06 Tacoma stuck in 4wd

I have a 06 Tacoma v6 4x4 that is stuck in 4 hi and wont switch over to 2 wheel . the 4 wheel drive icon on the gauge cluster is just blinking indicating it wants to switch over to 2 wheel but for some reason it wont when the switch is on the 2 wheel drive position.

This happened after driving in 4hi in snow conditions for about three hours and overnight in below zero weather.

I've tried reversing straight , reversing while turning the wheel back and forth, going from 4lo while in neutrel back to 4hi back into drive back to 2wheel. tried letting it warm up for an hour then seeing if it would switch over, checked the fluids, un plugged sensors and plugged them back in and all had no luck.

can anyone help me out or guide me in the right direction.

 

How long has it been since you've last used 4wd?

 

id have to say since sometime in the summer but that was for a brief moment

the last time i used it for a hour was feb 2016 also driving in the snow

 

an hour or so

 

Where you located

 

I'm not sure how to help with your issue, but for future reference Toyota suggests using 4wd for 10 miles a month to keep everything working properly. I don't think it has to be followed religiously but it's a good idea to use it every so often just in case.

 

Just a thought...the icon blinked like that on my truck when I accidentally hit the diff lock button on the dash next to the fog light switch. it's a long shot, but check that...

 

I am located in northern California

 

Isnt there some actuator that has the tendecy to get stuck on the the tcase?

 

Have you checked to make sure it actually IS still in 4WD?

 

That's what I'm wondering too, doesn't a blinking 4x4 green light mean that it's not in 4x4? On my 04 the light stays solid if 4wd is engaged, blinking means it isn't.

 

Mine blinks when trying to engage. Stays lit when I turn it off until it actually disengages.

 

Yes it actually still stuck in 4wheel i can feel it driving and when going to make a turn its binding and holding back like its in 4 wheel drive.
and yes there is an actuator on the tcase which i well be checking next

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-trouble-shoot-4x4-actuator.263525/

and

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/foru...differential-actuator-repair-replacement.html

 

thank you bjmoose i saw that thread and will be checking that .

 

Mine recently did this. Put it in 4HI and when switching back to 2HI the icon started and stayed blinking - and it stayed in 4HI. Had to drive 5 hours home in 4HI... Dealer said the wiring was bad on the actuator, but "out of the goodness of their heart" replaced it under warranty. Check connections and for wire breaks - covered in bjmoose's links and other past threads on actuator troubleshooting.

 

sometimes, if you turn the dial from "4hi" to "2hi" and it still blinks, you can leave the dial in the "2hi" position and turn the truck off and turn it back on and sometimes it will disengage. i had this problem on my 2015. i just replaced the actuator located on the front differential.

 

Thank you I will be checking the actuator and it's components today

 

I have done this as well and no luck
What was the price on your replacement actuator ? And any recommendations on where to get a replacement if i need to go that route ?

 

Symptoms included:
Would not lock into 4WD HI, 4WD indicator kept flashing.
The indicator would only shut off after I shut the vehicle off and tried it the next morning.
After multiple attempts in trying to get 4WD HI locked in, it finally did and then would not disingage...it just started flashing the 4WD indicator after I switched to 2WD HI.

Vehicle is a 2007 OR/AT Tacoma

Brought it to the shop, put it on the lift and took the following steps.
1. Removed engine skid.
2. Unbolted the front diff braces, leaving a single bolt in the rear brace (the one with a rubber mount on the drivers side).
3. Used a mono-jack to support the diff.
4. Removed the Philips head screws that hold the cover on the ADD. This was accomplished using a very long screw driver while adjusting the mono-jack to allow a straight shot with the screw driver. Unplugged the harness and CAREFULLY removed the hose from the vent tube.
5. Once the cover was popped off (it stays retained up on the ADD, it just comes lose enough to make this fix), I soldered the motor connectors to the brass contacts.
6. Put it all back together and it worked better than it ever has, it literally works better than when the truck was new. It locks and unlocks almost instantly.

I would strongly urge everyone to do this simple little upgrade. Mine went to **** when I was out in the middle of Death Valley last weekend. I got stuck in 2WD and thankfully I had friends with me to pull me back up onto the trail.

(credit to glorybigs)


has anyone tried this option for my problem with being stuck in 4wd?