GX470 Won't Move Except in 4WD

[Gebo]

My wife was leaving work today and the 2007 Lexus GX470 won't move. Reverse or Drive. Scanned it but no codes. The AT/P, Tire pressure, VSC and the Center Lock Dif light are on. When you push it from R to P, you get a grinding noise for a few seconds. I did figure out if you put it in 4WD, it drives normally. I did notice the parking brake lever won't lock in place when you try to apply it. She says she hasn't run over anything and it ran fine going to work. She did say it seemed to lose power going up the hill coming back from lunch. I was able to drive it home in 4WD. Any ideas?

[RX400h]

CoPilot suggestions:

Quote

Based on the symptoms you described, here are a few potential causes and steps to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Parking Brake Lever: Since the parking brake lever won't lock in place, it could be causing the transmission to think the parking brake is engaged, preventing it from moving out of park. Cleaning or adjusting the parking brake lever might help.

2. Transmission Issues: The grinding noise when shifting from reverse to park could indicate a problem with the transmission itself. It might be stuck or have an internal issue that needs professional attention.

3. Center Differential Lock: The Center Differential Lock light being on and the car driving normally in 4WD suggests there might be an issue with the center differential lock actuator. This could be causing the car to not move in regular drive mode.

4. Electrical System: Since the AT/P, Tire Pressure, VSC, and Center Lock Dif lights are on, there might be an electrical issue affecting multiple systems. It could be related to a blown fuse, a bad relay, worn out battery, or a wiring problem.

Given the complexity of these potential issues, I recommend having the car inspected by a professional mechanic or a Lexus dealer. They can run a thorough diagnostic to pinpoint the exact cause and recommend the appropriate repairs.

 

[Gebo]

It was very simple.  My wife had knocked the 4WD stick into neutral.  Once I got it back into 4 High, everything cleared up except the TPMS and the Parking brake. I didn't realize it was a All Time 4 WD and it had to be in either "H" or "L".  What an idiot???? LOL  She said the parking brake hasn't worked in months.  She said TPMS just came on once it dropped into the 20's. At least there is no transmission issues.