Four wheel drive in reverse?

Hi,
My son-in-law has a Tacoma, I think it's about a 2012, big truck, SRO or something like that. He came over last nite to drop something off at my barn, proceded to get stuck in the snow. I went to help him and have a question on the transmission selector. I saw positions in Drive for 2 wheel, 4 wheel, 4 wheel low, but for reverse only seems to have one position, 'R'. To try to get unstuck, I rocked the truck, no success. Eventually I had to get a tow from my silverado and then plowed a return path for him with the Gator. Snow was not deep but pretty wet.
My question is 'in reverse is it in 4 wheel drive'?
Thanks

 

The transmission and transfer case are independent of one another. If it's in 4WD it will be in 4WD whether you're moving forward or backward.

 

Thanks for the quick response, I must have missed something, the only lever or control I remember seeing was the lever between the seats and as I recall it had Park, Reverse, Drive-2 wheel, Drive-4 wheel hi, Drive-4 wheel low or something similar to that, I'll have to go look at it again.

 

To my knowledge Toyota does not put their 4 wheel drive engagement between the seats on the Tacoma unless there is some strange over seas model. The 4 wheel drive engagement is on the dash and it is a button that you turn. It sounds like you were never in 4 wheel drive. And yes once it is in 4x4 it works in all gears and directions.
Here is a short video showing how to engage the 4x4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdJ2z3dx520

 

This is called the yellow wire mod. Have him do it and he'll be stuck far less often.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/51946-4low-trac.html

Also have him read this

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...-controls-trac-auto-lsd-trac-rear-locker.html

And tires. Good tires are where traction starts.

 

+1

 

I'll have to ask my son-in-law as to whether he had selected 4 wheel drive with the dash selector (I believe now it must have been in 4 wheel as he was stuck for some time before I saw him). When I got in the truck it was running, all I noticed was the floor shifter, and only thought about the the indications on the shift lever, which I believe had some indication of 2 wheel, and 4 wheel on the lever detents for the Drive position--more to follow.

 

Are you sure it's a 2012?

Didn't the Gen 1s have a lever for the transfer case on the floor?

 

Just read the last response, likely I saw the 2,3,4, L and with my lightning quick mind read it as 2 wheel and 4 wheel high and lo, and probably just ignored the 3, not realizing they were gear positions and not transfer case selection.
Thanks again,

 

It's about a 2012, maybe as old as a 2010 and as new as a 2013, just guessed a 2012

 

O.P. - It sounds like maybe he tried to select 4 wheel but it never locked in? There is no way the truck was locked into 4 wheel if you had to pull him out with a Silverado. Maybe he could have also selected 4'th gear with the shifter while still in 2HI, thinking it was in 4x4?

When you are locked in 4x4 (4HI) a little green truck dummy light with four wheels should illuminate on the speedometer. The light should be solid, if it's blinking it means your not in 4x4. If you notice it blinking, try to put the truck back in 2 wheel drive, shift into neutral, and then select 4HI again, when you put it back in drive or reverse the light should lock in.

 

yes


4wd works in both directions

 

Caught up with my son-in-law, he has owned the truck since new, and is familiar with the 4 wheel drive system, he said that it was in 4 wheel and that all four wheels were turning when I was driving it. The Chevy was able to pull it out because it was on an area where it was able to get traction whereas the Tacoma was pretty well buried in the snow. Thanks again for all your help.

 

4-D isn't 4x4. That's 4th gear to the left, drive gear to the right.

Sounds like he could use some better shoes!

 

Several people who have driven my truck have made that same assumption for some reason.