4wd won't engage

Welp, 13k in, and I found out my 4wd isn't engaging at all. After getting buried on the beach, I'be tried every sequence to get it to engage imaginable. Goes into the dealership in a week.

 

Sorry to hear about that. With my experience with an electronically controlled transfer case / shift on the fly, especially a new one, some times you have to be able to roll either forwards or backwards in order for it to engage. If you were completely buried, that may be the case. Have you tried it not buried in the sand?

 

Have you tried using your best Captain Picard impression?

 

Per manual you're supposed to engage it once a month and drive at least 10 miles to keep it lubed. Could have something to do with your issue if you haven't engaged it prior to getting stuck.
Just thinking out loud, could be entirely something different..

 

Yep. That was my initial thought, so I tried a few times on the way home. I tried to engage just before hitting the beach and figured it was engaged.

 

Not sure I follow.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jd1Ih8EUmw

 

this is when you get to use the ignore feature

 

Guys, I found the millennial!

 

Rick, that's reserved for Warp Drive, not 4 Wheel Drive. You know the protocol.

 

Any dash lights?

 

I doubt it would be that. Plenty of people here in CA have 4WD's that they don't engage for years, or at most once a year and they still do fine. I'd be highly skeptical if it already was shot at 13k miles just because it hadn't been engaged yet.

 

this^^ I've known plenty that never used it and then one day did and never
had an issue, I'd be surprised if it was due to lack of use.

 

I think my 4x4 is having issues. I have the reverse issue. I think my 4x4 wont disengage. (fully) its a pain cause my mpg drop to 13.5 on average. its like im towing and the truck feels heavy sort of. I think this Gen of tacoma was either poorly designed or assembled. either way I have had a plethora of issues. I still love it though. I just want them to fix it.

 

Agree. E-locker doesn't engage in my 03, most likely because of age and lack of use. I used 4wd in the 16 regularly. Once this summer it would not disengage. Most likely some kind of bad relay/actuator. There's something to be said about mechanical engagement. I actually installed a cable lock actuator in my 95 YJ.

 

Does the green indicator light come on at all? It should blink until it engages. If it just continually blinks without engaging it could be a bad actuator.

 

Blinks. I know you get a beeping too if you're not fully engaged in 4lo too.

 

Yeah could be the actuator then. I had one go bad on my Tundra and it did the same thing. Of course I didn't find out until the first heavy snow when I went to engage 4wd. That was a shitty trip to work.

 

I hear ya. Drove out onto the beach, took for granted that 4wd was working. Stopped to let the dog out, stuck.