Offroad-Express

I have a 1990 LJ78 prado (2L-TE auto) with the auto hubs, today went down the river with a mate to test new tyres and had no drive to my front wheels at all. Nothing in high or low (hub lock button was in, lights were on for hubs and 4x4)! Haven't heard any bangs of bits breaking. Does anybody have any idea as to what may be the problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers, Rhys.

Electrical contacts in teh hubs might be stuffed, could try and pull them off and cleaning them, otherwise you will need to either:

(a) Find some replacement Electric Hubs
(b) Get them converted to Manual Hubs (PM Oldblue)
(c) convert them to manual hubs, ideally Aisan ones, you can use a spacer or change the stub axle thingy

If your 4wd light is on that should mean that your vacuum solenoids on the transfer case (located near the brake master cylinder) are working properly.

What jerry said, but you can check to see if its one or both not working. listen to each hud when someone pushes button you should hear the little electric motor move. or if you have the torx bit take the cover off to watch it move and will see if they have been full of water at some stage.
I would go for the old blue hubs or the full hub stub swap, heard the spacers are not the best long term.
good luck.

Probably find the previous owner never used it in 4wd. It is likely the brushes are gooed up because of this lack of use.

Strip the hubs apart, You will need the correct sized Torx bit, Then clean everything up and when you reassemble them, locate the brushes outwards by putting some 1mm wire through the outer hole (you will see it) and into the hole in the brush (both brushes). After assembly pull the wires out and the brushes will drop on to the commutator.

If you don't do this, as you assemble the hub you will break the brushes.
This is normally the 2 major problems with these Electric, not Auto, hubs. Once working they are strong and they are reliable. My truck's just going 200k and gets used in 4wd regularly. In the 130k that I have done, I have only had El hub issues twice.

Out of all the electric hubs that I have converted to manual approx 90% have broken carbon brush's, caused by people not knowing that the brushs need to be pined back when assembleing.

Also if and when you remove the hubs, DON'T USE A HAMMER to smack the side of the hub bodys.
After removeing the end cover, remove the 12mm nuts and place a brass rod on the end of the studs and use light to medium hits with the hammer to loosen the taper collets.
Any info required on this topic just give me an e-mail ( PM )

Have had it for about 8 or 9 months, done a few trips (including a few weeks back) and everything has been peachy up until yesterday. The previous owner used it in 4wd quite often to get to logging areas so it has been used. Hopefully it's just an electrical fault. Will give it all a clean up and if that doesn't work will got down the manual hub route.

Cheers for the advise guys!