4H according to the owners manual can be used at any speed. also if you're a newb, on the drivers sun visor it has some good instructions on how to do this... Also owners manual says to do just what you did in this video once a month to keep it operating. But great video man... keep it up..
I used mine for the first time today in our big Texas ice storm. I engaged it from park, like we used to have to do. It still worked, but I'm glad to know I can safely do it on the fly as well. Great video, thanks for posting it!
I use my 4x4 Tacoma all the time (we live really off the beaten path in Montana), and I have a steep little alternate driveway that I like to use in the summer to exercise the 4x4 low range. It can climb like a mountain goat!
OP says his comfort zone is 30mph. Owners manual says any speed but for me, (I've always had 4x4 trucks), the max I ever go is 50mph. @@jacksonvang2946
I am a newbie to the Toyota world. I just purchased a 2021 Toyota Tacoma SR5 V6 four-wheel drive and my wife and I love it! I have figured out so much about the vehicle using the owners manual, experimenting, and all the TH-cam videos I've watched. Thank you for this tutorial as I'm now going to go out to my truck and use the four wheel drive. My Tacoma has 12,000 miles on it, I'm quite sure the gentleman who had it before me never popped it into four wheel drive. Again, thank you for the video it's so much faster then reading the manual.
Wouldn't hurt to drive a few seconds in each mode, to make sure its all lubed up and working, so you don't find out its broken, when you desperately NEED it ;)
I am a snow skier and use the Tacoma 4WD for chain conditions going to Lake Tahoe in Northern California. READING the Toyota owners manual, the truck can be shifted from 2WH to 4WH up to 62MPH. I have "Shifted on the Fly" at 50MPH with no adverse effects. "Chain Control' is usually 25MPH so 4Wheelers beware you will not stop as quickly as vehicles with chains installed! Obviously you want to avoid shifting into 4WD on DRY PAVEMENT! Another important item is being able to turn off your "Skid & Traction Control". If you get stuck, you are going to need to be able to rock the truck back and forth to get traction. With the "Skid & Traction Control" engaged, the wheels will be locking up and not allow you to rock the truck. To disengage the "Skid Control", simply push "Traction Control" button for 3 SECONDS. The "Traction Off" icon will flash on your display. This information is also available in your owners manual. The "Traction Control' is a hindrance driving in the snow!
Great video!! I had a 2017 sr5 4x4. 4H can be engaged at up 65 mph. 4L you have to be completely stopped and in neutral. With that being said I recently traded my 2017 sr5 for a 2021 trd off road manual trans. And with the manual, to engage 4h it’s the same as the automatic, it can be engaged while going up to at least 65mph. But for 4l I have to be completely stopped, but because I don’t have a automatic anymore, I actually have to have the truck in first gear. Then and only then will the manual taco go into 4l. I have owned 4 Tacoma’s in the past, my first was a 2nd gen, my second was a first gen( because I totaled my 2nd gen) and decided to go with a first gen, they were cheaper at the time. And my last two have been 3rd gens. One 2017 then what I drive now a 2021. I have nothing negative to say about of the tacos I’ve owned all of them have been amazing trucks. I recently took my taco( the 2021 trd off road, cement grey) off road and to test out the 4 wheel drive and also to see what it would take to stall the truck out. I live in the blue ridge mountains in Georgia. Red clay and steep hills, I actually got mad because I had to forcibly cause my truck to stall. Which sounds crazy but I guess I didn’t have enough faith in the Manual 4x4 lol. These trucks are awesome.
