3G 4runner flashing 4wd lite???

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Deftoned40

Deftoned40

Joined
Aug 15, 2010
Threads
74
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821
Location
Oconomowoc, WI
I recently purchased a 2000 4runner limited that had some front end damage(mainly bumper/hood/bumper extension). The problem I have is the 4wd light keeps flashing on the dash. The four tires keep flashing. The prevouis owner said this happened when the truck was in an accident and has been flashing since. He took it to a local shop and they checked the elect. plug-ins on the t/case and found no problems with the 4wd on the truck. 4 low and high all work but the dash keeps flashes as if it's not properly engaged. When u shift from 4wd to 2wd the lite stops flashing for a little delay then it starts up again.

I would appreciate any advise and direction on what to check first.:bang:
 
Yes, I have the limited with the push button on the side of the lever. I've tried pushing the button in and out many times and moving the lever in all positions and I still get the flashing tires on the dash. The low and high 4wd seem to engage but the dash just won't stop flashing. The rear factory locker works and the abs lite comes on when the lockers engaged as the manuel states it should.

I've also disconnected the battery for awhile to try to reset the memory on the computer but it didn't do anything.

Any Ideas???
 
Deftoned40 said:
Yes, I have the limited with the push button on the side of the lever. I've tried pushing the button in and out many times and moving the lever in all positions and I still get the flashing tires on the dash. The low and high 4wd seem to engage but the dash just won't stop flashing. The rear factory locker works and the abs lite comes on when the lockers engaged as the manuel states it should.

I've also disconnected the battery for awhile to try to reset the memory on the computer but it didn't do anything.

Any Ideas???
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Have you tried leaving the push button out and driving around for a while? I assume so, sounds like you have tried everything already. Maybe the switch itself is not disengaging.
 
I did drive it around town with the push button in and with it out. Maybe the switch itself is bad as u stated.. Just figured I'd ask before I start taking stuff apart.
 
hmmm..the details I would be thinking to find are how does this system exactly work... I assume the switch likely energizes a wire to go down to an actuator to engage the 4 wheel drive, or maybe it sends the request to an ECM to switch an output, and then a signal is switched below to send a signal likely energizing back up to an ECM or maybe it just turns on the indicator directly..don't know I would guess the sensor to indicate that it has moved to the 4 wheel drive position needs adjustment if that is possible.
If either circuit is normally energized when not in 4 wheel drive then I would say check wiring as most likely 1 circuit or the other is opening but I would think both are normally open circuits and would close to actuate or indicate.
Not sure how one finds out how this all works..... perhaps some brain on here can enlighten us all :)
Looking into the online manual link at the top of the 95+ section,although it says 2002 wiring schematic, there may be a 4wheel drive ECU unless this just came with 01 and 02 with the VSC etc.... so no help could be a switch, wiring, a ground connection even or maybe a bad ECU/ECM....
 
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If the 4WD is engaging then nothing is wrong with your tcase, it has to be an electrical ground. Meaning that the switch thinks it is depressed even when it is not, another indicator that this is the problem would be if the lights continue to flash once 4WD is engaged. This means that the signal telling the system that the hubs are now engaged is not working either, I haven't dove into the wiring on the multimode transfer case but you should def look at the wiring diagram and start testing from there.
 
Thanks for all the input. Problem is I'm not that experienced with testing electrical. I going to check grounds and plug-ins first then tackle the wiring schem. diagrams. I'm used to working on fj40's not these new trucks, so any help is appreciated...
 
I would jack it up and verify that 4 wheel drive is not on while the lights flashing. You can cause some damage driving around on pavement to your tcase.
Also, try reversing to see if you can get the 4wd to disengage.
 
Deftoned40 said:
Thanks for all the input. Problem is I'm not that experienced with testing electrical. I going to check grounds and plug-ins first then tackle the wiring schem. diagrams. I'm used to working on fj40's not these new trucks, so any help is appreciated...
Click to expand...
Read through this thread (its about a similar problem) and if that doesn't help you then join that forum and ask them about it, I am a member there and it is a very helpful source for 4Runner tech.

4WD won't disengage on 99 4Runner LTD - YotaTech Forums
 
jrock24 said:
I would jack it up and verify that 4 wheel drive is not on while the lights flashing. You can cause some damage driving around on pavement to your tcase.
Also, try reversing to see if you can get the 4wd to disengage.
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That actually would be true in 4 lo and if he didn't have the multimode 4wd found on the limiteds. In 4 hi the multimode transfer acts as an uncoupled center diff lock, allowing differentiation between the front and rear wheels.

You may want to remove the drivers kick panel and inspect the plug at the 4wd control module.....make sure nobody botched a blue (grey on tacos) wire mode.
 
Thanks for the replies....Mauzer, I appreciate the link to Yotatech, seems a lot of guys with the same blinking light found out it was a $36 sensor. That link is going to help me out a lot. I'll check out the truck hopefully this weekend on jackstands...
 
Deftoned40 said:
Thanks for the replies....Mauzer, I appreciate the link to Yotatech, seems a lot of guys with the same blinking light found out it was a $36 sensor. That link is going to help me out a lot. I'll check out the truck hopefully this weekend on jackstands...
Click to expand...
No problem, I hope the fix works for you:cheers:
 
Finally got time to work on the 4runner. I did the check on the tcase actuator 6 pin plug-in like the yota-tech forum. I used a battery charger (12v 2amp) hookup with the positive on pin 2 and negative on pin 3 to engage the truck into 2wd mode. It worked and the flashing light stopped and the truck was in 2wd now. I engaged it back into 4wd and then it went back to the flashing light on the dash, no matter if it's in 2wd or 4wd the light is back to flashing. So I followed what others on yotatech did. I checked the front diff sensor and it beeped when I pushed the ball end of the sensor in, meaning it had a connection(so I'm assuming this sensor is good. I then checked the two sensors on top of the tcase actuator(next to the 6 wire plug in, the farthest back sensors). Neither one of then beeped when the sensor was pushed in, so I'm assuming these are bad. My question is, is it possible that 2 sensors are bad? Just want to make sure because each sensor is over $50 bucks and I really never tested sensors before on a late model toyota. There are two more sensors on top of the tcase facing the driver's side that are very hard to get at and u cant use a socket because they have wires into the sensor. I didn't check those two sensors because the rear sensors didn't pass my test and was going to replace those first and see if everything works.

Also, I tried doing the tcase actuator manual test again to put it back into 2wd and now I can't seem to get the light to stop flashes as I was able to before. What's up with that? Any one experience doing the testing with this let me know if I'm doing it right...

Please let me know...I'm working on this truck right now:bang:
 
Well I got the truck back into 2wd by using the jumper method as I did before. I had a problem with my battery charger so that was the problem I had earlier when trying to get it in 2WD.

My only question is for testing a sensor. If you put the pos(+) lead on one pin and the neg.(-) lead on the other pin you should get no reading or no beep. But when u push the sensor ball end in while doing this procedure, u should then get a reading and or a beep. My front diff. sensor passed this test by beeping but when I did the two rear sensors on top of the tcase rear actuator, I got no reading or beep. So does this mean both those sensors are bad????
 
Deftoned40 said:
Well I got the truck back into 2wd by using the jumper method as I did before. I had a problem with my battery charger so that was the problem I had earlier when trying to get it in 2WD.

My only question is for testing a sensor. If you put the pos(+) lead on one pin and the neg.(-) lead on the other pin you should get no reading or no beep. But when u push the sensor ball end in while doing this procedure, u should then get a reading and or a beep. My front diff. sensor passed this test by beeping but when I did the two rear sensors on top of the tcase rear actuator, I got no reading or beep. So does this mean both those sensors are bad????
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with the how the sensors are supposed to work work, sorry.
Have you done the factory service manual tests?
 
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