Hey guys,

A weird thing happened to me but it may be just lack of knowledge.

I did a tire rotation today and while cleaning up around the dashboard before climbing into the car I accidentaly hit the differential lock button (2022 model FYI).
I noticed that the car acted a little differently when hitting the corners (slowed the car down), I noticed that the lock diff light was on. I pulled over and I put it into "N" then tried turning it off. For some reason, it wouldn't turn off. I drove it around a few feet to see if I can put it back to "N" and turn it off. But no luck. In the attempt to go back to the shop that did the tire rotation I gave one last try and this time it worked.

I feel like I'm missing a step or something that I'm not aware of.

Any thoughts?

 

This is painful to read. I imagine there’s an electronic actuator and the actual locker part.

does it engage and disengage successfully if you do it again ?

 

After successfully being able to turn off since the incident, I'm able to turn it on and off like before. I just don't want to run into thay situation again but if i know whay may have caused it to act like that would be very helpful.

 

If you drive around with diff lock on non-slippery surfaces, the drivetrain binds up with tension. Usually going to reverse and then neutral to turn it off works.

obviously, don’t drive in diff lock unless needed because of snow or ice.

 

To avoid actuator issues, I exercise the 4L and center diff lock once a month, I have a gravel road were I drive ¼ mile or so, then shifts back to 4H and no center diff lock

If you go online you will see several post mentioning Toyota 4L and diff lock, can be temperamental if not on flat surfaces etc.

Anyway I just keep teh monthly exercise and so far no issues.

 

Thank you so much on providing the solution! I wasn't understanding why it wouldn't turn off but you made it very clear

So Diff lock should only be exercised on a flat surface but not on a hill right?

 

Hills are fine, the issue is high traction surfaces. You want to be on gravel/dirt/grass/snow/ice/etc when you have the CDL engaged.

With the diffs open, all wheels are able to rotate at slightly different rates, so taking a u-turn on asphalt would see the outside tires travel further than the inside tires. If you had the diff locked, there would be driveline binding as the front and rear axles are now connected solid, and can result in jerky/hopping/binding when attempting the same maneuver.

The CDL won't unlock if the driveline is bound up, shifting to neutral is usually enough to relieve the pressure, but driving forward and backwards in figure 8 pattern will get the job done if it's being stubborn.

 

Yes, and to add some more info for the OP.

Some see 'lock the diff' and think the GX has rear lockers, but it's actually the transfer case that is being locked into 4wd. The GX transfer case uses a Torsion diff for 'full time 4wd' (like AWD mode). You then lock the Torsion diff inside the transfer case to get locked 4wd. The axle diffs do not have a locking feature on US GX's.

Many 4x4s use a part time transfer case; 2wd or locked 4wd, most 4Runners are like this. Some 4Runners also have a rear locking diff, but not the same comparison to what the GX uses. The 4Runner Limited used the same/similar transfer case as the GX for full-time-4wd (not sure for 2023 though as the web site say's otherwise).

 

Should not be an issue, however as others mentioned the drive train can bind up and the actuators cannot engage or disenage the CDL or 4L/4H
going between forward and revers can release the bind and the actuator can move

I'm just exercising both CDL and 4L/4H to make sure they move as intended, few other in this forum are doing similar tings.

 

This reminds me of that time my then-GF drove my 2014 GX all the way from Flagstaff to Phoenix with the differential lock engaged.

 

Holy Molly!
Anything happened to the car?

 

Fortunately nothing that I am aware of.