Problems with rear locker

[Stinkyfinger]

This has been going on for a while, but when I press the rr locker button the red light on the dash will keep flashing anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. I turn right and left and drive back in forth and doesn't seem to help. I thought that the rear locker wasn't engaging, but right before I brought it to the dealership I found out that the rear locker engages with in seconds of pushing the button, but the light will keep flashing. After three hours at the dealership they confirmed this too. Know they want me to drop it off for a day so they can tear apart the dash to check the switches.
I'm having a hard time believing it's in the dash, from others threads I read on this, it usually was the actuator that was the problem.
The service manger said despite the mud,dents and tree branches underneath(I thought I cleaned it better before I brought it in, oops) that it doesn't look like I did this and the warranty should cover this. But I don't want them to waste a day in the dash when it's probably underneath.
Has anyone had similar problems, and was the problem in the dash?

 

[oilsandsfj]

This might be a stupid question, but I never seen anything about it in your explanation, are you in 4LO?

 

[Stinkyfinger]

Of coarse I am. I should of mentioned that this worked perfect when I first got the truck. It wasn't until about 8 months that it started acting up, and for the past two months it seems to be getting worse.

 

[Stinkyfinger]

As far as I could tell and the dealer could tell, all of the wires are in tacked and the connectors are clean and fine. I thought it was either water or mud in the connector and was the first thing I checked.

 

[gnob]

sounds to me like the indicater switches arent working right.
when the locker gets to full lock, it should acivate a switch that makes the light go solid.
and obviously when its full open, it shuts the light off.

 

[Stinkyfinger]

A few people said the same thing.
When I get it back from the dealership I'll post the solution to the problem in case anyone else has a similar thing happen to them.

 

[steande]

I have noticed my fj does the same thing. According to the operational manual the locker may not engage immediately and I believe that the manual suggests slightly revving the engine to help the locker to engage. I have tried what the manual suggests and it did not help. I have found that I need to back-up about 10 yards and move forward again about the same distance before my locker light will stop blinking and remain steady. This is of course bad news if I am stuck and need the locker to engage immediately.

I will anxiously await what the delaer tells you. Thanks for your post!

 

[Stinkyfinger]

The fj doesn't go into the dealership until friday.
Revving the engine will not have an effect, turning side to side while your moving works the best. Form what I read on serval post is the locker actualy engages right away with in the first rotation of the tire, faster if one tire spins more then other, so getting stuck will actually engage it faster. The problem is the light in the dash won't stop flashing until the rr locker has engeged all the way, this can take a while under strain or in my case if isn't getting the singal that it is fully engaged.
But I will post the results from the dealer when I get it.

 

[LandCruisers4Life]

I have noticed my fj does the same thing. According to the operational manual the locker may not engage immediately and I believe that the manual suggests slightly revving the engine to help the locker to engage. I have tried what the manual suggests and it did not help. I have found that I need to back-up about 10 yards and move forward again about the same distance before my locker light will stop blinking and remain steady. This is of course bad news if I am stuck and need the locker to engage immediately.

I will anxiously await what the delaer tells you. Thanks for your post!

I don't think being stuck would be a problem. As your tires spin, you will be moving the internals and it will engage.

Mine sometimes keeps blinking, but I think it is a matter of like you say driving a few yards. That always makes it stop blinking in mine.

 

[Stinkyfinger]

Well I got my fj back from the dealer and after a total of 9 hours of trouble shooting the problem, it was the indicator switch on the actuator. Despite me telling them that everything I read up on this, points to the indicator switch, it was the last thing they checked. Someone showed me Toyota's procedures list for trouble shooting problems with the rear locker and the indicator switch is last on the list. Tearing apart the dash is I believe 2nd or 3rd on the list, plus the fact that I installed the A-trac switch myself didn't help things(they never heard of this being done).
If this wasn't covered under warranty I'd be really pissed, because at a shop rate of $85 an hour, plus a two day rental, for them to spend 9 hours just trying to find the problem is unacceptable. Toyota really need to change that procedure list. The rear locker isn't a new feature it's been around for years and from all posts I read on this 9 times out of 10 it's been the indicator switch.
From what the dealership told me is that my switch was working, but it was sticking. Thats why I would have to drive a 1/4 mile or more down the trail before the switch would unstick itself and send a signal to the dash to stop blinking. Now it happens within seconds of pushing the rr button.
I believe this item is covered under the 60K power train warranty so if it seems like it's taking a long time for the light to stop blinking or each time you use the rr locker it takes longer and longer to engage, I would have Toyota replace this under their warranty. It doesn't sound like this is a huge or command problem, but their is a handful of people I read about having this problem with the rear locker, so it might be something you want to deal with before your warranty expires or you will be footing a very large bill.

 

[steande]

Thanks for the update StinkyFinger! I think that I will be taking my fj in to get the indicator replaced. I hope that they will start there and not do what your dealership did to you.