Alarm in center console? Shifted from 4LO to 4HI

[nm_alien]

Looked in my manual and searched but can't find an answer.

I was fiddling with my new to me '05 SR5 V6. I was doing all of this in my driveway with the tires pointed straight ahead. Decided to try the 4WD modes and center diff lock modes just to see the indicators change and see what lights on the dash come on in each mode. Things worked like I expected from 2HI to 4HI to 4LO. Then I hit the center diff lock button. It worked too. Then I decided to switch from 4LO to 4HI with the center diff lock engaged. I immediately got a continuous alarm sound coming from the center console and it would not shift from LO to HI. When I put the transmission from N into R, I heard a loud clunk from underneath. I shifted back to LO and the alarm went off. I disengaged the diff lock, that light went out. Then I was able to shift from LO to HI without any more drama or loud clunks from below.

What happened? The manual doesn't say anything about shifting between LO and HI with the diff lock engaged. I couldn't find anything about the constant alarm tone either.

 

[Berty_K]

Were you in neutral?

I've only gotten the alarm when my transmission wasn't in neutral and I tried to switch from HI to LO or LO to HI.

 

[nm_alien]

Were you in neutral?

I've only gotten the alarm when my transmission wasn't in neutral and I tried to switch from HI to LO or LO to HI.

Hmm. I can't recall. My normal habit is to be in Neutral when I shift into and out of LO. But this is the first 4WD I have owned that had a dash switch instead of an actual lever so maybe I just had too many buttons/switches/transmission levers going on all at once and tried to go from LO to HI with the transmission not in Neutral.

 

[4RunnerIdiot]

The driver side sun visor has pretty good instructions. If you get the alarm, check them to make sure you're doing everything right. I occasionally forget the right raindance and have to check it.

 

[nm_alien]

The driver side sun visor has pretty good instructions. If you get the alarm, check them to make sure you're doing everything right. I occasionally forget the right raindance and have to check it.

It's funny that it's there but I've never bothered to really read it. I was searching through the user manual with no success finding out where the beep was coming from. I just went out this morning and went through all the 4WD switch positions, CDL on and off, and couldn't recreate the beep.

I think it must have been a brain fart. But at least I did learn something new today, which is that the alert tone will sound if I try to shift in or out of LO if the transmission is not in Neutral

 

[hanjohnbono]

It's funny that it's there but I've never bothered to really read it. I was searching through the user manual with no success finding out where the beep was coming from. I just went out this morning and went through all the 4WD switch positions, CDL on and off, and couldn't recreate the beep.

I think it must have been a brain fart. But at least I did learn something new today, which is that the alert tone will sound if I try to shift in or out of LO if the transmission is not in Neutral

Pretty much same thing happened to me when I bought my 4th Gen, and was testing the 4LO, and I heard the beep go off, and I was like oh shit this isn't good. That's when I learned I just go into 4HI or 4LO or turn on the locking differential all in neutral. Also don't forget to run your 4HI and mainly 4LO once a month to make sure the actuators are getting proper use, apparently it was an issue with the electronic actuator in the 4th gens to get stuck, and not be able to switch into 4LO, which I've heard is like a 4K repair. Once a month for 5 minutes is what I usually do

 

[Berty_K]

Pretty much same thing happened to me when I bought my 4th Gen, and was testing the 4LO, and I heard the beep go off, and I was like oh shit this isn't good. That's when I learned I just go into 4HI or 4LO or turn on the locking differential all in neutral. Also don't forget to run your 4HI and mainly 4LO once a month to make sure the actuators are getting proper use, apparently it was an issue with the electronic actuator in the 4th gens to get stuck, and not be able to switch into 4LO, which I've heard is like a 4K repair. Once a month for 5 minutes is what I usually do

You can shift between 2hi and 4hi in drive. I dont hesitate to shift at speeds under 40 mph and have never had any issues.