CDL and VSC stuck in the on position (1 Viewer)

[TioTony]

Hi Everyone,
Wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas on this before I head to the dealership. I have a 2004 Land Cruiser with the CDL and VSC stuck in the on position (the lights are on, they are not flashing). I engage/disengage the CDL using the button after every oil change just to make sure things are working. I last engaged it without problem just before Memorial Weekend. After it got stuck yesterday I have tried the following things to disengage it with no luck:

1. Followed the card in the visor (what I could consider normal operation - hit the button, drive straight forward, etc).
2. Searched this forum and followed all the advice I could find, including this string: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/center-diff-lock-stuck-on.751024/
3. Coasted in neutral several times in various scenarios including down hill, long straight-aways, under 5 MPH all the way up to 50 MPH, and in reverse.
4. Started the car, put it in neutral, hit the button, waited.
5. Unplugged the battery for 20 minutes, turned the ignition key, hooked the battery back up.
6. Drove in reverse in 4H and 4L, up hill, down hill, round and round.
7. Went through all shift lever positions in 4H and 4L
8. Did tight turns forward and backward.
9. Drove around for about 20 miles with the button disengaged.
10. Had my mechanic (former Toyota Mechanic) look at it.

My next step is to head to the dealer, which I dread. I'm going to drive it for a few more days as-is and hope someone has a solution on this forum.

When the button for the CDL is pressed you can clearly hear relays (or something) making some clicks under the dash. This happens both when the button is pressed in for the "engaged" position or when it is pressed again and returns to the "disengaged" position.

Thanks,
Tony

 

[The Great Him]

do you have a scan tool or code reader? i wonder if there is a code that is being thrown. the only other thing i could think of is possibly a bad relay or switch, or ground that is not allowing the signal to be sent. either that or your actuator took a dump, but im thinking bad switch.

 

[TioTony]

Thanks for the reply. I just ordered a code reader. I'll pull the codes when it arrives on Sunday and we'll see what it has to say. Hopefully it is not the actuator.

 

[ChiTown]

Try this
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/diff-lock-light-flashing.864751/

 

[ppc]

No direct experience with the 100 Series Land Cruiser but you might want to post your question in that forum instead.

If the relays are functioning as you described the CDL may be working properly but the indicator of the locked condition may not be sensing properly. This is the way the 80 Series functions as there is a separate sensor circuit that determines the locked state, turns on the CDL and ABS lights on the dash in addition to disabling the ABS. If that sensor switch fails or the wiring is shorting out the indicators would remain lit. Should be easy to test by unplugging the proper sensor on the transfer case to see if the lights go out. The sensor switch is relatively low cost part that is not difficult to replace in the 80 Series.

 

[TioTony]

Thanks ChiTown - I just tried putting the transmission and transfer case in a neutral and hitting the button. It definitely makes more sounds from under the vehicle which I believe is the actuator trying to do something. But still no luck. I'll try the mallet option when I have a few more helpers available.

ppc - I'll check out your theory as well. The CDL is definitely staying engaged, which I can tell by doing a tight turn.

 

[TioTony]

Update - I plugged in the code reader and there are no faults. I also banged on the actuator with a rubber mallet while my daughter pressed the button for a me a few times. I can clearly hear it trying to do something. No luck getting it unstuck though. Guess I am off to the dealer since I don't have a facilities and tools to swap this out on my own. Thanks for you help.

 

[TioTony]

Just wanted to followup and close out this string for any future readers. The Center Diff Lock Actuator (CDLA) had to be replaced. I bought the car when it was already 10 years old and I am assuming the previous owner probably never engaged/disengaged the CDL on a regular basis. It was toast. The new one is in and it works perfectly. Thanks for all your help troubleshooting.

 

[JLee]

Thank you for the update/resolution!

 

[RyanStl]

Just wanted to followup and close out this string for any future readers. The Center Diff Lock Actuator (CDLA) had to be replaced. I bought the car when it was already 10 years old and I am assuming the previous owner probably never engaged/disengaged the CDL on a regular basis. It was toast. The new one is in and it works perfectly. Thanks for all your help troubleshooting.

How much did that cost?

 

[TioTony]

Sit down before you read this:
Parts: $741.80
Labor: $2784.15
Total: $3525.95

12 month warranty.

Plus they had my vehicle for nearly 2 weeks. At least they washed it. If anyone in the Orange County, CA area knows a good Land Cruiser mechanic for major stuff, please let me know. I have a good mechanic (former Toyota mechanic) for most stuff, but his shop is mostly setup for brakes and oil changes.

 

[The Great Him]

Holly crap!? Are you serious? Please tell me this is a joke?

Sent from my XT1080

 

[RyanStl]

Yes, holy crap. I'm closing tomorrow on a LC that when I test drove the CDl would not come unlocked pushing the button. However, it did come unlocked backing out of the driveway.

 

[GXO]

Looks like they did it the right way, which is to remove the t-case, break it down, remove the actuator, and replace, then reinstall. Basically just rebuilt your t-case so you won't have to worry about that for a while!