Went to look at an LX 570 but 4L won't engage

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JasonC99

JasonC99

Joined
Oct 2, 2024
Threads
2
Messages
18
Location
Colorado, USA
I went to look at a really nice LX 570 yesterday; 125k miles, almost no rust, good service history, no leaks, lived in Texas most of its life and never taken off road.

Almost everything about it was great, but neither I nor the salesperson at the dealership could get it to engage 4L. The salesperson said they thought it might be that the differential fluid needed to warm up, but I took it for a test drive for half an hour and it still didn't work. I'm guessing the previous owner probably never engaged it.

I found this thread about a transfer case tuneup (Transfer Case Tuneup and Fix - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/transfer-case-tuneup-and-fix.1215394/), but I don't have the tools or (more importantly) the mechanical knowledge or experience to do this kind of fix without probably messing things up or creating more problems.

The salesperson was going to have their mechanics take another look at it over the weekend and get back to me Monday, and I'm also going to take it for a pre-purchase inspection Monday or Tuesday and will definitely ask them to look into this issue.

If I were to buy the LX as-is without the 4L engaging, what's it likely to cost to have this fixed?

Thank you!
 
Likely just needs to be exercised. Engage/disengage…. Shut off/on car. Try from park and neutral. Drive backwards a little bit and the. Try again. Once it goes into 4lo, it likely won’t go back to 4H. But just keep repeating the above.
 
It could cost about $1500 to $2000.

But if you keep trying everyday for several weeks, it will likely work ina few days. Then you have to remember to use it a few times a year to keep it working.
 
grinchy said:
It could cost about $1500 to $2000.

But if you keep trying everyday for several weeks, it will likely work ina few days. Then you have to remember to use it a few times a year to keep it working.
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Thanks. This is making me lean even more towards buying it, especially if there's a good chance I can get it to "fix itself".
 
radman said:
Likely just needs to be exercised. Engage/disengage…. Shut off/on car. Try from park and neutral. Drive backwards a little bit and the. Try again. Once it goes into 4lo, it likely won’t go back to 4H. But just keep repeating the above.
Click to expand...
Thanks! How many times should I try this before being certain it needs to be repaired?
 
Common problem as others have stated. There's potential DIY fix if exercising doesn't fully do the trick.

TeCKis300

Thread 'Transfer Case Tuneup and Fix'

Transfer case actuator issues are not uncommon on the 200-series. Not much documented solutions other than exercising the mechanisms regularly. Here's my attempt to provide more information on where and what the actuator is, how to service the transfer case actuator motor, and potentially provide some fixes.

Two main parts siamesed together that compose the transfer case actuator which is a plastic housing hanging off the rear:
1) Upper motor and rod is the center diff lock actuator/gearset
2) Lower motor and rod is the Hi/Lo actuator/gearset

1592719525917.png


Access is pretty easy and...
  • Like
 
I ended up ordering a complete actuator assembly from Japan (pre tariffs) and replacing the upper and lower motor assemblies. Not that difficult other than it was dead winter and freezing when I did it. In my case a little switch lever was broken and I got stuck in 4lo. I tried superglue on the plastic, but it didn't hold. Part was cheaper from Japan than buying in the US.
 
JasonC99 said:
Thanks! How many times should I try this before being certain it needs to be repaired?
Click to expand...
It took mine a couple 90 minute session in a Gravel parking lot. I did lots of 8 shape tight turns.

I didn’t try to overdo it, maybe 10 switches in and out over the 90 minutes.

Was waiting on a ballet class, so just killing time.
 
TeCKis300 said:
Common problem as others have stated. There's potential DIY fix if exercising doesn't fully do the trick.

TeCKis300

Thread 'Transfer Case Tuneup and Fix'

Transfer case actuator issues are not uncommon on the 200-series. Not much documented solutions other than exercising the mechanisms regularly. Here's my attempt to provide more information on where and what the actuator is, how to service the transfer case actuator motor, and potentially provide some fixes.

Two main parts siamesed together that compose the transfer case actuator which is a plastic housing hanging off the rear:
1) Upper motor and rod is the center diff lock actuator/gearset
2) Lower motor and rod is the Hi/Lo actuator/gearset

1592719525917.png


Access is pretty easy and...
  • Like
Click to expand...
Thanks for this! Is this something you need a lift for, or can you access from under the hood?
 
JasonC99 said:
Thanks for this! Is this something you need a lift for, or can you access from under the hood?
Click to expand...

LXs make it easy with AHC high, probably all you need to get at it from underneath. Maybe drive up on a 2x4 on one side if you want a bit more working room.
 
Sandroad said:
If this is your first 200, I wonder if you knew to put the transmission in neutral before engaging 4Lo.
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Yep! I knew that. We put it in neutral and then switched to 4lo, the light started blinking on the dash but I couldn't hear anything like the actuator going, then when put into drive the light continued to blink and it started to beep.
 
Not exercising the actuators is a very common issue with many 4x4 vehicles. They can get permanently locked up if not exercised. I was at a friend's hobby farm this fall and we cruised around in 4Lo and played with the traction settings. Latter this winter I will do similar with my Tacoma. One should exercise the actuators at least every six months.
 
Land Cruisers live a healthier and happier life playing in the dirt once a month.
 
OP, put it in drive, roll slowly (like 2-3 mph), go to neutral while rolling, then hit the 4Lo switch (no brakes).

Moving while engaging 4Lo will help basically, but again, very slowly 2-3 mph.

Repeat often until it works like butter from a stop

Edit: Often meaning like a few times a day or something. Idk if you should be engaging it over and over in a short period so don’t do it like 30 times in your driveway during a lunch break haha
 
Last edited:
LC Lurker said:
OP, put it in drive, roll slowly (like 2-3 mph), go to neutral while rolling, then hit the 4Lo switch (no brakes).

Moving while engaging 4Lo will help basically, but again, very slowly 2-3 mph.

Repeat often until it works like butter from a stop

Edit: Often meaning like a few times a day or something. Idk if you should be engaging it over and over in a short period so don’t do it like 30 times in your driveway during a lunch break haha
Click to expand...
Thank you! I'll give this a try
 
I jacked up the front left and right rear of a 200 once to kind of twist it and then it engaged. Could also drive into a ditch diagonally to achieve the same thing, and it might work. But do it after the truck is fully warmed up, and maybe take a heat gun to the T case
 
So I took it for a pre-purchase inspection today, the guy who inspected it said the 4lo was working fine when he tested it. On the drive back to the dealership, I took a route through some neighborhood side streets, and was able to engage 4lo three different times, so I ended up buying the vehicle!
 
pics or it didn't happen.
 
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