How to Turn Off 4Hi on Tundra

The well-known vehicle manufacturing brand Toyota has made strides in all aspects of traveling and vehicle parts. Their vehicles are popular for being cost-effective as well as durable making them a reliable name among vehicle enthusiasts. One such ground-breaking vehicle is the Toyota Tundra.

Toyota Tundra is a popular vehicle model that has a massive user count and the popularity of this pick-up truck keeps rising with time. The pick-up truck is a 4-seater FWD (Four Wheel Drive) that can ride off-road with high performance. So, it’s necessary to know when to turn off 4Hi on the Toyota Tundra pick-up truck.

What Is 4Hi?

4Hi is the kind of driving mechanism that helps your car pass through difficult terrains and paths. There are 3 kinds of driving mechanisms in an FWD truck-like Toyota Tundra. They are the 4Hi, 2Hi, and 4Lo driving mechanisms respectively and they all help to provide different driving experiences to your truck.

Coming to the point, 4Hi means using all four tires of your truck to create the ultimate traction between your truck’s tires and the terrain. This helps to improve turning and grip by locking the front and rear differentials of your truck together. Since 4Hi doesn’t provide as much torque as other driving mechanisms, it is only necessary for driving through tough terrains.

4Hi is beneficial for pulling heavy payloads on the back of your truck as well. Due to the lack of torque distribution to all 4 wheels at the same time, the truck becomes more stable and improves traction. This mechanism also intakes more fuel than driving in 4Lo. It’s recommended not to drive your Toyota Tundra on flat terrains while in 4Hi since it can damage your truck’s internal parts severely.

Basic Knowledge Of 4Lo & 2Hi

4Lo: A common driving mechanism for FWD vehicles is the 4Lo. This mechanism pushes torque equally into all 4 wheels that in turn, makes driving smooth and better. It’s great for pulling heavy loads and helps to provide more mileage for your truck compared to 4Hi. Driving in 4Lo is recommended while driving a Toyota Tundra on flat terrains or climbing grades that are steep.

2Hi: As 4Hi means 4-wheel drive, in the same way, 2Hi means 2 wheel drive. This is the most common way of driving any truck and it’s considered as default. Since trucks like Toyota Tundra have an FWD mechanism, the 2Hi can automatically change to 4Hi if the wheels lose traction.

Steps To Turn Off 4Hi On Toyota Tundra

Since you want to turn off 4Hi, it means that you are familiar with the two other driving mechanisms (4Lo and 2Hi). In addition to that, 4Hi is not meant for driving on highways or any plain roads for that matter. So, here are steps you can follow to turn off the FWD or 4Hi mechanism on Toyota Tundra.

From 4Hi to 2Hi

1. Firstly, turn the front control knob switch counter-clockwise. It also means turning the knob switch to the left and this can be accomplished at any speed.
2. If you see that the drive indicator light is still blinking, it means the truck is still not secured into the 2Hi mechanism.
3. Drive your Toyota Tundra for a few minutes and slowly decelerate, then accelerate, and so on.
4. Keep doing step 3 until you notice that the blinking has stopped which means the truck is now secured into 2Hi.
5. Call a mechanic if you’re having trouble with blinking lights after doing the process for over 15 minutes. More specifically, tell the mechanic to examine your 4Hi system to determine the root of the problem.

From 4Hi to 4Lo

1. Bring your truck to a complete halt and keep the engine running.
2. Put your foot on the brakes and hold on.
3. Next, you have to shift your auto transmission level from acceleration to neutral.
4. While still holding down the brakes, keep turning the front-drive switch of controls to completely right position. Keep pushing clockwise till you get to the point.
5. You should consult with a mechanic about your 4Hi system if your truck is not responding to the process.

Permanently Turning Off 4Hi

4Hi is a basic necessity of the current FWD Toyota Tundra since it helps the truck to traverse rough roads and maintains traction while off-roading. However, it is possible to permanently switch off this driving mechanism with a few steps. Unless these steps work, the only other way to turn off 4Hi is to make hardware changes to your truck (not recommended).

Automatic Turn Off

1. Look for a specific switch if your vehicle can provide manual control of every wheel to the driver.
2. The switch is usually a knob that is placed at the center-console of off-roading vehicles like the Toyota Tundra.
3. Pushing the switch will either activate 2Hi or 4Hi respectively.
4. Try to drive slowly so that the process works and your vehicle will automatically go out of FWD. Many FWD trucks become aware of slippery roads and active FWD automatically.

Mechanical Turn Off

1. Deactivate one axle of your Toyota Tundra
2. Make sure that the power to one of the axles is completely cut off.
3. Take the truck to a mechanic if you don’t have the right tools and skills to pull it off.

How to Enable 4HI/4LO Toyota Tundra

Disadvantages Of Permanently Disabling 4Hi

4Hi is an essential mechanism for trucks like Toyota Tundra and they are there for a reason. These trucks have FWD (Four Wheel Drive) and can shift from 4Lo or 2Hi to 4Hi as soon as it detects a lack of traction in wheels. Not having this mechanism will only make your truck more vulnerable to dangerous situations.

The main job of a 4Hi driving mechanism is to provide the ultimate traction required to overcome rough terrains. Without the help of the 4Hi mechanism, your truck will suffer heavily while off-roading, and brakes won’t work properly on asphalt roads.

Conclusion

Turning off 4Hi permanently is highly discouraged since your truck can protect you and the payload from getting damaged on rough and slippery roads. However, you can turn 4Hi temporarily and shift into 2Hi or 4Lo because it’s not safe to drive while in the 4Hi state.

Toyota Tundra is a powerful pick-up truck that can drive through all kinds of terrains and traverse rough roads with ease. Moreover, the 4Hi system will help you get out of sticky situations and dangerous roads. For this reason, a brief understanding of 4Hi and ways to turn off 4Hi is provided in this article. In case you want to turn it off permanently, be careful what you wish for and drive safe.