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Poll: 3rd Gen: How long does it take for your truck to disengage from 4WD to 2WD?

14K views 87 replies 21 participants last post by  BCB 
#1 · (Edited)
Poll: 3rd Gen: How long does it take to come out of 4wd:Updated 3-27-15 Problem fixed




here is my current post in dealer problems ect..

http://www.tundratalk.net/forums/tu...34-2014-toyota-tundra-4wd-slow-disengage.html

can anyone confirm that has a 2014+tundra primarily there results in this poll. After doing so post you milage and what road surface are you on. Maybe the weather temp ect.. thanks so much. I have an open case with toyota still.



I only had blacktop to test in this video but its been tested on all snow and ice , Snow only ect... You get the point. I can drive for 1 hour on a straight flat slick or dry surface stuck in 4wd. Going into 4wd is normal just like the other 4 toyota pickups I have owned. Should I be able to switch into 4wd and out on a straight surface wet dry ,snow,ice , sand ,dirt or what ever? This is the first toyota I have owned in the last 8 years that ever gave me a problem. Its also the most friggen expensive..

Keep in mind 99% of this video my my trucks dial is in 2wd and im phyically stuck in 4wd (I can feel it) Please watch the whole 4 minutes if you can handle my booring NY accent. Hey forGeeeetABout it ...:eek:hthedrama:
 
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#2 ·
I have never had a truck ANY truck take that long. Sounds like something is sticking in the T-case or the slip lock in the diff...

Does it do this at lower speeds?
 
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#3 ·
no only when I go under 5mph and make a left or a right. Not a merge or a Y in the road. Or at reverse or neutral ect..
 
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#4 ·
That is ridiculous. I would think it is something like the slip lock sticking coming out of 4wd. I bet it is the actuator. Keep being persistent. If need be, take a test drive with a new truck and take the service manager with you. Then if he doesn't want to do anything for you, let him know you are going over his/her head and talking to the regional manager.

Be professional and keep your cool, goes a long way.
 
#5 ·
I already did all of the above . Was nice the whole time. They said they drove 2 more new truck and some of them came out "slower" then others.. But they would not say that none of them exhibits my problem. BS. I meet a Toyota rep next week or some crap.
 
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#6 ·
Good luck. Hopefully this can get resolved.

Another route to take is to do the research yourself and fix it yourself with factory parts. I would put money on the actuator or slip coupling is sticking a little. Then give them the repair bill. I did this with Dodge. They couldn't find my engine knock after 5 weeks of having it. Me and a friend found it in under 30 minutes. He owns a diesel repair facility and I took the repair bill in and they paid it...and were very embarrassed to say the least.
 
#7 ·
I did look into this its about 3500$ in parts and labor. You need to pull the T case apart. Im not up to that task and will not gamble on them seeing I fixed a problem they refuse to see.

I found this on you tube. You cant just take the actuator off without pulling the t-case out of the truck.


 
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#8 ·
OP

My truck seems to take about 5 seconds into 4 wheel and out of 4 wheel drive. I think the longest it has taken was about 600-700 feet of travel around 30-35 mph. Virtually identical to my 3 previous Fords with 4 wheel drive.

Questions:

Actual miles on the truck about 1712?

Factory wheels and tires?
Just like what is in the picture?
All tires are exactly the same?

Find about 1,000 feet straight driving where you are the only vehicle around.

Test (forwards and backwards) several times the 4Lo function by using the normal “neutral” procedure (in manual). Drive frontwards and backwards (straight) several times. Do this several times using the “stop neutral” to and from 2WD and 4Lo. If it starts working correctly, then using the same 1,000 of pavement going to and from 2WD and 4Hi while moving (20-30mph should be fine in theory).

The above procedure may make it happy?

One thing is odd in the video…..that is not entirely clear to me. I think one time you turned right and one time left while the light was blinking and you had already moved the dial to 2WD mode and during or after the turns the light finally stopped blinking; BUT I did not see any binding activity on the steering wheel? Is that correct?

If I were to turn like that on dry pavement with 4WD engaged it would bind like the devil until released. The tires would be skipping and popping (grab and release) on the pavement.

