Gears Not Meshing ??

[biglar]

The other day I had to back my '02 T4R a few feet up a steep hill into a parking spot with patches of ice. Rear wheels were slipping intermittently and I heard a buzzing/grinding noise from the front that sounded like gears or splines that were touching, but not meshed. It did back into the spot but the noise has me very concerned.

Any ideas on what I should look for ?? I'm a good mechanic but totally un-familiar with these. Thanks.

Lar.

 

[SkidPalace]

Are you sure you weren't hearing the traction control/ABS kicking in as the wheels were slipping? I don't have ATRAC on my '00 so I don't know for sure what noise that system makes.

 

[JohnsD90]

That was your Traction Control, it is a buzzing sound. A similar but louder sound would be your ABS but that will only come on when you are braking. That is perfectly normal, and it just means you lost traction and the car was trying to regain it, it cause's no harm.

 

[024RunnerSE]

Thats the beautiful pullsing sound of the wonder TRAC Sounds like a machine gun went off right?

 

[biglar]

Thats the beautiful pullsing sound of the wonder TRAC Sounds like a machine gun went off right?

Not quite that bad. If you've ever tried to shift a manual transmission too fast and beat the synchros, the sound of protesting gears trying but un-able to mesh at low rpm is about what it sounded like. First time I've heard it in the 2 years I've owned it and I've gone into some awful places with it. It's impressive - will "almost" go where-ever the quad will go. Thanks, I won't worry about it then.

Lar.

 

[024RunnerSE]

Yeah, you have to take some really bad off camber ruts to get the tires off the ground to hear the TRAC do its thing. When you lock the CDL, it kills the VSC and engages maximum machine gun sound effect