Question about shifting into 4x4 on the TE.

[reklov]

So i finally picked up one of these bad boys. It's my first 4x4 vehicle and I didnt really go over this feature with the dealer.

I was curious what needs to be done before switching it into 4x4. I saw there was a neutral, and other functions. Is the 4x4 knob supposed to be hard to move? Do you switch it while moving or stopped? Do you push any buttons to ake the shifter move?

I looked in the manual but they dont really cover this. I figured it'd be an easy move of the shifter but mine doesnt budge.


Thanks

 

[bigbwb]

So i finally picked up one of these bad boys. It's my first 4x4 vehicle and I didnt really go over this feature with the dealer.

I was curious what needs to be done before switching it into 4x4. I saw there was a neutral, and other functions. Is the 4x4 knob supposed to be hard to move? Do you switch it while moving or stopped? Do you push any buttons to ake the shifter move?

I looked in the manual but they dont really cover this. I figured it'd be an easy move of the shifter but mine doesnt budge.


Thanks

Congrats on another fellow TE owner. To engage 4wd, you can be at speeds up to 50mph, grab the handle and engage it(it will loosen up with more use). Remember, only engage 4wd when the surfaces are not paved. This is a part time system only not meant for on road use. I find it works best to let off the gas and tug. No other buttons or anything to push.

Edit - for low range you do have to stop, place the tranny in neutral and use the 4wd level to place it in low range.

 

[jca21]

here you go

YouTube - 2010 Toyota 4Runner: Transfer Case

have fun with your TE!

 

[angrydog]

Hey, so you can switch between H2 and H4 under 50 mph. Yet to get into and out of L4, you have to:

---H4 to L4---
1) Put 4runner into neutral
2) Now push lever from H4 into L4 (I had a problem when I changed it at first where I can getting grinding issues, but my sales guy showed me when switching keep the lever to the outside edges as possible and my grinding issues went away.)
--L4 to H4--
1) Put 4runner into neutral
2) Now push lever from L4 to H4

I hope I helped and there is any corrections to what I stated, yell it out guys. Also there should be a card on your driver side sun visor telling you this information.

 

[sandcrawler]

the part-time 4wd shouldn't be run on dry pavement as an everyday routine... but as long as you don't make any tight turns, and are mostly driving straight-ahead at "city" (read: not highway) speed, you should be ok. (the driveline will let you know if it's not.)

just something to note because you should run the TE in 4wd at least 10 miles/month to keep things lubricated (and exercise the transfer case actuator).

 

[reklov]

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[angrydog]

One question I had while we're on the subject is; Say your starting out a 4 hr trip to somewhere and it'll be snowing through out the the whole way (ALL Highway), is there any problem in leaving your 4WD ON and driving for 4 hrs straight? Since it won't be dry payment, it'll be slushy roads.

 

[Quentin]

One question I had while we're on the subject is; Say your starting out a 4 hr trip to somewhere and it'll be snowing through out the the whole way (ALL Highway), is there any problem in leaving your 4WD ON and driving for 4 hrs straight? Since it won't be dry payment, it'll be slushy roads.

I don't see a problem with it. As long as traction is poor enough, to the road, that the tires are slipping instead of the vehicle bucking and fighting, it shouldn't be an issue. Plus, if the roads are bad enough (interstate, I assume) that you are holding it under 50 the whole time, the tires will slip before the driveline fights it.

 

[waltzonice]

I really wanted the Trail, but the part time 4-wheel drive is the main reason why I decided to go with the Limited. Just don't want to have to make the decision -- are the roads poor enough to shift into 4-wheel drive? How about rain? Isn't it safer in 4-wheel drive in pouring rain? I used to own a Chevy S-10 pickup that was also part-time 4x4. Never again, just want the full time 4-wheel drive!

 

[Quentin]

I really wanted the Trail, but the part time 4-wheel drive is the main reason why I decided to go with the Limited. Just don't want to have to make the decision -- are the roads poor enough to shift into 4-wheel drive? How about rain? Isn't it safer in 4-wheel drive in pouring rain? I used to own a Chevy S-10 pickup that was also part-time 4x4. Never again, just want the full time 4-wheel drive!

4WD isn't going to prevent you from overdriving the conditions. This sounds like the Subaru people that won't drive a FWD car because they can't mash it from a stop in the rain. Driving skill > AWD nanny, IMO.

I drove Subarus the first 8 years of driving. Went to a GTI w/ 50 more WHP than my fastest Subaru and have never had an issue w/ traction in the rain.

 

[waltzonice]

4WD isn't going to prevent you from overdriving the conditions. This sounds like the Subaru people that won't drive a FWD car because they can't mash it from a stop in the rain. Driving skill > AWD nanny, IMO.

I drove Subarus the first 8 years of driving. Went to a GTI w/ 50 more WHP than my fastest Subaru and have never had an issue w/ traction in the rain.

