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‘96 SR5 runner 4x4 5spd. Manual 5vze, have 4wd issue and crawling underneath I found this “output shaft” plug with no wires nearby. What is it and what should it connect too? Everything seems to work except 4wd. What its function?
The 4Runner pulls the vehicle speed reading from the ABD system, which uses the sensors on the wheels. There's generally a metal dummy plug in the transfer case where that speed sensor goes.
I'm guessing you have a replacement transfer case from a Tacoma that didn't have ABS?
My wife had to source a VSS for hers when she initially did the manual hub swap, because they weren't ABS hubs and the ABS system wouldn't provide (at least not reliably, it sort of worked) a speed signal to the cluster without the front wheels hooked up. Later on she rebuilt the front hubs and put ABS sensors back on them, but kept using the VSS.
The 4Runner pulls the vehicle speed reading from the ABD system, which uses the sensors on the wheels. There's generally a metal dummy plug in the transfer case where that speed sensor goes.
I'm guessing you have a replacement transfer case from a Tacoma that didn't have ABS?
My wife had to source a VSS for hers when she initially did the manual hub swap, because they weren't ABS hubs and the ABS system wouldn't provide (at least not reliably, it sort of worked) a speed signal to the cluster without the front wheels hooked up. Later on she rebuilt the front hubs and put ABS sensors back on them, but kept using the VSS.
Thanks. Are you saying the sensor in my pic serves the ABS system only and is for a Tacoma? This sensor/transfer case does not come on a ‘96 4runner and should just have a dummy plug?
I guess I should say more precisely - the transfer case VSS is used when the vehicle is not equipped with ABS. I was thinking all US 3rd gens had standard ABS, but googling around, it appears that ABS was optional on the 4 cylinder 4Runners. Presumably/possibly 4 cyl models w/o ABS would have had the speed sensor as well.
The assumption would still be that you car has ABS (why the speedo/odo are still working) and someone swapped the transfer case (and maybe the trans too) from a non-ABS 4Runner or Tacoma at some point.
I guess I should say more precisely - the transfer case VSS is used when the vehicle is not equipped with ABS. I was thinking all US 3rd gens had standard ABS, but googling around, it appears that ABS was optional on the 4 cylinder 4Runners. Presumably/possibly 4 cyl models w/o ABS would have had the speed sensor as well.
The assumption would still be that you car has ABS (why the speedo/odo are still working) and someone swapped the transfer case (and maybe the trans too) from a non-ABS 4Runner or Tacoma at some point.
thanks for clarifying. Yeah I have no history on the first 265,000 miles so who knows what could’ve happened. I guess what I’ll do for starters is I’ll check the Vin number that’s on the bottom of the transmission or transfer case and see if it’s original to the vehicle.
Feb 4, 2024 | 07:19 PM