This implies it is working correctly; but the full 2WD disengage is not working at 100% - that is to stop the light from blinking (actuator arm movement?). This should be an “easy adjustment” at the Toyota dealer or a simple part replacement.

Let us know how it goes.

Note: The very first time (with maybe 400 miles on the meter), I exercised the truck with the 4Lo routine it was a little grumpy and slow to respond. After I worked it several times it was happy.
 
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#12 · (Edited)
yes the truck is bone stock. 1700 miles. im going to try this later tonight or tomorrow in the snow. thanks sorry I missed your post in all my rage >:D except drive fast in threw snow. I need to find a vacant place. its hard to find around here
 
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#10 ·
No i was thinking that the other day. I'm not sure I want to mess with it so they blame it on me if that does not work.

I feel like im driving around in 4wd 24/7 just till something breaks but that's not me.
 
#13 ·
Bump please take the poll and ignore the last option please. I need this post to show there field representative.
 
#30 ·
OK, now I am confused. Mine works perfectly, too, but you have asked us not to show that in the poll, right? Why? It seems you would want the poll to reflect reality rather than manipulate the results.

It would work to your favor to show 2014+ 4x4's that work as they should. That would show what you are experiencing is not normal (and it isn't), and that yours should be repaired to work correctly. If you manipulate your poll to show only trucks with problems, then your own research is destined to make this look normal? Isn't that exactly the opposite of what you would like to accomplish?

Finally, why would your dealer not want to fix this? I thought dealers LOVE warranty work as manufacturers pay them for the work. Isn't that a huge source of revenue and profit for the dealer's service department? The dealer doesn't pay for that work. Toyota does. Am I missing something?

I have no dog in this hunt and I'm not trying to be critical. I just wanted to throw out a couple of thoughts for you to consider. Maybe I misunderstood the intent of your poll or what you are hoping to accomplish. I apologize if I did.
 
#14 ·
Used mine quite a few times this last week. 5 seconds max.
 
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#15 · (Edited)
Hey, I used my 4WD Hi for the first time this weekend in the snow. I noticed it did take a while to shift from 4WD hi to 2WD low. Sometimes I had to drive close to half way down my street. However, that only takes approx. 10 seconds max going 20 mph.

When I was backing into my driveway, I stopped, clicked from 4WD Hi to 2WD, and it went into 2WD almost instantly. I thought I had to be rolling for it to go back into 2WD, but i really don't know as this is my first 4WD. I may have been turning the wheel as I backed in, if that makes a difference.

I wish you the best, @SP ! You have one hell of a rig, it will all be good soon, hopefully! :)
 
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#16 ·
man even 10 seconds is a LONG time to have to wait, i have a 2013 and it takes under 5 seconds ALL the time.... unless you are doing above 80kph (in which case it wonT disengage until you go below that speed).
 
#17 ·
thanks guys keep the votes and comments coming.
 
#18 ·
I tried mine today for the 1st time on wet roads for the 1st time and it took about 5 seconds at 20 mph to go to 4 hi. Havent ever used 4 lo so I cant comment on that.
 
#20 ·
thanks again guys please keep them votes coming.
 
#22 · (Edited)
SP,

I can dig where you are coming from…

Mine doesn’t seem to take as long as yours does according to your video, but mine takes unusual amount of time to engage and disengage…

It is the WORST PIECE OF SH*T for a 4WD engagement/disengagement system that I have ever owned…

I have driven ALL the USA brands, either pickups or SUV’s. With my job before I retired, my company provided me with 4wd vehicles as I needed them for my job duties. This is being necessary to use 4wd for over 40 years…

I never had one that was so damn unreliable at shifting as this 2014 Tundra is. And believe me, I needed 4wd to perform my job when it was for real and not just out in the snow and mud having fun with a can of beer between your legs…

With this ’14 Tundra if you are forced off the road, a back road with basically one-lane traffic snow-covered, and you reach to engage the 4wd, you will be stuck, and the wrecker will be hooked up and pulling you out before the transfer has gone from 2wd to 4wd. Exaggeration? Maybe, but not very damn much so…

I’ll mention this to my dealer at the 20K service, but he will just go out into the parking lot and mess with the selector and drive 20 feet each way and tell me it is O.K. He “knows” I only bought the Tundra to be “cool” and 4wd is just a thing that is “cool”. He also “knows” that I have no knowledge of 4wd and what it is for and how it is to be used. This he will explain to me…

I had emergency brake problems and I had odor problems from the AC unit. I had to battle the dealer to get both resolved. I had to call Toyota and have them intervene with the odor problem...

