4wd flashing. Not engaging. Where do I begin?

So my son and I were helping a friend clean up their land. We leaving it's raining pretty good. Humid as heck. I have a bunch of stuff in the back seat so he jumped up front with me.

I pulled out in traffic he reached to turn ac on and instead flipped the switch to 4H before I could turn it off I heard a loud clunk and now the light just flashes.

I tried switching it around and it never beeps or anything just flashes.

Tried disconnecting transfercase selector and then it started to beep. After I turned it off it stopped again.

Tried unplugging both add and transfercase but nothing.

Drives fine no noise but the 4h light just flashes

Help.

 

How fast were you going when he turned it to 4h? Is it flashing now when it's in 2wd? I think I read somewhere that when the 4h or 4L doesn't engage, you just stop completely and go in reverse. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Let's see if someone else can help

 

Def the front actuator. I just changed mine. Not hard to do at all.

 

Yeah I was thinking actuator. I was going maybe 35-40. But I was excelerating when it happened.

Well trying to. Actually sliding because of the rain.

How much does the actuator run?

 

Damn I love your truck.

I'll try this when I get to work Monday.

 

You were spinning your rear tires while it was switched into 4wd? You may have bigger fish to fry than an actuator my friend.

 

35-40 spinning the wheels. Accelerating. And yes it flashes in 2wd

Tried shifting into neutral. Never had a problem shifting into 4wd. I regularly use it. Actually used it earlier today. Was working great.

 

Decided could not wait till Monday. Here's what it did

I jacked up all four corners and switched the switch from 2WD to 4WD. Front axle was not spinning.

I then unplugged and re-plugged the transfer-case actuator while the truck was running but in neutral. The switch was in the 4H position when I did this. Then the 4L lamp came on and it started beeping. But still not spinning front axle. I shut it off so I could take the jack stands down.

Put truck back on the ground and moved the truck to park it. 4WD light still flashing. Now truck is stuck in 4H.

 

Started it this morning in 2H and it switched out of 4H. Still flashing.

 

Take it to the dealer or a shop you trust. Get an estimate on repairs. I think you screwed up either your transfer case or your front driveline. If your a do it yourself sort of guy, then I would start by pulling the front actuator and seeing if the mechanism is damaged. The shift on the fly four wheel drive is only safe when the front and rear wheels are turning at the same rate. Sounds like your rears were spinning faster than the fronts when she tried to go in. Hence something had to give.

 

It's definitely an actuator problem just not sure which one. It drives fine in 2H and when I got it in 4H it also was driving without any issues.

Well I'm thinking it is. There's never anything definite that's for sure.

I'm not a mechanic but I manage the recon department for a dealership. I'll get one of my mechanics to look at after lunch. That's one of the perks about working at a shop. But I'd rather do it myself but I don't know how to run diag and pin point the actual part that's giving me the problem

 

When you said the front axle wasn't moving did you mean the drive shaft or the tires?

Like PSU said if the front driveshaft isn't spinning it may be the Tcase actuator.

You haven't done any mods, like the anytime locker mod, ABS kill switches, or the 2Lo mod have you?

 

I jacked it up changed it from 2H to 4H. The front driveshaft was not moving. I then disconnected and reconnected the actuator at the transfercase while it was running in neutral. Still nothing moving but the rear axle. So I shut the truck off and put it back on the ground.

When I restarted it the switch was in the 4H position and it clicked into 4H. I drove it around the block. Jacked it up and all the tires were moving. But it would not come out of 4H.

This morning I started the truck in the 2H position and it went in 2H.

So basically it wont change while the truck is running. I have to move the switch and then start it in the drive I want it to be in. And it only changes if I have unplugged and reset the transfercase actuator.

 

$763.03 after tax for the t-case actuator.

 

For not too much more you can get a whole FJC Tcase from Rock Solid Toys and never have to worry about that actuator again. Though you have to make room for a another shifter in the cab.

 

I thought you could go single or twin stick with RST's but that one's cheaper anyway.

 

Is it bad that I was kind of hoping it was a t-case so I could put a FJ case in. I just need to do some more home work to see what's all involved.

 

This is what I found...

For Tacoma:
25K $530.00
150K $325.00

For FJ:
45K $475.00
80K $375.00
100K $275.00

 

Well I'm going to scratch that idea of getting a FJ case for now. It's the front A.D.D. actuator that's broken not the one on the t-case.

 

the transfer case actuator is freaking $1200 canadian at my local stealorship.