New here - problem with 02 SR5 - please help!

[SallyP]

Hello there - I'm new here and am looking for some advice/help!

This morning when I went to drive my 02 SR5 the car started, but when I put it in reverse (and drive, and neutral for that matter), the car wouldn't move, but the engine would rev as if it were in park. Then when I put it back in park, a screeching noise occurred and the handle jiggled a bit. I tried this several times and the same thing kept happening.

However, when I put the 4wd handle down into H (I assume high gear?), the car drove fine. I took it around the block and it sounded like the gears were working fine.

I put the 4wd handle back into N (in the middle where it was at first) and again the car wouldn't move.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? Is it the transmission? Any help is appreciated!!

 

[kolelt]

Hello there - I'm new here and am looking for some advice/help!

This morning when I went to drive my 02 SR5 the car started, but when I put it in reverse (and drive, and neutral for that matter), the car wouldn't move, but the engine would rev as if it were in park. Then when I put it back in park, a screeching noise occurred and the handle jiggled a bit. I tried this several times and the same thing kept happening.

However, when I put the 4wd handle down into H (I assume high gear?), the car drove fine. I took it around the block and it sounded like the gears were working fine.

I put the 4wd handle back into N (in the middle where it was at first) and again the car wouldn't move.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? Is it the transmission? Any help is appreciated!!

You need to put the nob into 2wheel high. Should be over to the left and up. Should say H2

 

[SallyP]

You need to put the nob into 2wheel high. Should be over to the left and up. Should say H2

ok, with the 4wd handle in N or down in H?

Are you suggesting this as something that will fix the issue altogether?

thanks!

 

[4Runnin Tahoe]

Hello there - I'm new here and am looking for some advice/help!

This morning when I went to drive my 02 SR5 the car started, but when I put it in reverse (and drive, and neutral for that matter), the car wouldn't move, but the engine would rev as if it were in park. Then when I put it back in park, a screeching noise occurred and the handle jiggled a bit. I tried this several times and the same thing kept happening.

However, when I put the 4wd handle down into H (I assume high gear?), the car drove fine. I took it around the block and it sounded like the gears were working fine.

I put the 4wd handle back into N (in the middle where it was at first) and again the car wouldn't move.

Has anyone seen anything like this before? Is it the transmission? Any help is appreciated!!

If you have an 02 then you have the multi-mode 4wd system (the little button on the side of the 4wd lever) so keep the lever in H (down) and you'll be in 2wd. To engage 4wd/awd you just click the button. When you put the 4wd lever in neutral, no wheel drive is selected. So again, even though it sounds weird, keep it in H and you'll be in 2wd. An easy way to see if 4wd is engaged is to look at the top middle of your gauge cluster at the drivetrain outline of the car, if all wheels are green, then you are in 4wd.

 

[SallyP]

If you have an 02 then you have the multi-mode 4wd system (the little button on the side of the 4wd lever) so keep the lever in H (down) and you'll be in 2wd. To engage 4wd/awd you just click the button. When you put the 4wd lever in neutral, no wheel drive is selected. So again, even though it sounds weird, keep it in H and you'll be in 2wd. An easy way to see if 4wd is engaged is to look at the top middle of your gauge cluster at the drivetrain outline of the car, if all wheels are green, then you are in 4wd.

yea thats exactly what I have.

is it safe to have it in H and keep driving around?

what should i do to make it drive again when its in N? thanks for your help!

 

[541joseph]

It shouldn't ever drive in N it should always be in H unless you are towin it behind something or if you need L when you are off roading. Someone correct me if in wrong.

 

[4Runnin Tahoe]

yea thats exactly what I have.

is it safe to have it in H and keep driving around?

what should i do to make it drive again when its in N? thanks for your help!

Idk how it got in neutral in the first place but it should always be in the H setting when driving around. H is 2wd (normal) unless you click the button and all 4 wheels light up on your dash, then your in 4 wheel drive.

So, just to be safe, start the car, from park put the car in neutral, and pull the 4wd lever down into H, put it in drive and take her around the block. Look at the top middle of your dash to make sure it's just in 2 wheel drive (no green lights) if you want, while you're on a straight road, click the button on the side of the 4wd selector just to see what it feels like and to see the green lights light up on your dash (it is safe to drive around town when just the button is clicked)

Always keep the 4wd lever in H unless you want 4lo, but that's only when you're doing heavy off-roading.

Cliff note version:
-just leave it in H.

Happy to help, lemme know if you have anymore questions

 

[SallyP]

Idk how it got in neutral in the first place but it should always be in the H setting when driving around. H is 2wd (normal) unless you click the button and all 4 wheels light up on your dash, then your in 4 wheel drive.

So, just to be safe, start the car, from park put the car in neutral, and pull the 4wd lever down into H, put it in drive and take her around the block. Look at the top middle of your dash to make sure it's just in 2 wheel drive (no green lights) if you want, while you're on a straight road, click the button on the side of the 4wd selector just to see what it feels like and to see the green lights light up on your dash (it is safe to drive around town when just the button is clicked)

Always keep the 4wd lever in H unless you want 4lo, but that's only when you're doing heavy off-roading.

Cliff note version:
-just leave it in H.

Happy to help, lemme know if you have anymore questions

Thank you VERY much!

Now that I'm hearing this about how the lever shouldn't be in N at all, I wonder if I accidentally knocked it up into N from H last night when grabbing my laptop bag from the passenger seat with some other bags and perhaps it knocked it out of H.

As you can tell I don't know much about cars so I wasn't even aware of the lever being in H the entire time I've been driving it. Thanks again for the help!

 

[TheeMikeB]

Good thing you found this site and people to help. When I first started reading this I thought ohhh boy... her tranny is shot. Then I got to the part about the Transfer Case lever being in N. Glad it was something simple.

 

[kolelt]

Thank you VERY much!

Now that I'm hearing this about how the lever shouldn't be in N at all, I wonder if I accidentally knocked it up into N from H last night when grabbing my laptop bag from the passenger seat with some other bags and perhaps it knocked it out of H.

As you can tell I don't know much about cars so I wasn't even aware of the lever being in H the entire time I've been driving it. Thanks again for the help!

You could have. My knee in my 97 rests on my 4wheel Nob. So yea u need to be in H, h2, 2 wheel high. Because N means neutral so nothing is locked in on N. Kinda like your transmition, it's N, and if you out it in N gear it goes no where. Let us know how it goes for you

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Thank you VERY much!

Now that I'm hearing this about how the lever shouldn't be in N at all, I wonder if I accidentally knocked it up into N from H last night when grabbing my laptop bag from the passenger seat with some other bags and perhaps it knocked it out of H.

As you can tell I don't know much about cars so I wasn't even aware of the lever being in H the entire time I've been driving it. Thanks again for the help!

I did this exact thing. Tried to drive my truck and went into panic mode when it wouldn't move. Then I looked down and saw that I'd bumped the transfer case shifter into neutral. Oops. That was a thank god/I'm an idiot moment.

 

[Brique]

Yeah i have an 01 and it's the same setup. H is where it lives, you only want to have it in N when you want the truck in neutral and if for some reason the main shifter neutral won't do it in a way that you want.

Also, just a small point: your 4runner is one hell of a truck. Don't call it a car, you'll hurt its feelings