Should I "exercise" the locking rear diff?

As per the manual, I drive my 2018 in 4Hi for a few miles once in a while to exercise the gears.

I have only used 4Lo once since I bought it three years ago, and never the locking rear diff. I do some mild offroading, but 4Hi is all I need.

Should I be using 4Lo and the locker more often to keep the gears lubricated? Is it possible I have damaged them already by not using since the car was manufactured?

The manual just says to use 4x4 for a few miles per month, it doesn't specify 4Lo or the locker.

 

Yes you should actuate the locking rear on occasion.

 

I try to operate all the functions of the 4wd system once a month. I usually stay in 4hi as well, but if I know I'm getting to the end of my trail, etc. I'll drop it in 4lo, hit the locker and drive a little bit before turning it all off.

 

i need to get out on the trails more! It's hard to go recreate when gas is sooooooo high right now.

 

Go out and use it. If you aren’t in 4lo you are probably on a road.

 

I would and do. I tend to think anything mechanical will suffer from underuse almost as much as overuse.

 

The 4lo in the wifes 4runner quit working from not using, the actutors end up sticking, so you should use them once a month

 

Exercise & pratice. Try it, and Crawl control every blue moon. Same with traction control, etc....

 

Ouch. Thats what I'm afraid of. My problem is that there aren't any unpaved trails in my area within a two hour drive, and I don't get much time off.

Do you think I may have already damaged my 2018 from not using the 4Lo or diff yet?

 

No, 4lo is an odd one, it can fail on routine.

Honestly I've seen it get stuck in 4lo more often that it doesn't go in.

Just use 4hi on occasion and that works the actuators just fine.

 

I have a particular spot on my commute home where I'm stop and go on a straight road, rarely above 2-3mph for almost a mile. Once a week I go into 4lo and hit the locker. Sometimes I can crawl control at the 2nd to the slowest setting and it's just the right speed.

It's rare to get it into 4lo on the first try and even harder to get the locker to lock up.

 

The locker in the 3rd gen is internal in the differential and well oiled by the gear fluid. It is a electromagnetic device that really doesn't have much points of failure if not used regularly. This is why it is not specified in the manual. It is not the same external actuator device of the 2nd gens or the transfer cases. These need to be worked regularly or they like to seize up.

 

You should probably find a nice spot to lock it and jump it every now and then!! hehe...

 

On the 4lo and locker, I feel it’s more of engaging it regularly than driving it. Yes, 4hi lubricates the components. A few times a year I go to the church or school parking lots and lots put it in 4lo and lock/unlock the locker about 3 or 4 times. I’ve found that if it won’t engage a turn slightly to one side under idle helps. I might drive 50 feet in a straight line.

 

^^^This. One of the many improvements that make 3G tacos vastly superior to 2G tacos off-road. Toyota got rid of the stupid motor actuated locker and put in a more robust system.

 

Super cute.
Use your shit.

 

2 hours away? Wow!
Maybe find a grass or gravel lot in your concrete jungle.

 

As speedfreak said, the 3rd gen has a different e-locker mechanism they all older Toyota e-lockers. (I did not realize this until now, and had to look it up)
It's all internal to the diff without the old 12v motor that slides the actuator like the older trucks. So not nearly as important to get moving from time to time.

I always think it's cute how everyone is scared to actuate their 4wd on the street... these Toyotas are robust and those of us that do some rockcrawling put WAY WAY more stress on the components offroad then you can on the street. Check out some videos of wheeling in Moab utah. The slickrock is like sandpaper and the tires bark when you turn due to binding.

Just hop in a parking lot or something and actuate it all.

 

For about 4 years my wife was the primary driver of our Tacoma and I didn't use low range or lock the rear diff during that time. I still managed to get into 4hi fairly often. But in January we bought a new Explorer that she now drives and I alternate between the Tacoma and F150.

I never had any problem getting into lo range, but for a long time the rear diff wouldn't lock. But I drove the Tacoma turkey hunting last spring 3-4 days a week for about 15 miles each day on a dirt road. I just kept trying to engage the locking diff and after a week or so it started working again. It still does.

 

Don't need unpaved. Find an empty lot, engage 4 low and crawl along in straight line for a bit. Lock the rear and do the same. Going straight will be fine.