2005 FORD EXPLORER 4X4 SHIFT ISSUES

[Gearjammer1986]

Hi All. I am a new member and have been having some issues with my Explorer and desperately need some help. Please bear with me through this lol.

So my Explorer is a 2005 with the 4.0 SOHC V6 (non flex fuel), Automatic transmission with 4X4, The stock Borg-warner transfer case, with Advancetrac ASC (whatever that is)

The issues I am having are as follows. FIRSTLY, My explorer has 4x4. Next to my stereo there are 3 buttons. “4x4 Auto, 4x4 High, and 4x4 Low”. Well my “4x4 Low” button light is lit, And for the life of me, I cannot seem to get it out of 4x4 low. I push the other buttons and nothing happens, Ive done the whole put it in neutral and hit the buttons, with no luck. Ive gone in reverse 25-50 feet then hit the buttons, and it just stays in “4x4 low”. I even went to the junkyard and pulled some relays out of another explorer For that little box in the engine compartment on the passenger side. Nothing works. I don’t know what is going on with this thing. It is my daily driver. And to be honest, I drive it on the highway like this because I don’t have a choice. It makes a vibration sound coming from the driverside steering area, but no pops or grinds. The 4x4 low button light just stays lit. So thats problem number 1

Problem number 2, my battery was nearly 5 years old and still kicking. Well one day the battery light on the dash decided to light up, but I wasn’t really losing power on the battery gauge. So I figured what the heck, I will just replace the battery since it’s old. So I did that, and the battery light still stays on on the dash. I don’t seem to be losing power anywhere as the gauge stays just a little bit above half as it always did, but I feel that nonetheless this is a stupid problem to have. All of these years in automotive technology and Ford still can’t figure out how to get things right. Again, I’m not losing any type of power. So any help on this would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

 

[imp]

Hi All. I am a new member and have been having some issues with my Explorer and desperately need some help. Please bear with me through this lol.

So my Explorer is a 2005 with the 4.0 SOHC V6 (non flex fuel), Automatic transmission with 4X4, The stock Borg-warner transfer case, with Advancetrac ASC (whatever that is)

The issues I am having are as follows. FIRSTLY, My explorer has 4x4. Next to my stereo there are 3 buttons. “4x4 Auto, 4x4 High, and 4x4 Low”. Well my “4x4 Low” button light is lit, And for the life of me, I cannot seem to get it out of 4x4 low. I push the other buttons and nothing happens, Ive done the whole put it in neutral and hit the buttons, with no luck. Ive gone in reverse 25-50 feet then hit the buttons, and it just stays in “4x4 low”. I even went to the junkyard and pulled some relays out of another explorer For that little box in the engine compartment on the passenger side. Nothing works. I don’t know what is going on with this thing. It is my daily driver. And to be honest, I drive it on the highway like this because I don’t have a choice. It makes a vibration sound coming from the driverside steering area, but no pops or grinds. The 4x4 low button light just stays lit. So thats problem number 1

Problem number 2, my battery was nearly 5 years old and still kicking. Well one day the battery light on the dash decided to light up, but I wasn’t really losing power on the battery gauge. So I figured what the heck, I will just replace the battery since it’s old. So I did that, and the battery light still stays on on the dash. I don’t seem to be losing power anywhere as the gauge stays just a little bit above half as it always did, but I feel that nonetheless this is a stupid problem to have. All of these years in automotive technology and Ford still can’t figure out how to get things right. Again, I’m not losing any type of power. So any help on this would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

@Gearjammer1986
First, go to your owners manual and look up Fuses. Find which ones are labeled "4X4". The one feeding the 4X4 LOW relay underhood may be blown, or one of the others. If bad fuse found, replace it, try then to shift back to 4X4 AUTO or HIGH. If fuses all good, the shift motor mounted on the back of the transfer case may have failed. If you remove the motor, it is possible to move the mechanism by hand to shift out of LOW. This would at least get you going in HIGH. imp

 

[Gearjammer1986]

Awesome. I will give that a try. So if worst comes to worst, and I end up having to take off that little motor on the transfer case, and I turn it over to “4x4 high”, does that mean that I am still in “4x4” ?

 

[imp]

Awesome. I will give that a try. So if worst comes to worst, and I end up having to take off that little motor on the transfer case, and I turn it over to “4x4 high”, does that mean that I am still in “4x4” ?

@Gearjammer1986
Actually, you are always "in 4X4", in that 4X4 AUTO engages automatically if wheel slippage is detected, 4X4 HIGH is switched in manually, and gives 4X4 operation constantly, regardless of wheel slippage. The T.C. shift motor ONLY serves to shift in or out of 4X4 LOW, does nothing else, inoperative in 4X4 AUTO or HIGH. imp

 

[Gearjammer1986]

So forgive me for the next stupid question LOL, but if I’m in “4x4 high”, Is that safer to run in going down the road than being stuck in “4x4 low”?

 

[imp]

So forgive me for the next stupid question LOL, but if I’m in “4x4 high”, Is that safer to run in going down the road than being stuck in “4x4 low”?

@Gearjammer1986
Only if the road is gravel. Driving in 4X4 HIGH or LOW on pavement places high loads on the entire drivetrain. Hope you haven't been doing that. 4X4 AUTO actually delivers power ONLY to the rear wheels, until "slip" is occurring, then it delivers power to the front wheels also, until slip stops, then goes back to rear wheels only. imp

 

[Gearjammer1986]

Well, Actually I just got the explorer a few weeks ago and its been stuck in “4x4 low” since i got it. The “4x4 low” button/light is on but wont let me switch. I push the “4x4 high” and “4x4 auto” buttons and the lights for those buttons dont light up. It just stays on “4x4 low”. I havent had a choice but to drive it that way. It doesnt make any pops or grinding sounds, It just “hums” going down the road. Its been frustrating that i cant get it out of “4x4 low”