Selecting low Box.

[Dick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Dick]

Every time I try and select the low box I end up crunching before it engages. Any help would be appreciated.
The low box doesn't get a lot of use as yet and the previous owner rarely used it.
Thanks.

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

When you hold the stick be sure to pull it in slowly making sure the box is in neutral first and preferably come to a stop. You will in most cases hear the gears engaging as you are inserting a large cog into a small one.

ntp keep it together

[Dick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Dick]

When you hold the stick be sure to pull it in slowly making sure the box is in neutral first and preferably come to a stop. You will in most cases hear the gears engaging as you are inserting a large cog into a small one.

ntp keep it together

Thanks Hazza,,you say pull the stick,,in my case I have to push it in,97 Prado.Just tried it and still it crunches?
At a stand still and in neutral.Hope nothing major is going on,,it does push in but hell it crunches.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Completely stopped, in neutral, it should not crunch at all.

It's possible to engage in low whilst rolling in neutral (under 5km/h), but this does crunch.

Actually, I wonder if there's a difference between auto and manual? I have auto.

[Dick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Dick]

Mine is auto also.Maybe it's lack of use in the low box? It is annoying.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

My 90 could be difficult to engage/disengage but I don't recall it crunching though you could feel the gears engage but not audibly. Stopped in neutral with no load on the transmission the change should be easy and noiseless.

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

Hi Dick, I had a similar problem when I first bought my prado. When shifting from H to HL the shifter needed a bit of pressure to make the transition and from HL to LL was similar. I too had an un-used low range box.
Sounds like you need to do a drain and refill on your fluid as its probably never been done. Try that first and see if shifting becomes any easier, perhaps it would be best if you do it on a patch of gravel or grass somewhere with the engine off. Apply the handbrake hard then select Neutral and see if you are able to shift through to the low box H-HL-N-LL, cycle through the shift pattern a few times and see if some of the 'stickiness" goes away.
If not and you cant budge it at all you may have a damaged shifter, link or bushes in which case you'll have to take it to a mechanic and have the transfer box pulled out unless your handy enough to fix it at home.
Hope this helps you
GreenVX.

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

In an auto, you can only put it in low range when the vehicle is stationary, you must have it in Neutral, and foot on brake, any slight movement and it will crunch.

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

Today I engaged the transfer box a few times. My vehicles an auto and In every instance it dropped in easy enough but you can feel the gears engaging through the stick. It's not what I would call smooth but a mild muffled 'crunch' if you like. I have owned around five 4wd's and can say it feels 'normal'.

As I said before you are engaging a small cog with a large one so its not going to be silky smooth. Bit like selecting reverse on a manual.

If you know another Prado owner or two ask them to try out your vehicle and also try theirs. This will will you he best indication of what a 'normal' feel would be I that makes sense.

Good luck with it
Hazza

[Dick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Dick]

Many thanks guys for your feedback.It is obvious now that it is lack of use from previous owner.The shift is slowly becoming smoother
the more I put it through it's paces.The only hitch I have is a muffled crunch when pulling the stick out of LL back into H,,this is happening every time,,may stop after more exercise lol.
However I will see how the shift feels on another Prado just to put my mind at rest.
Cheers team.

[Dick Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Dick]

Many thanks guys for your feedback.It is obvious now that it is lack of use from previous owner.The shift is slowly becoming smoother
the more I put it through it's paces.The only hitch I have is a muffled crunch when pulling the stick out of LL back into H,,this is happening every time,,may stop after more exercise lol.
However I will see how the shift feels on another Prado just to put my mind at rest.
Cheers team.