Help with 4wd to 2wd

guilty!!!!

i once drove from Lytle Creek all the back to Monrovia in 4H. averaging 80-85mph on the 210. didn't notice until i pulled into a parking spot at my local Starbucks and was thinking what the hell was that binding when i was turning into the parking spot

 

When you stop to go from 4L back into 4H remember the clutch pedal needs to be ALL the way down. Going from 4H back into 2WD can be done on the move.

 

i love my automatic

 

I spent my first 2 weeks with my 2.7 running in 3rd instead of "D"

 

This is normal but BAD. Binding + low gears = broken drivetrain. Quickly. 4wd is for low-traction surfaces only. Driving in a straight line is much less stressful for your vehicle but still not ideal.

In your defense, this is a warning the owner's manual really should have and doesn't. Toyota, in their adorable ignorance, assumes American truck buyers will know enough about 4wd not to destroy it after purchase. Precious.

x2. But it ain't got shit to do with ease of 4wd use...I love the torque converter tricks!

 

Thanks, people I think I got it. Toyota manual does have most of this in there. Should have took more time to read. Hope I didn't hurt it.

 

You're not alone, I started a similar thread shortly after I got my truck! Luckily there's smart people on here to help us.

 

ToMoCo could've done a better job with it.

It's been a while, but I remember something to the effect of "use 4wd in slippery conditions" and "don't use 4wd during normal driving conditions as it may cause unsafe handling and braking".

What they really need is that, plus, in big red 18 point font:

ATTENTION NOOBS: DO NOT OPERATE PART TIME 4WD SYSTEMS ON HIGH TRACTION SURFACES SUCH AS PAVEMENT. YOUR TRUCK GON' BLOW UP.


Or something to that effect.

 

The problem is that the manual is 400 pages.
300 pages are in 3 languages not native to the owner.
Of the remaining 100 pages, 50 of them are in a language native to product liability attorneys, and 30 of them are 3rd-grade level drawings indicating things such as "Do not close the hood while your head is over the engine" and "Do not start the engine while holding your dick against the fan belt"

 

I understood it... it was just so repetitive and boring that it was hard to read.

It was like doing a book report for an upper division college class on "Green Eggs and Ham"




Oh wait... our educational system might be at that level by now.

 

I couldn't sleep one night and read the entire thing.

I'll admit to not reading it word-for-word, but I did go through every page.

 

Sad but true.


Thanks for the chuckle...

 

Hi all.

1 - You must stop and have your manual trans out of gear or have the clutch disenged to switch in or out of L4

2 - I wouldn't switch from H2 to L4 or back - go to H4 then continue with a second switch.

3 - You can drive on dry pavement in 4WD ...
- only do it as a test or for your monthly 4WD engagement if you have to.
- Use very little throttle and don't turn sharp if you are doing your monthly engagement, under 100 kph in H2..
- Go slow and don't force the steering wheel further than when a slight binding is felt if you are doing a parking lot test to make sure 4WD is engaging.
- Don't switch to L4 monthly - only in a parking lot, following the rules above, if you need to test it is actually working.
- I have only tested my truck once when it was new and will repeat only after any work is done on the 4WD system.
- I always put my truck back into H2 before parking it anywhere, anytime, even if I know I will be using H4 the next time I will be driving. This prevents you from accidentally leaving it in 4WD.

Of course you can always take your truck offroad instead if your concerned about dry pavement.

Cheers
Ray.

 

FWIW, the owners manual says to drive the vehicle in 4wd at least 10miles a month to ensure lubing of the front wheel drive components....

I would hope people know to find a dirt road for this, Lol...

 

True, true,

I was amazed at the binding in 4Lo today on the dirt roads...

 

I still can't figure out why it says that, since the front diff is always turning and thus always lubing in these trucks, even in 2wd.

I think the real reason is to keep the actuators from sticking.

 

lol

 

Your recommending engageing 4L in a parking lot?

 

I tested my 4WD in a parking lot on dry pavement - H4 and L4.
Jeese - my transfer case didn't fall out and my truck didn't blow up ...............

As I posted ... if you use your head there isn't a problem.

Very little throttle and only turn the steering wheel enough to feel some binding - less than a half a turn. This isn't even enough to have the tires scrub - which will happen looooong before any metal parts come apart. I only did this to test that the system is actually working. If you are alone it can be difficult to feel that the vehicle is actually in 4WD when offroad.

This crap going around that states, if you engage 4WD on dry pavement will result in immediate damage is hogwash.

Cheers
Ray.