Truck stuck in 4Lo

Hello all

First time posting on here, looking for some possible advice/insight. Last week I was doing some off-roading on a mountain pass. I put my truck into 4Lo for a short section and when it was time to disengage, my truck refused. I babied it down the mountain pass until dirt road met pavement and got it towed to a mechanic who thought the switch and wiring for my 4WD knob went bad. That did not fix it and they advised me to take it to a dealership, the dealership told me the actuator is bad and quoted me over $3000 for parts and labor which seems insane. Am I incorrect or should I source the parts myself and go to another mechanic?

 

Was it really cold out?

My actuator wouldn't let it out of 4low if it was below freezing. But it worked perfectly fine when it was warm.

My problem seemed to be crud in the case. I flushed it out with diesel and have never had a problem since.

200k miles and nothing in my 4x4 system has actually failed so far.

 

No it was warm out, the dealership unplugged the cpu so it would be in 2WD. I’m currently driving with plans to get it checked out by another shop.

 

Sounds like they are just guessing, have you followed the correct procedure for going in and out of 4L?
Trans in neutral (A/T), clutch fully depressed (M/T), and speed under 3 mph does it beep immediately when you try to switch or do the lights just flash?

If you check your limit switch voltages as outlined in the thread below and post your results we can further assist you.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/4wd-system-operation-help-thread.742420/

 

That dealer quote you showed is insane. You're stuck in 4Lo and they want to service both diffs, the transmission, and the brakes..... along with the TC actuator, which *might* be necessary. I can't tell you what it's gonna take to fix your truck, but that dealer is bending you over. Is there a reputable independent shop in your area? Might be worth a try. Good luck, let us know what happens.

 

Glad to hear the quote is indeed insane. Looking for a shop that specializes in 4WD, appreciate it and will try to keep this updated.

 

I did follow the standard procedure to shift into 4Lo but could immediately tell something weird happened because I didn’t get the flashing just an immediate switch into 4Lo with the usual 4Lo lights coming on. Now that the cpu is disconnected I am getting flashing 4Lo and Drivetrain lights. Also the thread you linked is helpful, thank you.

 

I think you should share the link that @Dm93 posted with the first shop.
That way they can be better informed.

Then ask the dealer if it is“really” necessary to replace the whole transfer case actuator.
90% of the time it’s NOT……. (A good tech will know)

You don’t make as much money replacing part of the actuator.
And technically, you are not replacing the “whole” part the customer paid for.
On the other hand, the customer will save hundreds of dollars if you just replace part of the actuator.

In the end, it’s going to come down to time and money.
Do you have a little free time and want to save some money?

Do you have a voltage meter, a basic set of hand tools?
If so, you can save A LOT of money.

 

Where you at a complete stop when you tried to move in/out of 4L?

 

Mine has a tendency do do that. What has always worked for me was reverse for a few feet, stop , forward a few feet, stop flip to 2 hi. Your object is to release tension. It may take a few tries.

 

Every 4X4 I've ever owned could be hard to get out of low range. It isn't unusual to have to do the reverse, pull up and try again dance multiple times to get it to let go.

 

Like DM said. Sounds like they are guessing. You could just guess on your own and throw parts at it, for much cheaper.

 

Ahh the good old.

“Hey your thumb is broken. Let’s cut out your heart and head and see if that fixes it.”

Because they make money on the parts from the markup.
And they make money on the labor because they undercut their dealer ship mechanics.

Id take it to a trusted mechanic or shop. Not Toyota dealership.

But if you or a buddy has enough patience to tinker and fix the problem hey it’s ALOT cheaper.

 

Yes, tried jut about all the tricks and so did the mechanic and tow truck guy haha

 

Ya I’m currently looking for a trustworthy shop, if anyone here lives in Salt Lake City and has any recommendations I’m all ears.

 

Ya I honestly didn’t believe the price at first but the dealership also seemed a bit incompetent, the first time I talked to a service advisor he just said “the whole 4wd system needs to be replaced” no specification on what was the problem.

 

Run…..
Run away fast.

 

That's because they either:

Don't know how to go about diagnosing the system.

Can't be bothered to diagnose it.

Want to sell you a bunch of parts you may not need.

Or all of the above.


If they had to eat the bill for the parts shotgun you better believe they would make sure they replaced the right part the first time but since the customer is paying lets just replace everything and cross our fingers.

 

Have you used your 4lo much in the past? When I was new to my Tacoma and tried 4lo the first time, I had a hard time getting out of it. Through the help and knowledgeable friendly folks of TW, I found out: how and when to properly engage 4wd and low gears, and once a month to engage the low gears just to lubricate those seldom unused gears and parts.
I rarely have long lasting problems with that now.

 

Yep, mine was stuck because it was gummed up and the crud froze in the cold.