Well, that may be true with your GTI, but my 1989 Chevy S-10 pickup with rear wheel drive did not do so well in bad weather. And there were all kinds of warnings in the manual about not putting it into 4-wheel drive on dry pavement or I can cause all kinds of damage, blah blah blah. Anyway, I didn't want to damage the car so I usually didn't put it into 4-wheel unless the conditions were pretty bad, but a few times my truck did spin out in 2 wheel drive. Perhaps it's no big deal to others, but I just don't want to hassle with that decision any more. Sorry I got the thread off track, but just wanted to share my experience... carry on!

 

[Quentin]

Well, that may be true with your GTI, but my 1989 Chevy S-10 pickup with rear wheel drive did not do so well in bad weather. And there were all kinds of warnings in the manual about not putting it into 4-wheel drive on dry pavement or I can cause all kinds of damage, blah blah blah. Anyway, I didn't want to damage the car so I usually didn't put it into 4-wheel unless the conditions were pretty bad, but a few times my truck did spin out in 2 wheel drive. Perhaps it's no big deal to others, but I just don't want to hassle with that decision any more. Sorry I got the thread off track, but just wanted to share my experience... carry on!

No worries. I'm in a surly mood because I just watched my favorite soccer team bottle any chance they had of taking the English title.
:cry2:

I just feel like if the roads are slick enough where you are really concerned about losing traction, you can run it in 4WD.

 

[jca21]

Well, that may be true with your GTI, but my 1989 Chevy S-10 pickup with rear wheel drive did not do so well in bad weather. And there were all kinds of warnings in the manual about not putting it into 4-wheel drive on dry pavement or I can cause all kinds of damage, blah blah blah. Anyway, I didn't want to damage the car so I usually didn't put it into 4-wheel unless the conditions were pretty bad, but a few times my truck did spin out in 2 wheel drive. Perhaps it's no big deal to others, but I just don't want to hassle with that decision any more. Sorry I got the thread off track, but just wanted to share my experience... carry on!

trucks with empty beds are generally the worst performing winter vehicle. FWD cars handle better than trucks.

theres not enough weight on the rear wheels and im guessing that was the case with your s10

 

[waltzonice]

trucks with empty beds are generally the worst performing winter vehicle. FWD cars handle better than trucks.

theres not enough weight on the rear wheels and im guessing that was the case with your s10

Yes that was exactly the case. I would throw sandbags in the truck bed in the winter time just to help with the weight distribution. I did run into situations where the highway speeds were around 55/60 during light snow. I didn't want to put it into 4 wheel since the speeds are higher than 50, but I would have felt much safer if I could have. All said though I never did get in an accident in that truck (though there was a very close call once when I spun out on I-70), until it was totaled by some idiot running a red light. Then I replaced it with a 1998 Mercedes ML320, which I still have. Hoping to replace that with the 4Runner Limited. There's my story...

 

[westwind77]

I didn't want to put it into 4 wheel since the speeds are higher than 50, but I would have felt much safer if I could have.

Ok...correct me if I am wrong but you can use 4wd OVER 50mph, they just do not want you to SWITCH from 2wd to 4wd when going over 50mph. You should slow you speed, switch, then you can speed up. That's how it was on my last three 4wd's.

 

[Ryan_S]

Ok...correct me if I am wrong but you can use 4wd OVER 50mph, they just do not want you to SWITCH from 2wd to 4wd when going over 50mph. You should slow you speed, switch, then you can speed up. That's how it was on my last three 4wd's.

:iagree:

 

[jca21]

Ok...correct me if I am wrong but you can use 4wd OVER 50mph, they just do not want you to SWITCH from 2wd to 4wd when going over 50mph. You should slow you speed, switch, then you can speed up. That's how it was on my last three 4wd's.

:iagree:

 

[x67934]

Ok...correct me if I am wrong but you can use 4wd OVER 50mph, they just do not want you to SWITCH from 2wd to 4wd when going over 50mph. You should slow you speed, switch, then you can speed up. That's how it was on my last three 4wd's.

Absolutely true, however if you need 4WD you don't have any business doing over 50mph

 

[westwind77]

Absolutely true, however if you need 4WD you don't have any business doing over 50mph

Probably true.....however.....what if you were in the Baja 1000 I am sure they were well over 50mph in certain sections, again proving the whole over 50mph in 4wd is ok (they used the stock Trail 4wd system, no upgrades to it).

 

[waltzonice]

Ok...correct me if I am wrong but you can use 4wd OVER 50mph, they just do not want you to SWITCH from 2wd to 4wd when going over 50mph. You should slow you speed, switch, then you can speed up. That's how it was on my last three 4wd's.

Damn... wish I would have known that back then... would have switched to 4 wheel a lot more often!