4x4 not engaging

[ywork Member Find all posts View Profile Close ywork]

I have noticed lately that when I want to engage the 4x4 by pressing the diff lock button. The identicator on the dash flashes and the 4x4 does not ingauge.Before it would engage as soon as the button was pressed. After some time the VSC indicator came on and the 4x4 engaged. Now is this something to be concerned about? What is causing the difflock not to engage as soon as the button is pressed? Anything I can check on or do to sort this out.

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

Are you pushing the button or holding it in?

[ywork Member Find all posts View Profile Close ywork]

Just push it once to engage and to disengage, and then the indicator comes on and flashes until it stays on permanently and VSC indicator shows as OFF. Then the 4x4 is engaged. This would take 2-4 sec.
This also did not matter whether you were driving or parked. Now doing the same thing the 4x4 indicator just flashes and the 4x4 does not engage.

[ywork Member Find all posts View Profile Close ywork]

Just got under the car and pushed the 4x4 button indicator is flashing, looking at the actuator behind the transfer case, I see a small oil leak. Also there is a beeping sound coming from the actuator.

[ywork Member Find all posts View Profile Close ywork]

I have in the past fixes this oil leak by putting on some Loctite 515 gasket sealer. I just removed the Actuator pulled it back a bit to see what’s going on. I see on the shaft there is a small spring type washer. This looks to be damaged bent out of shape. What’s this for and how is it replaced. You can see below in the pic. Is there supposed to be oil in the actuator? It seems full of oil?

[AussieTDM Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close AussieTDM]

I have in the past fixes this oil leak by putting on some Loctite 515 gasket sealer. I just removed the Actuator pulled it back a bit to see what’s going on. I see on the shaft there is a small spring type washer. This looks to be damaged bent out of shape. What’s this for and how is it replaced. You can see below in the pic. Is there supposed to be oil in the actuator? It seems full of oil?

By the looks in the pic what you may think is a bent washer looks to me to be the tension spring from under the lip of an oil seal - probably why you have the leak and also may jamb in the teeth of the actuator.
Cheers Rick

[ywork Member Find all posts View Profile Close ywork]

Rick your correct; this was a tension spring that’s seals the inner sleeve to stop oil from entering the actuator. I removed the actuator it came off easily and found it to be full of oil. So opened it up, drained the oil and cleaned it with a degreaser. Then reassembled it. Managed to reinsert the tension spring and seal it with gasket maker. Installed the Actuator and tested the 4x4, all working engages first time like before. Very happy, hope it stays working because Toyota want $1600 for a new actuator.