Ok, I've had my X for about 2 months and it is my first one. I took it for a little romp in about a foot and a half of snow and decided i had bitten off more than i could chew. As i was backing out of the area onto plowed pavement, my truck just stopped and the front wheels started spinning. I put it in 4 Hi and tried again but still only the front wheels would spin. After about 10 minutes i gave up and fetched a shovel. I dug the back end out totally until the wheels were level and on solid ground; the system decided to work again and i backed out with ease.

Now for my question: Why in the world would this happen?? I had thought maybe it was because the rear wheels had to be slipping to engage it but shouldn't it do it anyways in 4 Hi and 4 Lo? I'm so confused.

i had the same problem yesterday (4x4 wouldnt engage) so i put it in park, shut off the car, turned it back on switched in to 4wd auto and it works fine.

Alas, I don't have an LS axel

let me clarify my original post, it was a bit much.

the truck is stuck in the snow w/ the rear end a bit higher than the front. ONLY the front wheels are moving. Neither of the rear wheels were. i pivoted my mirrors so i could watch the rear wheels, they never budged. i dont have an LS axel. I tried 4 Hi and Lo with no luck. i shut it off and let it sit for 10 minutes and tried again, still nothing. i ended up digging it out completely before it would work again, which kind defeats the purpose of 4 wheel drive.

If your 100% positive that one rear wheel was not spinning then you could have a damaged transfer case.

Without a limited slip or some other traction device inside the differential your 4x4 is really a 4x(1+1) ;)

When in 4x4 mode the one wheel on each axle with the LEAST traction will get 100% of the torque from the driveshafts coming out of the Transfer Case.

In 4Low all the transfer case does is switch to a low gear so the engine has to spin faster for every driveshaft rotation. I "thiink" it is around 2.6 so the transmission output shaft will turn 2.6 times before the driveshafts will complete a rotation.

BTW, once your rig is high-centered on snow so the weight of the X is not going to the tires you are stuck! :eek:

That doesn't sound right. You should have had one front tire and one back tire spinning(with open diff's). Maybe on the newer models the transfer ratio will go from 50% to 100% back to front, but on my 97, the most I can get is 50/50, which means that one front and one back will spin. Where's Robert when you need him.
Hey Robert, can you help us out here?
You could buy an AtlasII transfercase and not have that problem anymore.

remove the cover off of the rear differental and see what is up