Noise while turning on 4WD (4Hi)

I noticed that sometimes when I am turning in a parking lot, but I am on 4WD (4HI) there is a weird grinding/ moaning noise that happens and it seems like something is locking up while i'm turning at a low speed. Can someone tell me what this is, and how I can avoid it? (What am I doing wrong?) Thank you!!

 

You can avoid it by not turning on dry pavement in 4WD. You should only do that on wet or gravel/sand/dirt surfaces that allow slippage of the tires.

 

Yeah strange cause it was a pretty flooded parking lot during a downpour, as we've been hit with lots of rain yesterday. I've also experienced this same thing out in Utah on an icy road where I was making a slow turn and it started making this sound..

 

You might want to take it in to be looked at. It shouldn't make any strange noises when turning on an icy surface in 4WD.

 

I wouldn’t ever engage 4HI because of rain. That’s probably your drivetrain binding.

 

Yes, with our part time 4wd system, it's ideal to only use it it turns when the front wheels can "slip" on slippery terrain. What I do if i have to engage 4HI because of torrential rains (especially here in Houston), I usually just bump the lever back into 2HI before making any turns.

Cheers,

Sean

 

It's drivetrain binding like other dude said. Any slow speed turn like a U turn, where the wheels are cranked all the way one direction, even on ice (which often isn't as low traction a surface as you might think), is going to cause that. Flooded parking lot also isn't a low traction environment, your tires don't give a shit if there's 1/4" of water or 2' of water if you're going 2 mph and there's pavement on the bottom.

Solution: don't do that!

 

Thank you all for your responses! Very helpful. As you can tell, I am a beginner with the whole 4WD system.

So for rainy roads- 4HI sounds like it's okay if its a straight road, but on turns crank to 2Hi.

But for the icy surfaces, I feel like I should stay in 4Hi.. and if I'm making a turn, crank it back into 2hi?

 

I personally don't advocate using 4wd in any of those scenarios. I like to use 4wd as little as possible, considering it a personal challenge to not use it in hard stuff and rely on a good line, technique, momentum, and balls to get me through / over stuff. As a bonus by not using it until you have to, you're less likely to get yourself stuck - you always have that 4wd ace up your sleeve.

 

True mate, but Toyota does recommend that you drive at least 10 miles a month in 4wd to "lubricate" the system and keep the internals working well. In heavy rain (and in a straight line) is the perfect opportunity to meet this mark.

Cheers,

Sean

 

That's funny, I actually was going to edit my post to clarify that but then I kind of lost interest (sorry). Yes, you're supposed to do that. I do, too.

Having said that, there's tons a grandma owned 4Rs that probably have never been in 4wd and they will shift into it just fine after 5 years and 50k....

 

You are SO right about that. And imagine, we still don't see their 4Runners sitting at the side of the road.

Happy New Year mate!

 

if you have to just find a straight road so you can engage 4-hi to drive on and if you have to turn just go back to 2-hi good luck

 

I agree with this. I like to use 4wd when I need it, or if I think I'm about to get into a situation where I'll need it. If I'm tooling down ice covered or snow covered roads, I'll probably engage 4wd because I like the extra security of keeping my lane. However, with that said, 4wd can instill false confidence and it's easy to get over your head if you're not careful -- 4wd can get you moving and keep you moving, but it does nothing for the brakes. I love seeing overly lifted pick-ups with wheels sticking out the sides fly down an icy highway and discover going is a lot easier than stopping. 4wd doesn't allow you to break the law of physics, but lots of people try.

Basically, if you feel things are fighting you when in 4wd, you're either on a surface unsuitable for it, or you're on a suitable surface and have the wheel cranked to the stops. Try this: find a wet field that's a little soft, drive across it, stop and put it into 4Hi or 4Lo, crank the wheel hard to one side, and then slowly give it gas... you're not trying to spin the wheels, just get moving. The steering wheel will try to fight you, but hold it and make a turn. Now park, hop out, and admire the ruts your front tires cut in the grass and mud. Imagine that same force on a high friction surface. That should give you a feel of what 4wd is trying to do. If you don't have a soft or loose surface for the tires to slip, all that force that dug the rut stays in the drivetrain and parts wear prematurely or break catastrophically.

If I'm out and about and it's raining, I'll engage 4wd now and then on mostly straight roads to keep things lubricated. A gentle curve here and there isn't too big of a deal.

 

Thanks for this I had the same problem and had no idea wtf was happening.

 

wet pavement does not always allow slip unless there is mud or loose material, so the 4wd will still bind in turns.

 

You do not need 4WD for rain.