What was the price on your manual? I really wanted to get an OR in a manual but dealership said they’d mark up the price $7500 since manuals are so hard to find. Had to settle with an AT :(
I live in Colorado and we do get snow here each year. Tonight makes like the fourth time just since the new year we have gotten snow. So I have really gotten to try out the 4 x 4 on my New-To-Me 2018 Toyota Tacoma SR5. I haven't really needed to try out the 4-Low yet. But a suggesstion is when ever you engage the 4-High on the fly it is best to let off on the gas as you engage it until the light goes solid. You won't get that jarring sound as it engages. Same process when you disengage the 4-High let off on the gas until the light goes out. The unit that controls the 4-Low-4-High-2W on the back of your transfer case is pretty expensive to replace. I had to replace one on my 2000 Toyota Tundra it ran about $1,600 for the part and labor to replace it. Keep this item in mind if you are into fording rivers and streams, if water gets inside of it, it will corrode the contacts inside.
Good trick if you use 4lo a lot, if you are having issues getting it to engage just throw it into reverse.make sure not to move when it’s trying to engage idk if this only works well because mine is manual or what but always has worked for me
I use my 4x4 on my Tacoma when driving hilly, sometimes muddy dirt roads on private land for hunting. My tires start spinning in 2wd, I go to 4x4 and it moves along great
I wish I watched this an hr ago. I drove a nissan frontier and it was always best to be rolling and slip it in neutral and engage 4x4 when its still rolling. So i just got a tacoma and wanted to see if 4x4 worked so i did the same procedure and it locked up the front wheel and had a hard time getting out of 4x4 after that. I hope my little oopsie didn’t mess it up. I wasn’t going fast thankfully but noted that is not the same as my my old truck
Thank you so much for this informational video. We got stuck at 4L, the truck wasn’t switching back to 2WD. It turns out we were doing incorrectly. Thank you!
Your video is very helpful appreciate it thank you I've had my truck for 2 years now but wanted to make sure I kind of had an understanding with a four-wheel drive
Does the “distance to empty” change depending on your average MPG? When I bought my Tacoma, I thought I remember seeing 360 miles to empty, now I’m seeing 320 miles to empty. My average MPG is around 18 since I in an area with high traffic.
Incorrect. It's supposed to be used monthly, 10 miles I believe. No turning, basically in straightaways. This keeps everything working. Most of these are mall crawlers with no access or desire to off road.
if you have 4x4 you must use it at least once a month to keep the system gears lubricated or it will rust up. so go somewhere near with little traffic and put it in neutral parked into 4 low.. drive around for ten minutes.. at 1 mph.. slow.. once a month . best if you can get off pavement on dirt but not required.
I was needed to use it and I did, but the trouble was when I started to smile something like a brake system in the tires and I don’t know if that regular or not could somebody could explain to me ?
I do it the same way you do, with my TACOMA Theirs a handy little card, in the Right Side of the Driver’s Side Sun Visor, that’s visible from the Driver’s Seat when the Sun Visor is Stowed
Back in the day (when you had to get out and manually lock your hubs in) I was told to drive in reverse for about 15 feet for some reason after disengaging the hubs. Do I still have to do that with my 2018 Tacoma?
No video, my taco is 2022 tes off road when I used 4H for 30 miles and then I go back to 2wdr it’s give me a big heat like some one heat me in the back of the truck I ting transmission is damaged and dealer said is normal
Definitely not for rain! 4wd will cause reduced steering response. 4wd is for when traction is reduced and your rear wheels are slipping to maintain forward motion. Think about spinning out on a hill. Lots of people have crashed trying to turn in 4wd. 4lo is for pulling a heavy load like freeing another vehicle, or maybe rock crawling. Maybe read the manual again before you strike a curb or go into oncoming traffic.
Yes, it will work, but remember that the vehicle stability control program won't function in 4wd. Easy does it in the rain, especially with any kind of all terrain tires.
the cautious comments on here are conflicting because I see hundreds of videos of people beating the crap out of these trucks on the trails turning the wheel back and forth and screaming the engines and all that and it be fine climbing hard dry rocks and all that and still the truck is fine???
Bro said all the “Toyota engineers in the comment section telling you what you can & can’t do” 🤣😂🤣😂
Nice video 👏🏽
4H according to the owners manual can be used at any speed. also if you're a newb, on the drivers sun visor it has some good instructions on how to do this... Also owners manual says to do just what you did in this video once a month to keep it operating. But great video man... keep it up..
