What to try before driving 100 miles for warranty 4LO repair?

[coconutpete]

When I finally found the perfect vehicle it was in Boston, so that's a 100 mile trip for me. Of course I would have driven further for it - it's just how we are right?

Anyways... I had a brain freeze when I test drove it. I checked the center diff. lock but did a halfa$$ check of the 4LO and of course ... it doesn't go. I went to the local dealer and he verified it's not just me - it really won't go.

I hear the solenoid, but I don't think I hear it every time.... not sure if I'm just having trouble hearing it. Anyway, I would hate to drive 100 miles just to have the guy tap it with a hammer and send me on my way, so I'm trying ot figure out what to try before I drive out there.

Short of tapping the transfer case (where bythe way?) with a hammer is there any other "trick" i should be trying before I drive back there for warranty repair?

 

[YotaDriver]

Were you in neutral when you tried to put it in 4lo? The first time I tried I think I was in either park or drive and it just beeped, but since then I've had no problems. Try switching to 4hi and once you see that it's engaged, stop, shift to neutral, and try to engage 4lo again. Hopefully that'll do it.

 

[4RChappy]

You can try being on an incline when you switch to 4lo, after you switch let it roll down the incline. It did not work for me but others recommended it.

 

[coconutpete]

I tried doing it in P, N, D, R, I tried it in Neutral while going INTO R or D. I tried it while rolling slowly forward and while rolling slowly backward. I tried starting the process in P and finishing it in N. I tried starting it in N, finishing it in P and pretty much everything in between.

The Toyota tech at my local dealership told me I did everything right and that he couldn't get it to go in either. He would have to do diagnostic work in order to find out why and he wasn't going to charge me anything up to this point so I decided to just head back to where I bought it. Just want to make sure there wasn't anything I missed.

 

[WXman]

Sounds like you're in the same boat as me. Why couldn't toyota have just kept the manual shift lever? Would have made these things bulletproof. I'm trying to buy one right now that has this problem. I am going to try the hammer tapping first.

 

[coconutpete]

I plan on keeping this vehicle for a long time, so I would gladly pay several hundred bucks for a lever. Hell, I wouldn't even care if I had to crawl under the d@mn truck to pull it. I probably won't ever use 4LO, but it's the point that I just bought it and the time to have warranty work done is now.

Manifolds are flawless, the actuator is not leaking, air suspension works fine, but of course the freaking thing won't shift into 4LO.

 

[coconutpete]

Well... I'm glad I brought it up there, they can't get it to go in either. Looks like the transfer case and actuator are all coming out. I'm going on vacation, they can have fun with it while I'm gone. There goes whatever money they made off me :driving:

 

[coconutpete]

Well.. Service advisor emailed me today. Actuator is bad and they are replacing it. Glad I'm not paying that bill!