I was told the e.brake was o.k.—how in the hell would you know by testing it on a level service bay floor? I was told to spray freshener into the air intakes to solve the AC odor problem—buddy, this isn’t a French Wh*re we are dealing with. Finally I got both problems resolved with several trips to the dealer—an 80-mile round trip…

Toyota has put out a PIECE OF SH*T with this new Tundra. (I had a 2011 and it was great) Look at the “Things I don’t like about My Tundra” thread. It goes on and on and on…

The original poster as well as I don’t need any, “well, maybe you should have purchased an F150 or Ram or whatever and seen what problems they have”. We didn’t and we still have problems…

And so it goes, but Toyota is definitely dropping the ball with their 4wd heavy duty trucks—they are making them “tinker toys” to be cleaned and shined and modified with wheels and chrome and whatever else goes with that expense. Are they really work-horse 4wd vehicles? I would sure as hell hate to depend on mine to get me in and out of places I went with a basic Chevy Tahoe SUV during my work days. I'd have to eat a snack from my lunch bucket before the Tundra would shift to 4wd...

I am certainly disappointed with this Tundra—and I surely am not going to trade it for another 4wd pickup as I really don’t wish to spend the money that it would take to do so. I’m stuck with what I have …

Don't flame me with the "well if you don't like it" posts. Facts are facts. And I damn straight have enough knowledge of 4wd to know these systems in the Tundra are lousy at best...

Just statin' facts...

Good-luck…BCB
 
#23 ·
SP,

I can dig where you are coming from…

Mine doesn’t seem to take as long as yours does according to your video, but mine takes unusual amount of time to engage and disengage…

It is the WORST PIECE OF SH*T for a 4WD engagement/disengagement system that I have ever owned…

I have driven ALL the USA brands, either pickups or SUV’s. With my job before I retired, my company provided me with 4wd vehicles as I needed them for my job duties. This is being necessary to use 4wd for over 40 years…

I never had one that was so damn unreliable at shifting as this 2014 Tundra is. And believe me, I needed 4wd to perform my job when it was for real and not just out in the snow and mud having fun with a can of beer between your legs…

With this ’14 Tundra if you are forced off the road, a back road with basically one-lane traffic snow-covered, and you reach to engage the 4wd, you will be stuck, and the wrecker will be hooked up and pulling you out before the transfer has gone from 2wd to 4wd. Exaggeration? Maybe, but not very damn much so…

I’ll mention this to my dealer at the 20K service, but he will just go out into the parking lot and mess with the selector and drive 20 feet each way and tell me it is O.K. He “knows” I only bought the Tundra to be “cool” and 4wd is just a thing that is “cool”. He also “knows” that I have no knowledge of 4wd and what it is for and how it is to be used. This he will explain to me…

I had emergency brake problems and I had odor problems from the AC unit. I had to battle the dealer to get both resolved. I had to call Toyota and have them intervene with the odor problem...

I was told the e.brake was o.k.—how in the hell would you know by testing it on a level service bay floor? I was told to spray freshener into the air intakes to solve the AC odor problem—buddy, this isn’t a French Wh*re we are dealing with. Finally I got both problems resolved with several trips to the dealer—an 80-mile round trip…

Toyota has put out a PIECE OF SH*T with this new Tundra. (I had a 2011 and it was great) Look at the “Things I don’t like about My Tundra” thread. It goes on and on and on…

The original poster as well as I don’t need any, “well, maybe you should have purchased an F150 or Ram or whatever and seen what problems they have”. We didn’t and we still have problems…

And so it goes, but Toyota is definitely dropping the ball with their 4wd heavy duty trucks—they are making them “tinker toys” to be cleaned and shined and modified with wheels and chrome and whatever else goes with that expense. Are they really work-horse 4wd vehicles? I would sure as hell hate to depend on mine to get me in and out of places I went with a basic Chevy Tahoe SUV during my work days. I'd have to eat a snack from my lunch bucket before the Tundra would shift to 4wd...