My manual (2020 O/R) says 4H up to 62mph... in the past most trucks said as high as 55mph.
He is a newbie. It's obvious.
55 is rule of thumb
I used mine for the first time today in our big Texas ice storm. I engaged it from park, like we used to have to do. It still worked, but I'm glad to know I can safely do it on the fly as well. Great video, thanks for posting it!
"big Texas ice storm" Laugh's in Minnesota
@@MattPiekarskyyeah texans are wimps when the temperature is below 40 and complain when its above 100.
I just got a 2017 SR5 V6 and I had no idea whether I had to stop or not to engage it. Im glad you made this video. Really appreciate it.
I use my 4x4 Tacoma all the time (we live really off the beaten path in Montana), and I have a steep little alternate driveway that I like to use in the summer to exercise the 4x4 low range. It can climb like a mountain goat!
Toyota recommends to drive at least 10 miles on 4X4 monthly
How fast can you drive on the road?
@@jacksonvang29464high - no more then 50 miles per hour. Depending how much you care about your truck
OP says his comfort zone is 30mph. Owners manual says any speed but for me, (I've always had 4x4 trucks), the max I ever go is 50mph. @@jacksonvang2946
Can this be done on dry pavement if I'm going in a straight line?
@@jacksonvang2946 in 4H up to 60 mile per hour
According to the manual you should drive in four wheel drive once a month for at least ten miles to lubricate the system
Great video, i'm using the 4x4 on my '22 Taco for the first time in snow today - much appreciated!
I am a newbie to the Toyota world. I just purchased a 2021 Toyota Tacoma SR5 V6 four-wheel drive and my wife and I love it! I have figured out so much about the vehicle using the owners manual, experimenting, and all the TH-cam videos I've watched. Thank you for this tutorial as I'm now going to go out to my truck and use the four wheel drive. My Tacoma has 12,000 miles on it, I'm quite sure the gentleman who had it before me never popped it into four wheel drive. Again, thank you for the video it's so much faster then reading the manual.
Everyone just remember to do this every month so that your actuators don't seize up. Just need to activate 4H and 4L you don't need to drive on them.
Hi I'm new a truck Tacoma owner of a 2023, don't first time Truck owner. So if I don't use 4H 4L just turn them on once a month? That's all?
@@dee151 correct, by twisting the knob you are having the actuator engage, and disengage.
Wouldn't hurt to drive a few seconds in each mode, to make sure its all lubed up and working, so you don't find out its broken, when you desperately NEED it ;)
Yes that will work, but it is a good rule of thumb to use 4h for about 20 miles just to keep things lubed.@@dee151
good basic information.... but put your seatbelt on so we don't have to look at the annoying seatbelt light flashing the whole video...
I am a snow skier and use the Tacoma 4WD for chain conditions going to Lake Tahoe in Northern California.
READING the Toyota owners manual, the truck can be shifted from 2WH to 4WH up to 62MPH. I have "Shifted on the Fly" at 50MPH with no adverse effects. "Chain Control' is usually 25MPH so 4Wheelers beware you will not stop as quickly as vehicles with chains installed!
Obviously you want to avoid shifting into 4WD on DRY PAVEMENT!
Another important item is being able to turn off your "Skid & Traction Control". If you get stuck, you are going to need to be able to rock the truck back and forth to get traction. With the "Skid & Traction Control" engaged, the wheels will be locking up and not allow you to rock the truck.
To disengage the "Skid Control", simply push "Traction Control" button for 3 SECONDS. The "Traction Off" icon will flash on your display. This information is also available in your owners manual. The "Traction Control' is a hindrance driving in the snow!
Can be used on dry straight roads. No significant curves and no turning while in 4x4 on dry surfaces.
