Not sure if 4wd engaged

Have had my Tundra for less than a month. Runs well, etc.

However, today I pushed the 4wd button, and it started blinking, as well as the indicator on the dash. 4wd low didn't do anything.

Heard the system engage when I pushed the 4wd button, but do not know if it actually did so.

 

Did the light and indicator for 4HI become solid or just keep flashing?

 

continued flashing

 

Flashing means not engaged or disengaged yet
Solid means engaged
Once 4wd is engaged to 4 hi you will have to come to a complete stop and put it into neutral then hit the 4 lo button.
Happy Wheeling

 

You heard it engage even though the lights were flashing?

 

sounded like it.

 

Try again, move forward a foot or two and see if the lights stop flashing. Once and if the lights become solid, put in neutral and try 4lo.

 

This would happen to me every once and awhile. Try putting it in reverse. Roll a few feet then back to drive. If it's engaged you will know by turning your wheel all the way to one side. When you give it gas the front of the truck will hop around the turn. If it doesn't hop then it's not engaged

 

Drove it up the street on pavement. It feels and acts like it is in 4wd. I know what that feels like, as I have 2 landcruisers, an FJ40 and an FJ55.

 

Still blinking?

 

yes

 

Sounds like an issue with one of the actuators. Read this link, guy had the same issue and was able to eventually fix it:

 

I will pursue it further this weekend, but finally got someone in the cab push the button, while I was trying to find where the sound was coming from under the vehicle. I think the actuator was trying to engage, but not doing so.

I will jack it up and drop the skid cover this weekend, and then tap it with a hammer to see if it will engage

 

Probably time for a new actuator

 

Check that the 4x4 relay isn’t toast before replacing the actuators.

 

Sitting in a parking lot today. Started it up, and just on a whim, pushed the 4wd button while in Park. It engaged. Put it in neutral, pushed the 4wd low, and it engaged.

Haven't been able to duplicate it again.

 

I'm not sure if it's a good thing when our vehicles start fixing themselves. Glad you haven't had it happen again. Happy wheeling/exploring.

 

Update on the above. As I managed to get it into 4wd on rare occasions, and started driving in 4wd once I got it there, it goes into 4wd more and more often on the first try. I am suspecting that the previous owner probably never had it into 4wd once the whole 6 years he owned it.

 

You could be onto something Hunter. Keep working it. Maybe do some driving in reverse when you get into 4wd again.

 

Yep I do the same. Haven’t done 4low. Maybe I should do that as well.

 

Yeah that’s hard for part for me. Not much dirt roads around my house. I do 4high down a long straight stretch of road on my way to work. 4 low would have to be only for about a block long down my street or at our maintenance service yard entrance.

 

Question: Do you turn off overdrive when in 4wd? I always do when pulling a load. And when I think of it, when I drop into 4wd.

 

I haven’t towed anything in four-wheel-drive. But I always use S mode and shift up if I need it. D is rarely used in my truck at anytime LOL

 

Never have thought to turn off OD while in 4wd as the speed minimum requirements (per manual) in LO would never be breat enough to engage the OD. Doing mostly sand driving, the 02’ rarely has to be engaged in 4LO. She spends 99% of her time in HI when offroading.

Towing: The 02’ is only switched out of OD on windy days (at high speed) where the wind resistance plays havoc at that shifting point. Otherwise, its always in OD. I’ve heard others here say to always keep OD off when towing, but I’ve never had problems unless the wind resistance factors in at speed.