I am certainly disappointed with this Tundra—and I surely am not going to trade it for another 4wd pickup as I really don’t wish to spend the money that it would take to do so. I’m stuck with what I have …

Don't flame me with the "well if you don't like it" posts. Facts are facts. And I damn straight have enough knowledge of 4wd to know these systems in the Tundra are lousy at best...

Just statin' facts...

Good-luck…BCB

I wish I had my 2008 tundra back. This is my first of 5 Toyotas that ever had this issue. I have had nothing but reliable fast smooth transitions in and out all very fast and smooth .

I agree about the dealers they all just take a quick drive and say it's normal . Im so afraid that I'm stuck with this truck as it is. I agree with you that I feel like I'll be stuck in a ditch one day.
 
#26 ·
I assume that when you engaged it, you left off on the throttle until it engaged into 4wd?...

I realize letting off of the throttle might be necessary, but in an "emergency" it still takes 5 seconds. And, if you are in a ditch, 5 seconds is an eternity especially if the snow or mud is slowing you down to almost 0 mph. Then you have to start with NO momentum to get moving again--not an efficient way to use the 4wd...

Still, I suppose 5 seconds might be O.K.

Good-luck...BCB
 
#29 ·
If I'm not mistaken, you have to be completely stopped to go into 4wd LO?...

And maybe into 4wd HI before you go into the LO range?...

Either way, it is too dang slow. As soon as your vehicle stops, you are then in trouble to get started moving again...

When 4wd's had levers, you went into 4wd as quickly as you could push/pull the lever. I had Jeeps that you could literately kick the lever and in it would go...

BUT, we've become so used to doing nothing but touching something with our fingers, we don't know how to do it any other way...

Thanks...BCB
oh, I understood you previous post as since you're already going near 0mph because you're stuck, might as well just stop, put it in neutral and go to 4 lo. But yeah truck does have to be stopped.

I do think it should engage instantaneously but oh well.. I didn't design this thing.
 
#33 ·
oh, I understood you previous post as since you're already going near 0mph because you're stuck, might as well just stop, put it in neutral and go to 4 lo. But yeah truck does have to be stopped.

I do think it should engage instantaneously but oh well.. I didn't design this thing.
The transfer case has to be in 4wd HI before it will go into 4wd LO...

You can't go from 2wd to 4wd LO in one motion, even if you are stopped and in neutral...

'Tis the 4wd nature--even from many many years ago...

But with the manual lever, you could "grind" the hell out of it and sometimes get an engagement...

BCB
 
#31 ·
^I took it to mean to OP wanted a time to quantify what is normal or not, rather than "it works fine". Well, what is fine? Fine is subjective, and unquantifiable. Answering with a time instead takes the subjective "fine" out of it.

Just like how the dealer says his 4x4 is "fine" or "normal" lol :)

But I don't know for sure, just what I attributed it to.
 
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#34 ·
He gave you a category called “no problems at all wet or dry in a 2014+”…

I am not speaking for the OP but if he gets many hits other than what he thinks should be the case/timeframe of engagement, he may wish to consider his opinion of his engagement/disengagement thoughts…

It would seem the highest percentage of hits to his poll would be what is “normal” or at least what people think is normal—this is still not a valid way to make the decision…

Example: A poll is set up to ask the question—Do you have Cancer. You get 50 votes that say yes, and you get 25 votes that say no—what is acceptable? Does that make it acceptable to have Cancer since 50 vs 25 have it?...

