95 four runner 4x4 help

2

200HORSE

New member
I hate this being my first post and asking for help but i need it.

I have a 95 four runner 4x4 manual trans. The 4x4 engages, green 4x4 dash light turns on even here click under dash. After driving it 5-10 minutes the 4x4 light goes out and back to 2 wheel drive i go. I then put it( the 4x4 shifter) in 2 wheel drive then back into 4 wheel drive and it works again but goes out after 5-10 miles. Some times it takes a few times to engage it into 4 wheel drive for the first time.

Now i did change the vacuum hoses on the front differential maybe i reversed them? maybe they aren't seal well enough?? anyone know which way they go or have a picture?

I want to keep this truck going it has almost 300k on it and runs like new i am impressed with it the last 100k have been awesome just routine maintenance.

thanks !!!!
tim
tntrustremover.com
 
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I changed the name of the thread for ya!

I'm not very familiar with the 2nd gen 4runners. To my knowledge, the only plug on the front diff area of the 4runner is for the ABS which has nothing to do with the 4wd system. If you have the ADD front diff then I would check your vacuum lines going to it and make sure they're staying seated. But I believe that the 2nd gen 4runners get their 4wd indication from the transfer case via a switch that senses that the transfer case was put into 4wd. Maybe the switch is getting worn out if that's the case?
 
I had that problem on my 97 w/ man transmission. It was the vacuum solenoid switch. Toyota only sells the whole assy. which is $618. So I tried my luck at a junk yard and got one from a 94 and it actually worked on my 3rd gen. But like you said it's probably just that you connected hoses incorrectly when replacing.
 
thanks sv for changing it

yes it has the vacum lines that controls the 4x4. I replaced them because they were cracked did that about 6 months ago not sure if i may have put them on wrong or not. But yet it works fine for 5-10 miles then it doesn't

got to hate intermittent problems
 
When my switch was out I actually had to connect the hoses wrong to get 4wd to engage. I had the same problem as you then. I would work then just got out and I'd have to put it in 2H then 4H for it turn on again only to cut out soon after.
 
does anyone know how the vacum hoses are suppose to go? there two hard lines on the left side and the vacum canister thing they go to on the right. this is if you are looking at it from the front of the truck. Does the top line go to the top of the canister bottom to the bottom of the canister or?
 
On my 95' there are 2 metal lines mounted horizontally. The one in front connects to the front connection on the vacuum canister and the line in the rear connects on the drivers side of it.
 
thanks 2nd gen i think that is the way they were. I went out and checked and yes they are but i switched them a few times today so maybe i am confused lol

will try it tomorrow and see what happens as of now when i put it into 4 wheel drive nothing happens but thats idling in garage we will see when i get on the road tomorrow.

any other ideas if thats not it??

again i can not say thanks enough
 
200HORSE said:
thanks 2nd gen i think that is the way they were. I went out and checked and yes they are but i switched them a few times today so maybe i am confused lol

will try it tomorrow and see what happens as of now when i put it into 4 wheel drive nothing happens but thats idling in garage we will see when i get on the road tomorrow.

any other ideas if thats not it??

again i can not say thanks enough
Click to expand...

I've never had ADD on one of these trucks, but if I ever do it'll be one of the first things to go. Do a little research on the manual hub conversion and just take the vacuum stuff out of the equation altogether.
 
Update

Well i am pretty sure vacum hoses are ran right.

Today tried the 4x4 and nothing. How does one check the vacum canister? How does one check see if main vacum is working?

I do hear clicking sound when putting it into 4x4 coming from the dash

Or any help would be appreciated on where to start or what to start checking
 
Uh, you should have electrical signal going to a vacuum switch, right? And then two vacuum lines to the actuator on the diff? Find that vacuum switch, and you should have suckage on one side in 2wd and suckage on the other in 4wd. If you have no suckage at all, look to a defective switch or bad vacuum feeder. If you have suckage but it doesn't switch, that would point to defective electrical and not a vacuum problem at all. If you have vacuum and it switches when you shift from one to the other, swap the lines. If you have switching vacuum and it doesn't work no matter which way the lines are run, I'd be tempted to blame the actual actuator on the diff tube.

Like I said, I don't know these systems and I'm making assumptions on the layout that could be faulty. But that's how I'd go about troubleshooting it. Except I wouldn't, because I would have switched to manual hubs already. ;):
 
Thanks kid! !!

When i get home from work will check to see if i am getting any vacum

that was a great explanation on how to.check it out
 
UPDATE

i have strong vacum when its idling in 2 wheel drive when i switch to 4 wheel drive vacum is there but not as strong. When i switch the vacum line around so the strong vacum is there in 4x4 again nothing

i am guessing the vacum can or whatever you call the thing the vacum runs to bolted to the front drive is bad?? i see it has wires going to it i guess do those wires run to the dash activating the 4x4 light??

thanks tim
 
If it's working intermittently, that means the VSV's are good and vac lines connected correctly. If the 4WD dash light comes on, the electrical side is good.

When it drops out, it's most likely due to loss of vacuum to the lock solenoid.
There is a vacuum tank located behind the bumper, pass side. If it or one of the vac lines had a leak, it could cause it to work initially, than drop out when the vac level dropped.
 
Also you may want to check the switch on the top of the transfer case on the passenger side, it senses when you move the shifter and its where everything starts. should be open between the terminals when in 2WD and closed when in 4WD. If your 4WD goes out you can unplug the switch and check to see if its still closed, if not replace it. I've also attached a picture of the entire ADD circuit. Hope this helps
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