Need ideas on 4wd issue

I have a 2012 TRD OR and am getting the blinking 4wd light. It will typically engage if its at a dead stop but when moving it doesn't seem to engage often (it could be on a few miles before going in). When I turn it off, it blinks for a while (again up to a mile) before making a thud to disengage.

It has the Toyota extended warranty so I took it to the dealer. They wanted to charge for a diagnostic fee if nothing was wrong so they look at it and couldn't find anything. I told them about the actuator TSB and to check the sensor.

I don't think they really did anything, but they talked the warranty into replacing the actuator (and I didn't get stuck with the bs fee). They replaced it in about an hour including a wash (which was a lot quicker than the 4 hrs they quoted but on par with the forum). The part they used was 41400-35032.

The issue is still happening. I need to see if I can actually get them to go with me for a drive because to ensure it happens. Can the sensor be speed related? I was looking for some way to isolate the failure because they don't seem to do anything besides pull a code (which doesn't exist).

 

Try changing your transfer case oil with Redline MT-90. Mine engages and disengages quicker with this oil.

 

Did yours take a while to engage before the switch? Would driving at speed make a difference?

 

I always do the oil switch with all of my trucks. It didn't take much longer with the Toyota oil to engage/disengage but with the Redline, it's a smoother engagement. You can also try replacing your diff oil with synthetic as well to see if that helps but try the transfer case first. My truck goes in and out of 4wd smoothly at any speed below the 60mph. Try taking your foot off the gas while engaging. Same goes for the 1st gen and 4Runner.