4H 4L actuator issues

Good Day…I have a modified 2006 4Runner with the 4.7 v-8
It has the 4H 4L four wheel drive system. The unit has been severely modified by the original owner with suspension upgrades and lifted, winch bumper and winch.
What I am experiencing is the unit will not go into 4L …one of at least ten tries it will engage and disengage..but what I am experiencing, turning a sharper corner I hear the beeping that indicates going into 4L and also hear an engaging grinding type noise likes it’s trying to engage the 4L possibly? This is a great concern as when you hear noise like this it’s not good.
it’s funny how the seller when I bought the unit a couple months ago repeatedly told me to make sure you engage 4L often to keep it engaging. The first time after now owning the unit and I engaged 4L, it beep and went into 4L but would not disengage. I drove for a bit hoping it would but it was loved in 4L. The only way to disengage was I shut off the vehicle and restarted it and it was back in 4H.
I am not very familiar with Toyota 4Runners so looking for any suggestions. watching YouTube videos has helped understand things better and I did loosen the #12 bolts on the actuator but this model you have to remove the transfer case to change out actuator. Would this be my problem an actuator or another electronic issue ? Thank you Glen from BC Canada

 

Video of you doing the switching would be great. Troubleshooting is always difficult, if it is something that you can recreate regularly, a mechanic will be able to more quickly address the problems.

If it was able to go into the gear but not disengage on one occasion, it sounds like an electronic actuator sticking or control cable out of adjustment. I recently saw The Car Care Nut (Ahmed, a former Master diagnostic technician at a Toyota dealership in Chicago) say that he never had seen any of the solenoid actuator things fail and he is based in the rust belt.

Were there service records of fluid changes? (Sometimes the cheapest and simplest fixes are the best ones.)

When switching to 4L that one time it wouldn't disengage, were you rolling when you switched it into gear or when you tried to get out of 4L?

As for alarms going off when you turn sharply, I know with my 2020 5th generation with manual four-wheel drive shift that my turning becomes much more labored even at a moderate spin of the wheel.

 

Welcome

 

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear about your issues!

I'll start out by saying I'm not familiar with your gen 4runner. Is your v8 full time 4wd?

My first question would be are you engaging/disengaging 4L correctly? Again, I'm not familiar with your model, but I know on my part-time 4wd 5th gen you have to be stopped and in neutral before you can engage/disengage.

Also, you mention gringing with tight turns trying to engage 4L. Are you on dry pavement or have enough traction that the tires can't slip? Not sure what type center diff you have but if it's locked and you're trying to take tight turns on pavement in 4wd (H or L) then you are going to have binding.

 

Welcome from the center of the bourbon universe.

 

Welcome

 

Welcome!

You have to be in neutral and stopped in order to engage and disengage 4LO. If you try to move while it’s engaging/disengaging, it will grind.

 

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

Also, you mentioned you loosened the bolts of the actuator? What’s the purpose behind that? Either way, make sure to tighten those back down to the proper torque.