mauiwowie

Hi, everyone!

I just got a '95 4Runner SR5 V6 4WD (Auto) and it's been a little more than I bargained for. This is my first used car as a daily driver. I got a pretty good deal on it and DID do some homework on the GEN2 4Runners BUT.... it did NOT come with an owner's manual. I looked for one on Ebay but haven't found one for my specific year. In the meantime, my question is this:

HOW DO I PROPERLY ENGAGE 4WD?

I don't want to damage the vehicle and from all the threads I've been going through I know the basics about how not to drive a part-time system on dry pavement, try to engage it at least once a month and drive it around the bock, etc. But, I'd like some of your $0.02 as far as suggestions.

I wasn't expecting to be using the 4WD so soon. I've had the truck for just under five days now. I've been driving short distances all of today (in town) with it in the 4H mode and thought I was good to go. Then, I noticed it made a funky sound and lurched (just a tad) when I shut the vehicle off. Also, I thought it was in 4WD (felt like it was handling the wet, slushy roads better) but only after driving it in stop-and-go traffic did that little green "4WD" light come on.

I just got done droppin nearly $1,100 on servicing it and I'd hate to be doing something wrong to the vehicle and rack up an even larger maintenance/repair bill. If anyone could help, that'd be lovely! Pardon my ignorance -- this car girl's used to Acuras and BMWs, not Toyota trucks!

Thanks!

Yoter

With my 1991 4runner that also has an auto I personally slip the shifter into neutral and then slip it into 4wd. I just hate that jerking feeling I get if I forget to and shift into 4wd while in drive. Doesnt feel healthy for the trans or transfer. With the owners manual I posted the number months back but cant recall what it is. I will do a search to to try & find it for you. They offer FREE owners manuals to anyone that requests one. BTW what part of Washington are you living in. I am in Wenatchee. Welcome to Yota Tech & talk to you soon. Blue

mauiwowie

Thanks, BigBad... that'd be awesome if I didn't have to pay for a new owner's manual. They didn't seem too expensive but, if it's free I won't complain. I've never engaged the 4WD in motion or while it was in drive. I've always engaged it while it was stationary, I'm not sure if that's bad or not. HELP, guys! The roads are pretty patchy here (some side streets still got quite a bit of slush while others just have water), so I'm still not sure if it's still "good" for me to drive with it in 4H.

Oh, another thing, I don't know if this pertains to our vehicles (GEN2) but I remember as a kid riding around in my uncles' trucks and having to like reverse to either engage or disenage their 4WD systems. I don't have to do any of that stuff, do I?

UKMyers

Look straight up when your sitting in the seat at the visor. There's a card on there with complete instructions on how to use the 4WD. It sounds like your system may not be engaging all the way. The 4WD light on the dash should come on almost immediately or just after you start rolling forward. That system works on a vacuum and sometimes takes a little bit to engage and disengage but it should'nt be very far if any. I forget the exact speeds but the ADD is a shift on the fly system. I engage mine at 20-30mph and you dont' even notice. If your system is working properly you should not have to stop and put it in neutral or anything cosmic like that. 4LO is another story.....

Memphis4X4

Mauiwowie: Joey (UKMeyers) is correct in that the 4WD system is operated by vacuum and that sometimes it may take a little bit of time for it to engage and disengage. When I drop my 2nd Gen into 4WD and I'm sitting still, it will not engage. It will only engage (the light on the dash comes on) after I've rolled a little. Sometimes, when I'm driving and I put it in 4WD, it wil take about 5-10 sec for the light to come on.....it is just the system building up enough vacuum to engage the system. I probably have a slight leak someplace and it takes a while to pull down to the right negative pressure to engage the front diff. It sounds like you have the same thing going on but worse, where your vacuum is building up and the 4WD engages but then vacuum drops and it disengages .....I'd check for a leak in your little vacuum lines going from the solenoids in the engine compartment hanging on the passenger side inner fender going to the front differential. There also is a vacuum canister inside the passenger side front wheelwell that has these little vacuum hoses into it and these leak sometimes too. If your 4WD light is going on and off, you probably are not always in 4WD mode but the diff is shifting in and out as the light goes on and off.

As far as you questions about drive pavement operation and the once a month operation, here's what I have done for the last 13 years (180K miles) and have no problems. You can operate the 4WD on dry pavement as long as you are not making tight turns, i.e., turning into parking spots. Turning the front wheels sharply while in 4WD binds the drive train up and that is where you run the risk of damaging something. I drop mine in 4WD while going to work and the roads have dry patches with ice and slush in others....I just don't make sharp turns. As far as the once a month operation, I put it in 4WD everytime I drive in the rain. The rain provides enough 'slickness' on the roads to prevent binding, the 4wd gives me added traction for safety, and I this allows me to keep the 4wd system lubricated and functioning. I also shift into 4WD on the fly up to 50 mph but not higher.

As far as your funky sound and lurching at shut down, mine has done the samething for a while whether I'm in 4WD or 2WD. I don't know why it is doing it....it's not normal, but it hasn't given me any problems yet.

David

Highland Runner

I pull mine into 4H while moving 20-30 MPH and the green light comes on almost instantly. I exercise the 4 wheel drive on gravel roads so the tires are slightly slipping.
Just wondered what type of service had to be done for $1100. Maybe we can help you stay away from service dept. by doing some of the simple things youself.

mauiwowie

I had the 60,000 mile service done (guess it repeats itself over and over again even after 100k), a valve adjustment, and that's about it. I went to the dealer. I'm not very handy and I wanted to be sure it was done right. Looked like all the parts came to roughly just a 1/4 of the price, the rest was labor

Also, thank you to Joey and David for the helpful info. I didn't even notice the little spot on the visor with directions on it. I'll have to take a look in the morning. I really hope that I don't have that problem w/ the vaccums that you mentioned. I'm assuming it will all be quite costly. Hm... you know what's weird, though, huh? Even though that little green "4WD" light is NOT on, it "feels" like it's engaged. When I shift it into 4L the light comes on immediately. Weird. Any other thoughts, guys?