2023 Tacoma 4x4 maintenance when not in use

Any tips on keeping the 4H and 4L seals lubricated and working properly when I won't be using it for 3 or 4 months? I know driving it on dry pavement is a no-no I've also heard not to drive it on wet pavement either. The manual says to drive it for up to 10 miles on 4H to keep it in use. Any idea how to do that when ur not using it?

 

You can drive it on wet or dry pavement. But you have to do it correctly.
You do not want to turn the wheels while driving.
Start with the wheels point straight and do not turn the wheels while driving.
You do not have to drive far, short distance is fine.
Even if it’s only for 15’-20’. Something is better than nothing.

I’m sure someone will be along to tell me I’m wrong.
And that’s ok. I’m fine with them thinking I’m wrong.

 

You can use 4H on dry pavement as long as you avoid sharp turns. Even highway on/off ramps are fine.

 

Good, because you are

 

It's ideal to use 4x4 every once in a while, but not necessary. Don't fret it, and remember you have 5 year warranty on drivetrain.

Failures aren't common, any you read about are typically an anomaly. Enjoy your Toyota.

4x4 on a straight stretch is safe in any vehicle. Just don't do sharp turns.

 

Wouldn’t be the first time.

 

No worries this is TW, no one is ever wrong here.

 

isn't 4x4 engage has a max speed? 50 i think mph

 

62 max to engage. I dont think Toyota states a limit on 4x4 use once its been engaged

 

I see more people with actuator problems around here than with any of the larger items. I suspect that the important part isn’t the miles you do in 4x4 that matter, but simply the act of putting it in 4x4 and out again to exercise the actuators.

 

you're are probably right.... i thought i read somewhere on the visor to engaged it around 5-15 mph and to keep the speed below 50 mph... i'm not sure if that's 4L or 4H

 

They do, it’s just higher than any of us will realistically hit.

 

IME you'll do less damage not using 4X4 for a few months than trying to operate in 4X4 on pavement for any distance. Maybe back and forth in your driveway in a straight line a couple of times. If you try to come anywhere near 10 miles/month on pavement you're going to wear out driveline components prematurely.

You won't have a catastrophic failure by driving on pavement unless you take a sharp turn where that is possible. But over time you do cause excessive wear. And there is also the possibility you get distracted, forget you're in 4X4, and make a sharp turn into a driveway or business.

During most of the year I find myself on a gravel or dirt road quite often and will engage for a while. It doesn't say the 10 miles have to be all at once and I may only get in a mile or 2 at times. But doing that a few times a month adds up. And there are some months that I skip because I'm not in a place where I can operate 4X4. Some months may see only 2-3 miles, some none, and some 200-300 miles. The key is to use it regularly.

And I've been on both sides of the issue. We had a Jeep that my wife drove several years ago. It wasn't put in 4X4 for about 6 months and wouldn't engage when needed. We were parked in a pasture at a rodeo when it started raining. We made it back to the road but would have spun tires a lot less if 4X4 had worked. All that was needed was to disassemble the hubs, clean the hardened grease, re-lube and reassemble. The grease had hardened and wouldn't let the hubs lock.

I also had an older truck with full time 4X4 in my 20's. It was actually AWD most of the time with a switch that used vacuum lines to lock it into true 4X4. At some point the vacuum lines got reversed and it was in true 4X4 even though the switch said it was in AWD. I was smart enough to know better than to operate in 4X4 on pavement, but not experienced enough to recognize the problem until the transfer case needed a rebuild. It happened twice before we figured out the problem. And it didn't take many miles in 4X4 on pavement to break it.

 

Can't say I've ever gone into 5th in 4lo, I can't be the only one. Seems like a rare case usage.

 

Most I’ve personally done is 20 or 25 in 4th.

No 6th gear is the note I find most interesting there. Though.

 

The ring & pinion and front driveshaft U-joints don't rotate in 4x2. Covering distance in 4x4 gets oil slung onto the ring & pinion and grease circulated in the U-joints, though I imagine you shouldn't need 10 miles to lubricate these.

In 3rd gen auto, the truck is limited up to 4th gear in 4lo. I noticed it won't shift into 5th or 6th, to my annoyance.

 

I noticed that too. Must be a 4 cylinder manual transmission manual? Were there 5 spd autos? Never paid attention to the autos.

 

That page is from section 4-2 of the 2023 owners manual and they stopped selling the 5spd manual several years ago.

There’s no table of max speed in gear for the automatic.