4x4 PSA: Use it or lose it monthly reminder

[sprocketus]

sprocketus,

If you haven't changed out your diff fluid (front, rear and center) I would do that.

When I did mine, it came out black as tar. I don't think it was ever changed in its life.

Very simple to do and there is a forum link with detailed pictures to guide you through the change. I used it to guide me and it worked like a charm.

I exercised mine yesterday and 4HI engaged in I'd guess 6 seconds, and 4LOW in 1 second. It is nearly instant now.

It used to take upwards of a minute to engage the 4HI before the fluid change.

The fluid is about 12 bucks a quart. Mobil1 75w 90. Plus you need the plug gaskets from the dealer but they are only a few dollars each.

Good luck!

metramm

Thanks for the tips, and sorry I missed your post for awhile. Mine is working ok now, and changing the fluids is definitely on my to-do list when this Illinois weather changes to spring. There are only 51k miles on this one, but I still want to change it out as soon as I can. Thanks.

 

[CookieRoe]

4RUNNER JUNK. KNOWN DEFECT. NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA AGAIN. TOYOTA JUNK.

1) 4Runner Junk? All reliability stats you can find online or otherwise will tell you otherwise, but nice try.
2) Appears as though the last owner didn't use the actuator often. These rigs "like it" when they are used with frequency (they won't bind up and not work). Mine used to take its sweet time engaging, but it does so quickly now. If you would've read this and other thread like this, you would've known.

 

[Kmvreter]

I test drove ...

You had your chance.


Nice first post... just sayin'

Welcome to the forum and chill.

 

[Timberland]

I've added an extra step to my use it or lose it regimen - the parking brake. I don't use it under normal operation unless I'm parking on a hill or parking with a heavy trailer so I figured it's good to keep it moving freely just like the 4x4 system.

So the first of every month, I cycle the CDL, 4LO, and parking brake.

 

[ColoRig]

I test drove five used 4runners and they all had 4wd/actuator motor issues (I needed a new vehicle). I finally found a 2007 with 57k on it in beautiful shape. I took it for a test-drive to a gravel parking-lot and it went into 4wd low as it should have. I thought I had found a good one, so I bought if for $15k in Sept 2016. I took it home and took it to a dirt road near my house and again, put it into 4wd low and exercised the TC and...it worked. Fast-forward a couple of months to our first snow-storm and I went hunting out in the country. Twenty attempts to engage 4wd low and it did all of the things all the other ones I test-drove did -blinking lights, beeping, grinding noises coming from the TC - no combination of putting my middle finger from my left hand up my ass and holding my breath -- in and out of 4wd, back and then forward, 2wd high, 4wd high - - - - nothing. I was deep in the woods and all I had was 4wd high. I was so f'ing pissed; I kept trying and it finally locked into low, with lights still flashing and the beeping, but you could tell it was in low. Well...guess what ??? It then wouldn't come out of low. I had a two hour interstate drive to get back to my house and the switch was in 2wd high...with the lights still blinking and the beeping and I couldn't do anything to get it out of 4wd low. I did every f'ing thing you can do to try and get it out. The truck doesn't even have 60k on it. UNBELIEVABLE !!!! HOW CAN TOYOTA GET AWAY WITH THIS KNOWN DEFECT ???!? DO NOT EVER BUY A USED TOYOTA 4RUNNER, 2005- 2009 !! DO NOT BUY THIS VEHICLE IF YOU PLAN TO USE THE 4WD SYSTEM. HAS ANYBODY HAD ANY LUCK WITH OUT OF WARRANTY, WARRANTY REPAIRS ? TOYOTA JUNK. 4RUNNER JUNK. KNOWN DEFECT. NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA AGAIN. TOYOTA JUNK.

Not sayin you didn't already try this, but, did you refer to the manual? I've had mechanics tell me my 4wd is bad just because they don't understand how to engage or disengage. The beeping does sound like a plane going down and it can rattle ones nerves.

Good luck!

 

[acronin2]

Happy New Year folks...use it or lose it

 

[Elan750]

I bought my V6 in July, and tested the 4lo. It worked fine. Fast forward 6 months and a nice New England snowstorm. 'Im the type that likes to bust out of the parking spot and then shovel after. In 4hi I stepped on it and got stuck. (the truck was plowed in). I excitedly realize its time for 4lo. Then it doesnt engage! I got out of the spot but was bummed I couldnt engage 4lo. After reading these posts, I tried engaging 4lo at every red light. after probably 40 times, it engaged. It has engaged each time since.

