Time it takes to engage 4X4

If I can see the black tarmac I don't use 4wd. Only when the roads are actually snow covered do I use it.

 

I really haven't timed mine, but It seems like a couple seconds on either 4H or for 4 Lo

 

My old nissan was a manual transfer with centrifugal hubs. As often as not it would engage with a loud thunk and a lurch which might have been the root cause of slipping gears in its later years. Those hubs were a pain too - they only lasted 4 years before I toasted them. They got replaced with a set of old school "get out and twist" manual warns - those things never gave me grief.

 

Oh I definitely realized that. The thread was for a guy with an auto transmission though I'd assume, because he didn't specify (as every manual owner needs to) hence my reply.

 

Unlike old-fashioned transfer cases with a separate lever next to the gearshift, the Tacoma transfer case is activated by an electric servo. The linkage can freeze up in icy weather. You have to wait for the underside of the truck to thaw. (I've had this happen in my 2000 Ford Ranger.)

 

Its does take a few seconds longer if your vehicle is very cold when first started then attempting to engage 4wd. Other about 5 seconds when stopped, and instantly on the fly. I was blown away how quick and smooth without any clunking like my gen1 tundra.

 

I shift mine under 45mph into, and out of 4x4.. takes about 3 seconds for it to shift (light goes solid). shifting to 4lo can take some time typically 5seconds or so. stopped, and in neutral, then shfit t-case.. and sometimes engaging the locker takes a tire rotation or two. I spend more time stopping, and shifting into neutral, the t-case shifting takes 2 seconds when shifting into/out of 4lo.. I have had a few hang ups when shifting out of 4 lo, when the drivetrain is bound up, or on solid ground... but a few feet of reverse, then forwards, and it shifts out... I always shift my truck into 4x4 every week for about 10-15 miles to ensure good operation, and that 4x4 will be there when I need it.

 

In my manual trans 3rd gen it would shift into 4H very easily when traveling straight. Just turn the knob and let off the gas for a moment while it engages. My auto seems to take a few moments longer to engage 4H, but it's not broken in yet (~700 miles on the dash currently). Never had any issues going into/out of 4L in that manual truck, either. Just stopped, clutch in, turn the knob to 4L and it would do its thing. I'm curious if the auto will get engage 4H a little more quickly after some use. It's not a problem, though.

 

One thing I noticed with my Duratracs - the sidewall are pretty soft. Measuring the height of the hub to the ground, the front hubs are 1/2" lower than the rear hubs, because there's about 800 lb more weight on the front axle, with an empty bed. This affects the rolling diameter of the tire and can make engaging 4WD more difficult, because the front and rear axles will be turning at different speeds. You can mitigate this somewhat by running 2-3 psi lower pressure in the rear tires.

 

Mine will sometimes go into 4wd stopped, but I rarely try to engaged it stopped. You can safely engage 4hi up to a certain speed (i think 44 or 54mph, something along those lines but look it up in the manual). Usually takes a second or two for the light to stop flashing, which is normal. Doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about.

 

You can engage 4H at any speed below 62 mph/100 km/h.

 

With my 2018, if it’s very cold, the TC takes longer to move. But as others have said, moving forward a bit will get it. The gears need to line up properly for the TC to engage. Just inch forward, just the tip, just to see how it feels.

 

Interesting. I never considered that variable. Dropping the pressure is certainly a better option than driving around with an exra 800lbs in the back.

 

I shift into 4hi every day and it doesn’t shift any quicker if you are using it more often. I’ve got 60k miles on it. Mostly off-road miles. It just gets louder as the gears are getting worn out.

 

I doubt this matters. I’ve engaged 4hi will doing tight turns and it still engages pretty quickly.

 

I have a 15 YO son so I spend more time than I care to sitting in parking lots waiting for him to get out of whatever activity it is of the day. I usually kill time playing around with the 4x4 controls. Sometimes the truck will pop right into 4H and sometimes I have to put it in gear before it will engage. 4L is the same and even the diff lock can be slow to engage. Last night I was waiting for him (band practice) and I went through the whole sequence, 4H, 4LO, Diff Lock and they all engaged almost immediately and the truck never moved an inch. My point being that the systems never activate exactly the same.