Help with 4wd

I have a 2008 tundra with 366k miles. I went to exercise the actuator and I got stuck in 4 lo. I was definitely locked in, but the 4 lo remained flashing, vcs flashed, and traction control remained on.

I followed the other thread on here for the transfer case actuator expecting it to be a rusted or seized motor. Took me a long time to get the rusted screws out and finally removed it last night. The motors turns freely and looks brand new in there. While it was off, I pushed both rods back into the transfer case to be in 2wd. I reinstalled everything and now I’m in 2wd.

I tried it today and I went to 4 hi, and the light remains flashing. I didn’t feel it kick into 4wd, no binding on turns or anything so I’m in 2 wd. No other lights are flashing, no codes in the reader. Anyone have any ideas on where to look? Not a mechanic by any means but trying to fix this myself through YouTube lol.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

Check the connectors on the actuators, make sure they’re not melted and look good

with the 4wd switch still engaged (light flashing) put the truck in neutral and turn the engine off, start the truck back up and see if it puts it in 4

 

It didn’t, 4 hi is still flashing nothing else.

 

Sounds like the ECU isnt getting the signal from the switch in the front ADD actuator. This may be because front actuator isnt operating because its seized or there are brokem wires. On my 08 tundra when going from 2 wheel to 4 hi, I could hear the transfer case actuator engage (4hi light blinks slow) then after a few seconds the transfer case actuator goes back to 2 wheel and blinks fast.
I found pin 4 on the ADD actuator had no ground because of a possible broken wire (have to trace it still). I removed and bench tested the ADD and found it was all good. Next is to find the broken or corroded ground wire or replace the wire. You can leave the truck in park, key in accesory position and switch into 4hi and hear transfer case go in and a few seconds later go back out. If it does that check ADD in front diff.

 

I posted a few pictures today on bench testing the ADD

 

Thanks for the response. I got the timing right with the motors. Still same thing happening. Made me think electrical because no beeps when it didn’t engage and nothing noise wise. Two months ago I watched a YouTube video and I sliced two wires out of the tpms and it made my light go away. Didn’t think anything of it. I unsliced them and what do you know, everything works great. All from something stupid I did.

 

I sliced the same two wires about 2 years ago and I've had zero problems, I don't think I would own it up to that, you might be having an intermittent problem and it just so happened to go away when you did that; the two wires were to take the light off the dash?

 

Yeah it took the TPMs light off. It may have been coincidence that it started working right after I unspliced them but it’s been working flawlessly

 

Then just leave it alone till it acts up again

any changes in weather? Colder? Hotter?

 

Nope been cold in Michigan for awhile. Really not sure what it was. That was the only thing I changed and it immediately worked upon firing it up on jack stands lol.

 

Tires were off the ground when doing it?

 

I’ve done it both ways, but it wasn’t working so it was on stands. It works now on stands too.

 

I wonder if the fact there wasn’t any stress/weight on the drive train that maybe whatever wasn’t engaging was able to get unseized and go together

glad it’s working for you! 4hi and 4lo working?

 

I had it off on my dirt road and nothing was engaging. This was after I put it together the first time. Really not sure why. Everything cycles now. Not really sure

 

Sounds maybe a bit crazy, but sometimes slowly going forward, then reverse unloads things.
Let it roll in Neutral and go back and forth 4Hi to 4Lo, really slow. since I think it should be stopped to select 4LO.

 

Yeah 4hi is forward or reverse 5 to 40mph if I remember right; 4lo is neutral and stopped

 

I just used 4LO to back up in the mud out back to park my trailer. Ground is really soft, we've had over 6" of rain in the last
week. So I can hear everything cycling away under there. I just pulled the shifter into manual 4 and clicked down to 1.
I really liked the way it rolled out and thru the ditch and up the grade to my shop. I then stopped - selected N - then
switched to 4Hi. Same thing as OP, 4LO flashed and the anti-skid light didn't extinguish. So back to 4Lo and let the truck roll
back a bit, D and then P. Then N. Still flashing. So I selected 4LO and N, then immediately switched to 2HI.
All lights extinguished and everything normal. Its a weird system, but seems to have it's own quirks. I'm sure I waited long
enough for things to cycle in the transfer case. But maybe just flipping switches helps excite the next phase.
Hope this helps.

 

When mine won't go into 4lo (ie its been a hot minute since i've used it) and the light just flashes, I just cycle power to the truck while switch is in 4lo and shifter is in neutral and when I restart the truck it always goes into 4lo (works the same way going out of 4lo)

 

I got to turn my truck off to put in 4 wheel or out of it.

 

For those interested: