I live in Costa Rica six months each year and six months in NC. I have a Sequoia in the States (just turn the dial on the dash to engage 4WD); a Jeep Wrangler in the States (just pull up the lever to engage 4WD); a Subaru Baja in Costa Rica (has all wheel drive, so I don't have to do anything); and lastly, a 94 Land Cruiser in Costa Rica, which is where my minimal knowledge on 4WD is best exhibited, and from which comes my questions. I have had the LC for several years and it is spotless; I am its second owner. The previous gent had it serviced by Toyota routinely. It is a Costa Rica vehicle, not a US shipped-in model, purchased new at the Toyota dealer in San Jose, Costa Rica. It has a cloth interior, AC, power windows, no power seats, 5 speed stick, and a carb'd engine. I love this thing and feel very fortunate to have found it. I live on a very steep mile-long, dirt and potholed ridden hill in a cloud forest in Costa Rica. This hill ate up the Subaru's clutch in one month after shipping it down here from the States, mainly because of my Baja being a 5 speed, with first gear being very wide. Had it had a granny gear, or had it been an automatic like some of my previous Outbacks, the Baja would not have succumbed. The LC, on the other hand just rolls right up the hill in first gear with no probem. However, when it has been raining whiuch leaves a film of mud on the road, I have been engaging the green button on the dash that's labeled "H4". I come to a stop first, place the tranny in neutral, and listen for the slight clunk at the rear end; then a " 4WD" dash light illuminates on the instrument panel, amd i assume that I now have both rear wheels engaged, and I proceed on up the hill. And then i hit the green button on the dash to disengage the rear wheel, and allow the instrument panel light to no longer illumumiunate "4WD". What the heck am I actually doing when I press that button on the dash? Because at this juncture I have done nothing to engage the front wheels, presumably, right? I assume to engage the front wheels, I would have to get out of the vehicle and manually turn the locks on each front wheel, and then use the regular running gears " high setting", or shift the second floor shifter to " low" if I needed a lower range than what is provided with the "high" shifter setting. But, if I'm engaging the front wheels, should I hit the 4WD button on the dash as well? Hope these queries make sense.
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SmokingRocks
hopelessly addicted to Cruisers
Your rears are under power whether or not you have a Full time 4wd rig or part time 4wd rig.
If you have a part time rig then you need to get out and engage the front hubs when you select 4wd.
This should all be explained on a placard I your visor or in your manual.
If you have a part time rig then you need to get out and engage the front hubs when you select 4wd.
This should all be explained on a placard I your visor or in your manual.
Toyota made a part time LC? This is news to me.
SmokingRocks
hopelessly addicted to Cruisers
Yea in other countries
Your car is part time 4wd (rear wheels get power all the time).
When you press the H4 button, power is split between your front and rear axles in a 50/50 split (your center diff is locked at this point).
You shouldn't use this on the pavement and during tight turns.
L4 on your transfer case shifter is the same thing (50/50) but lower gears.
My part time 100 series has the button on the dash aswell.
When you press the H4 button, power is split between your front and rear axles in a 50/50 split (your center diff is locked at this point).
You shouldn't use this on the pavement and during tight turns.
L4 on your transfer case shifter is the same thing (50/50) but lower gears.
My part time 100 series has the button on the dash aswell.
So you guys can't have 4wd with open diff's?
Nope, but here you have the choice of getting full time as an option.
Keep in mind the locked diff I'm talking about is the one in the transfer case and not the one in the axles.
I got that. I have a 1994 too. I have a switch for locking the center dif + front and rear Harrop elockers. You may need to be able to lock the front/rear too. Good tires make a difference too.
- Thread starter
- #9
I think the difference is the fact that this is a Costa Rica vehicle. I think all the 80s that went to the States were full time 4WD, which one would think would result in more fuel consumption, but given the US version is fuel injected, I think it probably balances out vs. the costs for the Costa Rica carb'd version. My brother-in-law also has a 1994 LC, but his was shipped down from the States; it has full time four wheel drive, automatic, leather interior, power seats, and is fuel injected. My 94, on the other hand, is more basic but still very nice: cloth interior, 5 speed manual transmission, odometer in kilometers vs. miles (it had ~70K miles on it when I bought it) power windows but no power seats, carb'd rather than fuel injected, and has a second tank that's filled from the same tank gas door via pulling a knob inside the gas compartment next to the cap, and has a second OEM roof mounted fuel gauge, along with an altimeter. My brother-in-law and I seem to get similar miles/kilometers per tank.
I have a full English as well as Spanish manual that are like new, but there is little info in the manuals, and there is no placard to reference; I wish there was. I'm not that savvy on 4WD, so forgive my obvious absence of knowledge on this subject. So, am I to understand that I should look at the 4WD system on my LC as having three major components: front axle; center differential; and rear axle, and that when I push the H4 button, it locks the center differential and splits the power equally between the front and rear axle. I may be wrong, but that does not seem to be the case. When I do nothing but push the green button, I hear a gentle click toward the rear, the instrument light 4WD indicator comes on, and I seem to have both rear wheels engaged at that point, and have traction that seemed to be only on one rear wheel prior to pushing the button. I can't say that with complete assurance, but it seems that way. Plus, I don't see any active spin from the front wheels when I push that button. The only way the front wheels seem to engage is if I get out and lock the hubs. I then have traction on the front, and if I need to get lower gears, I can use the second floor shifter. Am I looking at this the wrong way? I'm assuming that if I do need additional traction and get out and lock the front wheels, I should engage the green button, so the rear and front are working in tandem. Again, sorry for the lack of knowledge on how this system works. Maybe I should try to find an article on one of the forums that describes the ABCs of using 4WD. If anyone knows of one, please provide some insight. Thanks to all for the help.
I have a full English as well as Spanish manual that are like new, but there is little info in the manuals, and there is no placard to reference; I wish there was. I'm not that savvy on 4WD, so forgive my obvious absence of knowledge on this subject. So, am I to understand that I should look at the 4WD system on my LC as having three major components: front axle; center differential; and rear axle, and that when I push the H4 button, it locks the center differential and splits the power equally between the front and rear axle. I may be wrong, but that does not seem to be the case. When I do nothing but push the green button, I hear a gentle click toward the rear, the instrument light 4WD indicator comes on, and I seem to have both rear wheels engaged at that point, and have traction that seemed to be only on one rear wheel prior to pushing the button. I can't say that with complete assurance, but it seems that way. Plus, I don't see any active spin from the front wheels when I push that button. The only way the front wheels seem to engage is if I get out and lock the hubs. I then have traction on the front, and if I need to get lower gears, I can use the second floor shifter. Am I looking at this the wrong way? I'm assuming that if I do need additional traction and get out and lock the front wheels, I should engage the green button, so the rear and front are working in tandem. Again, sorry for the lack of knowledge on how this system works. Maybe I should try to find an article on one of the forums that describes the ABCs of using 4WD. If anyone knows of one, please provide some insight. Thanks to all for the help.
Sounds like you have a differently labeled CDL like some I've seen on overseas models. Same thing different label. If you think you have lockers and that is the noise you're hearing; as far as I know we only had dials not buttons. Also it wouldnt make sense that engaging the rear locker would be considered 4 hi since it's I advisable to drive a locked rear axle at high speeds. Anyway, you'd have to manually shift into 4hi to have 4hi which is another indicator that it's a CDL switch. Hope that sheds light on the subject.
SmokingRocks
hopelessly addicted to Cruisers
If you don't lock the hubs the front will never receive drive. Even when you select 4high.
Your rig is a 2wd rig (RWD). When you select 4 high the rig will couple the front output shaft of the transfer case to the rear (essentially locking the center diff and sending 50% of the power to the front axle and 50% to the back axle).
so drive power is making it to all 4 hubs when you select 4h. Now if you don't lock the front hubs then the power doesn't transfer from the front axle to the wheels. The axle shaft is just spinning inside the case since you haven't coupled it with the wheel (this is why you lock the hubs).
Since you said that when you lock the hubs and have 4h engaged that it does drive the front wheels as well as the rear I would say that your cruiser is working as designed.
Many people here in the US like the idea of a 2wd conversion for their LC. So you have a cool set up.
Your rig is a 2wd rig (RWD). When you select 4 high the rig will couple the front output shaft of the transfer case to the rear (essentially locking the center diff and sending 50% of the power to the front axle and 50% to the back axle).
so drive power is making it to all 4 hubs when you select 4h. Now if you don't lock the front hubs then the power doesn't transfer from the front axle to the wheels. The axle shaft is just spinning inside the case since you haven't coupled it with the wheel (this is why you lock the hubs).
Since you said that when you lock the hubs and have 4h engaged that it does drive the front wheels as well as the rear I would say that your cruiser is working as designed.
Many people here in the US like the idea of a 2wd conversion for their LC. So you have a cool set up.
- Thread starter
- #12
This really helps. Now, I just have one more stupid question. Under normal RWD driving around town, with the green button "not" pushed, are both rear wheels driven, or is it just the right rear?
Open dif. Right rear.
SmokingRocks
hopelessly addicted to Cruisers
Both wheels are driven until one looses traction. Then all of the power will be sent to that wheel, if you have a rear locker you can engage it to send the power 50% to each wheel.
There are some great tutorials on YouTube that explain how doffs work.
There are some great tutorials on YouTube that explain how doffs work.
- Thread starter
- #16
- Outstanding. Thanks so much.