Now I gotta get under there and change the fluid (probably never changed and at 135k), and start engaging that baby regularly.

Thanks!:trophy:

 

[CookieRoe]

I bought my V6 in July, and tested the 4lo. It worked fine. Fast forward 6 months and a nice New England snowstorm. 'Im the type that likes to bust out of the parking spot and then shovel after. In 4hi I stepped on it and got stuck. (the truck was plowed in). I excitedly realize its time for 4lo. Then it doesnt engage! I got out of the spot but was bummed I couldnt engage 4lo. After reading these posts, I tried engaging 4lo at every red light. after probably 40 times, it engaged. It has engaged each time since.

Now I gotta get under there and change the fluid (probably never changed and at 135k), and start engaging that baby regularly.

Thanks!:trophy:

changing the fluid won't hurt at all, but won't affect the mechanism. Use it as often as you can to keep it lubed (gear oil for the transfer case is separate from the mechanism). Another note: Many, including me, report that it engauges better when the truck (especially drive train........... take it out for 15 minute ride to get engine/tranny/TC/axles/etc etc nice and hot!) is hot, it will work faster.

 

[YetiX]

Subscribed to get my monthly reminder. I did test all of the functions on mine when I bought it last month and have had it in 4Hi a few times since (including today) for driving in the rain. Just need to make sure I engage 4lo and the diff once a month too.

 

[Montego Murph]

This seems like a reasonable place to post this, since it's more of a stupid question and I don't want to just write "posting so I can get updates."

One of the reasons I bought the 4Runner is for towing -- I am heavily involved with a group that participates in 2-3 local parades every year. We have a float that we decorate and have a good ol' time. The parade route goes through city streets, all pavement.

Would there be any merit (or worse, damage done) to putting the truck in 4low while towing? In my mind this would make for a good opportunity to run the truck for a while (like an hour or so) in low range and get the gears turning. Also, maybe it would help take the load off the transmission since we're essentially at idle speed for all that time.

Of course I would not lock the differential.

Good idea? Or am I missing something horrible?

 

[m85476585]

This seems like a reasonable place to post this, since it's more of a stupid question and I don't want to just write "posting so I can get updates."

One of the reasons I bought the 4Runner is for towing -- I am heavily involved with a group that participates in 2-3 local parades every year. We have a float that we decorate and have a good ol' time. The parade route goes through city streets, all pavement.

Would there be any merit (or worse, damage done) to putting the truck in 4low while towing? In my mind this would make for a good opportunity to run the truck for a while (like an hour or so) in low range and get the gears turning. Also, maybe it would help take the load off the transmission since we're essentially at idle speed for all that time.

Of course I would not lock the differential.

Good idea? Or am I missing something horrible?

It's probably fine either way. It tends to be jumpy in 4Low since there is a lot of torque. If you have to ride the brakes the whole time in 4Hi but not in 4Low then 4Low might be better.

 

[YetiX]

Quick n00b question: Cycled through mine tonight. First time putting it in 4LO since I bought it. The "4LO" light came on solid but yellow. Is that right or is it supposed to be green? It was not flashing and definitely seemed to go into 4LO based on the revs, etc. Center diff lock worked fine too.

So is yellow right?

 

[Where'dWhoGo]

Quick n00b question: Cycled through mine tonight. First time putting it in 4LO since I bought it. The "4LO" light came on solid but yellow. Is that right or is it supposed to be green? It was not flashing and definitely seemed to go into 4LO based on the revs, etc. Center diff lock worked fine too.

So is yellow right?

Yellow is what it should be.

 

[YetiX]

Yellow is what it should be.

Thanks for confirming that.

 

[Where'dWhoGo]

Thanks for confirming that.

No problem.

 

[CookieRoe]

Funny how there isn't a video (not that many of you need one) on our 4x4 switches.

Here is one where I engage it (from 2wd to 4Hi) via putting the transmission in Neutral. You will notice it engages right before I throw it back into D, but you get the idea. The idea is that it engages quicker using this method.



