So this morning, my 2017 Toyota RAV4 wouldn’t start, and I got this message saying ‘AWD malfunction - 2WD mode engaged.’ I already checked the gas cap (everything’s good there), but now it won’t crank. There’s this weird noise, and the brake pedal feels locked. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any ideas before I call a tow?
Yeah, I’ve seen something like that before. It might be a battery issue. Have you tried a jump start?
Felix said:
Yeah, I’ve seen something like that before. It might be a battery issue. Have you tried a jump start?
Can you explain what a jump start is? I’m not super familiar with car stuff.
Felix said:
Yeah, I’ve seen something like that before. It might be a battery issue. Have you tried a jump start?
Totally! You use jumper cables to connect your car battery to another vehicle’s battery to give it enough power to start. Have you got someone who could help with that?
@Felix
Oh, I see. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can do it myself—I’m limited to one arm and not super mobile.
@Felix
If you can’t do it, maybe call a tow service. They can usually jump-start it or at least check the battery for you.
The brake pedal locking up sounds like a dead battery to me. Do you hear any clicking when you try to start it?
Ripley said:
The brake pedal locking up sounds like a dead battery to me. Do you hear any clicking when you try to start it?
No clicking at all. Just that weird noise. Does that still sound like the battery?
Ripley said:
The brake pedal locking up sounds like a dead battery to me. Do you hear any clicking when you try to start it?
Yeah, it could still be the battery. When it’s totally drained, you might not even hear clicking. A jump or battery replacement should fix it.
You might also want to check if your battery cables are loose. Happened to me once, and it threw me off for hours.
LandCruiserLover said:
You might also want to check if your battery cables are loose. Happened to me once, and it threw me off for hours.
That’s a good point—I’ll mention it when I call for help. Thanks for the tip!
It could be the AWD system throwing an error because of low voltage. Fix the battery, and it’ll probably sort itself out.
Nadine said:
It could be the AWD system throwing an error because of low voltage. Fix the battery, and it’ll probably sort itself out.
Makes sense. I’ll focus on getting the battery checked first. Thanks!
If you don’t want to deal with jumper cables, some places like AAA or roadside services will do it for you. Worth a call!
Cort said:
If you don’t want to deal with jumper cables, some places like AAA or roadside services will do it for you. Worth a call!
Good idea. I’ll look into that. Thanks for the suggestion!