Differential lock switch broke?

[cpetrice]

Well I follow the directions on the visor....when I turn to 4h, the lights on the instrument panel flash (4wd and differential?) but never go solid....I hold the differential lock switch, nothing, lights still flash. Tried driving in reverse, forward, coast in neutral, try to put it in 4wd from park, from neutral, every scenerio you can imagine, lights still flash and won't go solid (manual says that means it isn't locking)

Try 4l, 4l light flashes and beeping non stop, won't go solid and won't stop beeping till I take itout of 4l. (yes, I am in park, neutral or under 5mph when I try it!)

And if I just put it in 4h, without trying the differential switch, lights still flash and never go solid.

 

[bbauters]

If your light never goes solid then you are not in 4wd. The center differential won't engage if you're not in 4wd first.

 

[cpetrice]

Exactly. Dealer said it was the actuator, I replaced that, still won't go 4wd. Last thing remaining is the ECM.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Exactly. Dealer said it was the actuator, I replaced that, still won't go 4wd. Last thing remaining is the ECM.

This was stupid of me not to ask, which actuator did you replace? And which one did the dealership say was bad?

 

[cpetrice]

There is more than 1?! LOL I replaced the one on the front differential. Had to remove the skid plates, 4 bolts held it in, vacuum hose and electronic plug on it.

WHen I ordered the part, the dealer didn't tell me there are more than 1, and the haynes manual doesn't say that either. I believe the haynes manual called it the ADD actuator.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Yeah, thought so...

The front Actuator is a vaccum operated one and is easy to replace, the second actuator is inside of the transfer case and can be unbolted, but you can't remove or replace it without disassembling the entire transfer case because it is pinned to the shift fork shaft.

The Center Differential actuator controls 4Hi 4Lo and Center Lock (IIRC)

On a side note, never unplug the relay on the back of your glove box and cycle the key! You will run the risk of seriously damaging the transfer case as it will cause the actuator to push and bent/break things.

 

[subst4nce]

Are you sure you're engaging 4hi properly? You should be moving when your turning the knob from 2wd to 4wd, sometimes it takes a while.

At least that's how it is on my '06

 

[DaveS]

Yeah, thought so...

The front Actuator is a vaccum operated one and is easy to replace, the second actuator is inside of the transfer case and can be unbolted, but you can't remove or replace it without disassembling the entire transfer case because it is pinned to the shift fork shaft.

The Center Differential actuator controls 4Hi 4Lo and Center Lock (IIRC)

On a side note, never unplug the relay on the back of your glove box and cycle the key! You will run the risk of seriously damaging the transfer case as it will cause the actuator to push and bent/break things.

This was why I was shocked you were planning to do this without dropping the TC ! If you look at all the cases of this here, you will see it's the actuator inside the TC that is to blame hence the high cost to fix it. The Haynes manual is not really that detailed - your best bet if you plan to do this still is to get access to the FSM via Toyota.com - you can pay for a 1 day pass then download everything you need.

 

[bbauters]

I downloaded a manual here:

4Runner Factory Service Manual - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

 

[cpetrice]

Oooooohhhhhh!!! Ok, well no wonder they wanted to charge me $2k! Well the ECM is on the way, no refunds because it is a special order from Toyota, I guess if it isn't the culprit, I will have to save my pennies to get that fixed! Thanks guy, I appreciate it.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Sorry we didn't catch it earlier, best of luck!