Urgent-Truck stuck in 4 low- resolved

Hey y’all,

Put my boat in to fish this morning and was hauling the trailer out on a steep incline in 4 low and it wouldn’t come out of 4 low when I got on level flat pavement like it normally does. I turned the knob to 4 high and it did not switch to 4 hi like normal on the way to 4wd off. Tried stopping and turning knob from 4 low to 4 high and creeping forward and then tried creeping in reverse neither worked after several attempts and several variations of what I was doing. Now it beeps to indicate 4 low ONLY on the 4 HIGH SETTING and the 4WD OFF setting. Normally only beeps when in 4 LOW SETTING.

I just disconnected the battery to see if it’s an electrical thing and not mechanical, but aside from that anyone have any ideas what this could be and how to get it out of 4 low?

I’d really appreciate any tips just came back from fishing and I’m dead in the water can’t drive on in 4 Low obviously at any higher speeds.

Thanks in advance!

 

You may just have to keep playing with the knob and move forward/ backward until it decides to unlock itself.

You may be having an issue with the 4x4 actuator/ solenoid.

 

Thanks I just tried it after disconnecting the negative terminal for over 30 mins and that didn’t work so I guess I’ll just keep trying playing with the knob and bumping in and out of forward and rev and hope it comes out.

 

Try a few light taps on the actuator...

 

I really hope it works for you!

If you have a small hammer you could always try giving the solenoid itself a little tap tap (don't do it too hard) to try to coerce it to move out.

 

Lol that's awesome how we both suggested the same thing at the same time.

 

Thanks y’all for all the quick replies love tacomaworld! I was messing with it just now and tired a specific sequence with the knob and shifting and finally got it out. Thanks Adam (Ahspurlock) for suggesting this you saved my ass from
being stranded at the boat ramp!

 

That's not terribly uncommon. I've had to go to reverse while still in 4lo and back up 15-20' then pull forward 15-20' and try again. Had to do that little dance several times in the past. In my experience it happens most often when you're really working things hard. The time I had the most trouble was after pulling a 3/4 ton F250 diesel + stock trailer+ a few cattle up a steep gravel hill. His old truck wouldn't shift into 4X4 at all. And he couldn't get enough traction in the loose gravel to pull the trailer up in 2wd. It took me 10-15 minutes to get it back into high range after that.

 

Yeah I’m sure it happens. Had it get stuck in 4 High plenty of times and just shifting into neutral then reverse a few feet or back to forward a few feet solved it fast. Almost 12 years on my 2011 and never got stuck in 4 low so maybe I’ve just been lucky. Literally did the forward reverse shuffle at the boat ramp today about a dozen times 50ft or more each way and no dice lol. Adams suggestion got it done. He suggested I try putting it on 4L on the knob and then to 2H while in neutral or park then to drive. Did both of those and bingo didn’t have to drive more than a foot.

 

This happened to my dad once when his mistakenly thought it was the AC switch. Had the look at the manual and found we had to switch it to neutral before we could change it. Else it would be stuck in 4LOW. Don't know if it is the same issue you are having but maybe look at your manual to see if it gives you any options.

 

I was told by a Toyota mechanic that you should engage the parking brake to get out of 4WL. Works for me.

 

when it sticks a little for me I put it neutral then 4h drive a few feet then 2

 

I make use I use 4h &4L at least monthly