Factory rear locker

[NMrockeater]

I engaged my factory rear locker today and notice the rear locker indicator light was flashing, is it supposed to be a solid light or flash? If it was not engaging what should I check first? This is only the second time I have use the locker and don't remember if it flashed last time or not. I could not tell if I was locked or not I was just going through a deep sand area.

Thanks.

 

[r2m]

I believe you have to be in LOW 4 for it to engage.
Try that, but be sure you're on a soft tarmac (read: dirt road, snow, etc.) or you'll ruin your drive train.

 

[bluecruiser]

Ruin your drivetrain is a little intense, but yes, dirt is preferable. Lockers need to be exercised. They can get gummed up internally. Try doing some figure 8s in dirt while that light is blinking. Also, if that's not working at first, turn them off then on and continue the figure 8s. They need to feel enough slip to engage and lock. Just keep working them. Experience tells me they will start working in most cases.

 

[montegofd3s]

Mine does this also (continues to blink), but the locker is indeed engaged. While doing figure 8's in the dirt you can see the inside rear wheel slipping to keep pace with the outside wheel. I figured the sensor is just, but I just haven't put in the time to fix it knowing it is indeed working.

 

[yotasavg]

Mine does this also (continues to blink), but the locker is indeed engaged. While doing figure 8's in the dirt you can see the inside rear wheel slipping to keep pace with the outside wheel. I figured the sensor is just, but I just haven't put in the time to fix it knowing it is indeed working.

Ditto, I have the same thing happening. Locker is for sure locked and doing work, but light never gets solid. Operates perfectly but the blinking is driving me nuts when I need it. I'd love to find a solution and I have read as well that it's most likely a sensor. Play around with it OP, if you have the same issue as we do maybe we can figure this all out.

 

[tabraha]

Perhaps the actuator isn't fully engaging so while it is locked, the mechanism hasn't slid far enough to be detected by the sensor? Could be mud/crud in the keyway etc. I have a long gravel road for a drive so I lock my trucks up every once in awhile just going down the driveway. The elockers really don't like to sit unused. I know my Taco gets sluggish about engaging pretty easily.

 

[SmoothLC]

Have to agree with the above. I learned this the hard way and had to have it replaced a few years ago. There's a dirt field behind the house and I use it every now and then just to run the rear locker.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

The indicator light is controlled by a ball switch at the actuator. Just unplug (2 pin connector) and jump it out to test. The ball switch itself just screws in making replacement 1

 

[96crooser]

On the 80's the actuators have been known to accumulate water inside and need to be taken apart and cleaned or I did read that some have rebuilt them.

 

[NMrockeater]

Going to find a dirt area to do some figure 8s and see what happens. I will post up when I find out if it works.

 

[CA Cruisin]

Going to find a dirt area to do some figure 8s and see what happens. I will post up when I find out if it works.

Hey - I bought my '99 last fall from original owner family who I'm 100% sure never put it in low-4 nor locked the rear diff. the entire time they owned it since new. The rear locker wouldn't engage (light flashing in low-4 but not engaging) the first 3 or 4 times I tried it in dirt. Topped fluids in the diffs. then tried again in deeper gravel a few days ago - what popped it in was going slow in both forward and reverse, maybe for 100 feet or so each direction, with gradual turning of the wheel. After the 1st few attempts I finally heard an electrical engaging sound (like a click or pop) and yahoo, it finally locked.

Hope that helps... they sometimes need a little jiggering.
Quite a testament to Toyota quality that a 17-year old never-exercised switch comes back to life.
Was stoked!
Good luck, I'm sure you'll get yours activated keep us posted.

 

[eazyride]

Hi all..
I also have the same question..i did browse around net to find answer but havent found one good explanation..(i dont have the manual book)

So i'll try here..

On my vx100, there's the center diff lock (i believe so) near the hazzard button and the rr locker switch behind steering wheel.
This afternoon i did several ways trying to activate the rear locker (yes, dirt/loose surface), like:
- first tranny into N (did also to P), and switch on the rr locker, red light flashes. Put into drive and did try the figure 8s, still rr lock light flashes. Moved back and forth... Off and on the switch again, still flashes.
- also tried in the lo gear mode, but this is just the same like center diff lock on (the center diff lock light on, yellow), but the rear locker light still flashes..

Before today, i tried on hard surface with the rr diff lock on in hi mode, only drove straight slowly for several meters, and the rr lock light turned into solid red.

Or is that red light supposed to keep flashing ?

 

[SmoothLC]

No, it should stay solid red when in 4-low and engaged.

Like someone wrote above, if you haven't used it much, it may be "gummed" up.

Have it looked at to diagnose.

 

[eazyride]

Hm..will try again today...

Just to be clear.., in hi mode, rr locker still can be used rite? I read somewhere rr locker help thru obstacles and allow driver to turn fr wheels.
wiith center diff lock engaged its just impossible to steer..

 

[Julian Stead]

Rear diff lock works in 4lo only, not 4H.

 

[eazyride]

Thanks!

 

[montegofd3s]

Hm..will try again today...

Just to be clear.., in hi mode, rr locker still can be used rite? I read somewhere rr locker help thru obstacles and allow driver to turn fr wheels.
wiith center diff lock engaged its just impossible to steer..

To be clear, the center diff lock splits power evenly between the front and rear axles, and the rear locker when locked will then distribute that 50% evenly between the right and left rear wheels. You will be able to steer fine with the center diff locked as the front wheels are still able to move independent of each other. The only way steering would be difficult is if you had a front locker installed....which you do not, so no worries.

Also, the center diff locker can be used in high and low. It can be activated in high gear by pressing the button on the dash, and will automatically be activated when the vehicle is shifted into low gear. It is the little yellow indicator light on the gauge cluster you will see.

Hope that clears some things up for you. My rear locker is sluggish to lock if I don't activate it from time to time and my red light stay "blinky" all the time even when it is locked, but there is no denying it is locking. You can roll down the window and look at the rear wheel....you will see that it is locked when turning. The outside wheel will skip as it has a farther distance to travel than the inside wheel, but cannot travel at a different speed.