not totaled.

V6.

 

[The G-Man]

I think your switch might be jacked up.

When I was installing a stereo a few weeks ago I started the motor up with the 4x4 switch still disconnected and those lights lit up. When I put everything back, all was back to normal on the dash.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pahaf91]

I'm not saying you have same problems as me but my v6 4runner was doing the same thing and then about a week later it got stuck in 4hi with the ecu thinking it was in 4lo.

I had to remove my actuator a little bit from The transfer case and jiggle it .....
And then I had to "re time" my actuator gears. They were off by a little bit.

 

[having fun]

Never opened the dash or the kick panel in awhile. Switch in its lock position as you would call it. When the lights aren't on the dash, everything cycles/engages like it should 4hi/lo instantly. You can hear the actuator doing the movements and the control box clicking by the kick panel.

Just when the dash is lit up, after starting, turning the switch, nothing, no sound, no engagement.
Just have to turn off the motor and key to off position and try again.
It doesnt do it all the time, just occasionally.
Nothing I can find on the search for this as a clue something electrical is going out, like how the battery or alternator getting ready to die.
Just would hate to enter the rubicon or similar, and it decides something quit on me. Definitely would ruin my day.

 

[pahaf91]

Never opened the dash or the kick panel in awhile. Switch in its lock position as you would call it. When the lights aren't on the dash, everything cycles/engages like it should 4hi/lo instantly. You can hear the actuator doing the movements and the control box clicking by the kick panel.

Just when the dash is lit up, after starting, turning the switch, nothing, no sound, no engagement.
Just have to turn off the motor and key to off position and try again.
It doesnt do it all the time, just occasionally.
Nothing I can find on the search for this as a clue something electrical is going out, like how the battery or alternator getting ready to die.
Just would hate to enter the rubicon or similar, and it decides something quit on me. Definitely would ruin my day.

not scaring you or anything but that is exactly what happened to me.

4x4 works great
I install 285-70-R17 tires
have this flashing lights once in a while. works after i restart the 4Runner.
Go to sand dunes in a week and actuator decides to take a crap on me.

 

[berrow]

Similar thing started happening on my '05 V6. Went to the gas station, got back in and my 4WD was flashing. I couldn't engages it or anything. After looking around on the forum, etc I finally came across a post about how the second gen tacomas get the flashing 4WD / dif lock lights etc and the fix was to remove the actuator from under the truck. When you open it up there's a motor that powers the 4WD system and is feed power by two small solder points.

I took my actuator out (super easy to do yourself, but you'll need to reseal it) and bench tested it which turned out fine, but I still went ahead and added another fat solder on both connections for good measures. After I reinstalled it I haven't had any issues since. 4WD engages within seconds when the trucks in neutral.

Here's the video on how to fix it. YouTube

 

[having fun]

Similar thing started happening on my '05 V6. Went to the gas station, got back in and my 4WD was flashing. I couldn't engages it or anything. After looking around on the forum, etc I finally came across a post about how the second gen tacomas get the flashing 4WD / dif lock lights etc and the fix was to remove the actuator from under the truck. When you open it up there's a motor that powers the 4WD system and is feed power by two small solder points.

I took my actuator out (super easy to do yourself, but you'll need to reseal it) and bench tested it which turned out fine, but I still went ahead and added another fat solder on both connections for good measures. After I reinstalled it I haven't had any issues since. 4WD engages within seconds when the trucks in neutral.

Here's the video on how to fix it. YouTube

Looks to be simple to do if need be. Will bookmark for future.

[MENTION=362109]pahaf91[/MENTION] will send a message for help if this becomes a problem, the Retiming sounds like a need from experience to me at the moment.
Besides, your local to me.

 

[having fun]

Little follow up, got home Saturday, 80-95% of the time, flashing. My rear actuator, hose had a small crack, so I fixed it.
Went for a trail run yesterday, no flashing lights on the drive there, but I did so much engage/disengage 2h/4h/4lo. When airing up, go to 2hi, flashing VSC/ steady light on squirrelly car thing. Never could get to turn off no matter how many times I start and stop the motor.
Everything engage/disengage like it should and instantly while on the trail.

Today, multi stops, and in driveway, starting ride, no lights flashing or on at all.

I might have gotten something to move in there or just dodged a bullet.

