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SUVs Toyota 4Runner Toyota 4Runner 4WD Engagement Questions
21 messages, Last post on Oct 18, 2007 at 2:08 PM
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hi all, first suv w 4wheel drive. im confused and read the manual 4 times do i just turn the knob to 4wheel high and thats it? or do i press the center locking button and then turn the knob. please let me know if you know. much appreciated. eric
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Replying to: erichochman (Sep 26, 2007 11:56 am) You have a 4WD indicator light on the dash. If it's green, that's the unlocked indicator. If it's yellow, you better be in a low traction situation or risk breaking something because your center diff is locked. Anyway, play with it to familiarize yourself, just enough to lock it into whatever mode you want, BUT don't drive but a few inches in locked mode if you are on pavement or any surface that doesn't give. My responses are for a V6 model, which I have and which your prior posts indicate you have. Last but not least, I've found that 4WD takes a long time or distance to engage and I usually need a rolling start. If you even think you'll be in a situation where you'll need it, I'd recommend being in 4HI unlocked before you get to that point. I haven't seen any negative engagement posts lately, but some of us who had 2003 models posted that if they were in a stuck situation with 2WD engaged that they couldn't get 4WD to engage because the vehicle wouldn't move anywhere to allow the engagement to occur. Enjoy your ride. In so many words or less, turn the knob to 4HI and you are in an allwheeldrive unlocked mode (green indicator). Don't lock the center locking button unless you are in deep doo-doo.
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Replying to: canddmeyer (Sep 27, 2007 1:30 am) You are saying for me not to touch the Center Diff button and the only thing I have to do is turn the knob from 2Hi to 4HI and bam thats it, that puts me into 4wheel drive? Also, you said you run yours all the time in 4wheel drive (4HI). Is it safe to do this even driving around the city on a sunny dry day? Thanks again and have a great weekend. Eric |
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Replying to: erichochman (Sep 28, 2007 9:09 am) You can run 4HI unlocked in any weather. FYI> the V8 4X4's come with full-time four wheel drive......no 2WD option on the V8 4X4's. You're just mimicking the V8 full-time four wheel drive while running the V6 model in 4HI unlocked. Turn the knob from 2HI to 4HI to initiate fourwheel drive. The dash indicator will verify when it locks in. You may need a moving start to lock it in. Fyi> some dealer service personnel may move it back to the 2WD mode and sometimes give you a piece of their mind for leaving it in 4HI unlocked. Your reply is up to you, but just refer them to the owners manual. Last but not least, I'll tell you a story of something that happened to me, twice. The county I live in has diesel buses for public transportation. I don't know how they service their buses, but on multiple occasions I'll see the buses make a right hand turn at an intersection and diesel fuel comes sloshing onto the roadway. I guess these things are fueled up without fuel caps being replaced. Twice I've had to drive through this and I can feel the 4HI unlocked doing it's thing taking me safely through the slippery mess. The bad thing is the vehicle behind me has just bounced off the curb or spun out. So not being in 2WD probably resulted in my avoiding an accident.
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Replying to: erichochman (Sep 28, 2007 9:09 am) Yes, that is correct. Only lock the center diff when offroad. You could lock the center diff when the road is completely snow covered but I do not recommend it. When you lock the center diff, it also disables the spin protection, making the truck be much more tail happy. "Also, you said you run yours all the time in 4wheel drive (4HI). Is it safe to do this even driving around the city on a sunny dry day?" Yes, it is safe. It may cost you a bit in lower gas mileage, but it is safe for the drivetrain. The V8 models are full-time four wheel drive and do not have any two wheel drive mode. I've got 60k miles on my V8 4WD 2003 4Runner. |
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Replying to: canddmeyer (Sep 28, 2007 11:51 am)
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Replying to: erichochman (Oct 09, 2007 9:24 am) |
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Replying to: erichochman (Oct 09, 2007 9:24 am) You should be stopped and in neutral to shift into and out of 4WD low. As other posters mentioned, it can take some time and distance to get into and out of 4WD low. Sometimes it won't go and you'll have to put it into drive, creep a bit, back into neutral and then try it. The manual explains all of this pretty well. The important take away is that if you think you might need 4WD (low or high), you should shift into it BEFORE you need it. If it is going to snow all night, shift into 4WD high when you park it. Otherwise, in the morning you might not be able to move it far enough to get 4WD to engage. |
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| I recently shifted my 4Runner into 4WD and now it wont come out of 4 high. Ive tried to put it into reverse but nothing has worked. Any ideas??? | |
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