4WD Not Working, Plus Dash Light always on

I have a 2005 4Runner with the following dash lights on all the time. Check engine (solid), VAC Traction (both are solid), 4WD LO (solid), and 4WD "axel" light blinks. Also, my 4WD is not working, like it won't engage.

I've had several shops in town look at it but they tell me they can't figure out why this is happening. They have replaced the entire wire harness, and several sensors, and the 4x4 switch, too. This all started 2 years ago, after my engine needed to be replaced. Yes, I've been trying to get this all fixed for that long! LOL! Funny, but not!

We don't have a dealer close to us so that's why I haven't gone to one yet. But I'm planning on it if I can't figure this out before that happens. They tell me it will cost $175/hr. just to diagnose my car and it will take at least 3 hours to do that. Oy vey!

Anyway, since the engine incident, I've not only replaced that, but I've replaced the radiator, both of the catalytic converters, along with the exhaust manifolds, so basically, I've paid for this car twice! I'm hoping and praying that whatever "this" is, it won't cost another arm or leg, or both! They'll be calling me "Bob"! LOL!

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, and have a great day/evening, whatever!

 

Since the CEL is on, what code(s) are shown?

 

Some info will help with this:

What happens if you stop, put it in neutral, and turn the switch to 4LO? Does it beep?

When was the last time it was driven in 4WD?

Are you familiar with the stuck actuator issues that arise when the truck isn't driven in 4WD for long periods? I don't know the actual specifics but from what I've read, the part of the actuator that moves to engage 4WD gets gunked up and won't move. Search "4th Gen stuck actuator" here, on t4r.org, and Google for more info. Also, the Car Care Nut (Toyota Master Tech whose excellent YT channel I highly recommend) has a great video describing how your 4WD works. Watching it may help you figure out exactly what's happening. Pic is of a 5th Gen but he explains the 4WD is essentially the same. He may even talk about problems but i haven't watched the whole thing yet.

 

I'm not used to using this website so I hope I'm responding to the correct person! This is for "gkomo".

I don't know how to look up the codes. I don't have a device that will do this. Sorry! Thanks for responding!

 

This is for Bluesky 07:
Thank you for your response. I started the car and put it in neutral and turned the 4WD to Lo and nothing! No beep. The last time I had it in "working" 4WD was 2 years ago in Winter. It stopped working last year sometime, or at least when I tried to use it this past Winter, it wouldn't work.

I am going to call my repair guy tomorrow (he's out for the day today) and ask him about the actuator, if they checked that out when they were trying to figure all this out last year. One of the other shops that checked it out said that because Toyota has some kind of restrictions on what repair shops can see, they couldn't see what was causing the problem and to take it to a dealer. If I can't get someone to help me figure this out, I will be forced to go to one that is 2 hours away. But that's fine. I just want this done before THIS Winter! LOL!

Thank you so much for your help! I do appreciate it!

 

@AZ 4Runner just enter the @ symbol before their user name. This will tag them and send a notify.
There is also the "quote" button (lower right) on each post.

 

Friends Tundra had a wheel speed sensor go bad causing all the traction stuff to light up.

 

Thank you! LOL!

 

Thank you! Did they lose their 4WD, too?

 

I don't know if you saw this earlier, before I found out how to reply directly! LOL! So, this is what I sent then to you:


I don't know how to look up the codes. I don't have a device that will do this. Sorry! Thanks for responding!

 

@AZ 4Runner
Hey Vicki!
As far as the actuator, as mentioned by @Bluesky 07, they give us problems all the time. Some of us have swapped them out for a manual transfer case.
Also, if you have a certain trim, the problem could also be an actuator on the front axle, that engages the front drive line when you switch to 4hi.

 

Auto parts stores have code readers, and they will do it as a courtesy.

 

Thank you! I will tell my repair guy this information, too! (You're speaking Chinese to "me"! LOL!) So, does switching to a manual transfer case cost a lot? I have no problem with manual 4WD, as I also have an "out-of-service" 1995 Jeep that I LOVE! Don't get me started!!!! LOL!

Mine is an SR5 trim package. Is that good or bad? Why is that a problem? Does it disengage for some reason?

 

They will do a diagnostic reading on it???? Oh wow! I didn't know that! I will definitely try that! THANK YOU!!!! :O)

 

You’re very welcome. Once you have this squared away, the manual recommends driving in 4WD for at least ~10 miles every month to keep everything working properly. I usually drive the miles then find somewhere, a parking lot will do as long as you have enough straight line distance, and just briefly go through all the modes.

