4wd stuck w lights a-blazing

Hello All. My 2006 manual is stuck in 4L w/ lights a-beeping plus dial clearly set on 2H. Manual clearly states depress brake before turning nob (page 178). But replies to similar threads say depress clutch. Can anyone comment?

 

Turning off the truck putting it into 2-high and then starting it does not take it out of four-wheel-drive?

 

This is the main reason I deleted the ADD and 4WD ECU.

Do you use 4hi or 4lo regularly, or 1st time in quite some time?

I am betting it is from not using the system, actuator is not actuating. Just a guess as this is the common issue in this situation.

Welcome to TW OP, you can find the help you need.

Search will open some doors.

 

Try putting it in NEUTRAL with the truck STOPPED.

If you have a Manual Trans. Be sure the clutch is processed ALL THE WAY IN.
Don’t be afraid to push the pedal a bit harder to be sure.

If that doesn’t work.
Try here, but be prepared for some though diag.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/4wd-system-help-and-information.696298/

 

Yes, that clutch has to be all the way on the floor and it's best if you're not moving or rolling very slowly. I don't know for sure but on mine, I don't think I need to have the brake pedal pressed.

 

After operating in 4lo it isn't unusual for the gears to bind. Putting the truck in reverse while the switch is in 4lo and backing up 10-15', then move forward 10-15'. Stop shift to neutral and try again. It usually helps if the truck is rolling ever so slightly. I like to stop and make the switch on a slight incline so the truck will roll a bit if I take my foot off the brake. It doesn't have to go far, just about 1/4 to 1/2 of a wheel rotation to get the gears in the drive line to line up. I've had to do this little dance 3-4 times to get the truck to go back to 4hi. And this isn't just Tacoma, all 4X4's do this at times.

Don't try to go straight from 4lo to 2hi. You're asking the transfer case to do 2 things at once. In theory it should work, but I've found it to work better if I go from 4lo to 4hi. Once underway in 4hi you can then shift back to 2hi on the move.