The OP is merely trying to get numbers to show his service manager what the “general population of Tundra owners” have to say…

Many of his posters will be people with absolute knowledge of how the theory of 4wd functions—other will be posting just to “say they know” and to get another click in the number of posts they have made…

I am sure Toyota has a standard for this shifting ordeal. It will certainly be in their favor as I doubt many of them have really had to use 4wd when it really mattered—i.e., to earn a living, emergency work, in an environment where weather might be life-threatening, etc…

Hell, there are people posting that haven’t even used 4wd LO yet. There are people posting that have probably never had a vehicle in 2-feet of snow or heavy equipment tire/track ruts 18” deep when it was a wind chill of -40°. There are people posting who don’t even understand the concept of “4wd LO”…

I would like to see some of these posters put a set of bulldog chains on the front of the vehicle when it is -20°, in mud and snow up to you’re a**, and no cell ‘phone service. Now that’s when you need 4wd that works and just doesn’t look cool with the person sitting next to you on the way to Wal-Mart on Friday evening…

Hell, just put it in Low Range and you can climb up one side of a house and down the other side. Low range has its purposes, but it also allows you to “run out” of rpm’s (put it up into the red and hang on) before you get out of the “mud, blood, and beer” and on your way to your destination or job requirement…

BUT, I am now beginning to believe that Toyota and the Tundra are mostly for cosmetic purposes. Shine them, deck them, take pics of them, and it is all great…

I continue to be very discouraged with the ’14 Tundra I have. The 4wd selector system is probably one of the main reasons—but hey, I doubt it will change…

Why don’t we allow the dealer to fix the problem if it exists? Because he doesn’t know what the problem is. Mostly he has nothing to compare it to. He is 20-30-40 years old and has never seen anything but “button select” systems. And being cool on some back road in a freak snowstorm…

I am not going to change my thoughts on the inadequacies of the method of 4wd selection in my 2014 Tundra. I would not recommend it to anyone other than someone who wants to just drive around and have a nice looking vehicle…

And so it goes…

Bring it on…

Good-luck…BCB
 
#37 ·
You speak better than me my brother. This ain't my first rodeo with 4wd and 4lo. I just need some ammo when I get to meet the rep. Im really frustrated with the situation. My luck this year has been bad. Bad decisions trading in a 08 that I loved and had no problems with except the water pump leak that some people had.


thanks again to everyone who votes no matter how much off road experience you may or maynot have.
 
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#35 · (Edited)
I don't know much about 4wd systems, like I said, this is my first truck. But I can count to no more than "10 Mississippi" :) ;)

OP, I really hope they are able to get it sorted out!
 
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#38 ·
Seems like a front diff issue is re appearing in the new trucks that the 2007-08s had. I had my front diff replaced under warranty and haven had any issues since.

Prior to the diff replacement my truck would probably take 30 sec to disengage and when it finally did it gave a big clunk.

After the diff replacement everything is super fast and smooth.

Maybe another toyota service bulletin to come out soon?
 
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#39 ·
I have a feeling it is the front diff. The only time I can get out of 4wd is to slow down to make a right or left turn. Or the transfer case actuator is binding on something not letting it come out.
 
#41 ·
Just a random thought... have you checked the wire that goes to the actuator to make sure its not damaged and its fully connected? I remember once mine got slightly disconnected after driving through some deep snow and it gave me some funny reactions. The connecting wire is in a pretty precarious place.

Im also not sure if they ever changed the front diff from 07 to current. You may have just gotten one of a bad batch like me..
 
#42 ·
yeah when I left the dealer for the second time. I got under there myself to see if there was a loose wire. You can tell that the @holes at the dealer never touched it as it was covered with road grime and salt ect.. Not a finger print anywhere. There is 3 or 4 connectors. I unpluged 1 or 2 that I could get to without jacking the truck up and they all seem plugged in and non damaged. You would think they would have tried that too when I droped it off the second time when there "master technician" was in to see it.


thanks for the thought though. I cant see if there is a wire on the front diff that may be loose. Or if the front diff has any electronic parts at all. Does anyone know?
 
#43 ·
Well, one thing I think we can all agree on is the fact that SP certainly has a problem as shown in his video…

I believe I also have a problem, but not to the extent that SP shows…

But, the problem I think I have may be because I am comparing my 2014 4wd engage/disengage system to my previous 4wd vehicles. And, that includes my 2011 Tundra…

I Googled the service bulletins for Tundra and found none listed for the 2014 when it comes to the 4wd system. But, I am uncertain the information on that site is completely up-to-date…

I guess I will mention my concerns to my dealer when I return it for its 20K service. Maybe something will be known about this “issue” or this “issue” I might just be perceiving—wrongly they might indicate…

Good-luck…BCB
 
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