Great video!! I had a 2017 sr5 4x4. 4H can be engaged at up 65 mph. 4L you have to be completely stopped and in neutral. With that being said I recently traded my 2017 sr5 for a 2021 trd off road manual trans. And with the manual, to engage 4h it’s the same as the automatic, it can be engaged while going up to at least 65mph. But for 4l I have to be completely stopped, but because I don’t have a automatic anymore, I actually have to have the truck in first gear. Then and only then will the manual taco go into 4l. I have owned 4 Tacoma’s in the past, my first was a 2nd gen, my second was a first gen( because I totaled my 2nd gen) and decided to go with a first gen, they were cheaper at the time. And my last two have been 3rd gens. One 2017 then what I drive now a 2021. I have nothing negative to say about of the tacos I’ve owned all of them have been amazing trucks. I recently took my taco( the 2021 trd off road, cement grey) off road and to test out the 4 wheel drive and also to see what it would take to stall the truck out. I live in the blue ridge mountains in Georgia. Red clay and steep hills, I actually got mad because I had to forcibly cause my truck to stall. Which sounds crazy but I guess I didn’t have enough faith in the Manual 4x4 lol. These trucks are awesome.
What was the price on your manual? I really wanted to get an OR in a manual but dealership said they’d mark up the price $7500 since manuals are so hard to find. Had to settle with an AT :(
What is that red flashing symbol on the dashboard as you are putting in and out of 4 wheel drive please?
Fasten seatbelt
I live in Colorado and we do get snow here each year. Tonight makes like the fourth time just since the new year we have gotten snow. So I have really gotten to try out the 4 x 4 on my New-To-Me 2018 Toyota Tacoma SR5. I haven't really needed to try out the 4-Low yet. But a suggesstion is when ever you engage the 4-High on the fly it is best to let off on the gas as you engage it until the light goes solid. You won't get that jarring sound as it engages. Same process when you disengage the 4-High let off on the gas until the light goes out. The unit that controls the 4-Low-4-High-2W on the back of your transfer case is pretty expensive to replace. I had to replace one on my 2000 Toyota Tundra it ran about $1,600 for the part and labor to replace it. Keep this item in mind if you are into fording rivers and streams, if water gets inside of it, it will corrode the contacts inside.
Good trick if you use 4lo a lot, if you are having issues getting it to engage just throw it into reverse.make sure not to move when it’s trying to engage idk if this only works well because mine is manual or what but always has worked for me
Thanks for this, my wife and I finally got our Tacoma… and I appreciate this information! You got a subscribe from me 🤙🏼
I was totally doing it wrong and was getting frustrated. Gonna try this out thanks!
Edit: WORKED! THANKS! Subscribed
That's a great color on your truck!
I use my 4x4 on my Tacoma when driving hilly, sometimes muddy dirt roads on private land for hunting. My tires start spinning in 2wd, I go to 4x4 and it moves along great
You are FRESH KIDDD....GREAT VIDEO YO👍
I wish I watched this an hr ago. I drove a nissan frontier and it was always best to be rolling and slip it in neutral and engage 4x4 when its still rolling. So i just got a tacoma and wanted to see if 4x4 worked so i did the same procedure and it locked up the front wheel and had a hard time getting out of 4x4 after that. I hope my little oopsie didn’t mess it up. I wasn’t going fast thankfully but noted that is not the same as my my old truck
Very good explanation with enough caution to save your truck.....be gentle, it'll last...and you will save money.
Thank you so much for this informational video. We got stuck at 4L, the truck wasn’t switching back to 2WD. It turns out we were doing incorrectly. Thank you!
That sucks, glad I was able to help!
i love this guy
Thanks for the awesome video!
Your video is very helpful appreciate it thank you I've had my truck for 2 years now but wanted to make sure I kind of had an understanding with a four-wheel drive
Great video bro thanks for the info.
YESSIR! Thank you for wacthing!
I feel like an idiot but I needed this video lol
I can’t imagine anyone will need 4x4 in rain conditions .
