Center Differential Lock

A

asianstyles

New member
I have a 2006 4Runner and I am worried that I may have been driving during the winter with the center differential locked. I am currently out of town, so I can't turn the car on to check. Couple of questions:

1. If I had the center differential locked before turning off the ignition, when I restart my car, will the center differntial still be locked?

2. I can't remember which lights were on, on the dashboard. Whether it was the regular 4 wheel drive or the locked. If I have been driving throughout the winter with the differential locked, will this have caused damage? I probably have driven for 800 miles. However, I cannot feel any difference, hear any noises when I am driving etc.
 
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If you turn off the vehicle with it locked, it will still be locked when you get back in. If you had it locked you'd see the "VCS Off" indicator on all the time (should be orange) as well as the standard green 4 wheel drive indicator, and below that an orange locked indicator (the same 4 wheel drive indicator that is green but with an "X" in the middle). You also should have noticed it being hard to steer, especially trying to park since you're at lower speed, if you have had it locked all the time.
 
martini said:
If you turn off the vehicle with it locked, it will still be locked when you get back in. If you had it locked you'd see the "VCS Off" indicator on all the time (should be orange) as well as the standard green 4 wheel drive indicator, and below that an orange locked indicator (the same 4 wheel drive indicator that is green but with an "X" in the middle). You also should have noticed it being hard to steer, especially trying to park since you're at lower speed, if you have had it locked all the time.
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:iagree: 100%
You probably don't want it locked all of the time. Locked on clean pavement will use lots of gas, adds wear & tear to the system and leaves the VSC off meaning your 'skid control' is disabled.
 
martini said:
If you turn off the vehicle with it locked, it will still be locked when you get back in. If you had it locked you'd see the "VCS Off" indicator on all the time (should be orange) as well as the standard green 4 wheel drive indicator, and below that an orange locked indicator (the same 4 wheel drive indicator that is green but with an "X" in the middle). You also should have noticed it being hard to steer, especially trying to park since you're at lower speed, if you have had it locked all the time.
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i'm going to have my roommate check which indicator is on, since i am out of town. i don't remember ever having trouble steering or any steering difference from 2WD for that matter.

also, is VSC that thing that when you lose control/skid, it beeps or makes a sound and then there is a light that flashes on the dashboard briefly?
 
asianstyles said:
also, is VSC that thing that when you lose control/skid, it beeps or makes a sound and then there is a light that flashes on the dashboard briefly?
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Yep...

If you've been getting that (beeping) the center-diff is NOT locked. When the center-diff is locked that system is disabled. You may get lights associated with ATRAC but you won't hear beeping.
 
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asianstyles said:
I have a 2006 4Runner and I am worried that I may have been driving during the winter with the center differential locked. I am currently out of town, so I can't turn the car on to check. Couple of questions:

1. If I had the center differential locked before turning off the ignition, when I restart my car, will the center differntial still be locked?

2. I can't remember which lights were on, on the dashboard. Whether it was the regular 4 wheel drive or the locked. If I have been driving throughout the winter with the differential locked, will this have caused damage? I probably have driven for 800 miles. However, I cannot feel any difference, hear any noises when I am driving etc.
Click to expand...
Don't drive with the differential locked when on dry pavement! That is not good for the driveline.

Frankly, when driving on snowy roads you generally don't need to lock the center diff and probably don't want it locked. Locking the center diff will make the truck tail happy and turn off the electronic spin control.

Get a decent set of snow tires, keep it in 4wd high, and drive with a little more care.
 
M1911 said:
Don't drive with the differential locked when on dry pavement! That is not good for the driveline.

Frankly, when driving on snowy roads you generally don't need to lock the center diff and probably don't want it locked. Locking the center diff will make the truck tail happy and turn off the electronic spin control.

Get a decent set of snow tires, keep it in 4wd high, and drive with a little more care.
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Right. I'm not intending to drive with the differential locked. It may have gotten accidentaly locked, but not 100 percent sure.
 
No damage done, just be sure it's not locked if the roads are dry. No big deal, happens all the time, not to mention the diffs are open even when the center is locked, no biggie.
 
asianstyles said:
if i hypothetically did drive about 800 miles with the center differential locked, would i have caused damage to my car?
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As I said earlier... If you were hearing the beeping during minor/modest slips I don't think the center-diff was/is locked.

If you did drive a full 800 miles with the lock you probably didn't damage anything. (The transfer case is the piece that would've the most extra stress.) If you did drive it locked for that long I would absolutely get a fluid change ASAP. Assuming an 800 mile drive the fluid has been heated quite a bit and there will be some extra metal shavings in it. Given the lube won't be as effective due to the exposure to heat and it's holding extra abrasives in suspension I'd want the old fluid out ASAP if it were mine.

If it were mine and the axle fluids haven't been changed in a while I might do those too and a fresh driveshaft greasing. After that I wouldn't give it another thought...
:cheers:
 
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asianstyles said:
I probably have driven for 800 miles. However, I cannot feel any difference, hear any noises when I am driving etc.
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If this 800 miles of driving was mixed driving with low speed turns and parking, etc, there's no way you could have failed to notice the change in steering feel. Rest easy.
 
i determined that it was NOT locked.

don't know how i came up with the idea that it could have been locked. maybe got confused with the time i pressed the downhill button.
 
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