Strange problem, stuck on low range

R

rich045

Member
So I went wheeling at pine barrens. Everything was fine and dandy since I was in 4H most of the time. I switched over to 4L when needed. at one point I attempted to go on 4L and it wouldn't engage, weird right? Well I go to the "go around" and the car feels like it's on low range (aka 4L), yet the display on the cluster says I'm still on 4H. Come the end of the day, I try to go home, at this point the vsc, traction control and vsc trac were on but later on went away.
So I go to 2H, and it works BUT the car is still in low range. Took me 7 hours to get home, I was going 25-30 tops the whole way. Got pulled over twice (LOL) for going to slow.

So to sum it up, car goes on 2H and 4H but it's still on low range (so it feels as if I was on 4L) and won't go back to 4L.

Now time to figure out why it's not getting off low range. Any suggestions would gladly be appreciated! Thanks


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anybody have any input?
is there any other mechanism besides the 4wd actuator that engages the low range (and does it engage it in the transmission or in the transfer case?).
 
Ah you were the guy with Dan? He told me about this. If you were unable to disengage by using the proper procedure, try disconnecting the battery for a bit and reconnect. Other than that, you're actuator might have froze as it was switching and maybe thats why it shows as it being in 4Hi when its not. Try tapping the actuator with a hammer to get it moving.
 
J053619 said:
Ah you were the guy with Dan? He told me about this. If you were unable to disengage by using the proper procedure, try disconnecting the battery for a bit and reconnect. Other than that, you're actuator might have froze as it was switching and maybe thats why it shows as it being in 4Hi when its not. Try tapping the actuator with a hammer to get it moving.
Click to expand...

you must be Jose with the red one?
I tried unplugging the battery for like 20 mins and plugging it back on, nothing, i also pulled out the 4WD fuse, nothing. Last night while driving home i stopped a few times, crawled under and hit it with a small flash light (all i had) and nothing.
Is there anything else that switches it from HI range to LO range other than the 4wd actuator? I want to know before i take it out and see, since it does shift from 2H to 4H i am guessing it still works.
 
rich045 said:
you must be Jose with the red one?
I tried unplugging the battery for like 20 mins and plugging it back on, nothing, i also pulled out the 4WD fuse, nothing. Last night while driving home i stopped a few times, crawled under and hit it with a small flash light (all i had) and nothing.
Is there anything else that switches it from HI range to LO range other than the 4wd actuator? I want to know before i take it out and see, since it does shift from 2H to 4H i am guessing it still works.
Click to expand...

nothing other than the actuator actuates the shift forks in the tcase. it sounds like the shift rail for the LO-HI planetary has either frozen in a partial engagement (shifted enough to engage the reduction planetary but not the position switch). or you have a bad position switch that's lost its ground that completes the LO engaged circuit.

i would have someone lay under the truck and listen/ hit the actuator as you shift it in the cab. if it doesnt work after that try swapping the position sensors for 2-4 and LO-HI and see if itll read on the dash correctly and or sift then. if the problem moves to 2-4wd then you know the sensor is bad. if it doesnt then it could be the actuator being frozen or a bad (stripped or loose shift fork on the rail)

i cant remember the part # right now. but the position sensor is a 2 pin plug with a 7/8 hex head to allow it to be unscrewed from the tcase. its the same part used in the rear lockers on the 3rd gen. tacomas, FJs and 5th gen trails. and the ADD in the front end if i remember correctly.
 
CruzadoBlanco said:
nothing other than the actuator actuates the shift forks in the tcase. it sounds like the shift rail for the LO-HI planetary has either frozen in a partial engagement (shifted enough to engage the reduction planetary but not the position switch). or you have a bad position switch that's lost its ground that completes the LO engaged circuit.

i would have someone lay under the truck and listen/ hit the actuator as you shift it in the cab. if it doesnt work after that try swapping the position sensors for 2-4 and LO-HI and see if itll read on the dash correctly and or sift then. if the problem moves to 2-4wd then you know the sensor is bad. if it doesnt then it could be the actuator being frozen or a bad (stripped or loose shift fork on the rail)

i cant remember the part # right now. but the position sensor is a 2 pin plug with a 7/8 hex head to allow it to be unscrewed from the tcase. its the same part used in the rear lockers on the 3rd gen. tacomas, FJs and 5th gen trails. and the ADD in the front end if i remember correctly.
Click to expand...

I do hear it shift from 2H to 4H, i hear the clunk it normally makes and it does go on 2wd and 4wd H (thats what it displays on the cluster, yet the low range is engaged). Im guessing the hi/lo planetary has frozen since it doesnt want to go into 4H when i set it in the cab, all i hear is the relays click and thats it.
 
CruzadoBlanco said:
its worth a shot, but i seems the OP of that thread didnt have any luck with swapping 4wd ecus. it sounds like a case of just not using the CDL and LO function enough to keep them from freezing up.
Click to expand...

yup, the LO RANGE in the transfer case its engaged, it doesnt seem to disengage when its supposed to which is my problem.
 
rich045 said:
yup, the LO RANGE in the transfer case its engaged, it doesnt seem to disengage when its supposed to which is my problem.
Click to expand...

since you are up in the NE it might be worth a shot to look at the connectors and whatever else you can see of the 4wd ecu up under the glove box. its 2 screws and the panel comes out and its sitting right there along with the TPMS module. if you can see corrosion on it then maybe it is the ecu. but it sounds like it is the actuator. if it isnt the ecu the next step is to pull the tcase out and split the case following the actuator leak repair thread. would allow you to look at the shift rails and forks for any kind of damage or odd conditions. if those are fine then youre already down to the point of being able to swap the actuator out with a new one.
 
CruzadoBlanco said:
since you are up in the NE it might be worth a shot to look at the connectors and whatever else you can see of the 4wd ecu up under the glove box. its 2 screws and the panel comes out and its sitting right there along with the TPMS module. if you can see corrosion on it then maybe it is the ecu. but it sounds like it is the actuator. if it isnt the ecu the next step is to pull the tcase out and split the case following the actuator leak repair thread. would allow you to look at the shift rails and forks for any kind of damage or odd conditions. if those are fine then youre already down to the point of being able to swap the actuator out with a new one.
Click to expand...

Yea, now i gotta find the time to do that. And you would think a 4runner with low mileage wouldnt give you any problems eh? lol
 
rich045 said:
Yea, now i gotta find the time to do that. And you would think a 4runner with low mileage wouldnt give you any problems eh? lol
Click to expand...

it should be fine. if its the actuator you end up getting it might be a little sticky if it hadnt been used often or it could be perfect. if its the 4wd ecu it should just plug right in. shouldnt be anything special.
 
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