 

[KwonRunner]

I have a similar problem I wanted to share. Last February, I switched into h4 and noticed my vsc off flashing and trac lights on. The lights stay on when I switch back to h2 and only go away after I restart. They come back on as soon as I switch back to h4. Sometimes they stay off until I lock the center diff, which is weird. Not consistent. I get one error code of c1340. Was at the dealer for almost 3 months and they couldn't figure it out. They replaced my 4wd actuator switch and brake master cylinder and still the same problem. Thankfully the master tech didn't charge me because they couldn't solve the issue. 4hi and lo, and center diff still seem to work, but the lights still haunt me. Bugs me so bad. The only big change before all this was upgrading my front springs to 700lbs and wiring my ditch and chase lights. The wiring was suspect to me because I used factory switches. I upgraded to a switch pro and still the same problems. Frustrated and tired, I just chalked it up to Gremlins.

Here's my post about it back then.

HELP please! C1340 error, vsc off flashing and trac lights on

 

[having fun]

Up date. Went to work Monday, got the green and yellow flashing again, once.
Turned power off( ignition) never flashed again, several power ons.
Came back from work, started the ride no lights, good thing, almost home and engaged 4hi,
Lights flashed, ugggghhhh. Parked and killed the power, restart no lights, did this several times, no lights.
Since I'm a truck driver and time off away from home, search every thread on this subject.
I decided to do a reset of the 4x4 ecu, and main ecu.
While unplugged 4x4, powered up, another thread said dash lights get angry doing this, only a couple lights went off. Kill power and plug in. Green and yellow flashes once. Sveval power on/off, no lights.
So, I decide to open up the actuator box still on the ride.
A lot of the threads I can tell, different yrs has design changes it seems to me on the boxes.
Mine 08, v6.
I have a plate you can remove and see the blue dial with the cover on.
Figured I would post pictures here.
This is with 2hi.


This is 4hi and 4lo


Opened the cover and the dial section is mounted to the cover, not like what i have seen or misunderstood other post, no pictures of it on there post. It also has a long plastic section that was keeping me from completely removing, didnt want to force and break things.
On opening it and what visual I could do, no water came out, no signs of water getting in, and all gears greased.

I'll see if I can post video of said cover plate.

 

[having fun]

This sites new system/way of having upload photos ect IMO sucks, like how it was before.
And there site is slow. Normally I wouldn't go through all this now to do these postings, but, this site has helped me out, and some of the lacking of pictures on threads, so I uploaded to possibly help others. This shows the outer case cover and removal problem I had. Never tried to get forceful due to no water damage was sited and system still works for the moment. Visual aid.


YouTube

 

[having fun]

More follow up. Since the tranfer case actuator showed no signs of problems, water, ect. Did more of a outside this site search.
Was able to find additional post all over the place. Thanks [MENTION=132536]berrow[/MENTION] for your post, this made me go into more depth of a search which had me look into how this systems actually works. Came across this How To Trouble Shoot 4x4 Actuator | Tacoma World there setup is the same on the front, the rear has a different actuator system.
Reading through this, you operate your switch that now sends a signal to the front actuator that tells the rear one to do its thing.
I noticed when I was getting the flashing lights on the dash, the front actuator would have a faint beeping sound.
When not flashing, no beeping and you can hear the rear doings its thing.

When I opened the rear, all the motor area was shiny clean motor. The front, was no signs of where water/moisture was entering.
My thoughts, with part of the housing of the actuator being metal, it creates a condisation in there. I found a pinhead drop of moisture.you can see a drop on 1 part on the grease. So as I used a blower, you can see moisture coming out from under and around the motor unit. You can see how they install these motors to just make contact on the leads. I did a solder on these as I was in it and regreased things.
Will see how this worked for me, and seeing the motor, might be replacing the front in due time.

 

[rochmpr]

Man, this sounds painful.

 

[Bigcee]

Oooo this could be what's up with my 09....
When I turn the knob to 4Hi, the yellow center diff light blinks and the 4x4 green light blinks....
Although no dash lights come up when it is in 2 Hi.

 

[Bigcee]

You wouldn't happen to have any updates on how the repair went, would you? I know it's been a while.

 

[WMU53]

"re time" my actuator gears.

I'm not saying you have same problems as me but my v6 4runner was doing the same thing and then about a week later it got stuck in 4hi with the ecu thinking it was in 4lo.

I had to remove my actuator a little bit from The transfer case and jiggle it .....
And then I had to "re time" my actuator gears. They were off by a little bit.

Hi. I opened the ADD actuator. Gears fell out. I do not have the experience to assemble the gears. Any help appreciated.