Does the “distance to empty” change depending on your average MPG? When I bought my Tacoma, I thought I remember seeing 360 miles to empty, now I’m seeing 320 miles to empty. My average MPG is around 18 since I in an area with high traffic.
Yup! I am at like 280 now 😢
Thanks for the valuable information!
I never engage in motion , old school I guess.
Never use on dry or wet pavement,soft or slippery surfaces only
Incorrect. It's supposed to be used monthly, 10 miles I believe. No turning, basically in straightaways. This keeps everything working. Most of these are mall crawlers with no access or desire to off road.
Been enjoying your daily vlogs.
if you have 4x4 you must use it at least once a month to keep the system gears lubricated or it will rust up. so go somewhere near with little traffic and put it in neutral parked into 4 low.. drive around for ten minutes.. at 1 mph.. slow.. once a month . best if you can get off pavement on dirt but not required.
I wish toyota didn't put chrome on that one knob.
Thank you so helpful 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Awesome video bro to the point
I was needed to use it and I did, but the trouble was when I started to smile something like a brake system in the tires and I don’t know if that regular or not could somebody could explain to me ?
I do it the same way you do, with my TACOMA
Theirs a handy little card, in the Right Side of the Driver’s Side Sun Visor, that’s visible from the Driver’s Seat when the Sun Visor is Stowed
How fast can you drive on 4L? If being used
How fast can you drive on the road,?
Back in the day (when you had to get out and manually lock your hubs in) I was told to drive in reverse for about 15 feet for some reason after disengaging the hubs. Do I still have to do that with my 2018 Tacoma?
No
Thank you ! Cool This vidio Help me ! 🙈
Happy to help! I appreciate you watching, thank you!
I've always been told to ON the 4H in NEUTRAL, NEVER IN GEAR.
Nice !
Ha even living where it snows everyday and being in the oil patch I don't use 4x4 high mainly if the truck gets struck
You want to use the system now and then just to keep it all in tip top shape.
Cool thanks for sharing
No video, my taco is 2022 tes off road when I used 4H for 30 miles and then I go back to 2wdr it’s give me a big heat like some one heat me in the back of the truck I ting transmission is damaged and dealer said is normal
The 4x4 dial is in a really bad location, twice my wife turned it thinking it was the heat/ac
I turn in 4H its sound loud at the back when im doing backing? What is that sounds?
Definitely not for rain! 4wd will cause reduced steering response. 4wd is for when traction is reduced and your rear wheels are slipping to maintain forward motion. Think about spinning out on a hill. Lots of people have crashed trying to turn in 4wd. 4lo is for pulling a heavy load like freeing another vehicle, or maybe rock crawling. Maybe read the manual again before you strike a curb or go into oncoming traffic.
Have you ever watched the video by engineering explained on when to use and what not to use 4wd if not I highly recommend you check it out
You could drive it any speed in 4hi I've driven 80 miles an hour on the freeway in the desert many many times no problem
can i engage the 4x4 while im moving/ accelerating?
Yes
thank you.
I wouldn't use 4wd in rain. It's technically not slippery conditions because your tires still have lots of grip. Not good on the drivetrain.
It really isn't rocket science. I personally have never heard of anyone using 4x4 for rain.
It works great on heavy rain, specially on highways on 4h
Yes, it will work, but remember that the vehicle stability control program won't function in 4wd. Easy does it in the rain, especially with any kind of all terrain tires.
the cautious comments on here are conflicting because I see hundreds of videos of people beating the crap out of these trucks on the trails turning the wheel back and forth and screaming the engines and all that and it be fine climbing hard dry rocks and all that and still the truck is fine???
If you need to engage 4 wheel drive at 50 mph ,you are probably going too fast to begin with.
Whoo, first! 😎
I think your high
NEVER USE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ON WET OR DRY PAVMENT EVER
All pavement is either wet or dry.
@@bhoran1152 🙄
Too much fast talking
I will be making another one soon!