Here is another one (boring) when I pulled into an empty baseball field parking lot to exercise the system. You'll notice when I start the video, I'm already engaged into 4lo/diffLocked. From here, I unlock it and 4Lo continue driving on the lot. I "click" over to 4Hi. I then proceed to pull out of the lot and shift out of 4Hi and into 2wd "on the fly". At the 1:41 mark I do and it disengages at 2:00. AT 2:24, I regage 4Hi "on the fly" and it doesn't engage until the 2:45 mark. So, shifting "on the fly" WILL TAKE longer. Shifting while putting the transmission in "N" will make it shift almost instantaneously. Having said that, I would let the drive-train get nice and warm before hand.



Hope you enjoyed my most boring video!!

Honestly, I hope it better shows folks how to use their switches and what to expect the dashboard lights to show. Name of the game is TO USE YOUR SWITCHES often.

 

[sport2004]

Funny how there isn't a video (not that many of you need one) on our 4x4 switches.

Here is one where I engage it (from 2wd to 4Hi) via putting the transmission in Neutral. You will notice it engages right before I throw it back into D, but you get the idea. The idea is that it engages quicker using this method.



Here is another one (boring) when I pulled into an empty baseball field parking lot to exercise the system. You'll notice when I start the video, I'm already engaged into 4lo/diffLocked. From here, I unlock it and 4Lo continue driving on the lot. I "click" over to 4Hi. I then proceed to pull out of the lot and shift out of 4Hi and into 2wd "on the fly". At the 1:41 mark I do and it disengages at 2:00. AT 2:24, I regage 4Hi "on the fly" and it doesn't engage until the 2:45 mark. So, shifting "on the fly" WILL TAKE longer. Shifting while putting the transmission in "N" will make it shift almost instantaneously. Having said that, I would let the drive-train get nice and warm before hand.



Hope you enjoyed my most boring video!!

Honestly, I hope it better shows folks how to use their switches and what to expect the dashboard lights to show. Name of the game is TO USE YOUR SWITCHES often.

Very interesting, thanks for doing this.

First, it never occurred to me to go from 2WD to 4Hi while stationary, by shifting into Neutral. You did it, so I will try and duplicate it.

Next, while it takes your machine several seconds to go from 2WD to 4Hi on the fly, I have a method that is much faster. I turn the nob, gently ease up on the accelerator, and then gently accelerate and it goes into 4Hi almost instantaneously. Works every time. Give it a try (unless you already knew that).

Also, regarding getting 4Lo to work, I happened to be paging through the Haynes manual and saw that it recommends changing out the transfer case fluid every 30k miles or 2 years. And it goes through a process of making sure you get a thorough drain. It's been a while, but after having read through this entire thread I don't recall ever seeing that mentioned. Regardless, it does seem that further work on this is best reserved until the warmer weather arrives.

 

[CookieRoe]

Very interesting, thanks for doing this.

First, it never occurred to me to go from 2WD to 4Hi while stationary, by shifting into Neutral. You did it, so I will try and duplicate it.

Next, while it takes your machine several seconds to go from 2WD to 4Hi on the fly, I have a method that is much faster. I turn the nob, gently ease up on the accelerator, and then gently accelerate and it goes into 4Hi almost instantaneously. Works every time. Give it a try (unless you already knew that).

Also, regarding getting 4Lo to work, I happened to be paging through the Haynes manual and saw that it recommends changing out the transfer case fluid every 30k miles or 2 years. And it goes through a process of making sure you get a thorough drain. It's been a while, but after having read through this entire thread I don't recall ever seeing that mentioned. Regardless, it does seem that further work on this is best reserved until the warmer weather arrives.

While trying to engage to 4Hi (on the fly), I don't try to when the truck is cold. Like I said before, I like to get it nice and warm and then switch her on.

As far as you 4Lo woes, I don't know what to tell you, keep at it! Lots of folks eventually got it to engage.

Yes, changing the oil in the TC is good practice, although I never heard every 30K miles.

Good luck!

 

[sport2004]

While trying to engage to 4Hi (on the fly), I don't try to when the truck is cold. Like I said before, I like to get it nice and warm and then switch her on.

As far as you 4Lo woes, I don't know what to tell you, keep at it! Lots of folks eventually got it to engage.

Yes, changing the oil in the TC is good practice, although I never heard every 30K miles.

Good luck!

I tried the D-N, 2WD-4HI, back to D method, and it works great. Now back to the 4LO problem...

 

[ScottD]

Great idea. gotta do this.