It’s already in 4HI, so 4HI locked, 4LO, 4LO locked. Some say to never engage the locker on pavement but that’s for normal driving where you have to turn. A brief, straight line just long enough to see everything is good shouldn’t do any harm. But definitely don’t turn while locked on a hard surface, only on dirt, sand, mud etc. where the tires can move through turns without binding up anything.

 

Yup.

Worst part about it was it would work sometimes and clear after a rain. Finally got it to stay on for couple weeks after a big rain and was able to figure it out.

 

It will be awesome if that sensor is the problem. Hope so b/c actuator can be $$$.

 

Okay, thank you so much!!!! I have never done that, but I will as soon as I can get it fixed! :O)

 

Wow! Okay, I'm adding that to my list to tell my repair guys! Thank you so much!!!!

 

YES!!!! I am hoping that it is the sensor, too! I have researched actuator and/or transfer case replacement! OY VEY!!!! LOL!

 

Oh yes, and I know first hand. I bought my '07 in 2014. I had looked for an '06-'09 for over a year in metro Atlanta with nothing more on my "must have" list than 4WD and a sunroof. Finally got so frustrated that I decided to call every dealer along the way while driving home from an Outer Banks vacation. Hit paydirt in Greenville, SC, where they had just taken an '07 Sport with 96K miles as a trade-in. Stopped, drove it, bought it. Even better, that dealer was part of a chain that had a dealer near my house and they brought the truck down at no charge.

The local dealer agreed to my having my mechanic inspect it. Tried the 4WD, nada. Got back and told the sales guy and he went kind of pale and said they'd have to have their service department check it. The guy came back and said it was a bad actuator and that I was lucky b/c if they had checked it, the truck would have gone straight to auction. The sales manager offered two options: cancel the deal, which he was fine with b/c he said they'd fix it, price it to recover the repair cost, and sell it in a day or two (which I knew was true); or they would eat half the dealer cost of the repair, $650 (at cost was $1300; retail then for that repair was $2200), and add the other $650 onto the sales price. I was already beyond happy with the price, plus I would know the actuator was new, the frame had zero rust, and the truck was otherwise pristine, so I said, "Where do I sign?" I'll hit 245K in the next week or two and I still love it as much as the day I drove it home.

 

I have a 2003 Toyota forerunner. My mechanic was changing out the blend actuator and had to remove the blower motor. He had to unplug the wiring harness from the four-wheel-drive switch/module after he repaired the blend actuator and put everything back together including plugging the wires back to the switch/module now the for low light flashes and beats when you put it in gear. It is giving him three codes that are all electrical. Is there an easy resolution for this??
I don’t know if this just happened or if the guy damaged something or what

 

First thing I would check is whether the plug is properly seated in the back of the selector switch.

 

@Morris - do you have the info on how to disassemble the dash to the point you could check that plug? It's pretty easy. LMK and I'll post it up if you need it.

 

OK, thanks guys, I was wondering about that. No I do not have that information. I’m sure it can’t be that difficult. I’ve worked on automobiles most of my life. I can usually figure it out.
Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Check YouTube for 4th Gen stereo install videos. You only need to get to the step right after removal of the HVAC controls. That's when you can pull the large vertical trim panel where the 4WD switch is and check the plug. Hope that's all it is.

 

None of these options worked. I checked the plug on the switch. It seems to be connected properly. I disconnected it and reconnected it twice. I have also gotten underneath and taken the actuator a little bit loose, jiggled it to see if it was stuck, rolled the vehicle forward and backwards a little bit in the driveway. The light is still blinking and it is still beeping and it doesn’t seem to be engaging.

 

I went back and reread your original post. Have the lights and beeping been going on the whole time since the engine change? If not, when did it start?

If the issue started with the engine swap, maybe someone knows how that job would involve the 4WD components. Figuring out how something might have gone awry back then might be the key.

 

Blue sky 07
We didn’t change the engine. He just had to change out the blend actuator and he had to remove the blower motor to get to it. He said he had to unplug the wiring harness from the module to give him more room to get the blower motor out he said all he did was plug it back up and that’s when all of this started.

I took the dash apart yesterday, which was very easy. I unplugged it the harness from the switch and re-plugged it in. Everything seems to be good there. I also saw a video where they say the actuators can get stuck, and how to loosen the screws and shake/jiggle it to get it unstuck.
I did this as well nothing seems to be working

 

Sorry, it was the OP that had the engine thing.

It must have to do with the module. I would check the plug and receptor for bent pins, a pinched wire, etc.